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Westchester County Employees Hold Donation Drive for Bronx Families Impacted by Fire

January 13, 2022 by InsidePress

 Donations Encouraged at County Office Building

Westchester County Executive George Latimer is commending County employees for coming together to donate what they can to help Bronx families impacted by Sunday’s devastating and deadly fire that claimed the lives of 17 people, including 8 children.

Latimer said: “We are grieving with our brothers and sisters in the Bronx. For years Westchester has had a strong connection to the Bronx and that link is undeniable. It is our duty to give back and help our neighbors who have lost so much. We want to help them heal, rebuild and let them know we are here for them. Our hearts are with the survivors and the families left behind as we share in this loss.”

Assistant County Attorney Irma Cosgriff approached the County Executive about setting up a donation drive to help the families after hearing of the tragedy.

Cosgriff said: “I had an overwhelming sense of sadness for the individuals and families affected by this tragedy and wanted to do something to help. We want to provide an easy and trusted way for County employees’ donations to be most effective. This is about us doing something.”

A donation box at Michaelian Office Building at 148 Martine Avenue in White Plains has been set up to receive donations beginning Friday, January 14 through January 21. Employees are asked to place their donations in large transportable plastic bags. The items will be donated to PS-85 Great Expectations School, where many of the children impacted by this fire, attended.

Essential items needed include: bottled water, pillows, blankets, non-perishable food, sanitizer, toiletries, feminine hygiene products, pet products, new and unworn clothing (sweatpants, sweatshirts, undershirts, socks, kids and     adult-sized underwear, kids and adult-sized pajamas), diapers and baby items and unused bedding.

County residents are encouraged to assist where they can. Monetary donations can be made via the links provided below: 

MONETARY DONATION LINKS: 

  • Gambian Youth Organization
  • NYC Mayor’s Office Victim Fund
  • BStrong
  • Bronx Fire Relief organized by community advocate Deepti Sharma
  • Bronx Community Foundation Fund
  • Please designate your donation as “Fire Community Relief Effort.”
  • Riverdale Jewish Center
    • Please note that the funds are meant for the victims of the Bronx fire in the “Payment Notes” section                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      News courtesy of the County Executive

Filed Under: Westchester Tagged With: Bronx Fire, donations, Gambian Youth Organization, George Latimer, NYC Mayor's Office Victim's Fund, Westchester, Westchester County Center

Chappaqua-Millwood Chamber of Commerce Launches ReStart Grant Program for Small Businesses in New Castle

October 5, 2020 by Inside Press

First Round Application Deadline Saturday, October 10th at Midnight

Chappaqua, NY, October 5, 2020 — New Castle ReStart, (www.newcastlrestart.com) a grant initiative facilitated by the Chappaqua-Millwood Chamber of Commerce, has been launched to provide need-based relief for New Castle’s small businesses affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.  The primary objective is to help small businesses whose primary owners reside or work in the community with their rebuilding and reopening efforts, as well as to subsidize additional costs incurred to purchase new equipment and integrate the processes required to implement state-mandated safety protocols.

Eligibility for the grant includes:

  • Businesses with a physical storefront located within the physical boundaries of the Town of New Castle
  • Businesses that have not been deemed essential per Governor Cuomo’s Executive Order 202.6 will also be eligible to apply.

The application deadline for the first round will be Saturday, October 10 at midnight.  Donations and applications will continue to be accepted for the next rounds of funding. The amount to be disbursed and the number of grants provided will depend on generous donations from community members, along with any funds raised through activities that support this endeavor. Donations are tax-deductible and will provide direct assistance to those most in need.

The ReStart initiative was created and is directed by Chamber president, Dawn Dankner-Rosen and Chamber Vice President, Rand Manasse. Key to the launch are ReStart Committee members: Randi Childs, local photographer, who donated the  $11,000 she raised through her successful #TheFrontPorch photo project; Kristen Browde, who donated her legal expertise and all of the legal services needed to create this grant program; Chamber Treasurer Ted Holmes, who enacted all of the filings needed to create the grant program; Cynthia Schames, who created the ReStart website and Stephanie Steinberg, who designed the logo. 

This community-wide committee was formed with the support of the New Castle Town Board. ReStart Committee members to date include Town Supervisor Ivy Pool, Town Board member Lauren Levin, Dawn Dankner-Rosen, Rand Manasse, Ted Holmes, Kristen Browde, Randi Childs, Cynthia Schames, Dawn Greenberg, Debbie Grisham, Shauna Levy and  Wendy Nolan. We are still seeking additional members, community support and participation. Please contact ddr@ddrpr.com with your intent.

