ABOUT SARAH BLAS, YOUR NEXT CITY COUNCIL REPRESENATIVE

Sarah Blas is a mother of six, a public health leader, and a lifelong advocate for equity and justice. A proud resident of Staten Island and a native New Yorker, Sarah brings over two decades of experience in grassroots organizing, nonprofit leadership, and civic engagement to her campaign for City Council. She believes political leadership is the highest form of public service—and she’s spent her life proving that belief through action.

Raised in Brooklyn by a family of community stewards, Sarah learned early on the power of advocacy. Her grandfather, John B. Elliot, was a vocal advocate for people living with HIV/AIDS at a time when stigma often silenced the conversation. Her grandmother, Rev. Susie Elliot, taught her how community gardening and food pantries could be tools of justice and survival. Sarah has carried those lessons across the Verrazzano, making Staten Island her home and the center of her work.

Sarah is a survivor of domestic violence, she understands firsthand, the struggles of navigating complex systems while raising a family, building a career, and advocating for a better future. Her lived experience drives her vision for a more resilient, inclusive, and people-centered Staten Island.

She has founded, led, or served on the boards of some of Staten Island’s most trusted organizations—among them Staten Island Therapeutic Gardens, the Staten Island Environmental Justice Coalition, and the Alice Austen House Museum. Through her public health leadership with PREP-SI and the DOVE Project at the Staten Island Urban Center, Sarah has mobilized resources for disaster relief and domestic violence prevention, amplifying life-saving services through local radio and multilingual outreach.

Sarah’s community work has been widely recognized by local and state leaders. Her honors include the Staten Island Advance Woman of Achievement Award, citations from multiple NYC Council Members, congressional recognitions from both Congressman Max Rose and Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis, and gubernatorial commendations. She was most recently awarded the Friends of Tompkinsville Park Service Award by Partnership for Parks in 2024.

Her civic and professional record includes:

• Parent-elected CEC District 31 member and Special Education Chair
   
• Instructor at Dare to Run and graduate of the Campaign School at Yale University
   
• Member of Mayor Adams’ Climate Strong Communities initiative
   
• Founder and Principal Consultant at Community Impact Strategies
   
• Board member of Destiny Housing, Vice President of the Voorspuy Memorial Scholarship, and Board Member of the Alice Austen House
   

Sarah’s platform centers the people most impacted by policy—because she is one of them. She knows housing justice, healthcare access, disability equity, and educational opportunity aren't abstract issues; they are daily realities. She is ready to bring that urgency to the New York City Council and fight for legislation that delivers material solutions and structural change.

Join Sarah Blas in building a stronger, more equitable Staten Island—one where every resident is seen, heard, and served.