Scholarship

‘Feed Me Fresh’ Virtual Fundraiser Raised $100,000 to Support Quality Child Care Access

November 12, 2020 by Inside Press

Proceeds from the 16th Annual Fundraiser for the Mount Kisco Child Care Center to Provide Financial Support for Working Families in Need

L-R: Keira Treanor, Event Chair and Vice President, Board of Directors MKCCC/ Joe DiMauro, Owner, Mt Kisco Seafood/Dawn Meyerski, Executive Director, MKCCC

Mt. Kisco, NY – (October 19, 2020) – Mount Kisco Child Care Center (MKCCC) held its 16th Annual Feed Me Fresh: A Virtual Evening on Saturday, September 26^th. The fundraiser was broadcast virtually for the first time and raised $100,000 for the Center’s need-based scholarship program. Viewers enjoyed a tour of the Center, honoree recognition, guest video appearances from long-time FMF restaurant partners and live raffle drawings. Approximately half of the 195 children who attend the Center receive financial support to help provide access to quality child care for working families.

This year, MKCCC was thrilled to honor its teachers and staff. MKCCC is the only local child care center to have remained open throughout the pandemic, and by sharing best practices helped guide other organizations as they made the decision to re-open. In addition to serving families of essential workers, the Center welcomed enrolled families who needed a safe and nurturing place for their children to be during this unprecedented time. The teachers also engaged remote families so that all students felt connected. Lessons and activities were sent home through Google Classroom while Zoom classes were created for all children including show and tell, music, dance, circle time and story hour. MKCCC’s in-house kitchen staff prepared and packaged 160 meals each week for 8 weeks throughout the summer and distributed them to more than 40 families. MKCCC’s Social Worker continues to be in touch with every family to ensure all their needs are being met – physical, social and emotional. Despite constant and varied challenges, the Center ran a full-day, 8-week summer camp program which also included a swimming component at the town pool.

When public schools reopened in September, a new Remote Learning Program was developed. Dawn Meyerski, Executive Director, explains: “With school districts all having different scheduling, we needed to add a third program for our school-age children. The Early Morning Club and After-School Program will remain, with the addition of the Remote Learning Program. New teachers were hired, classrooms were reconfigured, and schedules were coordinated with the elementary schools, which ensured a smooth transition to the new school year.” MKCCC teachers continue to pivot to meet ever-changing COVID-19 protocols and requirements, while never compromising their high-quality care and attention for the children.

The Center was also pleased to honor Tommy Calandrucci and Gianni Piccolino of Stone Fire, Basilico and Sunset Cove restaurants. Gianni and Tommy are long-time supporters of Mount Kisco Child Care Center through their participation in Feed Me Fresh: An Edible Evening for the past 14 years. Since March, they have been providing meals to the community and directly to MKCCC families needing support during the COVID-19 pandemic.

About Mount Kisco Child Care Center:

Mount Kisco Child Care Center is a non-profit, NAEYC-accredited childcare facility serving families in Northern Westchester since 1971. MKCCC provides exceptional and affordable early care and education to a diverse group of children from three months to eleven years of age. Experienced and professional teachers, an innovative curriculum, unique programs, such as the JEWEL Intergenerational Program and Feed Me Fresh, its garden-to-table, sustainable nutrition program, and a state of the art facility contribute to create an incomparable early childhood education experience.

MKCCC is located at 95 Radio Circle, Mount Kisco, NY. For additional information, please visit www.mkccc.org or call (914) 241-2135. Follow MKCCC on www.facebook.com/MKCCC and www.twitter.com/MKCCC10549 for the latest news and updates.

News and Photos Courtesy of the Mount Kisco Child Care Center

Living Proof: An Evening of Hope & Healing to Raise Awareness About Suicide Prevention

April 21, 2018 by Kelly Leonard

The Living Proof Performers
PHOTO BY DAVID WHOLE

In early March at the Chappaqua Performing Arts Center, The Mental Health Association of Westchester (MHA), The Lagond Music School, and Music & Miles: Changing Minds joined forces to present a new multi-arts evening of energizing performances that shined a light on mental health issues and the power of the arts as a vehicle in sharing individual stories of healing in the face of adversity.

The evening of expressive arts benefitted the Miles Applebaum Music Scholarship Fund at The Lagond Music School and The Mental Health Association of Westchester. Performances included nine musical and dance presentations along with three “Voices of Recovery” monologues. Radio DJs Coach and Bruce Figler of 107.1 The Peak, a media partner of the event, emceed the evening.

