The Inside Press

Magazines serving the communities of Northern Westchester

Mount Kisco Interfaith Food Pantry

“Take a Bite out of Hunger” Benefit for The Mount Kisco Interfaith Pantry to Take Place October 15, 2023

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The Mount Kisco Interfaith Food Pantry (the “Pantry”) will be hosting its “Take a Bite out of Hunger” benefit on October 15, 2023 from 1 p.m. – 4 p.m. at the Captain Lawrence Barrel House, 369 Lexington Avenue, Mount Kisco, NY.

Join the Pantry at this fun event for “suds”, “sliders” and “songs.” Featuring fantastic food and beverages by the Captain Lawrence Barrel House and music by the dynamic Four26 Band, there’ll be so much to enjoy while raising funds for the Pantry and the guests that it serves! 

 

Trina Ward Fontaine, Executive Director of the Pantry stated: “We are excited to raise a glass to toast the efforts of our donors, volunteers and staff who, over these last few years, have made it possible to provide those increasingly experiencing food insecurity in our community enough food for 14 meals per person, per week. Together, we have been able to accommodate the dramatic increase in guest numbers to approximately 93,000 in person visits last year, resulting from the pandemic, and most recently, from inflation.” 

 

Ms. Fontaine further stated: “Economic indicators show no signs that this need will ease and food prices are not decreasing in absolute terms. So, let’s band together to help our neighbors who are in need, and have some fun doing it. If you can’t join us, please consider making a donation and/or join us to volunteer.”

 

To purchase tickets or sponsorship, or otherwise donate, go to www.mountkiscofoodpantry.org and click on the Take a Bite out of Hunger link under “Get Involved/Events” or send an email with your request to:

outreach@mountkiscofoodpantry.org.

A Dunk Tank and So Much More Anticipated at the Rotary Club’s Community Day in Chappaqua on September 9

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New Castle Community Day is always such a blast with so much warmth, good will, and surprise activities to experience, I didn’t think it could sound any more fun than it has in the past, well, not until the Dunk Tank event caught my attention on Facebook. I thought I’d inquire for more info about the event taking place on Saturday September 9th which begins 10 a.m. and wraps up about 5 p.m.  Because who doesn’t want to watch a Town Supervisor get dunked?  A mystery School District representative? The Police Chief ? Or the Rotary President, herself?  Or, or.. well, a local publisher?  In my exchange with Holly McCall, the Rotary Club of Chappaqua President, I ended up volunteering too!   Full Dunkin’ schedule of volunteers below.

With that spirit of community, I asked Holly McCall, President of the Rotary Club of Chappaqua, what residents can expect this Saturday at the Rotary’s signature event, Community Day!  More from Holly and the Rotary’s schedule below:

Holly McCall: “Community Day is an annual tradition in New Castle. It’s an opportunity to explore everything that makes New Castle a great community. For over 40 years, we have enjoyed bringing community groups together along with opportunities for fun and games. This year will be no different – With local bands providing music, a magic show for the kids, slides and rides, ice cream, face painters and more – there is something for everyone this year. We are thrilled to partner with the Farmer’s Market and a food truck event to make this a day full of food, fun and community!”

“We are grateful to all of our sponsors and community groups for their support in making this event possible. Please stop by, celebrate New Castle and support the service work of the Rotary Club of Chappaqua. For more information on Community Day and the Rotary Club of Chappaqua, visit our website at rotaryofchappqua.com  Very importantly, consider donating a non-perishable to the Mount Kisco Interfaith Food Pantry. 

 

Along with an opportunity to meet dozens upon dozens of the sponsors at their assigned booths, Community Day visitors can expect the following: 

  • Stage Schedule (music times approximate)
    • 10 a.m. Magic Show Presented by Sari Shaw of Compass
    • 11 a.m. Music by the Mike Risko Band 
    • Noon Music by Music in Chappaqua
    • 1 p.m. Music by Bourbon & Britches
  • Community Tables open 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
  • Dunk Tank Schedule – huge thanks to those who have volunteered!!
10-10:30 a.m. TBD
10:30-11 a.m. CCSD
11-11:30 a.m. Lisa Katz
11:30-Noon Ally Chemtob
12-12:30 p.m. Jeremy Saland
12:30-1 p.m. Jim Carroll
1-1:30 p.m. Grace Bennett
1:30-2 p.m. Holly McCall

 

  • Rotary hot dogs will be available for purchase during the event.
  • From Noon-5 p.m. a Food Truck event will be held adjacent to Community Day.
  • We will be hosting the County’s Passport Truck
  • We will be assisting with a collection of non-perishable goods to support Mt. Kisco Interfaith Pantry.
    • cereal
    • oatmeal
    • cans of red and black beans
    • bags of dried beans
    • low sodium soups
    • pasta
    • peanut butter
    • jelly

Poetry’s Purpose: A Creative and Charitable Initiative Launched by Greeley’s Devisi Goel

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Last year, Devisi Goel, as a sophomore at Horace Greeley, founded Poetry’s Purpose, to raise funds for charitable causes. It is poetry for a cause.

