New Castle Releases

Every year the Open Door Foundation collects toys for children from families of less fortunate means to make sure that every child in our community will receive a new toy during the holiday season. Santa Claus visits all five Open Door sites to personally deliver the gifts to the children. In order to fill his sleigh with enough toys, Open Door is accepting donations of new toys, valued between $10-$20, through December 10th for children ages newborn to 14 years-old. With a goal of collecting 2,500 new, unwrapped toys, Open Door is accepting donations at all Open Door Family Medical Centers Sites:

• Mt. Kisco: 30 West Main Street
• Ossining: 165 Main Street
• Port Chester: 5 Grace Church Street
• Sleepy Hollow: 80 Beekman Avenue
• Brewster: 155 Main Street, Suite 101, Lower Level

To make things easy, Open Door has also created online Wish Lists at Amazon and Kohl’s:

• Amazon.com: “Open Door Holiday Toy Drive”
• Kohls.com: Alicia & Open Door Family’s Holiday Registry

Monetary donations are also being accepted and Open Door Elves will take care of the shopping. Checks made payable to Open Door Foundation may be mailed to Alicia Ward, Open Door Foundation, 2 Church Street – Suite 101, Ossining, NY 10562. Credit card donation may be made online at www.opendoormedical.org. Please be sure to note “Toy Drive” in the comment box.

For those with a knack for wrapping, Open Door is also looking for volunteers to help organize and wrap the gifts which will be distributed by Santa when he visits each Open Door health center in December. Open Door would also appreciate donations of holiday gift wrap and batteries sizes AA, AAA, C, D and 9 volt.

For more information about the Toy Drive and volunteering contact Volunteer Coordinator Alicia Ward at 914-502-1468 or award@odfmc.org.

About Open Door Family Medical Centers
Open Door, winner of the 2012 New York Nonprofit Excellence Award, has received the highest Recognition as a Patient-Centered Medical Home™ (PPC-PCMH™) from the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA). This ranking distinguishes Open Door from medical practices across the nation as less than 12% have appropriate systems in place to achieve this advanced standing. For more than 40 years, this federally qualified community health center has served a multi-cultural community providing top quality medical, dental care and social services to the people in Westchester and Putnam counties, particularly the economically disadvantaged. Open Door has centers located in Ossining, Port Chester, Mt. Kisco Sleepy Hollow and Brewster. In addition, Open Door operates five school-based health centers in Port Chester at The Edison Elementary School, Park Avenue School, the John F. Kennedy Elementary School, Port Chester Middle School and Port Chester High School with a new school based health center opening in Ossining High School this fall. In 2013, 49,470 patients were treated at Open Door, making 210,615 patient visits. In the same year, 15,235 youth and children (ages 19 years and under), were treated. In 2012 Open Door, partnered with New York Medical College and Phelps Memorial Hospital Center, to launch the NYMC Phelps Family Medicine Residency Program along with a Dental Residency Program, the first new programs in New York State in decades. Funding for Open Door Family Medical Centers comes from local, state and federal grants as well as private foundations and individuals.

Please join us for a unique event to benefit the Horace Greeley Scholarship Fund.  The William Louis-Dreyfus Foundation in Mount Kisco  is again opening its gallery for a showing of the Louis- Dreyfus Family Collection to benefit the Horace Greeley Scholarship fund on Sunday, October 19 from 4 to 6 pm. The event will include wine and cheese and an introductory talk by William Louis-Dreyfus followed by the gallery viewing. Tickets cost $95, and are limited.   To register, go to – http://www.hgsf.org/art.html.

The gallery showcases close to 2000 works, and features paintings, works on paper and sculptures ranging from 18th century engravings to contemporary American and European pieces. Over 100 artists are represented in the collection including Alberto Giacometti, George Grosz, Red Grooms, Bill Traylor, James Castle, and Claes Oldenburg. William Louis-Dreyfus chooses his art with a real passion for the art and the artist. The installations are thoughtfully and beautifully arranged. There are surprises around every corner.

The recently released documentary, Generosity of Eye, narrated by Julia Louis-Dreyfus, tells the story of this major art collection transforming into education to benefit the Harlem Children’s Zone. It is the very personal tale of actress Julia Louis-Dreyfus discovering how her father William’s passions for art, justice, and education connect in a single act of generosity.

To read about the Foundation and to view the collection: http://www.wldfoundation.org/

To view the Film Generosity of Eye: http://ld-collection.org/

Although it may be hard to believe, many families in Chappaqua cannot afford all the costs of college. The HGSF gives grants to graduates of Horace Greeley High School to help cover the gap between the rising cost of college and the ability of a family to pay through family resources, loans, and other grants and scholarships. Last year alone, 36 families applied for assistance from the Fund to help meet a gap in excess of $400,000. We gave grants to 26 applicants for the 2014-2015 school year totaling $161,850, less than 40% of the demonstrated need. Each year we strive to do better!

Hope you can join us! And feel free to forward to any one you think might appreciate viewing this incredible collection. Please remember the capacity in the gallery is limited and tickets will sell out quickly.