The Inside Press

Magazines serving the communities of Northern Westchester

Stacey Winnick

What Is The Best Advice You Ever Received?

by RONNI DIAMONDSTEIN AND ILLUSTRATED BY NAAVA KATZ

Steve Biren

“Be easy on the people, but hard on the issues.’ This advice has served me well in my careers as a ‘rocket scientist’ engineer and an intellectual property attorney and has been revived in retirement as I administer several social media groups. So many people today have it backwards; they argue and call each other names, and then wuss out when it comes to discussing the issues. The best way to approach the difficult issues of the day, in my opinion, is to have a vigorous discussion on the merits while treating each other with dignity and respect.”

Steve Biren is a long-time Chappaqua resident. Now retired and widowed, he is as an editor for The Examiner, a docent for the Pray Museum, spends time with his Chappaqua family, and plays golf and tennis.

Dana Dince

“The best advice came years ago during yoga shavasana. While we all embraced stillness and the summer breeze through the open studio windows and doors, the teacher said, ‘Allow Peace.’ Unexpectedly, I burst into tears on the mat. The weight of years of absorbing life’s challenges stoically hid a deeper craving for inner peace. Those two words changed me.”

Dana Dince has been a SPED Teaching Assistant at Bell for 17 years; co-runs the Bell Green Bulldogs Club featuring Hydroponics, Bell (traditional) Gardening and Sustainability; and works with the PTA as a school administrator and coach for the 2025 Science Olympiad.

Elissa Weinhoff

“The best advice I’ve gotten is to do your absolute best in whatever you are doing.”

Elissa Weinhoff has been married to her high school sweetheart Greg for 30 years and has three sons Nate, Spencer, and Ben. She owns Sugar Hi in Armonk with her twin sister, is a first responder at Armonk Fire Department, and has been an EMT for over 10 years. Her passion is saving lives and helping people in her community.

Stacey Winnick

“The best advice I ever received was my father’s adage: ‘Roll with the punches.’ Ed Winnick was the youngest of six boys growing up in the depths of the Depression. He served in WW2 and exhibited a mental toughness perfectly captured by his advice to take life as it comes. When I didn’t get into my first college choice, I was devastated, but his words rang true. I got an appointment with the admissions director, took two summer classes, and was finally accepted. ‘Roll with the punches’ is my mantra: a reminder of my father and life’s trials and tribulations.”

Stacey Winnick is a vintage clothing and sustainability influencer. She appraises and blogs on antiques on her Instagram “Turn your Cutter into Cash” and serves on the Briarcliff Sustainability Advisory Committee.

“We all Connect Together.” Briarcliff Manor Mom Stacey Winnick on the Beauty of Volunteering and Supporting Community

by

Living sustainably and helping those in need means being able to live a better quality of life. This is what drives Stacey Winnick to keep doing good in her community and beyond. With a 30+ year career in the vintage clothing and antique industry, Stacey teaches her clients how to “Turn Your Clutter into Cash” while at the same time, showing them that reducing, donating, and selling items can be truly liberating. 

Our dream team. Nance Dickinson, Stacey Winnick, Merri Satran, Amy Diaz, Elaina Hon

A native of Edgemont, Stacey has called Briarcliff Manor home for the past 18 years. She lives here with her husband and two sons–one in college and the other a high school Junior. Living iand volunteering in Briarcliff Manor really gives Stacey a strong sense of community. 

“You go into town and everybody you see knows your name. I patronize almost every business in town and people will say, ‘Hi Stacey, how’s your son? Let me get your order.’ It’s really just a wonderful town and it’s small enough that you can really make a huge difference.” 

Stacey is very passionate about helping others in the community and beyond, as well as making connections. Living in a small town like Briarcliff Manor allows her to meet different groups of people she never may never have met otherwise. 

“People message me all the time, ‘I just got a house here and feel so lucky. Can you tell me about the town?’ I get to tell people about different services in town and connect them. You can connect with others if you want, you have to make the effort to connect and get yourself out of your comfort zone.”

Volunteering and making connections with and for others is of the utmost importance to Stacey. She mobilizes a 15-person team of volunteers whom she calls her Briarcliff Volunteer Dream Team and uses social media to connect with others, tell people what’s going on and how they can help. “I’m working, taking care of kids and house and I’m busy, but I know that my group of volunteers is making a difference. The volunteers are taking the time because we all connect together, it unites a lot of people.” As she says, she makes it easy for people to get involved. They can see what events are going on and join in helping where they can. “Everyone has their own interests, but you have to make the time to do something.”

We asked the community and we got lots of dresses and boy’s shirts donated. We partnered with Sarang7 dry cleaners and they cleaned 65 dresses for free. All the children were extremely happy with their new outfits !

Stacey has been volunteering with the Ossining Children’s Center (OCC) for 15 years and utilizes social media to get the word out on the families’ needs. “You have to think of all the channels to promote the drives on. The pandemic happened and we said, families need food.” People lined up at the OCC for meals and groceries and then it was expanded to include items like bikes, appliances, clothing and more. “We just couldn’t stop. A woman with a family to support called me. She was out of a job, and we had food for them the next day. It just sparked something in me.” The OCC receives food donations from various organizations including a weekly donation from Trader Joe’s in Larchmont and a monthly donation from the Upper Westchester Muslim Society in Pleasantville as well as various farm stands. It is very competitive to get food donations everywhere. 

Our volunteer Nancy Beard personally put together 80 Christmas bags filled with Christmas toys and candy. She worked with the kids on Zoom to create a Christmas bag!! It was roaring success. There is always something going on with our volunteer dream team.

In addition to the OCC, Stacey is also the Co-Chair of Briarcliff Sustainability. People contact her when they need to get rid of things and she connects the items to those in need. They host a ‘Stash the Trash’ event each April where the community comes out to bag trash throughout Briarcliff Manor. “You can’t imagine the things they find. You never know what’s going to pop up and we’re able to do it all through the volunteers.” And it’s never too early to start volunteering and teaching kids to do so. “My son started volunteering at 8 years old, he’s grown up with that. Both my sons’ hearts are with helping people; it’s the little things that make a huge difference.” 

Ben Jelinek, Briarcliff Manor HS Senior has dedicated two years of intense volunteering. He never said no. He started collecting donations, anything he could pick up from any where in the county. He once picked up an entire room full of baby equipment. He helps sort food or plays soccer kids. Ben can do anything. He has a heart of gold.

Through her main business as well as her Facebook group, Chappaqua Moms Sales, which she co-founded in 2013, Stacey helps people let go of their items as well as connect those items to others. She explains that condition counts, and you need to do your research on items to know what you’re selling. She’s fascinated with what people will buy but also stresses that people are throwing too much stuff away, which is not sustainable. There’s always a need for donations on other channels such as Buy Nothing sites. “My mom helped so many people, it really motivated me. People say, ‘how can you do this much?’ and I say, how can’t you? I feel like I’m a good organizer and motivator towards a common goal.” 

Stacey truly cares about the well-being of her community and believes that providing the resources and tools to help everyone around you can help us all live better, more sustainable lives.

For more information visit staceywinnick.com