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Rosenthal JCC: Meeting of Parents for Parents: A Special Needs Support Group

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The Rosenthal JCC of Northern Westchester today announced that it will be enhancing and expanding its programs and services for people with special needs and their families in order to address new and emerging needs across the lifecycle and throughout the Northern Westchester community. The RJCC also announced that it has hired Robin Gersten, an experienced special needs professional, to lead the charge in expanding programs and services.

Anyone interested in meeting Robin is welcome to join the meeting of Parents for Parents Special Needs Support Group on Tuesday, April 24 at 7:00 p.m.

New programs being launched include:

  • Sibshop™, a therapeutic support group for siblings of children with special needs, on Thursday afternoons beginning May 3, 2012
  • Rise Above, a theater program for children in 1st – 5th grades with special needs that is the brainchild of two local tweens studying for their b’nai mitzvah that will be launching in the fall
  • Trailblazers at the RJCC, an after-school social skills program for elementary school children with special needs that will be launching in the fall
  • Special Needs Intern Training Institute, an internship program for high school students who want to earn college credit and learn to work with children who have special needs, which will be beginning in the fall

Pending a needs assessment, other new programs that the RJCC might bring to fruition could include after school programs, weekend respite for parents, expanded social opportunities for young adults, meaningful job opportunities for older teens.

Gersten, LMSW, ACSW, comes to the Rosenthal JCC from Westchester ARC, the Children’s School for Early Development, where she was a Team Leader in providing social work services to developmentally delayed preschoolers and their families in community based programs. Formerly, she served as a Foster Care Specialist through Bloomfield Youth Services in Connecticut, where she built from scratch the clinical support system and out-of-school engagement program for children and their foster parents in the school system. Gersten has more than 25 years of clinical and administrative experience including psychiatric hospital, outpatient, day treatment, school and residential programs servicing both children and adults.

Earlier this year, the Rosenthal JCC received a grant from the J.E. and Z.B. Butler Foundation through UJA-Federation of New York to hire a coordinator who would comprehensively coordinate and deliver both existing programs and services while building new initiatives and streamlining collaboration with community partners.

Since its inception, the Rosenthal JCC has been mindful of the values of inclusivity and fairness, and has developed numerous well-reputed special needs programs. Some of those include Trailblazers at JCC Camp Discovery, an outstanding support system in its preschools, a state-of-the-art Occupational and Physical Therapy Center in collaboration with WJCS’ Milestones, and a “Parents for Parents” Special Needs Support Network.

“The underpinnings of these initiatives are firmly embedded in the RJCC’s mission, Jewish tradition, and the core values of social justice and responsibility that individuals have one for the other,” said Ellie Aronowitz, JCC Executive Director.  “The Rosenthal JCC is proud that it has been able – to the very best of its ability – to ‘just say YES’ to individuals and families in need – to making programs, services and accommodations possible. With Robin on board, we will be able to say ‘yes’ more often.”

Adding Gersten to its team, the RJCC is enhancing its capacity to strategically plan, coordinate among other community organizations, and offer critical services for educational, social, recreational and cultural programs and services for individuals with special needs and developmental disabilities.

“Robin brings broad-based experience in developing and implementing special needs services for a variety of populations,” Aronowitz said. “She is knowledgeable, caring and energetic, and we are excited that she is joining the Rosenthal JCC team and working with our volunteer leadership.”

Anyone interested in meeting Robin is welcome to join the meeting of Parents for Parents Special Needs Support Group on Tuesday, April 24 at 7:00 p.m.

High School ESL Tutors To Receive ‘Volunteer Spirit Award’ at April 20 Ceremony

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NEIGHBORS LINK STUDENT VOLUNTEERS WIN “YOUTH GROUP IN ACTION” AWARD FROM THE VOLUNTEER CENTER OF UNITED WAY

– High School ESL Tutors To Receive ‘Volunteer Spirit Award’ at April 20 Ceremony –

The 2012 Volunteer Spirit Awards will be presented at a ceremony at the Hilton Rye Town on Friday, April 20, 2012 from 8-10am CBS 2 Broadcast journalist Lou Young will emcee the event. The Volunteer Center of United Way presents the awards during National Volunteer Week to honor winners in eight categories and give special recognition to “the amazing impact of volunteers on non-profits in our communities.”

