
By Grace Bennett
As I read of children and babies held hostage in cages–as little more than bargaining chips–my dad’s singularly monstrous experiences of separation and loss during the Holocaust have come back to haunt me.
Magazines serving the communities of Northern Westchester
by Inside Press
By Grace Bennett
As I read of children and babies held hostage in cages–as little more than bargaining chips–my dad’s singularly monstrous experiences of separation and loss during the Holocaust have come back to haunt me.
by Inside Press
Editor’s Note: May the memories of lost loved ones be both blessing and call to action. My poem is dedicated to all the courageous survivors in the March For Our Lives movement. — Grace
We give our kids roots
So that they can grow wings.
After teaching them first
of important things.
Guess we didn’t know
How far kids can fly
After growing up watching
Small children and peers die.
Their wings spread wide
And views heard across the land
We watch in awe
And also, extend a hand.
We prefer their teen years
Be ones of learning and calm
Preparing for college
Nurturing friendships
Enjoying the Prom.
Hey corrupt politicians
Entrenched in D.C.
Taking NRA dollars
With winks and more glee
You’ve heard our kids’ cries
They were loud and clear
Will you work toward change
Or mock & disregard all fear?
If it stays the latter
It doesn’t matter.
We’ve got these kids’ backs.
You will be remembered
In the dust heap of history
As evil political hacks.
But I’ll end this poem
In gratitude to the children
Who bravely shared visions
of a world
So many hope to live in.
by Ella Smith
On a frigid December day, 28 Greeley students and three chaperones loaded onto a bright yellow school bus en route to HeartShare St. Vincent’s Services (HSVS) in Brooklyn. The high-spirited group was going to help spread holiday cheer to foster children. These students were part of a club called Friends of Foster Care (FFC) that launched this past fall at Greeley. It is a club that undertakes various forms of volunteer work for the Foster Children of New York, partnered with HSVS, a foster care organization in Brooklyn, New York.
I decided to create this club, after going on a service trip to Peru this past summer, visiting a number of orphanages over several weeks. The orphanages specialized in caring for the mentally and physically disabled ranging in age from infants to teens. After working with orphans there, I thought, “why does this only have to be a short-term project only done internationally and open to a small audience?” I reached out to many foster care organizations in the area. HSVS was the most suitable organization for FFC.
After speaking with HSVS’ senior director of education Lauren Lee Pettiette Schwel, and Greeley’s Vice Principal Kyle Hosier, Friends of Foster Care was in motion. Greeley Sophomore Anna Kovalskaya says, “They are exceptionally caring for the kids, and are always striving to fulfill the needs of the foster children.” FFC quickly developed into the club it is today due to overwhelming support from Greeley’s student body, faculty, and HSVS’ staff. Each and every club member is an integral part in helping these children in need and the future of FFC looks bright.
FFC recently volunteered with HSVS for a holiday event being held for the foster children. The event provided gifts for the children and lots of fun activities. However, the main purpose of the event was to give the foster children time with their birth parents, who unfortunately cannot care for them. The members of FFC wrapped gifts, ran activity booths for the children such as face-painting and arts and crafts and took photos with the children at the photo booth. FFC’s advisor Samantha FortierVieni, a teacher at Greeley commented that “I couldn’t have asked for a better group of students. Watching them all take on different roles at HeartShare reinforced the importance of community service in me.” Kovalskaya adds that “being able to make the kids smile, especially since many may have been going through tough times is what made this experience so rewarding.”
HeartShare’s cause has not always been apparent to New Castle’s community, but FFC is hoping to change that. “I have seen firsthand how the foster care system can help a child succeed and prosper when given the right environment so when I had the opportunity to advise this group, I was truly excited to continue raising awareness about this issue,” said FortierVieni. Even those who have not been able to see the foster care system first hand are getting involved. One of FFC’s executives, junior Alan Gu adds, “I saw a group of people addressing issues that were not necessarily thoroughly addressed. These students were truly trying to make a difference.”