ReStart applications for small businesses in need are now available online at https://www.newcastlerestart.com/apply. All applicants will need to show proof of financial need, report whether assistance has been received from other sources, including loans, grants and unemployment insurance and state their anticipated uses for any grant money received.  Please go to newcastlerestart@chappaquamillwood.org.

News is Courtesy of the Chappaqua Millwood Chamber of Commerce.

Filed Under: Surviving COVID-19 Tagged With: Chappaqua-Millwood Chamber of Commerce, Covid 19 Relief, donations, merchants, New Castle ReStart, ReStart, Town of New Castle

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

An Appetite for Generosity

March 8, 2019 by Sabra Staudenmaier

(L-R): (914) Cares 4th Annual Empty Bowls Committee, Dana Berk, Jodi Falbaum, Lisa Samkoff, Melissa Levine, Jillian Pohly, Jessica Reinmann, Mike Slomsky, Dawn Greenberg, Lena Cavanna, Doug Alpuche and Lauren Stern

(914) Cares Fourth Annual Empty Bowls Event Raises $120,000 to Fight Hunger in Westchester

On the cold Sunday evening before Thanksgiving, a warmth radiated from Crabtree’s Kittle House Restaurant and Inn. The smell of hearty food filled the air. A simple meal of soup, bread and hors d’oeuvres was being prepared in the kitchen. An abstract sculpture stood inside the entrance of this quaint venue. It was made of ceramic bowls and cans of soup, layered in rows that progressively narrowed from bottom to top, forming a tree. The tree symbolized the upcoming holiday season. The bowls were individually and uniquely hand-painted by members of the community. They were all empty; a reminder that many cannot afford to fill their bowls. The guests of the evening were there to support the Empty Bowls Westchester annual fundraiser to help the fight against hunger.

Throughout the restaurant, soup and bread stations were set up alongside additional displays of painted bowls. Signs explaining the work being done to end hunger sat beside more of the painted bowls. The Mount Kisco Interfaith Food Pantry displayed a sign saying, “We fed 41,791 people last year”. The Boys & Girls Club of Northern Westchester showed a sign informing, “We serve over 80,000 nutritious meals each year.” Hillside Food Outreach had a sign that shared, “We have over 300 volunteers that pack & deliver to our clients.”

Celebrities Help the Cause

Set aside from the main event, the Kittle House’s Tap room was lined with tables showcasing larger bowls that had been signed by celebrities who support this important cause. Celebrities who participated by donating signed bowls included Yankees legend Mariano Rivera, Bon Jovi’s Richie Sambora, author and activist Cecile Richards, US golfing great Tom Watson, Bill and Hillary Clinton, author James Patterson, HQ Trivia Host Scott Rogowsky and Pinkalicious children’s author Victoria Kahn. These “Celebrity Bowls” were an important part of the fundraising effort. They were available to bid on in the evening’s highly anticipated silent auction.

Empty Bowls Westchester is a division of (914) Cares–an organization that supports local Westchester based non-profits that focus on basic human needs: food, clothing, shelter, medical care and education. According to the Feeding Westchester (formerly known as the Westchester Food Bank), one in five residents of Westchester is food insecure, which means approximately 200,000 people are hungry or at risk for hunger. Each year, an Empty Bowls Committee is formed to run the local arm of the international grassroots effort to raise money and awareness in the fight to end hunger in our community.

Grant recipients (L-R): Kelly Housman, Mt. Kisco Interfaith Food Pantry; Susan Bretti, Community Center of Northern Westchester; Clare Murray, Community Center of Northern Westchester and Robin Karp, Pleasantville Interfaith Emergency Food Pantry

A Community Wide Effort

Beginning in the spring, (914) Cares Co-Founders Dawn Greenberg and Jessica Reinmann work with volunteers from the community who donate their time to hand paint bowls, one by one. Members from Congregation Sons of Israel Briarcliff, Pace University and Strauss Paper employees along with several Girl Scout troops are among those who helped paint bowls which, this year, totaled over 250. Once painted, A Maze in Pottery in Briarcliff Manor, a generous supporter of this cause, fires all the painted bowls in their kiln.