The Volunteer Center of United Way has announced that Neighbors Link High School Volunteer ESL (English as a Second Language) Tutors have won the 2012 Volunteer Spirit Award in the New York Life “Youth Group in Action” category. Some 30 students participate each week in the Neighbors Link program and hail from numerous area high schools including Blind Brook High School (Rye Brook NY), Byram Hills High School (Armonk NY), Fox Lane High School (Bedford NY), Hackley School (Tarrytown NY), Horace Greeley High School (Chappaqua NY), John Jay High School (Katonah NY) and Yorktown High School (Yorktown NY).

The Neighbors Link High School Volunteer ESL Tutors program was launched in 2001 by students in Greeley High School’s SHARE (Students Have A Responsibility Everywhere) Club as its Casa de Lengua program. Five Student Executives from Greeley run the program with supervision from Neighbors Link adult volunteers Sarita Roy and Mary Weiss. The Student Executives for 2012 include Samantha Auerbach, Cara Goldfarb, Zak Krooks, Rebecca Passman and Divya Talwar.

 

“It is a privilege and an honor to work with volunteers who support new immigrants as they seek to build a better life for themselves and their families,” said Carola Bracco, Executive Director of Neighbors Link. “We are so grateful to these remarkable high school students for their commitment to our mission of integration, their understanding of the challenges faced by English language learners and for their extraordinary energy and contribution.”

“It is inspiring to watch teenagers work with immigrant adults to practice English while simultaneously learning about one another’s lives and cultures,” she added. “That is how integration is achieved.”

Neighbors Link student volunteers participate in a number of programs, including ESL tutoring, the “Learning Links” after-school program, the “Summer Links” program for elementary school children and the Children’s Evening Program.

For information on volunteering at Neighbors Link, contact Gayle Hudson, Volunteer Coordinator, at ghudson@neighborslink.org or (914) 666-3410 ext. 16.

“We applaud the invaluable contributions of all volunteers who affect change in our neighborhoods,” said Alisa Kesten, Executive Director of The Volunteer Center. “The Volunteer Spirit Awards celebrate the ways volunteers use professional skills, talents and enthusiasm to give back 365 days a year.”

The eight 2012 Volunteer Spirit Award winners, selected by a panel of judges, are:

  • Arts & Culture: Judith Weber of New Rochelle for New Rochelle Council on the Arts
  • Education & Literacy: Nicole Sheindlin of Larchmont for Her Honor Mentoring
  • Going Green: Peter McCartt, of Eastchester, for Eastchester Environmental Committee
  • Health & Safety: Cynthia Odell, of Bronxville, at Afya Foundation
  • Quality of Life: Louis Thomason of Chappaqua, at Richmond Community Services
  • Social Advocacy: Pat Rosafort of Mt. Kisco, at Hope’s Door
  • New York Life Youth Group: Neighbors Link High School Volunteer ESL Tutors
  • New York Life Youth Leader: Jake Gallin of New Rochelle for Stars for Cars

The Volunteer Spirit Awards are made possible through the generosity of The Volunteer Center’s 2012 Corporate Champions including New York Life, TD Charitable Foundation, Pepsi Beverages Company, Belmay, Bunge, IBM, Mack-Cali Realty Corporation, Robison Oil, Con Edison, The Dannon Company, M&T Bank, Rollins Insurance Company, Chubb, Reader’s Digest Association, Inc., RPW Group, CBRE, and The Westchester Bank. Additional support is provided through a strategic partnership with United Way of Westchester and Putnam.

Neighbors Link

Neighbors Link (www.neighborslink.org) is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit community center with a mission to strengthen the whole community through the healthy integration of immigrants. The Neighbors Link strategy is to Educate, Empower, and Employ immigrant families and individuals whose lives have been economically impoverished and educationally deprived. Neighbors Link is now recognized as a national model for addressing the realities of immigration in peaceful and positive ways. Since 2001, our organization has worked to build bridges and utilize community partnerships to provide immigrant families with the tools they need to fully participate in our shared community. Neighbors Link is located at 27 Columbus Avenue in Mount Kisco NY.

The Volunteer Center of United Way

The Volunteer Center is a one-stop resource for all things volunteer. For over 60 years, the organization has encouraged adults to serve, youth to build character, families to bond, young professionals to excel as leaders, mature adults to stay engaged and businesses to address community needs. Through their online database at www.volunteer-center.org, they match volunteers to meaningful opportunities. Recently designated by New York State as one of 10 regional centers, The Volunteer Center will expand beyond Westchester and Putnam to elevate the impact of volunteerism in the Mid-Hudson Valley area.

