Volunteerism

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

November 12, 2021 by Vicki de Vries

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?

An Appetite for Generosity

March 8, 2019 by Sabra Staudenmaier

(L-R): (914) Cares 4th Annual Empty Bowls Committee, Dana Berk, Jodi Falbaum, Lisa Samkoff, Melissa Levine, Jillian Pohly, Jessica Reinmann, Mike Slomsky, Dawn Greenberg, Lena Cavanna, Doug Alpuche and Lauren Stern

(914) Cares Fourth Annual Empty Bowls Event Raises $120,000 to Fight Hunger in Westchester

On the cold Sunday evening before Thanksgiving, a warmth radiated from Crabtree’s Kittle House Restaurant and Inn. The smell of hearty food filled the air. A simple meal of soup, bread and hors d’oeuvres was being prepared in the kitchen. An abstract sculpture stood inside the entrance of this quaint venue. It was made of ceramic bowls and cans of soup, layered in rows that progressively narrowed from bottom to top, forming a tree. The tree symbolized the upcoming holiday season. The bowls were individually and uniquely hand-painted by members of the community. They were all empty; a reminder that many cannot afford to fill their bowls. The guests of the evening were there to support the Empty Bowls Westchester annual fundraiser to help the fight against hunger.

Throughout the restaurant, soup and bread stations were set up alongside additional displays of painted bowls. Signs explaining the work being done to end hunger sat beside more of the painted bowls. The Mount Kisco Interfaith Food Pantry displayed a sign saying, “We fed 41,791 people last year”. The Boys & Girls Club of Northern Westchester showed a sign informing, “We serve over 80,000 nutritious meals each year.” Hillside Food Outreach had a sign that shared, “We have over 300 volunteers that pack & deliver to our clients.”

Celebrities Help the Cause

Set aside from the main event, the Kittle House’s Tap room was lined with tables showcasing larger bowls that had been signed by celebrities who support this important cause. Celebrities who participated by donating signed bowls included Yankees legend Mariano Rivera, Bon Jovi’s Richie Sambora, author and activist Cecile Richards, US golfing great Tom Watson, Bill and Hillary Clinton, author James Patterson, HQ Trivia Host Scott Rogowsky and Pinkalicious children’s author Victoria Kahn. These “Celebrity Bowls” were an important part of the fundraising effort. They were available to bid on in the evening’s highly anticipated silent auction.

Empty Bowls Westchester is a division of (914) Cares–an organization that supports local Westchester based non-profits that focus on basic human needs: food, clothing, shelter, medical care and education. According to the Feeding Westchester (formerly known as the Westchester Food Bank), one in five residents of Westchester is food insecure, which means approximately 200,000 people are hungry or at risk for hunger. Each year, an Empty Bowls Committee is formed to run the local arm of the international grassroots effort to raise money and awareness in the fight to end hunger in our community.

Grant recipients (L-R): Kelly Housman, Mt. Kisco Interfaith Food Pantry; Susan Bretti, Community Center of Northern Westchester; Clare Murray, Community Center of Northern Westchester and Robin Karp, Pleasantville Interfaith Emergency Food Pantry

A Community Wide Effort

Beginning in the spring, (914) Cares Co-Founders Dawn Greenberg and Jessica Reinmann work with volunteers from the community who donate their time to hand paint bowls, one by one. Members from Congregation Sons of Israel Briarcliff, Pace University and Strauss Paper employees along with several Girl Scout troops are among those who helped paint bowls which, this year, totaled over 250. Once painted, A Maze in Pottery in Briarcliff Manor, a generous supporter of this cause, fires all the painted bowls in their kiln.

Local Grant Recipients Utilize Event’s Funds

Local organizations who are on the front lines in the fight against hunger apply to receive grants from the funds raised. This year six grant recipients were selected. These organizations were Bread of Life, The Boys and Girls Club of Northern Westchester, The Community Center of Northern Westchester, Hillside Food Outreach, The Interfaith Emergency Food Pantry of Pleasantville and The Mount Kisco Interfaith Food Pantry.

The recipients of this year’s grants were extremely appreciative for funding they received, but the community members who attended the fundraiser were just as thankful for the work the organizations do. Whether it’s through rescuing food so that it does not go to waste, delivering food to the sick or elderly, or running a food pantry year -round; through the grace of these organizations, the gap between those who are able to give and those who are in need is being bridged. The people who champion this cause maintain that they get more than they give from the work they do.

Ways to Get Involved

Empty Bowls Westchester and (914) Cares are always looking for the help of generous people. Whatever one can give is significant and makes a difference. Reinmann encourages the community to continue to support this cause by hosting a bowl painting party, becoming a sponsor or attending the next Empty Bowls Westchester event. Celebrity–signed bowls are always welcome donations for the silent auction portion of the fundraiser. There are many ways to get involved.

In Reinmann’s experience, people are very generous during the holiday season, but help often declines in January and February. The depth of winter, however, is when the need for help is the greatest. She encourages people to reach out to local food banks to find out what is needed and run a drive to raise those items accordingly.

The Empty Bowls event was a success but there is still much more work to be done. Since its inception, four years ago, Empty Bowls Westchester has raised almost half a million dollars. Greenberg and Reinmann aim to continue to support the growth of the program. They want to help create a community where basic fundamental needs are available to everyone. A place where poverty and hunger is not temporarily mended with a band aid but rather where the cycle of poverty is ended.