Local Grant Recipients Utilize Event’s Funds

Local organizations who are on the front lines in the fight against hunger apply to receive grants from the funds raised. This year six grant recipients were selected. These organizations were Bread of Life, The Boys and Girls Club of Northern Westchester, The Community Center of Northern Westchester, Hillside Food Outreach, The Interfaith Emergency Food Pantry of Pleasantville and The Mount Kisco Interfaith Food Pantry.

The recipients of this year’s grants were extremely appreciative for funding they received, but the community members who attended the fundraiser were just as thankful for the work the organizations do. Whether it’s through rescuing food so that it does not go to waste, delivering food to the sick or elderly, or running a food pantry year -round; through the grace of these organizations, the gap between those who are able to give and those who are in need is being bridged. The people who champion this cause maintain that they get more than they give from the work they do.

Ways to Get Involved

Empty Bowls Westchester and (914) Cares are always looking for the help of generous people. Whatever one can give is significant and makes a difference. Reinmann encourages the community to continue to support this cause by hosting a bowl painting party, becoming a sponsor or attending the next Empty Bowls Westchester event. Celebrity–signed bowls are always welcome donations for the silent auction portion of the fundraiser. There are many ways to get involved.

In Reinmann’s experience, people are very generous during the holiday season, but help often declines in January and February. The depth of winter, however, is when the need for help is the greatest. She encourages people to reach out to local food banks to find out what is needed and run a drive to raise those items accordingly.

The Empty Bowls event was a success but there is still much more work to be done. Since its inception, four years ago, Empty Bowls Westchester has raised almost half a million dollars. Greenberg and Reinmann aim to continue to support the growth of the program. They want to help create a community where basic fundamental needs are available to everyone. A place where poverty and hunger is not temporarily mended with a band aid but rather where the cycle of poverty is ended.

When the evening was over, every attendee received a hand-painted bowl to remind them of all the empty bowls in the world that still need to be filled and to inspire them to continue to support ending hunger. The ultimate goal, according to Reinmann, is “the day when (914) Cares is no longer needed, that will be the best day ever.”

For more information on how to support Empty Bowls Westchester, please visit 914cares.org

PHOTO BY SETH BERK

Some Really Super Bowls

Over the past four years, a number of very special bowls have been auctioned during the Empty Bowls silent auction. Artist in Residence and committee member, Melissa Levine, painted most of this year’s bowls that were sent to celebrities who volunteered to sign them to help raise money for this cause. A Maze in Pottery Briarcliff Manor’s Nancy Beard generously assisted by lending her artistic talent to paint some of the celebrity-signed bowls. For this year’s auction, comedian Jim Belushi did his own artwork on the bowl he signed and donated.

The bidding on celebrity bowls starts at $125 and bowls can go for any amount higher.  To date, the bowl that has gotten the highest bid was from last year’s silent auction.  It was a bowl signed by the entire Philadelphia Eagles football team and was won by a bid of $1,700.

Some celebrities, for example Bill and Hillary Clinton, are regular supporters, and have signed a bowl to be auctioned each year.

On occasion, a bowl will be sent to a celebrity for signing and the celebrity will return the bowl with an additional item to be included in the auction. Two years ago, musician James Taylor added a signed guitar to his donation. For this year’s auction, Richie Sambora donated a signed guitar along with his signed bowl.

PHOTO BY Sabra Staudenmaier

 

PHOTO COURTESY OF EMPTY BOWLS
PHOTO BY Sabra Staudenmaier

Filed Under: Cover Stories Tagged With: 914 Cares, Boys and Girls Club of Northern Westchester, Celebrities, Crabtree's Kittle House, Dawn Evans Greenberg, donations, empty bowls, Empty Bowls Westchester, Feeding Westchester, Fighting Hunger, hunger, Jessica Reinmann, Painted bowls, Sponsor Generosity, Volunteerism

(914) Cares Opens New Headquarters

October 24, 2018 by Ella Ilan

Dedicated volunteers and Westchester County elected officials gathered together for a grand opening ceremony on September 20th to celebrate the new brick and mortar location of non-profit (914) Cares and hail its adoption of Kids’ Kloset. County Executive George Latimer cut the ribbon, marking the official opening of the new site at 901 North Broadway in North White Plains.

