The Inside Press

Magazines serving the communities of Northern Westchester

Volunteering

Volunteering Beyond Byram

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Volunteer work is a crucial factor in any community, as it builds on the work of selfless individuals looking to help others in need. Student volunteering is a great way to grow from new experiences, develop new skills, expand your view of the world, and help make a difference. Colleges and Universities love to see community service on applications. Having volunteer experience means you’re passionate about making a difference and are ready to be involved.

These three Byram Hills students have gone above and beyond in their volunteer work.

Alex Zodda, Byram Hills, Sophomore

1. What does your volunteer work entail?
About once a month, a few girls visited a JCCA (Jewish Child Care Association) cottage of about six to 10 girls. There are three different types of cottages, and I was with the Edenwald cottage, where kids had learning disabilities. Each child would bring a craft activity for the group when we met. These activities were usually holiday-based, creative, and fun. We’d get to know each other and
talked about their passions, hobbies, and even their social dramas.

2. What inspired you to take this on?
My father encouraged me to give the JCCA a try. He worked there as a psychiatrist, and he loved the kids. His dedication really inspired me.

3. What did you get from your volunteer efforts?
One of the standouts of volunteering for the JCCA is you get to understand and meet kids you wouldn’t in other circumstances. It really made me aware of stereotyping in society, and I realized that I’d made assumptions before meeting them. I re-thought how I interacted with people with learning disabilities.

4. How does volunteering make you feel?
Whenever I think of the kids in my cottage, my heart swells. Their resilience was extremely admirable, and they taught me how to appreciate life even though it can be flawed at times. Since then, I do my best to never judge anyone before meeting them. They all mean the world to me, and the overall experience has been a highlight of my teenage years.

5. Do you plan to continue your volunteer work?
Although I couldn’t participate this year, I’m so excited to return next year! I’m looking forward to reuniting with these children, and I couldn’t be happier to have such close ties with the JCCA.

Tyler Bond, Byram Hills, Junior

1. What does your volunteer work entail?
I created and lead Armonk to Africa (A2A) which is a cultural exchange and traditional letter writing program connecting Armonk’s Wampus Elementary School and the Esilalei Primary School in Tanzania, Africa. Once a month I meet with the fifth grade Wampus VIP Jr. Club where I lead the students through activities thoughtfully designed to foster authentic connections with their new friends in Africa and to expand their understanding of the world beyond Armonk.

2. What inspired you to take this on?
My Aunt Monica is a wildlife biologist and activist who has lived and worked in Tanzania for many years studying giraffes and educating people about ways to protect wildlife. Since I was very young, I felt a connection to the work Monica was doing and hoped to one day make a difference too. As I learned about life in Tanzania, I felt a deep compassion for the children there who do not have basic needs met, such as food and water to go to school. At the same time, I was inspired by their big smiles and all that we share in common and thought what a unique and special experience it would be to connect kids in my hometown with kids in Tanzania.

3. What do people get from your volunteer efforts?
The children that are participating in A2A are so excited when they get their new letters. Having a friend halfway across the world is pretty cool! They always reveal something new, they didn’t know before.

It is my goal that the children of A2A will get to know a bigger world than their own. The students I am teaching are gaining a new cultural appreciation and perspective that they didn’t have before.

It is my greatest hope that with the community’s support and beyond, that Armonk to Africa is going to be able to provide every child at the Esilalei School a meal a day at school for a year.

4. How does volunteering make you feel?
Watching the enthusiasm and happiness when students read and write their letters makes me so happy and very proud of the program. I can see their surprise and amazement as they get to know someone their own age who lives in Africa.

5. Do you have plans to continue your volunteer work?
I hope to continue the Armonk to Africa cultural exchange program. I will be launching the Food for Thought fundraising campaign in hopes that by the start of the new school year, the Esilalei school can open its doors ready with food and water for every child. 

I will be travelling to Tanzania to meet and spend time with the students at the Esilalei school this summer!  I can’t wait!!!  If you would like to donate to Food for Thought, visit my website, Armonk2Africa.org

 

Evan McCauley, Byram Hills, Junior

1. What does your volunteer work entail?
I perform piano at nursing homes and assisted living communities for the residents on a regular basis. The performances are held in common areas where the residents come together for entertainment.