Chappaqua’s A Cure In Our Lifetime: 15th Annual Breast Cancer Fundraiser

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On June 1 at 9:30 AM, A Cure In Our Lifetime will have a Breakfast, Silent Auction, Raffle, and  Golf Outing at Trump National Golf Club. Elizabeth Cohen a senior medical correspondent for CNN’s Health, Medical and Wellness unit will be the featured speaker.

About A Cure In Our Lifetime

A Cure In Our Lifetime was formed in 1997 as a grassroots effort in response to the loss of a community member. The goal of the original seven-committee members was to raise money to fight breast cancer. Since then the committee has grown almost threefold. Varied community fundraisers over the years have raised over 3 million dollars in the fight against breast cancer.

Mission

The mission of A Cure In Our Lifetime is to fund innovative breast cancer research, provide resources for women who have breast cancer, and promote breast health through education and outreach.

Beneficiaries of this year’s event will include:

–       Dedicated researcher from The Breast Cancer Research Foundation

–       Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

–       New York University Langone Medical Center

–       Mount Sinai Medical Center-Dubin Breast Center

–       The Navigator Program at New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Women At Risk

To find out more about A Cure In Our Lifetime or to donate please go to www.acureinourlifetime.org

Contact:
Margie Orell
914-980-6092/charlaur@aol.com

The Junior League of Northern Westchester to Host Sixth Annual Gala Around the World in 80 Wines

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The Junior League of Northern Westchester  will host its 6th Annual Around the World in 80 Wines Gala on Friday, March 23, 2012 from 7:00pm – 11:00pm at Brynwood Golf & Country Club in Armonk, NY. The evening will feature a VIP sparkling wine tasting followed by a second tasting spotlighting dozens of wine varieties provided by Mt. Kisco Wines & Spirit. Cocktail hour, sit down dinner and live auction in addition to music, dancing and a raffle drawing.  The highlight of the evening with be the presentation of the 2012 JLNW’s Civic and Community Leadership Award honoring John Crabtree.

Mr. Crabtree, owner of Crabtree’s Kittle House, serves on the Board of Directors for Make-A-Wish Foundation of the Hudson Valley, the United Way of Westchester and Boys & Girls Clubs of Northern Westchester. John and his late wife have been involved with Make-A-Wish since it’s inception 22 years ago.  Additionally, John hosts and sponsors the Boys & girls Clubs Youth of the Year dinner as well as and various other charitable organizations events throughout the year.

“We are thrilled to honor John Crabtree at this year’s gala.  He is a monument of charitable support for our community, and mirrors our efforts to empower children and women,” says Blakely Brodbeck, President of the Junior League of Northern Westchester.

All proceeds from the gala will benefit JLNW’s continuing effort to provide effective volunteer service and initiate issue-based community impact projects.  Long known for its ability to assess needs and collaborate with others to develop and conduct programs that improve conditions in our community, the Junior League of Northern Westchester is actively working with its community partners to reduce hunger and to provide healthy living strategies for school-aged children and their families in Northern Westchester.

Tickets are available individually, for $175, as well as special bronze, silver, gold and platinum level packages.  Please RSVP by March 10. Tickets may be purchased on our website at www.jlnw.org.  The event is black tie optional.

If you have any questions or need additional information, please contact the Junior League Office at 914-234-4714 or via email at info@jlnw.org.

 

About the Junior League of Northern Westchester: The Junior League of Northern Westchester is a non-profit volunteer organization of women committed to promoting voluntarism, developing the potential of women and improving communities through the effective action of leadership of trained volunteers. Its purpose is exclusively educational and charitable. For those interested in joining or learning more about the Junior League of Northern Westchester, please visit our website at www.jlnw.org and call or email us at 914.234.4714 or info@ jlnw.org.

Giving Back: Important Causes to Consider (Part One)

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By Jennifer Leventhal

While New Castle has a reputation of being a community of considerable privilege, it is also home to some of the most generous people you’ll find anywhere. Supporting local charitable organizations–either financially or by volunteering time and energy–is a way of life here. When you ask friends and neighbors which organizations they support and about their motivations, the multitude of important causes and compelling reasons is impressive. [Read more…] about Giving Back: Important Causes to Consider (Part One)