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Capturing, Yes, SMILES Galore in a Pandemic, Thanks to #TheFrontPorchProject

April 4, 2020 by Lauren Rosh

Photographers Donna Mueller and Randi Childs and a growing group of photographers are bringing smiles to families’ faces through the #TheFrontPorchProject.

“The purpose of this project is to bring us together during this difficult time, put a smile on people’s faces by capturing a moment they can always look back on and also know that by taking part they also helped another family,” explained Mueller.

Lynda Lederer-Natale and her family used their portrait as an opportunity to show off their Pleasantville Pride. Each of them wore a Pleasantville shirt and even their dog was sporting a green, Pleasantville bandana. The Lederer-Natale family felt this was an opportunity to give back to their community by donating to Pleasantville Strong, a coalition that offers peer counseling and aims to reduce underage drinking, drug use and other unhealthy behaviors.

“I am not saying that because of this situation kids are going to become addicted, however, they will need this when they get back, they will need these resources next year,” said Lederer-Natale.

Photographer Donna Mueller
The Natale family. PHOTO by Donna Mueller
The Wolf family with Donna Mueller photographing

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Learning About #TheFrontPorchProject

We are currently facing unprecedented circumstances and self-quarantining in our homes and social distancing has become a new way of living. However, it is during these times that photographers participating with #TheFrontPorchProject are saying it’s important to remember to smile, too. And hundreds of residents and business owners are embracing that message, and participating. The pictures can also serve as a historical and life affirming record of families and businesses persevering during a pandemic.

The initiative, started by photographer Cara Soulia of Needham, Massachusetts, has inspired photographers worldwide to participate. Soulia launched the initiative as a way to lift people’s spirits during this difficult time. After reading an article about this, Mueller and Childs both had the idea of bringing it here as a way to give back to the community at large.

Inspiring Community Unity

Photographer Randi Childs

Childs explained that the way our community unifies in times of crisis is inspiring. “It is absolutely amazing that we can come together in such a beautiful way in a time of need.”

Childs put a post on Facebook about the project and asked if there were any other photographers who would like to help out. That is how she formed her team with Carolyn Simpson and Debra Baron. These women help Childs organize her time slots and take photographs. As a part of this project, photographers go to people’s homes and photograph them on their porch, stoop or front steps.

The Sadiks. PHOTO by Randi Childs

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Some families include a picture of a rainbow indicating this storm will pass and others hold up posters they made saying ‘Be Safe’ or ‘Miss You.’ One family that participated held up signs they made thanking essential workers.

The Novick Family PHOTO by Randi Childs

For Holly Boes, a family portrait was something to look forward to. “It made for a bright and shiny spot during a dark time and now we have been able to pay it forward,” said Boes.

In exchange for the photographs, families are making donations to local businesses of their choice through the purchase of a gift certificate and passing it along to someone they know who is out of work during this pandemic, donating directly to the business or to a particular cause.

The photographers’ goal with the donation aspect of the project is to personalize it and allow people to donate to local businesses and causes they believe in.

High school principals, nurses and teachers have all taken part in this project and now Mueller is getting small businesses in the mix. On Monday April 6, she is visiting local businesses and members of the Pleasantville Chamber of Commerce, and photographing them in front of their storefronts.

The demand for #TheFrontPorchProject is continuing to grow. Since March 24, Mueller has captured 80 families and has a list of another 70 families she will visit within the next seven to 10 days. Childs had 18 shoots scheduled in one day and welcomed Baron and Simpson to help her manage the requests.

This project has a great impact on families, both who participate and those who just view the gallery. #TheFrontPorchProject has accomplished the photographers’ mission of bringing positivity into people’s days during challenging times.

Lederer-Natale said, “life is short and you have to capture it moment by moment. Although this may not be a moment that you want to remember going on, in the future we can look back on this family photo and say, ‘it’s okay, it will get better.’”

