girls

GIRLS, INC. April Gala to Honor Trailblazers Who Help Girls Feel ‘Strong, Smart and Bold’

March 10, 2022 by Megan Klein

I am a girl. I am a girl who was asked what I wanted for dinner each night. I am a girl who always had parents in the stands at my soccer games. I am a girl who got new sneakers and backpacks every year for school, not because the zipper was broken or the shoes didn’t fit, but just because. I am a girl.

When the non-profit organization Girls Inc. started in 1864, the lack of back-to-school sneakers was hardly the centerfold issue at hand, and it still isn’t. Today, the 78 affiliates nationwide have made it their mission to focus on the “whole girl” and inspire them all to be strong, smart and bold.

“All girls have issues, not just underserved girls. And underserved can mean a lot of different things,” Former Interim Executive Director and Chappaqua Resident Kimberly Logan said. “All girls need exposure to the power of their voice and what they can do.”

One way the girls in Westchester have the chance to do so is through the Girls Inc. curriculum that centers around those three words from the mission statement. Whether it’s empowering the body and mind through yoga and self-care practices, their confidence through leadership workshops or their intelligence through STEM-based programs such as robotics or financial workshops, the girls have the chance to feel strong, smart and bold.

While the programs typically take place after school 2-3 days a week, the pandemic has also made virtual sessions available. And since the goal is to bring exposure to the girls, the program is always free, with various fundraisers including their annual Gala.

After two years the Strong Smart & Bold Gala will be back in person at the Glen Island Harbour Club on Thursday April 7 at 6:00PM in New Rochelle. The theme of the event is “Their future. Their voice,” and focuses on furthering the voices of these young women through diversity, empowerment and advocacy.

The two honorees are Jasmine Bellamy and Mimi Rocah. While Bellamy currently serves as Reebok’s Head of Change Management for United Against Racism and was named one of Sports Illustrated’s 100 Influential Black Women in Sports in 2021, Rocah was elected as Westchester’s District Attorney in 2020 and was awarded the Women in Federal Law Enforcement Leadership Award in 2016. Although they are involved in different fields of work, both are committed leaders who are advocating for more equality within their communities.

The introduction of the Altman Advocacy Award at this year’s gala also honors Jennifer Altman, Ph.D., who formerly served on the Board of Directors and as Board Chair of Girls Inc. Westchester. Currently, she is a clinical psychiatrist in Hastings on Hudson.

“We honor [Altman’s] commitment to advocacy for all the young women of Westchester,” Girls Inc. Westchester said on their website. “We are uplifted by her inspiration and are empowered by her passion for a brighter future.”

This will be Executive Director Sharlise Smith-Rodriguez’s first gala, as she just began her work at Girls Inc. three months ago.

“With the gala, I’m excited and I’m nervous, but more excited just to see the different supporters of Girls Inc. come together,” Smith-Rodriguez said.

Aside from the gala, the organization gets its funding through sponsorships, fundraising events and grants. Just recently, the county provided a substantial grant for tutoring so that things like SAT prep will be available to students in places where it might not be easily accessible. The plan is to have an intensive tutoring program in two districts in the upcoming year.

In terms of what districts have Girls Inc. programming, right now there are several in Mount Vernon, New Rochelle, Yonkers, White Plains, Port Chester, Peekskill, Mount Kisco and Ossining. But the goal is to get into more districts, such as Lewisboro and getting settled back into the Bedford districts after recently reentering.

“I would love to reach those communities that people think don’t need it, because I think that all girls, not just underrepresented girls, all girls need that encouragement, that support, being able to advocate for themselves or things within their community,” Smith-Rodriguez said. “So I would love to expand into other, if it’s public, private or charter schools, within Westchester County.”

In order to carry out that future goal of Smith-Rodriguez’s, facilitators need to be found and funds need to be raised for the programming.

Has reading this article made you want to help? Here are a few ways.

If you are a teacher assistant or an educator of any kind looking to be an empowering mentor to girls, volunteer. If you want to attend the gala and meet some of the amazing women involved, you can purchase a ticket. If you want to help fund new programming, you can donate or purchase a gala sponsorship.