And today, as a high school junior, Devisi continues to offer her considerable poetry writing skills to raise money for causes she or the poetry requestor supports.

The concept is simple, so elegant and powerful.

People request personalized poems for their loved ones for a particular event or reason, Devisi explains. She will ask pertinent questions and get to work. She and her fellow poetry writers (at this juncture it is Devisi mostly penning the poems, but other students have participated) will then donate 100% of the payment to a charity that she or the person commissioning the poem supports. 

Devisi explains her motivation for continuing the endeavor: “I always loved to write poetry. I loved the precision present in the choosing and placement of words. I loved the unstructured look, the way words would flow across the paper, presenting themselves in exactly the manner with which they should be read. 

“I loved how every line could be interpreted in a multitude of different ways…

 “During the pandemic, I noticed a common phenomenon spreading across my community, and the entire country: A desire to give back. Different students would make groups dedicated to creating masks or raising money for the front-line workers. Celebrities hosted TV specials to raise our hopes and happiness. I wanted to join this worldwide effort, and so I decided to combine my two passions, poetry and community service, to create Poetry’s Purpose.”

It started “simply one or two customers who were family friends. But with the word getting out at farmer’s markets, and through social media and various interviews with newspapers, Poetry’s Purpose grew. 

“We began getting more and more requests from strangers, people who were looking for a meaningful gift to send to their family, or for something silly to make them laugh.”

During the holiday season, Devisi sent donations from poems to the Mt. Kisco Interfaith Food Pantry, as one example.

“COVID-19 has severely hurt our country, and a prominent problem present in our community is food insecurity. Families are unable to get their basic necessities, to be able to put food on their table,” she explains. “The food pantry aids with this. Its volunteers create a safe environment, and they provide hope to those who need it. They make sure that no one leaves without feeling better than when they came in.”

At any time, and not just during the holidays, you can give the gift of poetry to your loved one and at the same time, the gift of food to someone in need, explains Devsi.

To explore the possibility of Devisi writing a poem on your behalf for a special person or occasion, and having your donation go to a charity, contact her, poetrypurpose2020@gmail.com

Also, visit www.poetryspurpose.com

Follow her on Instagram too, @poetryspurpose.

Treasures: Fabulous Finds and Paying it Forward to those in Need

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Emergency Shelter Partnership, Hope’s Door, Hudson Valley Honor Flight, and the Mount Kisco Interfaith Food Pantry

 

Treasure Photos by Donna Mueller

There is a not-so-hidden shopping treasure in Armonk. You’ve gone past it often, but now it’s time to stop in to discover and uncover some hidden treasures for yourself.

What and where is this mysterious place? It is a thrift shop aptly named Treasures in the basement of St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, located at the entrance to the Bedford Road Historic District. However, the shop entrance is on Maple Avenue, thru the lower red door, across from Wampus Park.

“Thrifting is not only fashionable,” says Norma Hill, a long-time volunteer, “it’s fun. We can attest to that.”

Adds Trina Fontaine who oversees the shop on behalf of the church’s community out-reach efforts, “Treasures is truly a wellkept secret. Not only does Treasures boast bargains on high-end retail items, but it also helps individuals and households to be environmentally responsible with their donations and purchases.”

“The generosity of donors is beyond imagination,” continues Hill. Recent acquisitions include like-new Hermès and Burberry bags, St. John knits and Ralph Lauren jackets, as well as Jimmy Choo boots and shoes. “They literally flew out of the store,” according to Hill.

Among porcelain dishes, fine china and glassware items were a Tiffany cachepot and Baccarat vase, all at bargain basement prices. “No pun intended,” adds Fontaine. “The fun of shopping at Treasures is that you never know what you will find. We have many customers who come in once or twice a week to see what’s new.”

Started in 1967 by Mildred McDonald, a St. Stephen’s congregant and president of its Episcopal Church Women committee, Treasures’ business model has remained constant: providing low-cost, high-quality items to the community in order to lend financial support to local people in need. Half of the profits from Treasures support area non-profit organizations such as Emergency Shelter Partnership, Hope’s Door, Hudson Valley Honor Flight, and the Mount Kisco Interfaith Food Pantry. Through its partnership with Greentree Textiles, Treasures accepts textile and clothing items unsuitable for resale but able to be repurposed, including clothing, shoes, purses, and linens.