 

To view #FrontPorchProject pics by Randi Childs:

https://www.facebook.com/randichildsphotography/

To view #FrontPorchProject pics by Donna Mueller:

https://www.facebook.com/DonnaMuellerPhotography/

 

Filed Under: Surviving COVID-19 Tagged With: #FrontPorchProject, donate, donations, Donna Mueller, family portraits, Front Steps, Pandemic, Photographers, photography, Pleasantville Pride, Pleasantville Strong, Randi Childs, Smiles, Stoop, Time slots

#TaubStrong Movement Keeps Casey Taub’s Memory Alive & Raises Funds for Pediatric Brain Cancer

December 2, 2018 by Deborah Raider Notis

Casey Taub was one of a kind. He was a funny, often opinionated, old soul with a love of Marvel movies and sports. He was the kid who could engage adults as easily as he could rally his friends. But in January 2016, Casey needed his friends and loved ones to rally around him. Diagnosed with a brain tumor, he put up the fight of his life until he passed away in July 2017.

Throughout Casey’s 17-month battle with brain cancer, the Matthew Larson Foundation for Pediatric Brain Tumors was a consistent, reliable source of support for the Taub family. Founded in 2007 in memory of seven-year-old Matthew Larson, the Foundation has funded almost $3 million in grants for pediatric brain tumor research and has helped families cope with the emotional and financial struggles of caring for a child with brain cancer.

After Casey’s death, his father, who dedicated himself to finding a positive way to cope with this devastating tragedy, joined the board of the Matthew Larson Foundation. “I wanted to help the foundation that helped us,” states Taub. “Everything I’m doing is to try to eradicate pediatric brain cancer, and I want Casey’s name to be associated with eliminating the disease that did him in.”

To that end, Taub established the #taubstrong Movement as a component of the Matthew Larson Foundation.

#TaubStrong was a slogan created by Casey’s closest sleep away camp friends at Chipinaw, who designed and sold t-shirts to support Casey while he was sick. When Casey came up to visit camp, everyone was wearing the t-shirt. “It was extremely meaningful to him,” says his father.

Taub credits the Chappaqua and Greeley community, “especially Casey’s closest friends, who have been unbelievable,” with helping to keep Casey’s memory alive. “The fact that Casey will always be part of this community is extremely important to me,” stresses Taub.

Casey was an avid soccer fan and player; he was a valued member of the Greeley soccer team. On August 22nd, Greeley Boys’ Varsity Soccer hosted its first annual Casey Taub Memorial 22:22 Soccer Jamboree benefiting the #taubstrong Movement for the Matthew Larson Foundation for Pediatric Brain Tumors.

The event, organized by Casey’s friends and teammates on Greeley Boys’ Varsity Soccer, as well as Camp Shropshire, Casey’s beloved soccer coach, began with a dedication ceremony. His father, Jonathan Taub spoke, and Casey’s number 22 jersey was retired. The Byram Hills Boys’ Varsity Soccer Team retired Casey’s number for what would have been his final high school soccer season. Soccer boosters sold CT22 merchandise and food, all of the participating teams made donations, and the event raised over $2300 to the #taubstrong Movement at the Matthew Larson Foundation. Taub hopes that this event will grow and become an annual kickoff to the soccer season in Casey’s memory.

Casey’s classmates in the 2019 Greeley Senior Class also donated proceeds from the Senior Carwash to the #taubstrong Movement. Greeley juniors, Emma Rosh and Charlotte Templeton, contacted Taub to start a club in Casey’s name. With Casey’s treasured Spanish teacher, Senor Warren, as the faculty advisor, they launched the CT22 Club. This year, the CT22 Club raised over $2000 from CT22 merchandise at Chappaqua’s Community Day.

Looking ahead, Taub hopes to extend the #TaubStrong movement beyond Chappaqua. “It would be great to get CT22 clubs in all Westchester high schools,” notes Taub, who plans to develop a full line of #taubstrong CT22 merchandise. Most importantly, Taub, who recently spoke at the Matthew Larson Foundation’s annual fundraising dinner, said that he is looking forward to the day that fundraising dinners are replaced by “celebratory dinners because there is no longer any cancers killing kids.” One day, he hopes, “Casey’s name will be associated with a cure for this horrible disease.”

For more information about the Matthew Larson Foundation, please visit www.ironmatt.org. To donate to this foundation in memory of Casey, please use #TaubStrong when you make your donation.

Filed Under: Cover Stories Tagged With: cancer, Casey Taub, donate, foundation, Greeley Boys' Varsity Soccer, Matthew Larson Foundation, pediatric brain tumours, soccer, TaubStrong

Neighbors Feeding Neighbors in Body and Spirit

October 21, 2015 by The Inside Press

Screenshot 2015-10-15 13.48.21
Jack Desmarais helps unpack fresh produce.