See info direct from Girls, Inc., below, or to reigister and/or for more information, head to StrongSmartBoldGala.org. and www.girlsincwestchester.org

And girls, remember: Be strong. Be smart. Be bold.

From Girls, Inc.:

White Plains, N.Y –, Girls Inc. of Westchester County will celebrate and honor two trailblazing women and celebrate one committed advocate at their Strong Smart & Bold Gala 6:00 pm on Thursday, April 7, 2022, at Glen Island Park in New Rochelle, NY. The theme for this year’s gala is “Their Future, Their Voice” to empower all girls to find their voice and encourage advocacy for themselves and others. Current and world events have shown us the importance of girls and women finding their voice and speaking out about the issues that impact their lives. This year’s gala will recognize Jasmine Bellamy and Mimi Rocah as honorees and introduce the inaugural Altman Advocacy Award to Jennifer Altman.

“After two years of navigating through a pandemic, we are excited to be able to hold our gala in person and continue to inspire all girls to be strong, smart, and bold. Our honorees embody the mission of our organization for how they have used their voices to break barriers, empower change in their organizations, and their continued work towards fairness for all. I am looking forward to celebrating this year’s honorees as well as the girls in our program who will one day become our future leaders,” said Sharlise Smith-Rodriguez, Executive Director.

Jasmine Bellamy is a customer-centric, data-driven global executive merchant who is currently leading Reebok’s U.S. Direct to Consumer Business. In addition, Bellamy is also the brand’s Head of Change Management for United Against Racism. She is the creator and co-facilitator of Courageous Conversation, a place for people inside the organization to pause and participate in deep listening and learning from people who are different from themselves. Before her position at Reebok, Bellamy had more than 25 years of experience where she has helped drive the merchandising strategies for Lord & Taylor, Bloomingdales, LOFT, Kmart, Gap, and has also directed celebrity brand collections of Sarah Jessica Parker, Venus Williams, Nicki Minaj, and others. Outside of her career, Bellamy served on the Board of Women in Retail Leadership Circle as its first Director of Diversity and Inclusion and is also the founder of Love 101 Ministries, a community dedicated to the theology and practice of love which shapes how to lead and transform businesses, teams, and culture.

Miriam “Mimi” E. Rocah is currently the District Attorney for Westchester County, elected in 2020 after running a grassroots campaign centered on reforming and modernizing the Westchester County DA’s office, rebuilding trust between law enforcement and the communities it serves, and fighting for a safer and fairer criminal justice system for all of Westchester. Before she was elected Westchester County DA, Rocah served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney from 2001 to 2017 in the Southern District of New York. She oversaw the prosecution of organized crime, gun traffickers, corrupt officials, narcotics dealers, sex traffickers, and child predators. In 2012 during the Obama administration, Rocah was promoted by U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara to Chief of the Westchester Division for the Department of Justice, where she served as primary liaison with law enforcement agencies and prosecutorial offices as well as coordinated and co-chair multi county task forces on issues such as human trafficking and the opioid overdose epidemic. A native of Chicago, Illinois, Rocah graduated from Harvard University with a B.A. in American History, and received her J.D. from New York University of Law. Today she currently lives in Scarsdale with her husband and two children, and is an active volunteer with Moms Demand Action and a board member of My Sister’s Place.

“We could not be more excited to introduce the inaugural Altman Advocacy Award at this year’s gala. It was created to acknowledge the impact that commitment and passion for change can have on an individual, a community, and an organization. The recipient for this year’s award will be Jennifer Altman. Jennifer has spent her life and career committed to driving change by empowering girls to find their voice and advocate for themselves and others,” said Fiona Bruder and Kim Logan, Gala Co-Chairs. A clinical psychologist specializing in working with children, Altman is a member of The GIWC Wise Women Council and previously served as a member of the Board of Directors and as Board Chair for Girls Inc. of Westchester County.

Gala attendees will enjoy a spectacular cocktail reception, dinner, and a special presentation that will showcase personal stories of the young program participants. Adding to the evening will be a silent auction, live auction, and a fund a need led by award winning auctioneer Erin Ward of Star Benefit Auctions.