2. What inspired you to take this on?
Music is proven to help improve memory and brain function and to brighten mood. At home, I have seen the difference that it makes when I play for my grandparents.

3. What do people get from your volunteer efforts?
Hopefully, my music helps improve the quality of people’s lives.

4. How does volunteering make you feel?
It makes me feel very happy to bring joy to people through music. I play well known jazz standards which evoke nostalgia for the residents. It is very rewarding when I hear them sing and hum along, and I see them smiling. I know that they recognize and are enjoying the songs.

5. Do you plan to continue your volunteer work?
I plan to continue my volunteer work in order to spread the gift of music in my community.

In summary, volunteering is an indispensable pillar in our society and a great contribution to the community. These three students have shown great dedication to volunteerism, and hope they inspire others to pursue volunteer work in their community and beyond.

At Briarcliff High, Meet ‘Unsung Hero’ Zoe Ivler, Volunteer at Animal Sanctuaries Worldwide

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Zoe volunteering at A Good Dog Rescue

This is the time when many high school students are deciding how to spend the upcoming summer. The good news is that the options are endless and range from working and making money to pushing physical limits with an outdoor adventure tour. There are so many options for attending a college campus to take classes or find an internship to explore passions. However, there are also numerous unique programs available that may offer a chance to experience something you love, while also making a difference, even leading you to be seen as heroic. As is the case with Briarcliff High School Junior, Zoe Ivler.

When I spoke with Briarcliff High School Principal Diana Blank and asked her for the name of a student who does something unique with their summers, Ms. Blank gave me Zoe’s name, describing her as “an unsung hero who loves to do community service and help others.” As I would find out when I sat down with Zoe, the “others” in this case are all types of animals. Zoe said, “I’ve always loved dogs, I’ve always wanted a dog”, however since she never got a dog of her own, she always found ways to always be around dogs. Zoe’s earliest dog memories came from the Briarcliff Manor Library’s program Reading to Rover. She said, “l loved to read to the therapy dogs at the library when I was younger.”

She found additional ways to be around dogs by taking advantage of local opportunities such as volunteering at the Briarcliff SPCA and Montrose’s Canine Kindergarten. However, since she started high school, she has taken this desire to care for animals one step further and has been spending the summers nursing sick animals back to health in some of the most remote places on the planet.

Zoe’s awareness of places where she could go during the summer and get hands-on experience with animals came two years ago. Zoe’s grandparents offered her an opportunity to go anywhere in the world to have an experience with animals. She said, “at first my grandparents were encouraging me to choose Africa.” However, her grandparents also showed her other options including living and working at an animal sanctuary called The Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in a remote area in Utah. This made Zoe extremely excited because she did not just want to see animals, she wanted to help them, especially the ones who have been wounded, whether at the hands of humans or through acts of nature.

Zoe at home with her cats, Moose and Munch

According to their website, The Best Friends Animal Sanctuary is the largest sanctuary of its kind and on any given day is the healing home for up to 1,600 dogs, cats, birds, bunnies, horses, and pigs. Being a part of nursing these animals back to health is exactly the way Zoe wanted to spend her summer. At Best Friends, Zoe explained, “I was too young to work with the dogs, so I worked in a place called Catworld and I loved it.” Zoe went on to say, “Catworld was broken up into houses depending on what was wrong with the cat and most of them were there because they were sick, many with cancer.” She said her favorite part was “that I was able to take the cats back to the room and care for them overnight.” The time in Utah had a huge effect on Zoe and she knew that this is how she would spend her summers going forward.

Last summer Zoe decided to pick a Teen Tour to Costa Rica where she spent three weeks working at animal sanctuaries. She said, “The sanctuaries are more like shelters, and they’re not like here. They are outside and dirty, and the dogs were all from the streets and needed a lot to get back to their healthy selves.” Unfortunately, she witnessed, “Dogs coming in with chains wrapped around them, some with missing fur and cuts, and a lot of malnourished ones.” While it was sad to see, she knew that the help she and other volunteers were doing to nurse these dogs back to health was making a difference.

