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Inside Press

Mount Kisco Interfaith Food Pantry Celebrates 25th Anniversary!

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Since 1991, the non-profit food pantry has been dedicated to creating a healthier and stronger community.

Article and Photos By Justin Ellick

MOUNT KISCO, NY—On what was a gloomy, lazy Sunday for most members of the greater Mount Kisco community, there was a burst of cheer and positive energy coming from the back lawn of The United Methodist Church on the corner of Smith Avenue and Main Street. It was here where the Mount Kisco Interfaith Food Pantry celebrated its 25th Anniversary.

Founded in 1991, the Mt. Kisco Interfaith Food Pantry has acted as a reliable service for anyone who’s having trouble putting food on the table for themselves or their loved ones. The only pantry in the area that offers regular, weekly food distributions, Mount Kisco Interfaith is a nonprofit organization made up of extremely dedicated volunteers, some of whom are even former clients of the pantry themselves.

The gathering on Sunday wasn’t only celebrating 25 years of the pantry, but also how much and how rapidly the organization has grown in such a short period of time. The difference the food pantry has been able to make in the greater Mount Kisco area over the years is something every volunteer dreamed of, but never truly believed to be all that realistic.

“We wanted what’s here, but we never thought it would go on for this long or make such a big difference throughout the community”, said founder and board member Karen Ostro. “We started with just four families at Moore Avenue and it grew to many hundreds of families now.” Mount Kisco Food Pantry 1

While the pantry is flourishing today, providing food for upwards of 200 families a week, its goal is to severely decrease the number of hungry families throughout the area, ultimately minimalizing the need for such an organization.

“It’s sad that there’s such a need”, continued Ostro. “But at least there’s a response to that need. That’s what we’re here for.”

Mount Kisco Food Pantry 2The pantry encourages clients to only come when they need to, acting as a safety net for anyone who doesn’t have enough nutritious food for themselves or for their family at the moment. Ideally, a client spends about a month or so using the food pantry and its services, before slowly getting back on their feet and eventually being able to afford their own groceries again. Sometimes, the interfaith food pantry even sees former clients come back as volunteers, in an effort to give back to the organization that once helped them so dramatically.

“We had a family this past year that came to the pantry every week for about six or seven weeks”, said Operations Director Roberta Horowitz. “After a few weeks without seeing them, they came back with a donation and have been donating regularly ever since. It’s really wonderful to see the entire process come full circle like that.”

Twenty-five years ago, The Mount Kisco Interfaith Food Pantry opened its first location in an abandoned one-room schoolhouse. Today, the Pantry has grown immensely both in the services it offers and the number of people it feeds. Its goal from the get-go has been to create a stronger, healthier community, and it has done just that.

Greeley grad Justin Ellick, a sophomore Media and Communications Major at Ursinus College in Philadelphia, is an intern for Inside Chappaqua and Inside Armonk Magazines this summer.

NWH’s New “Harriet and Perry Grover Lobby”

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On April 29th, Northern Westchester Hospital (NWH) honored Anita Grover, MD, a gynecologist and member of the NWH Foundation Board of Directors, and husband Tom Hargrove, for their enduring commitment and generous contributions to NWH at a dedication ceremony of the lobby in the North Building. Named in honor of Dr. Grover’s parents, the lobby in the North Building will now be called the Harriet and Perry Grover Lobby.

Dr. Grover was the Physician Honoree at the Hospital’s 2014 Gala where she was recognized for her longstanding generosity to the hospital. “While Anita and Tom have been extraordinarily generous financial supporters, they also understand that the little things also mean so much. For example, when Anita discovered that there was an old analog television in the Physician’s Lounge, she immediately volunteered to purchase a new flat screen television so her colleagues can relax a bit as they waited for their littlest patients to make their entrance,” said Keeva Young-Wright, President of Northern Westchester Hospital’s Foundation. Dr. Grover is also famous for sharing fresh eggs from her farm with staff at the hospital and her medical group.