Recently, Treasures retail space was renovated, with merchandise now displayed in an airy, well-lit, clean, and uncluttered environment. Clothing is in one room, furniture and household goods in another, with assorted bric-a-brac in yet another. There is even a beautiful new fitting room, built by Father Nils Chittenden, where one can try on one’s selections. Treasures will also soon be adding another room for children’s clothes, books, games, and entertainment items.

Besides its rotating inventory, what makes Treasures so special is its cadre of 15 warm and welcoming volunteers, all happy to serve customers, bargain hunters and donors alike.

Treasures is open two days a week for shopping and drop-off: Wednesdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. There is ample parking in the Maple Avenue lot in front of the store. Cash and credit cards are gladly accepted.

Customers and donors are also invited to visit its website: treasuresthriftshop.org. Or better yet, come by in person to discover for yourself the hidden treasures to be found at Treasures.

ARTICLE COURTESY OF THE ST. STEPHENS EPISCOPAL CHURCH

PHOTOS BY DONNA MUELLER

Good Will, Volunteerism and Community Donations at the Mount Kisco Interfaith Food Pantry

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Save the Date for a May 1 ‘NO SHOW GALA’ Celebrating 30 Years

The Mount Kisco Interfaith Food Pantry has been assisting families since 1991, and can probably count thousands of volunteers and donors to their credit. However, the nonprofit only began holding an annual fundraiser three years ago. That said, the event isn’t just about bringing in money. “It’s an opportunity to engage with some of our supporters and have a touch point with them,” said President Kelley Housman. 

Unfortunately, Covid prevented the spring gathering last year and now this year. So not wanting to completely let the annual connection go, the pantry is going virtual to celebrate their 30th anniversary and holding a “No Show Gala” on May 1. “I’m going to appreciate a night in and think about the good work that the Mt Kisco Interfaith Food Pantry does,” posed Housman. “So instead of buying a ticket, I’m going to make a donation.”

Nonetheless, the story began when the Lutheran Church of the Resurrection, Presbyterian Church of Mount Kisco and Temple Shaaray Tefila saw a specific need in the community. “People would come out of the hospital,” said Housman, “and sometimes they would need assistance.” The helping nudge became a push, and the pantry was soon serving eight families. Of course, the story is often the same. “Imagine you’re making choices between feeding your family well or feeding them minimally so you can pay your rent,” said Housman. A year later, nine area congregations joined in and 40 families were on the menu. As a result, the business soon added fundraising, and the nonprofit began purchasing subsidized staples from Feeding Westchester. Of course, the bumps in America’s road always sends the pantry’s efforts on the incline. For instance, the 2008 financial crises saw a deep increase in demand. But the pantry always perseveres at the United Methodist Church of Mt. Kisco, and the (almost) all volunteer nonprofit served healthy food to 68,000 people last year.

Food insecurity doesn’t care about the numbers, though. “We just never know how quickly circumstances can change,” Housman said, and first time seeking help can have people biting down hard. 

The fear of being judged is the primary mouthful. ‘Nancy’ of Mt Kisco can attest from her initial visit in 2012. A student trying to feed her family, she said, “I felt kind of embarrassed.”

Imagine you’re making choices between feeding your family well or feeding them minimally so you can pay your rent.

On the other hand, any apprehension really has no recourse but to abate. “The volunteers don’t judge and are always there to help,” said the medical assistant.

Housman encourages struggling families to take the first step, but the sentiment doesn’t just come by way of common courtesy. “We create a shopping experience for our clients, where they come in and make selections based on their personal preferences and dietary needs,” she said. “It’s a much better interaction than just handing over a bag of prepackaged food.”

Unfortunately, Covid protocols have forced the process into a less personal experience. Initially clients drove by for pickups, but downtown Mt Kisco wasn’t conducive. So the pantry got creative. Aside from upping home delivery service, families scan in and more rooms at the church are utilized so foot traffic doesn’t overlap. They have also created ‘“Covid pods” so volunteering families stay in the same distribution rooms.   

The pantry can’t contain the goodwill, though, and it includes a long roster of local businesses, community organizations, grocery stores and individuals. As the demand has skyrocketed with Covid, Housman is forever grateful for all those who have embraced the mission. 

But nothing is better than when the mission embraces the people and comes full circle. “We have a number of clients who have volunteered and even become board members,” Housman beamed. 

Area Youth & Creative Volunteers

“We have area youth too who have come up with incredibly creative fundraising strategies.” One group writes poems for donations, another local kid donates proceeds from his own ice cream product and scouting groups have long been doing their share. But receiving also can require emotional support, and two local girls have been on top of it since last summer. They anonymously drop off handmade cards and include notes of hope and inspiration.

Right into the prepackaged bags, the feeling is mutual for clients–and Nancy doesn’t hesitate to express it: “Thank you for all your help, we are blessed.” 

For more info on the May 1 No Show Gala, visit  www.mountkiscofoodpantry.org