(914) Cares, formerly Chappaqua Cares, supports local non-profits that focus on basic human needs, including food, clothing, shelter, medical care and education. The organization was founded in 2014 by Chappaqua residents CEO Jessica Reinmann and Vice Chairman Dawn Greenberg. The two founders believed that there were many people interested in helping others and there were a myriad of charities in need but the missing piece was someone to put them together. They began working with four local organizations and have expanded to partnering with over thirty non-profit groups. (914) Cares places volunteers, coordinates donation drives, and helps local non-profits with fundraising.

(L- R): Stephanie Roth, Jessica Reinmann and Dawn Greenberg
(L-R): Dawn Greenberg, North Castle Town Supervisor Michael Schiliro, Deputy Supervior Stephen D’Angelo and Jessica Reinmann
(L- R): Dawn Greenberg, County Executive George Latimer and Jessica Reinmann

“Twenty-five percent of Westchester residents live at or below the poverty line,” says Reinmann. “There are families that cannot feed their children and although they get breakfast and lunch in school through government subsidy, these kids don’t get dinner or anything on the weekends and during school breaks.”

Through their Empty Bowls project, they have raised over $300,000 to fight hunger in Westchester County. At an Empty Bowls event, volunteers create hand-painted bowls. Guests are invited to a simple meal of soup and bread. In exchange for a monetary donation, guests keep the bowl as a reminder of all the empty bowls in the world.

“It’s hard to wrap your arms around the fact that so many local children may not have dinner tonight. It could be the opposing soccer team of your kid.  I think when people get it, they are generous,” says Mary Rosewater, (914) Cares board member and Kids’ Kloset volunteer.

PHOTO COURTESY OF 914(CARES)

The Kids’ Kloset program, founded by Executive Director Stephanie Roth, provides underprivileged local children with donated clothing and related items.  Since its inception in 2011, Kids’ Kloset has provided over 16,000 bags of clothing, footwear, diapers and more to local children. Volunteers sort donated clothing and pack “bags of love” with appropriate items that are not ripped or stained. They fill orders received from referring partners on the front line that can identify children in need, such as social workers, teachers, or houses of worship. Bags contain about a week’s worth of clothing and are packed based on the child’s size and when possible, color and style preferences.

“We pride ourselves as being somewhat of a first responder to these schools and organizations,” says Volunteer Coordinator Sandee Levinson.

“The mission is not just: here’s a bag of clothing because you’re in need, but rather: here’s a bag of clothing that’s going to make you feel good and give you a greater sense of self- esteem,” explains Roth.

“While we have specific operating hours, there’s not one single one of us who if we got an emergency call that a child is now homeless and needs clothes for school due to a catastrophic fire, who would not jump out of bed to make that happen,” says Rosewater.

“We have so many underserved kids here,“ says Westchester Chairman of the Board of Legislators Benjamin Boykin. “This is a wonderful organization.  If you have clothes that your kids have outgrown and you no longer need, bring it in,” he urges.

The adoption of Kids’ Kloset was the impetus to open the current space. Kids’ Kloset had lost its previous location in White Plains. Friends of the organization worked together to locate a new space that was centrally located. White Plains Attorney Seth Mandelbaum, a land use and zoning specialist, provided pro bono services to shepherd them through the approval process in the Town of North Castle.

North Castle Town Supervisor Mike Schirilo and Deputy Supervisor Stephen D’Angelo were both instrumental in the town approval and glad to have been involved. “It’s an incredible organization and it speaks volumes about the people who are behind this and gives you continued faith in society. With all that noise around us, there are still great people like this doing great things and it reaffirms the goodness in our culture,” says Schirilo.

“This coming together represents what makes Westchester great, not the government of Westchester, but the people of Westchester… who are willing to give their time with no compensation or glory,” says Latimer.

The Mount Kisco Interfaith Food Pantry, which is supported by thirteen different congregations, is one of (914) Cares’ partners. “The values that we all hold so deeply from every religious organization, regardless of the brand name, are truly living out their faith in this and it’s extraordinary,” says Mount Kisco Mayor Gina Picinich.

“Often Westchester can be characterized as a place that doesn’t need help but the reality is that there are folks struggling here just like everywhere else and we want them to be part of the fabric of our communities and so we have to make sure we have services available for them,” says State Assemblyman David Buchwald.

“For someone who wants to help but doesn’t know how, (914) Cares is one-stop shopping,” says board member Haley Ferraro.

For more information on how you can get involved, go to www.914cares.org

Filed Under: Armonk Cover Stories Tagged With: 914 Cares, Clothing, donations, Kids Kloset, New, underserved, Westchester

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