President and CEO, Joel Seligman, along with family members, friends, NWH Trustees, members of the NWH Foundation Board of Directors and Leadership, celebrated Dr. Grover and Mr. Hargrove’s commitment to NWH.

Tom Hargrove with Anita Grover
Tom Hargrove with Anita Grover

“We have the privilege of honoring Anita and Tom and their deep commitment to Northern Westchester Hospital,” said Mr. Seligman during remarks. “Anita has been a committed leader and supporter of our hospital for many years, including serving as the Co-Chair of our Physician Campaign for the new operating suite. Choosing to name the North Lobby after Anita’s parents is truly representative of the altruistic and grateful nature of Anita and Tom and is an appropriate way to celebrate and recognize their generosity now and for generations to come.”

Dr. Grover, a resident of Bridgewater, Connecticut, is a board-certified gynecologist who founded Women’s Medical Associates more than 25 years ago. She was the first female, board–certified obstetrician to practice in Northern Westchester, and currently practices with Westchester Health Associates with offices in Mount Kisco, Tarrytown, Katonah and Yorktown Heights.

“I thank my parents for their unwavering support of me and my brothers,” said Dr. Grover. “I know they would be honored. Now every time I walk in this entrance I will think of my parents.” Dr. Grover also stresses the importance of philanthropy in ensuring that Northern Westchester Hospital always has the latest technology and highest qualified clinicians caring for the people in our community. “It gives Tom and me great satisfaction knowing that the gift we made to NWH has helped provide six state-of-the-art new operating rooms which will serve the community for many years to come.”

About Northern Westchester Hospital
Northern Westchester Hospital (NWH), a proud member of Northwell Health (formerly North Shore-LIJ Health System), provides quality, patient-centered care that is close to home through a unique combination of medical expertise, leading-edge technology, and a commitment to humanity. Over 650 highly-skilled physicians, state-of-the-art technology and professional staff of caregivers are all in place to ensure that you and your family receive treatment in a caring, respectful and nurturing environment.

NWH has established extensive internal quality measurements that surpass the standards defined by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Hospital Quality Alliance (HQA) National Hospital Quality Measures. Our high quality standards help to ensure that the treatment you receive at NWH is among the best in the nation. For more information, please visit www.nwhc.net and connect with us on Facebook.

About Northwell Health
Northwell Health is New York State’s largest health care provider and private employer. With 21 hospitals and nearly 450 outpatient practices, we serve 8 million people in the metro New York and beyond. Our 61,000 employees work to change health care for the better. We’re making breakthroughs in medicine at the Feinstein Institute. We’re training the next generation of medical professionals at the visionary Hofstra Northwell School of Medicine and the School of Graduate Nursing and Physician Assistant Studies. And we offer health insurance through CareConnect. For information on our services in more than 100 medical specialties, visit www.Northwell.edu.

Katherine Chapin Nominated for The Congress of Future Medical Leaders in Boston

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Chappaqua, NY–Katherine Chapin, a junior at Horace Greeley High School of Chappaqua is a Delegate to the Congress of Future Medical Leaders in Lowell, MA on June 25-27, 2016.

The Congress is an honors-only program for high school students who want to become physicians or go into medical research fields. The purpose of this event is to honor, inspire, motivate and direct the top students in the country who aspire to be physicians or medical scientists, to stay true to their dream and, after the event, to provide a path, plan and resources to help them reach their goal.

Katherine Chapin was nominated by Dr. Robert Darling, the Medical Director of the National Academy of Future Physicians and Medical Scientists to represent New York based on her academic achievement, leadership potential and determination to serve humanity in the field of medicine.

Katherine Chapin
Katherine Chapin

During the three-day Congress, Katherine Chapin will join students from across the country and hear Nobel Laureates and National Medal of Science Winners talk about leading medical research; be given advice from Ivy League and top medical school deans on what to expect in medical school; witness stories told by patients who are living medical miracles; be inspired by fellow teen medical science prodigies; and learn about cutting-edge advances and the future in medicine and medical technology.