This year’s gala is generously sponsored by Colgate-Palmolive, Linda and Earle Altman, Jennifer Altman and Jason Fein, Bank of America, Centric Brands, Fullerton Beck, Key Bank, Michael Mattiello/Merrill Lynch, Party City, United Healthcare, Aetna CVS Health, Axis/HALO Promotions, 914Cares, ELMC Risk Management, and TD Bank. Tickets are $300 per person and can be purchased online at www.StrongSmartBoldGala.org. For more information about the event and the sponsorship opportunities available, please contact Monica Spears at (914) 419-0764, mspears@girlsincwestchester.org, or visit the event website at www.StrongSmartBoldGala.org.

About Girls Inc. Westchester: Established in 2007, Girls Inc. of Westchester County inspires all girls to be strong, smart, and bold. Girls Inc. of Westchester offers girls-only programs at schools throughout Westchester County to help girls navigate the real-life challenges they confront during middle and high school and lay the groundwork for educated, healthy, and independent futures. To learn more about Girls Inc. of Westchester County, please visit their website at www.girlsincwestchester.org.

Photos courtesy of Girls Inc. of Westchester County

It’s Prom Time: How Local High School Students Prepare for the Big Night

May 31, 2019 by Ella Ilan

Tis the season of promposals. Sitting at a restaurant the other night, I watched a waitress deliver a nutella calzone coated in powdered sugar with “Prom?” spelled out in chocolate sauce to a teenage couple dining at a nearby table. The boy looked expectantly at the girl, who replied “yes” as neighboring diners applauded.

A promposal refers to the creative way in which many teenagers ask a date to the prom. Fashioning the perfect element of surprise and creating a clever promposal has added another line item to the prom to-do list.

Byram Hills High School Principal Christopher Walsh has been a party to many promposals. “I’ve been asked to bait somebody and call them down to my office. Sometimes they’re nervous because they’ve never been called to the principal before, but then someone pops out and asks them to prom. I’m always happy to be part of that but I think there is a limit to it and it should all be done in good fun. I’ve heard of students renting aircrafts, arranging skywriting and getting really creative. It’s always interesting for me to hear about them,” he says.

Say Yes to The Dress: The Prom Version

For some girls, the dress is chosen long before they know their date. Once a dress is purchased, the trend in recent years has been for girls to lay claim to their dress by posting a picture of it in a dedicated Facebook group for the girls of the senior class. This ensures that no one wears the same dress. These Facebook posts begin as early as January. Although my senior daughter and I didn’t start shopping for a dress until March, we certainly felt pressured to find and commit to something quickly.

“Shopping for prom attire was significantly easier with my son than it was with my daughter,” reports one local Armonk mom. “My son went to one tuxedo rental place where he selected everything he needed, including shoes, in under 30 minutes. My daughter, however, tried on at least 30 dresses at multiple stores before finally selecting one that had to be shipped from another country!”

Changes in Store for This Year’s Prom

Both Byram Hills High School and Horace Greeley High School are having their proms at Glen Island Harbour Club in New Rochelle. Greeley’s prom will take place on June 6th and Byram Hills’ prom will be held on June 13th. This marks a change for both schools. Since 1993, the Byram Hills prom has been at World Yacht off of Pier 82 in New York City. In past years, the Greeley prom was held at Trump National Golf Club in Briarcliff Manor.

Another change for Byram Hills is that transportation on coach buses will be provided for students from the high school to Glen Island and back to school after prom. Previously, students arranged their own transportation, often by limousine or party bus.

“One of the things I noticed when I became principal,” says Walsh, “was that the community was really detached from prom in many ways. Since the venue was on a boat in the city, many families were scattered and there were a lot of different pre-prom parties that tend to be somewhat exclusionary. I was looking for a way to make it more of a community-centered event and a safer experience for our kids. I thought we could kill two birds with one stone by having the kids arrive here on a red carpet for a school-wide pre-prom and transport them on nice coach buses to and from the prom.”