By Miriam Longobardi

Thanksgiving is a time when we reflect on that for which we are grateful as well as share our abundance with others. The holidays can be a time of year when those in need experience a sense of lack more keenly than other times, but, thankfully, there are many local organizations and houses of worship that offer nourishment for bodies and souls. Although some programs are specifically geared toward the holidays, others are ongoing throughout the year.

Nils Chittenden, rector of St. Stephens Episcopal Church on Bedford Road in Armonk, said that the influence of the worshipping community is far-reaching. Members of his congregation participate in ongoing work with the Mount Kisco Interfaith Food Pantry.

AnnLee Malani and Sue Brown coordinate food deliveries to homebound adults, and, not only are the recipients grateful for the food, but, because the women have developed relationships with these people, they look forward to the weekly visits as well as the deliveries of food.

The sense of companionship and someone checking in on them is as important as the food itself. Each year before the start of the annual Frosty Parade in Armonk, St. Stephens holds a winter fair in their main hall, and there are family-friendly activities as well as tables set up for non-profit groups to promote their causes. There are roving carolers as well as a bake sale to raise money for a different charity each year.

This year the bake sale proceeds will go to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center for biliary cancer research. Another important ministry of his church is hosting one of the largest Alcoholic Anonymous meetings in Westchester. Hundreds of people attend weekly, and meetings are held every day except Sunday. “The holidays can be a time when people with alcoholism experience an extraordinarily high need for support and we are glad to be able to provide that here,” Chittenden said. St. Stephens also regularly hosts Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts and the focus on citizenship and volunteerism also positively impacts the community.

At Temple Beth-El of Northern Westchester in Chappaqua, mitzvahs, or any good or praise-worthy deeds, abound throughout the year. Rabbi Jonathan Jaffe shared some ongoing work as well as special missions happening near Thanksgiving. A group of his congregants will be collecting donations for the people of Cuba and will then travel there to help the Jewish community as well as the larger Cuban community by providing much-needed medical supplies. “They are a communist country so they aren’t starving. What they can really use are a variety of medical supplies and some types of clothing. We will be collecting donations through December and the group will go down over the holiday break.”

Meg Gregg (left) sorts food with other volunteers at the Inter- faith Food Pantry.
Meg Gregg (left) sorts food with other volunteers at the Inter- faith Food Pantry.

The group includes some families with children old enough to assist as well as older people. “It’s a mixture of people who want to help,” Jaffe said. Each year boys and girls preparing for their Bar and Bat Mitzvahs are part of the Mitzvah Corp Program by choosing a nonprofit company for which to volunteer.

Current Mitzvah Corp assignments include Pleasantville Community Garden, where they will help plant foods grown for donation, Atria Senior Living, where kids visit and plan a Hanukkah party for the elderly, and the Miracle League of Westchester that provides opportunities for youth and adults with special needs to enable them to play baseball in a specially designed adaptive field.

Mitzvah Corp kids commit to volunteering for five consecutive months so they really form relationships with the people they are helping and learn the rewards of service. Temple Beth-El also participates in the multi-denominational Interfaith Council that takes turns hosting a service and free Thanksgiving meal. Temple Beth-El hosted last year’s dinner and this year it will be hosted by St. Mary’s Church in Chappaqua. The meal follows an interfaith service comprised of members from Catholic, Jewish, Protestant, and Muslim faiths. Additionally, Temple Beth-El holds a High Holy Day Food Drive so when many members are fasting, they are also donating food to the Westchester Food Bank.

The Church of St. Patrick in Armonk organizes a variety of social ministry initiatives with the purpose of involving as much of the parish as possible to help others. “Our area is so blessed and others are not nearly as fortunate,” said Val Sprague, one of the lay leaders of the church led by Father Jeffery Galens. “We began Project Embrace as a way to reach out to as many people in need as we can. Under that program, different lay leaders of the parish organized committees to address different people’s needs. It continues to expand each year.”

Sprague herself helped start F.I.A.T. , which stands for Faith In Action Taskforce. F.I.A.T. volunteers participate in Midnight Run, which provides clothing and toiletries for the homeless, and organizes pancake breakfasts and pasta dinners to feed people dealing with food scarcity and donate clothing to the Children’s Hope Chest.