The past two summers have been so fulfilling that it left Zoe knowing she wanted to pick another place to go to continue helping to heal sick animals. She is currently deciding between a few possible programs for this summer, including potentially one in Alaska where she could help huskies regain their former strength, or another one in Hawaii working at a dog and cat sanctuary. Finally, the one that she seems most excited about is a program in Australia where she can work in a koala sanctuary. Zoe hopes through sharing her story, she will inspire some of her peers to spend their summers getting out there into the world, while also helping to make the world a better place.

 

A Sweep in Time — What You Need To Know about Riverkeeper’s Volunteer Event

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Congratulations to Riverkeeper.org on its 10th Anniversary of Sweep, the annual event bringing community volunteers together to clean up parks and shorelines along the Hudson River!

Jen Benson, who has served as Sweep Coordinator for six years, planned the milestone event with help from assistant Corey Watanabe. The exciting news is that in spite of Covid-19, Sweep was a great success: “We had an explosion of interest–2,607 people at 147 sites. That’s a record for us!”

Most astonishing of all, volunteers collected 2,056 bags of trash, 2.7 tons of recycling, and two tons of tires, as well as other large debris including such things as couches, toilets, metal pipes, plywood, barrels, ropes, and foam blocks.

How did Sweep 2021 deal with the ubiquitous pandemic guidelines? The biggest challenge was “site capacity,” referring to how many volunteers could be placed at a site. This year, some sites needed to have fewer volunteers. All of the sites fully complied with social distancing and mask requirements.

Sweep Means More Than Meets the Eye

Jen, who moved to a new position at Riverkeeper, reflected on her six years of coordinating Sweep: “Riverkeeper Sweep has become a prime example of our approach to work together across a vast region to help restore the Hudson.”

Monica Dietrich, Senior Membership Manager, who stepped in to support the volunteer effort until a new Volunteer and Outreach Coordinator was hired, said that Riverkeeper Sweep is “way more than a single day of service for the Hudson River. It represents a collaborative effort between the Riverkeeper team and local partners,” people who care about their communities and want to help in some way.

As of September 19, Katie Leung has assumed the role of Volunteer and Outreach Coordinator. In addition to handling Sweep, she “will be overseeing Riverkeeper’s year-round volunteer opportunities–from habitat restoration projects to administrative support.” Monica is especially pleased that Katie will be key in re-envisioning and launching the Ambassador program “for dedicated volunteers who can represent Riverkeeper at community events.”

Katie Leung said, “I hope to carry on the great and inspiring work that my colleagues laid down already…. The groundwork is there for me… and I aim to continue the effort of getting volunteers who are willing to help in Sweep and other service opportunities onboard.”

Participating in Sweep does not require membership in Riverkeeper. But joining Riverkeeper is easy. In fact, a donation as small as a dollar snags you a membership in this worthwhile organization. That membership, Monica said, “helps to make it possible for us to protect and restore the Hudson River as well as to safeguard drinking water sources.”

Plans for 2022

If you and your family, neighbors and friends are interested in participating in Sweep 2022, jot the tentative date of Saturday, May 7, on your calendars!

Katie and Monica encourage readers to check out www.riverkeeper.org/sweep and “sign up to be on our mailing list.” Interested in leading a site or recommending a site that you think could use a community clean-up? Don’t hesitate to email Katie at kleung@riverkeeper.org.

Given the outstanding success of Sweep events and their positive impact on our environment, why not become part of this coming year’s 11th Annual Sweep?

How Volunteering Enhances ‘Patient Centered Care’

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David Miller, M.D.                                PHOTO BY CHAD KRAUS

By Grace Bennett

The volunteer effort at Northern Westchester Hospital (NWH) “dovetails perfectly with our focus which is patient-centered care. We don’t just say that here, we practice it,” says David Miller, M.D., chair of the Department of Anesthesiology at NWH. He stresses the key role volunteers serve at NWH and the vital impact they have every single day on patient care. “In the area of surgical services alone, we have a full time ‘navigator’ who arrives to help in the process of ambulatory care; there are many volunteers who show patients where to go and who, by the way, also help staff at different locations.”