While some students have expressed disappointment that the prom will no longer be in the city, most are looking forward to this rite of passage with great anticipation.

“I’m excited to see how it all comes together at the end…it’s going to be great to all leave from the school because our whole grade gets a pre-prom together. It’s a lot more inclusive,” says Byram Hills senior and Grade Activities Board member, Julia Weiler.

Greeley’s change in venue comes after several years of passionate pleas from some students to move away from Trump National due to the President’s controversial comments about immigrants and minorities. Students were excited about choosing a new location and forging new traditions.

“Using both the research we collected about possible prom venues and input from the class, we chose Glen Island,” says Julia Bialek of Greeley’s Class of 2019 Executive Student Leadership Council. “We could not be more excited for prom! The location is absolutely gorgeous and, who knows, perhaps we could start our own prom legacy.”

Safety First

Parents, as former prom attendees themselves, approach prom with a mix of anxiety and excitement. Knowing that prom night rarely lives up to heightened expectations, many parents hope their kids have the best time possible while most importantly, remaining safe.

Most prom-goers are excited about the after-prom parties. Prom night, however, can be dangerous with so many teenagers out on the roads late at night and the potential for drug and alcohol abuse. The atmosphere of freedom and celebration, coupled with the pressure to make prom a memorable experience, can lead kids to behave in ways they would never do in their everyday lives.

Hopefully, after speaking with promgoers seriously about behaving responsibly, parents of graduating seniors can share in this rite of passage with their children and enjoy a safe and fun prom season.

The Great Chappaqua Bake Sale Passes the Rolling Pin to a New Generation

August 29, 2018 by Bettina Prober

The new Great Chappaqua Bake Sale Co-Chairs.
(L -R) Rebecca Blum, Charlotte Spiegel, Sophia Spiegel
PHOTO COURTESY OF ALLISON SPIEGEL

The Great Chappaqua Bake Sale, a delicious annual tradition since 2010, has announced that incoming Horace Greeley freshmen Rebecca Blum, 13, and Charlotte and Sophia Spiegel, both 14, will take over leadership roles in 2018.

“We’ve all been involved since the very beginning,” said Rebecca. “It’s a very rewarding feeling to know that we are making a difference in so many kids’ lives.” Since its inception in 2010, the bake sale has raised $146,000 for the No Kid Hungry program of Share Our Strength, which is a leading national organization dedicated to fighting childhood hunger. The Chappaqua sale has also received $50,000 in matching donations from Domino Sugar, making the total raised for the organization almost $200,000.

Founded by Chappaqua residents Holly Blum, Allison Spiegel and Jessica Reinmann, the Great Chappaqua Bake Sale has always had a two-fold mission: to raise money for kids in need, and to impart social responsibility to the organizers’ own children and the community at large.

“We started The Great Chappaqua Bake Sale as a way to teach our kids the true meaning of charity,” said Blum. “As our daughters have grown up with the bake sale in their lives, they’ve been taking on more and more responsibility each year.”

Share Our Strength and the Bake Sale for No Kid Hungry program were always the driving force behind the Chappaqua effort, noted Blum. The program encourages local communities to host bake sales to support the organization’s mission of ending childhood hunger. After hearing about the program from an infomercial, the founders contacted the organization.

“After learning some very sobering statistics about childhood hunger, such as how one in six children face hunger in this country, we were more determined than ever” to start our Chappaqua version, said Spiegel. “Over the past eight years, we’ve seen the incredible impact No Kid Hungry has had on the childhood hunger crisis in America.”

The bake sale serves as a concrete reminder for the kids that not all children are lucky enough to be able to grab a treat when they are hungry; so many kids do not have that privilege.

“We started this endeavor to show our children what charity is all about,” said Spiegel. “Yes, it’s wonderful to donate money to good causes, but getting involved and creating something bigger than yourself to help others is so rewarding.”

While Rebecca, Charlotte and Sophia have always been involved with the event, 2018 will mark the first year they are truly in charge.

“Holly and I are working closely with them this year to show them the ins and outs of leading such a large-scale event,” said Spiegel. “They are learning the ropes quickly and have already come up with some great ideas.”