“This is a crucial time in America when we need more doctors and medical scientists who are even better prepared for a future that is changing exponentially,” said Richard Rossi, Executive Director, National Academy of Future Physicians and Medical Scientists. “Focused, bright and determined students like Katherine Chapin are our future and she deserves all the mentoring and guidance we can give her.” The Academy offers free services and programs to students who want to be physicians or go into medical science. Some of the services and programs the Academy offers are online social networks through which future doctors and medical scientists can communicate; opportunities for students to be guided and mentored by physicians and medical students; and communications for parents and students on college acceptance and finances, skills acquisition, internships, career guidance and much more.

The National Academy of Future Physicians and Medical Scientists was founded on the belief that we must identify prospective medical talent at the earliest possible age and help these students acquire the necessary experience and skills to take them to the doorstep of this vital career. Based in Washington, D.C. and with offices in Boston, MA, the Academy was chartered as a nonpartisan, taxpaying institution to help address this crisis by working to identify, encourage and mentor students who wish to devote their lives to the service of humanity as physicians, medical scientists. For more information visit www.FutureDocs.com or call 617-307-7425.

Bill Clinton in California: “Do we Want a Wall? Not on your Life!”

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“Hillary will help us all rise,” the former President tells a diverse group of attendees.

By Fran Goldstein

May 21, Chula Vista–Hillary Clinton has the best ideas for leading the country forward, former President Bill Clinton told an enthusiastic crowd in Chula Vista, California.

“We need a doer and a change maker, and there’s only one person with a record of getting things done as first lady, as a senator, as secretary of state, with Republicans in Congress,” Clinton said as the crowd cheered. This was Clinton’s second campaign stop in San Diego in advance of the California primary on June 7.

Bill Clinton speaking in Chula Vista, CA Photo by Fran Goldstein
Bill Clinton speaking in Chula Vista, CA Photo by Fran Goldstein

He spoke at Bonita Vista High School to a diverse audience in this middle-class city about seven miles from the Mexican border. Hundreds of supporters, many of whom had waited on line more than six hours on a crisp spring morning, were packed into the school gymnasium and hundreds more were in an outdoor overflow area where his remarks were broadcast. The school’s scoreboard was set at 45 for the home team and 42 for the visitors.

What the numbers really referenced was the number of Bill Clinton’s American presidency (42) and the hoped for number of Hillary Clinton’s presidency (45).

An array of local officeholders spoke before the former president, and the high school student band played for more than an hour as Clinton’s arrival was delayed. By the time U.S. Secretary of Labor Tom Perez took the podium to introduce the former president, the audience was exasperated. Perez, rumored by some to be on Hillary Clinton’s short list for vice president, was greeted with groans, boos and shouts for “Bill!”

Undeterred, Perez spoke for a few minutes, praising Hillary Clinton for being a “dreamer and a doer.” By contrast, he called presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump a “train wreck for basic American values.” And the biggest difference between the two candidates, Perez said, is that Clinton stands for “we” and Trump stands for “me.”

U.S. Secretary of Labor Thomas Perez Photo by Fran Goldstein
U.S. Secretary of Labor Thomas Perez Photo by Fran Goldstein

Bill Clinton’s entrance to the gymnasium was greeted with cheers and applause. He spoke for about 30 minutes, and listed three arguments for electing the former secretary of state and New York senator. “First, she’s been a change-maker all her life… And she’s better at it than anybody I’ve ever known,” her husband said. “She was always the first person in the room to say, ‘What are we going to do about it?’”

She also has the best ideas about how to grow the economy and how to improve the country’s educational system, Clinton added. He said her plans for education, equal pay and better pay will “help us all rise together.”

He spoke for some time about the former first lady’s focus on improving education. “She believes everybody ought to graduate from college debt-free,” he said. But her approach is different from Senator Bernie Sanders’ proposal to make college completely free. “When people can pay something, they ought to pay what they can.” In general, she wants to enable students to graduate debt free from college by offering tuition reimbursement, allowing students to pay off their debts with public service, and permitting older generations to refinance their loans at lower interest rates.