It’s not too surprising then that Dr. Miller generously extends his own hand at the hospital wearing three vital volunteer hats. For over four years, he has been an active member of the Northern Westchester Hospital Foundation. He is also a member of the board of trustees and of the hospital’s medical board.

Playing a leadership role in critical, volunteer fundraising efforts for the hospital comes naturally for Dr. Miller.An Armonk resident for the last 30 years, Dr. Miller has two children, 31 and 28, both born at NWH. “Both my grandchildren were born here too. My wife had surgery here. Assuring great patient care here for everyone is personal for me and for many of us.” Other doctors who sit on the foundation board include plastic surgeon David Palaia, M.D., and obstetrician/gynecologist, Anita Grover, M.D., neurosurgeon Omar Syed, MD, and pediatrician Margaret Collins, MD.

The foundation’s success, he maintains, would not be possible without an extensive volunteer effort. “Our entire objective is to develop and maintain a strong relationship with our surrounding communities. Foundation Board members need to remain informed, and our volunteers act as Ambassadors to the community.” He called a recent presentation by Twigs volunteers to the board of trustees “tremendous” and “eye opening.” “They perfectly illustrated what volunteering really means to this hospital. The fundraising they do is phenomenal through their gift shop which has been in existence for almost 75 years.”

The foundation board plans a combination of educational programs and fundraising through hospital or community-based events, such as a walk benefiting cancer patients, golf outings, concerts with local bands, to the all-important annual gala. “It is our largest vehicle,” he explained, and this year, hopes are high to surpass the $1.4 million raised last year. This year, the ‘Imagine What’s Next’ gala date is November 18th. To attend or make a donation to the hospital, please visit www.nwhconnect.org/2017Gala.

Ultimately, said Dr. Miller, the foundation and all the hospital volunteers “send a very strong message to patients that our hospital is a community that takes a huge interest in the welfare of our patients and their families.”

 

Grace Bennett is Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of the Inside Press, Inc.

Chappaqua Teens Receive Neighbors Link Volunteer Awards

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JAKE KLEIN RECEIVES YOUTH LEADERSHIP AWARD

The nonprofit group Neighbors Link Northern Westchester recently recognized two Chappaqua teens for their exemplary volunteer service.

Jake Klein was honored with the Agnes Hassell Youth Leadership Award. The son of Norma and Bruce Klein, Jake has volunteered for four years with Neighbors Link, which gives its youth leadership recognition each year in April, National Volunteer Month.

Jake Klein working as a volunteer for Neighbors Link
Jake Klein working as a volunteer for Neighbors Link

“Jake was the youngest person ever to be selected as an EXEC for our Tuesday night ESL tutoring program,” said Amy Werner, Volunteer Coordinator. “EXEC stands for Executive Leader,” Jake developed and implemented a science program for the children in Learning Links, our after-school program. He shows great compassion for our clients and commitment to our mission of integration.”

“I really enjoy working with the kids in Learning Links,” said Jake. “Volunteering at Neighbors Link has helped me develop my leadership abilities, as well as cultural competence. These skills will stand me in good stead when it’s time to apply to college.”

ABBY NIMETZ RECEIVES STUDENT VOLUNTEER AWARD

Chappaqua resident Abby Nimetz was honored with the Neighbors Link Student Volunteer Award. The daughter of Irma and Warren Nimetz, Abby has volunteered for four years with Neighbors Link. Abby is an EXEC in the Learning Links Club at Horace Greely High School. “EXEC stands forExecutive Leader,” commented Amy Werner, Volunteer Coordinator. “Abby is dedicated, reliable, and consistent. Starting in May she will be working for us as a senior intern and we are excited to have her in this enhanced role.”

Abby Nimetz
Abby Nimetz

“I really believe in the mission of Neighbors Link so I do what I can to spread the word about them throughout the community,” said Abby. “The importance of the mission is the reason I have continued to volunteer here for so many years.”

Headquartered in Mt. Kisco, Neighbors Link Northern Westchester has as its mission to strengthen the whole community through the healthy integration of immigrants. It runs essential programs for area immigrants, including ESL (English as a Second Language), adult education, workforce development and legal support services.

For more information, visit http://www.neighborslink.org/