The CYO (Catholic Youth Organization) teams each adopt a group of children and donate to them by buying gift certificates and clothing, as well as holiday gifts. The teams prepare beautiful food baskets which are donated to the Greenwich Food Pantry. The CYO motto is “Not just basketball.”

Also formed under Project Embrace is the Christmas Angel Program which connects to a sister parish in Peekskill that is very impoverished. Donations of winter clothes and holiday gifts are collected and sent to them. Christmas Angels also purchase $25 gift cards for the women in the Bedford Correctional Facility to give to their teenaged children who visit them.

Local clergy and Council members together at Temple Beth El for last year’s Interfath Council Thanksgiving dinner. Front Row, from left to right: Candace Downing, CantorStar Trompeter, Nada Bernstein, Rev. Katy Cates, Phoebe Washburn, Richard Laster, Elinor Griffith, Rabbi Jonathan Jaffe, Rabbi Maura Linzer. Second Row, from left to right: Rev. Leigh Pezet, Roo Streich, Kristina Sibinga, Rev. Dr. Martha Jacobs, Ellen Lewis, Joanie Ferroni, Rev. Msgr. Tom Gilleece.
Local clergy and Council members together at Temple Beth El for last year’s Interfath Council Thanksgiving dinner. Front Row, from left to right: Candace Downing, CantorStar Trompeter, Nada Bernstein, Rev. Katy Cates, Phoebe Washburn, Richard Laster, Elinor Griffith, Rabbi Jonathan Jaffe, Rabbi Maura Linzer. Second Row, from left to right: Rev. Leigh Pezet, Roo Streich, Kristina Sibinga, Rev. Dr. Martha Jacobs, Ellen Lewis, Joanie Ferroni, Rev. Msgr. Tom Gilleece.

“This allows them to be moms to their kids. Even imprisoned, we want to make sure there’s joy,” Sprague said. During a special mass on December 13th, parishioners bring in their donations of food, clothing, and gifts. Following the mass, everyone sorts through and organizes all the donations to be distributed, even the children. “It’s important that the children see that the holidays are not just about making a list of what they want, but to be involved in giving to others,” Sprague explained.

The Mount Kisco Interfaith Pantry is an organization that, as the recipient of food and resources from many local congregations, last year was able to serve over 31,000 thousand people. Kate Lombardi, the communications director, shared what makes the Interfaith Pantry so special.

“Unlike other food pantries, which hand out pre-bagged meals, we are set up like a regular market, and people are free make choices that suit their tastes and dietary needs. There is a dignity in making your own selections.”

Food is not the only provision, though. “We offer home deliveries to the homebound as well as a variety of helpful classes, such as cooking demonstrations, how to budget for food, food prep, bilingual nutrition, and best use of food. We are trying to build a healthy community,” Lombardi said. The volunteers shop for food at the Westchester Food Bank. The Food Bank does not serve clients directly; rather, they provide food for local pantries and organizations at greatly reduced prices.

Pantry Volunteers

Lombardi is proud of the fact that they are able to provide a huge variety of food, including a large assortment of fresh produce, truly a luxury for a food pantry. The Mount Kisco Community Garden maintains a space where they grow food specifically for the Interfaith Pantry. Lombardi reminded me that the entire Mount Kisco Food Pantry is run entirely by volunteers–their Board of Directors, the people that organize food distribution, those who maintain the website, the grant-writers and newsletter-writers, and of course,
everyone in between.

While they are grateful for all donations, the most helpful are financial donations. “For every dollar donated, four dollars’ worth of food is purchased, and this helps feed over 250 households each week. We are neighbors feeding neighbors, and you never know when families may encounter a crisis and need help providing food.” To learn more about how you can volunteer or donate, visit their website: mountkiscofoodpantry.org/donate

Whether you are hungering in body or spirit, in need of comfort or would like to serve others, there are places nearby where you can receive or provide help. You are not alone during this holiday season, and there is a community of people to whom you can turn for a variety of needs and with whom you can share your time and energy to benefit others.

Miriam Longobardi is a freelance writer, fourth grade teacher and single mother of two daughters living in Westchester.  A breast cancer survivor, she volunteers for the American Cancer Society and has completed four marathons and travels the world.  Follow her on Twitter @writerMimiLong.

Filed Under: Armonk Cover Stories Tagged With: donate, Food, homeless, Inside Armonk (Nov 2015)

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