Shari and Ed Applebaum of Armonk, Miles’ parents, were the event co-chairs. When asked what she wanted attendees to take away from the evening’s performances, Shari, who is also a Suicide Bereavement Specialist at MHA said, “A sense of hope and healing. No one goes through life unscathed. Everyone has something that they’re dealing with whether it’s a mental or physical health issue.”

The Miles Applebaum Music Scholarship Fund was established to honor and remember Miles Applebaum, a guitar student who studied at The Lagond Music School and later the Boyer School of Music and Dance at Temple University. Miles died by suicide at the age of 21 in 2014, and the Scholarship Fund was created to carry on his dream by providing aspiring musicians the opportunity to ignite their passion and study music at The Lagond Music School, a nonprofit musical haven for students of all ages.

Shari and Ed Applebaum
PHOTO BY KELLY LEONARD

The 2018 scholarship winners were runner-up Audrey Pretnar, a guitarist from Mohegan Lake and winner Liam Kharem, a drummer and bass clarinetist from Sleepy Hollow.

Close friends of Miles who performed at the event hoped attendees would come away with a new awareness and understanding for those dealing with mental health issues. Annabelle Hiller in her onstage monologue said, “We live in a world where sensitivity is defined as weakness. Emotions are amazing, even the sh*tty ones.”

A unique element of the evening’s performances was each of the musicians, singers, performers, and speakers had been touched in some way by a suicide or an attempted suicide. They shared their experience, strength and hope from the stage through their words and artistry with the audience.

Roseanne Lanna, Lagond Music School Co-Founder and Executive Director, who also served along with Charlie Lagond as Show Director, said she hoped the evening would offer a “sense of awareness, of noticing when family, friends, or neighbors are not acting themselves or acting out of the ordinary and to especially watch out for neighbors. We’re all connected.”

In her remarks from the stage, Shari Applebaum encouraged the audience in “taking the time to notice [others] and ask, ‘Are you OK?’”

The Miles Applebaum Music Scholarship Fund was established to honor and remember Miles Applebaum, a guitar student at The Lagond Music School and later the Boyer School of Music and Dance at Temple University.

To learn more, visit the websites of The Mental Health Association of Westchester https://www.mhawestchester.org, The Lagond Music School http://lagondmusic.org, and Music & Miles: Changing Minds https://www.musicandmiles.org.

(L-R): Bruce Figler,
Rebecca Haviland, Chris Rodriguez AKA Coach

Living Proof Scholarship Winners
Liam Kharem, Audrey Pretnar

HGSF Honorees John Re: “Be Involved” Pat Pollack: “Speak to Children as if…”

April 23, 2017 by The Inside Press

By Grace Bennett

At a late March annual fundraiser for the Horace Greeley Scholarship Fund (HGSF): In a packed Mount Kisco Country Club ballroom, an outpouring of affection and appreciation was extended toward honorees John Re, recipient of the Horace Greeley Ed Habermann Award, and to Pat Pollack, recipient of the Horace Greeley Award of Distinction.

Notably, each honoree spoke of values HGSF extolls: that of the importance of community involvement and how to let our kids know we believe in them and in their dreams and aspirations of who they can become.

In her remarks, Pat Pollack quoted Brooke Hampton: “Speak to children as if they are the wisest, kindest, most beautiful and magical beings on earth for what they believe is what they become,” recited Pollack, a long time nurse in the Chappaqua school district, and founder of New Castle Cares. A video montage, featuring fond reminisces from grateful students, family, neighbors & colleagues, preceded Pollack’s remarks.

For John Re, a long time and award-winning AYSO soccer coach, and founder of the town’s beloved Dawn’s Ray of Hope, Inc., living in a community is all about getting involved. “For me, I thought it obligates you–to be involved,” he stated. “You don’t get to complain about the way things are or the way things are being run unless you are willing to do the work, to put yourself out there, to put in the effort, in order to make a difference.”

According to Alan Nadel, President of the HGSF, the Fund started informally in 1946 when the senior class raised $300 to help students pay for college. Annual fundraisers followed. Over the past 10 years, the HGSF has awarded grants totaling $1,786,000 to 287 Greeley Alums.

“The board works hard each year raising money which, after expenses, is all awarded in grants,” he said. Last year the HGSF awarded $223,000 to 29 Greeley alumni.

The demonstrated need for these 29 grant recipients was over $450,000. “We weren’t even able to cover half. Every year the HGSF works hard to bridge this gap,” said Nadel. “There is clearly need here in Chappaqua, despite the fact that it is an ‘affluent community.’ Need arises for many unexpected reasons including family illness, divorce and death. College is expensive!”

To learn more and/or contribute, visit www.hgsf.org.