The girls are particularly excited about getting more kids involved, and spreading the word that philanthropy is an important activity.

“Trying to get other teens involved is a huge goal for us,” said Sophia. “If we can do this with only three of us, imagine if 1,000 teens get involved.” To that end, they have also started a new social media campaign, with Facebook and Instagram accounts for the bake sale.

“Every Friday we post ‘Hunger Fact Friday’ on our Instagram feed so kids get a real-world picture of what’s going on” said Charlotte. “So far, we have 150 followers and we are definitely aiming for more!” The girls have also been busy soliciting raffle prizes, organizing bakers, and scheduling volunteers for the day of the event.

The Great Chappaqua Bake Sale has been hosted in conjunction with the Chappaqua Children’s Book Festival since 2012, when the festival organizers asked the Bake Sale to be its exclusive dessert providers.

“We were thrilled at the possibility of reaching exponentially more people,” says Blum. In the past, the sale has attracted thousands of visitors. In order to supply enough baked goods, the organizers recruit between 80 and 100 individual volunteer bakers, plus local businesses, to make and donate the treats.

“One of the best things about the bake sale has been the ongoing support from Chappaqua and from all our surrounding communities,” said Blum. “So many businesses and individuals volunteer their time, donate goods and services to our raffle, and support the event year after year. Our goal is to continue to nourish this community support and have our kids uncover new ways of bringing the community together.”

“It’s always such a special day for our town and a great way to celebrate children,” added Spiegel.

The Great Chappaqua Bake Sale will take place at the Children’s Book Festival in Chappaqua on September 29 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Inside Chappaqua asked Rebecca, Sophia and Charlotte to share a favorite recipe. Here’s one for peanut butter balls, which are so popular they often sell out!

Peanut Butter Balls

Ingredients:

1 Cup of Chunky Peanut Butter
1 Cup of Confectioners’ Sugar
1/2 Cup of instant non-fat dry milk
3 Tablespoons of water
1 Cup of chocolate chips
Graham Cracker Crumbs

Directions:

Mix the first five ingredients together in a bowl. Shape them into 1 inch round balls. Coat with graham cracker crumbs. Let chill in the refrigerator for at least 1/2 hour.

Don’t Call it a Comeback, Lacrosse Has Been Here for Years

March 8, 2018 by Shauna Levy

Coach Milim with past lacrosse participants

When one thinks of America’s greatest pastimes, lacrosse is seldom top of mind. In truth, however, lacrosse is the oldest North American team sport, with roots dating back to Native American competitions. Despite its rich history, lacrosse has not enjoyed the same enthusiasm as its counterparts such as soccer, baseball and football. Rachel Milim, recently named president of the Byram Hills Youth Lacrosse (BHYL) board, also the Girls Grade 3/4 coach, is seeking to change that and is forecasting a surge in the program’s popularity.

Milim is embracing her new leadership position and optimistic for the season ahead. She says, “The board has recently turned over to a new generation of families who are enthusiastic about getting our children, their friends and the overall community involved. We are approaching this year with a flexible philosophy that focuses on having fun and enables children to play multiple sports, which I believe will encourage participation.” According to Milim, fall clinics have already been packed, indicating that BHYL’s trend of steadily increasing registration will continue. Rob Manowitz, co-director of the Boys BHYL program and Boys Grade 6 Coach, adds, “Lacrosse is amongst the fastest growing sports in the country. Some refer to it as the best combination of soccer, hockey, and basketball.”

(L-R): Sydney Hecht, Ryan Milim and Emery Matusow

For Milim, athletics is not only a pastime, but a passion that has played center stage in her life since childhood. She played multiple sports throughout childhood and was captain of her lacrosse and basketball teams in high school. She also captained her lacrosse team at Cornell University and was an All-American on a final four team. These experiences parlayed into her current role as the director of Brant Lake Sports Academy, a 3.5 week summer camp for sports-loving girls. Milim clearly understands first-hand the positive impact that playing multiple sports can have in shaping a child’s future. She, along with the entire board, is committed to sharing their love of the game with the community.