Bill Clinton also focused on the need for acceptance and uniting people. He alluded to the idea proposed by Trump to build a wall along the length of the U.S.-Mexico border. “Do we want a wall? Not on your life,” he said, as the crowd consisting of many Mexican immigrants erupted in applause. He pointed that a wall would hurt the economy and “destroy the very idea of what it means to be an American.”

Hillary Clinton would do the best job of helping the country welcome people regardless of where they are from and who they are, he said, noting that immigrants have built the American economy. While progress has been made in extending rights to lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgender individuals, Clinton said it is still true in America that “you can get married on Friday and fired on Monday. We need to eliminate that discrimination too.” He then spoke about the importance of ending discrimination in the workplace against people with disabilities, whom he said get fired from jobs “for which they are qualified even though they have perfect attendance (and) high productivity.”

In closing, Clinton reinforced his wife’s foreign policy and political experience. “We have two threats facing us,” he said. “One is political gridlock in Washington and second is turmoil abroad. And only one person who has a remote chance to both keep us safe in a dangerous world and make good things happen and give us the space we need to grow and lead the world out of this mess we’re in and all these crazy conflicts that are interfering with you living your future.”

He briefly referenced her Democratic opponent in a positive light, when he said, “she and Senator Sanders are having the most honest, honorable, decent debate about the right steps to take to move this country forward.”

After his remarks, Bill Clinton took off his jacket and spent some time chatting, shaking hands and taking selfies with people in the audience.

Hillary Clinton will be in California in coming days as she continues her campaign to clinch the nomination before the summer Democratic convention in Philadelphia. California is the largest of the state primaries. During the 2008 Presidential primary against Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton won in 39 of the 58 counties in California, winning the state with 52 percent of the vote. In the current campaign, she has a substantial number of endorsements from California officials, including Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti.

A former New Yorker, Fran Goldstein now lives in San Diego, where she works as a freelance writer and communications/marketing consultant to a nonprofit organization.

Story Drawing with Rosemary Wells Planned at CCBF Fundraiser

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Rosemary Wells CCBF fundraiser May 20 2016

Kids of all ages won’t want to miss this fun and creative drawing workshop with beloved author and illustrator Rosemary Wells, of Max and Ruby fame, courtesy of Houlihan Lawrence. Additional activities, sponsored by Kiwi Country Day Camp will include games and archery, and a raffle for a basket of books by Rosemary Wells is sponsored by Chappaqua Learning Center. The event will take place at hip-kid lounge, at 77 South Greeley Avenue in Chappaqua on Friday, May 20 from 12:30 – 2:30pm, with proceeds benefiting the Chappaqua Children’s Book Festival (CCBF).

“The Chappaqua Children’s Book Festival has grown to become one of the most anticipated family events in Westchester,” said CCBF Executive Director Dawn Greenberg. “In order to continue championing our cause to promote children’s literacy, we need the support of our community. It’s through fundraisers such as this author workshop, as well as through our thoughtful sponsors, that we are able to raise funds to keep our Book Festival as vibrant as previous years.”

COST:
Suggested donation of $20 per family. Pay at the door.

WHEN:
Friday, May 20, from 12:30 to 2:30pm (*No School in Chappaqua on Friday, May 20)

WHERE:
hip-kids lounge, 77 South Greeley Avenue, Chappaqua, NY

WHO:
The Chappaqua Children’s Book Festival is the only children’s book festival in Westchester County. From princesses to pups, to angst-filled tweens, and every crazy character in between, you’ll find them all at the fourth annual CCBF, on September 24, 2016. More than 85 popular authors, who bring your favorite characters to life, are expected to participate. Most will be signing their books and reading excerpts. It will be a family event with tons of fun, food, kid-friendly activities, entertainment and, of course, books! For more information, visit www.ccbfestival.org or follow the CCBF at www.facebook.com/chappaquachildrensbookfestival.