However FFC’s mission did not stop at the holiday event. During club time, FFC embarks in ways to help those at HSVS directly from the Greeley classrooms. FFC members will soon begin to tutor foster children over Skype and create care packages for the students that HSVS is putting through college (through their “American Dream” Program). Much club time is spent planning volunteer trips and events as well. FFC’s next project will be this spring, running a carnival in the Bronx, to celebrate HeartShare’s opening of a shelter for homeless women and their children, created to prevent these children from having to fall under the foster care system. As Gu remarks, “to go to HeartShare and see the smiles on their faces, that is an unparalleled feeling of joy.”
For one glorious day each fall, authors, readers and their families flock to downtown Chappaqua for the Chappaqua Children’s Book Festival (CCBF). Founded by a group of volunteers in 2013, the festival is now considered the preeminent children’s book festival in the tri-state area.
More than 90 children’s book authors and illustrators from as far away as Maryland fill the daylong festival with laughter, excitement and fun for children of all ages. Authors take the time for conversation and inspiration, to demonstrate the art of illustration and to read aloud favorite books in the adjacent St. Mary the Virgin’s garden. Attendees can expect festival favorites such as Rosemary Wells and Jane Yolen to return plus new authors such as Betsy and Ted Lewin and Roxie Munro.
Families can find additional activities from book making to balloon animals to a Gaga pit in the family fun area. Food trucks and the Great Chappaqua Bake Sale provide many lunch options and scrumptious dessert and treats.
Since it’s inception The Great Chappaqua Bake Sale has raised more than $130,000 for Share Our Strength’s No Kid Hungry campaign and has connected children with more than 1.3 million meals. “It’s hard to believe this will be our eighth year working to raise monies to fund school and summer meals programs for kids in New York State. The Great Chappaqua Bake Sale community of supporters and volunteers make this event successful each year and we are particularly inspired by the many children who devote their time and passion to helping children in need,” noted Alison Spiegel, one of the Bake Sale founders.
A portion of the proceeds from the CCBF go to JCY-WCP literacy programs in schools throughout Westchester. The fifth annual CCBF is on Saturday, October 14th, from 10-4 pm. Admission is free. Cash and credit cards are accepted for book and food purchases. Free parking all day available at the nearby Chappaqua Metro-North train station.
For information on sponsorship and volunteering, visit www.ccbfestival.org or visit us on Facebook at Chappaqua Children’s Book Festival.
Betsy and Ted Lewin – Author and/or Illustrator of almost 200 children’s books plus recipients of numerous awards including the Caldecott Honor Book Medal and the NY Times Best Illustrated Award
Julie Fogliano – Author of beloved books including When Green Becomes Tomatoes: Poems for All Seasons and Old Dog Baby Baby
Roxie Munro – Author/Illustrator of more than 40 nonfiction and concept books for children using “gamification” to encourage reading, learning and engagement; NY Times Best Illustrated Award recipient
Stephen Savage – Author and Illustrator of 9 books for children, including the NY Times bestselling picture book Polar Bear Night, written by Lauren Thompson and creator of the Where’s Walrus? books, Supertruck and Little Tug
Friends of Karen parents say how shattering it is to go into a store and see healthy children, so excited about the new year, choosing their school supplies while their own child is in the hospital, uncertain about what the next day will bring. Parents often agonize between buying new school supplies for their “well” child or paying their ill child’s mounting medical expenses.
New backpacks (for all ages) and $25 gift cards (to Target, Forever 21, Macy’s, The Gap, Old Navy, Visa/MasterCard) are in high demand for Friends of Karen families. Other school supply items such as three- ring binders, filler paper, composition books and Crayola washable markers are also needed. Donations are being accepted until September 15 and can be mailed to office headquarters at 118 Titicus Road in North Salem or dropped off there.
Friends of Karen helps families throughout N.Y., N.J .and CT. The organization is unique in that it customizes the assistance they provide. Realizing that a life-threatening illness of a child impacts the entire family, Friends of Karen social workers work with each family member offering an individualized program of emotional, financial and day-to-day practical support. For more information, visit www.friendsofkaren.org.
Voluntary subscriptions are most welcome, if you've moved outside the area, or a subscription is a great present idea for an elderly parent, for a neighbor who is moving or for your graduating high school student or any college student who may enjoy keeping up with hometown stories.