Manowitz explains how lacrosse skills are gradually introduced to the children. “Our great parent-volunteers and paid coaches teach our kids age-appropriate competitive lacrosse skills. At the earliest ages, we focus on basic catching-throwing and cradling. As the kids age, the game migrates to a team-unit approach where we focus on offensive ball movement, off-ball positioning and team-oriented defense.”

While teaching the basic techniques of the sport is a major focus of practices and games, the overarching BHYL philosophy is centered upon having fun. Jon Schneider, co-director of the Boys BHYL program and Boys Grade 5 Coach says, “Most importantly, as a parent run organization, we emphasize the life lessons that youth sports provide; winning and losing, teamwork, community and confidence. Respect for one another, our opponents, coaches and referees are also emphasized. Our main hope is for the kids to have fun, be competitive, be challenged and grow mentally.” Milim concurs, “Our number one priority is for the kids to have fun. The skills will develop without them even knowing it. If the kids are having fun, the skills will organically follow.”

It appears that the coaches’ philosophies are successfully infiltrating the league’s culture. Ava Gitler, a 3rd grader says, “It’s fun to be challenged on the field and to work with my teammates to get better each game. I love running behind the crease to find players open and trying to score. Besides lacrosse, I play travel soccer and tennis. Sports are my life!”

Luke Weiss, a 4th grader, has been playing lacrosse since kindergarten and radiates the same positive attitude, “I like playing lacrosse because it’s fun to play a game with my friends that we all love. One of the best things I have learned is teamwork. We play as a team and support each other and I like that. It’s also fun when the high school kids come and teach us skills. I hope to play at Byram Hills High School one day.”

Whether your child plays lacrosse or not, BHYL strongly advocates exposing children to as many sports as possible at a young age. Milim says, “Kids need constant change or they will burn out quickly. It’s also important that they develop different muscles.” Schneider agrees, “While our program has gained ground, we try to coordinate scheduling with other town-based sports to minimize conflicts and reduce the need for youth athletes to choose a sport to focus on at too early of an age. There is a lot of research that concludes our children are physically and mentally better-off playing a combination of sports throughout the year.” The bottom-line is that children benefit from being active and learning good sportsmanship. “Beyond the physical benefits, team sports build social skills through the unparalleled camaraderie that develops, increases confidence and develops time management skills. And, let’s face it, for older kids, it keeps them out of trouble!” laughs Milim.

BHYL registration for the spring 2018 season is currently open. Please visit byramhillsyouthlacrosse.org!

Chappaqua Summer Writing Program for Girls

July 9, 2016 by The Inside Press

A SUMMER ACADEMIC PROGRAM FOR YOUNG WOMEN AGES 14-17 WHO LOVE READING AND WHO WANT TO STRENGTHEN THEIR WRITING SKILLS OVER THE SUMMER.

Ages 14-17
July 11-July 22, 2016
2PM-5PM, Monday – Friday
Horace Greeley House
100 King Street, Chappaqua NY

The literature to be studied includes poetry, fairy tales, drama, and 19th-century novels. Modeled on the First-Year Writing Seminars at Princeton University, the program also includes elements designed to prepare students for the college application process, with half of each class meeting devoted to the study of literature and the other half to workshops and exercises geared at building critical reading and writing skills. Students will emerge from the course with a draft of a college application essay.

Meetings will be held in the Horace Greeley House in downtown Chappaqua. The program fee is $575 and enrollment is capped at 15. For enrollment information please visit chappaquasummerprogram.weebly.com or contact: chappaquasummerprogram@gmail.com or 914.314.7009.

The Chappaqua Summer Writing Program for Girls is directed by Keri Walsh. Dr. Walsh has taught at Oxford and Princeton University, and is now a professor of English Literature at Fordham University. She is the editor of The Letters of Sylvia Beach (the first publisher of James Joyce’s Ulysses and the owner of the Shakespeare and Company bookshop in Paris). Dr. Walsh is now completing an edition of Joyce’s Dubliners.

girls

GIRLS, INC. April Gala to Honor Trailblazers Who Help Girls Feel ‘Strong, Smart and Bold’