When the evening was over, every attendee received a hand-painted bowl to remind them of all the empty bowls in the world that still need to be filled and to inspire them to continue to support ending hunger. The ultimate goal, according to Reinmann, is “the day when (914) Cares is no longer needed, that will be the best day ever.”

For more information on how to support Empty Bowls Westchester, please visit 914cares.org

Some Really Super Bowls

Over the past four years, a number of very special bowls have been auctioned during the Empty Bowls silent auction. Artist in Residence and committee member, Melissa Levine, painted most of this year’s bowls that were sent to celebrities who volunteered to sign them to help raise money for this cause. A Maze in Pottery Briarcliff Manor’s Nancy Beard generously assisted by lending her artistic talent to paint some of the celebrity-signed bowls. For this year’s auction, comedian Jim Belushi did his own artwork on the bowl he signed and donated.

The bidding on celebrity bowls starts at $125 and bowls can go for any amount higher. To date, the bowl that has gotten the highest bid was from last year’s silent auction. It was a bowl signed by the entire Philadelphia Eagles football team and was won by a bid of $1,700.

Some celebrities, for example Bill and Hillary Clinton, are regular supporters, and have signed a bowl to be auctioned each year.

On occasion, a bowl will be sent to a celebrity for signing and the celebrity will return the bowl with an additional item to be included in the auction. Two years ago, musician James Taylor added a signed guitar to his donation. For this year’s auction, Richie Sambora donated a signed guitar along with his signed bowl.

Being Grateful & Giving Back: The Wonderful Volunteers of Northern Westchester Hospital

October 22, 2017 by Janine Crowley Haynes

In the spirit of giving thanks and giving back, it’s only appropriate to shine a spotlight on volunteers who give their time, personal experience, and expertise. We turned to Northern Westchester Hospital (NWH) and their volunteer programs and met with six of these inspirational volunteers serving NWH and our community.

Director of Volunteer Services Ellen Muentener oversees approximately 250 volunteers at the hospital. From high school and college students to senior citizens, NWH volunteers are passionate about what they do. Volunteers enhance the lives of others without the need for fanfare. Yet with each individual I met, the overwhelming consensus was that volunteering gives them much more than they give. However, volunteering is not for the faint of heart. You have to be tough while being kind, emotionally strong while being compassionate, and tireless while being tested.

Aside from the obvious benefits, what makes an individual want to volunteer?

In an article in Psychology Today, Dawn Carr, MGS, PhD, lists five benefits to volunteering. One benefit, in particular, stands out–volunteering gives you a sense of purpose. Volunteers live longer too. Volunteering also helps you to step outside yourself and your own life challenges and gives you a fresh, new perspective.

Let’s meet just a few of these impressive NWH volunteers:

Judy McGrath

Judy McGrath, is a 12-year volunteer and former president of Twigs-Thriftree Shop located at 449 Lexington Avenue in Mt. Kisco. Judy is a Chappaqua resident and an active member in the community including being involved with the New Castle Historical Society, the Chappaqua School Foundation, the PTA, and the Girl Scouts.

“I believe it’s so important to give back to the community,” says Judy.

Twigs of NWH was formed in 1945 and, currently, has 160 members split up into nine groups. However, its humble roots date back to 1887, where a small group would get together to hem hospital table napkins for Rochester City Hospital. The group started to grow, and Twigs groups began to crop up in hospitals all around the country.

Twigs is a not-for-profit organization set up exclusively to support Northern Westchester Hospital. “We are so fortunate to have such a great hospital right here in our community,” says Judy. Over the last 12 months, Twigs donated 78,500 volunteer hours. It’s impressive that a little thrift shop in Mt. Kisco could make such an impact benefiting the hospital. To date, Twigs has donated $3,300,000 to NWH. The shop offers a variety of items for sale like clothing, books, jewelry, household items, etc. In addition, Twigs volunteers put together layettes for the Prenatal Care Clinic that provides comprehensive care to underinsured and uninsured pregnant women in Westchester and Putnam Counties, helping to ensure healthy pregnancies and healthy babies. Twigs also provides unique items such as cough pillows and tray favors to patients during the holidays.

This year, Twigs presented a check to NWH for $100,000. Each of the following NWH programs will receive $25,000: The Ken Hamilton Caregivers Center (KHCC), where family caregivers find respite and support; The Bruce and Andrea Yablon Cancer Health and Wellness Program, created to empower patients diagnosed with cancer to live a healthy lifestyle in ways that powerfully touch mind, body and spirit; the Community Health Education and Outreach Program, which partners with schools and local groups to build a healthier community; and the Integrative Medicine Program, dedicated to enhancing patients’ health and wellness.

You can find a Twigs Serenity Garden inside the Cancer Health and Wellness Center and the Twigs Healing Garden outside the Emergency Department.

Each year, Twigs members get together and decide which areas and/or programs Twigs would like to support. Whether you volunteer, donate items to the shop, or shop at Twigs-Thriftree, you will be making your own generous contribution to NWH.

Jo Cherubini

Jo Cherubini, at 83 years old and a 50-year Mt. Kisco resident, is a vibrant, tireless volunteer in the Westchester community. In addition to being a 20-year volunteer at NWH, Jo volunteers twice a week at the Rosary Hill Home, an end-of-life facility based in Hawthorne. She is also involved with the Mount Kisco Interfaith Food Pantry.

At NWH, you can usually find her on Wednesdays at the front desk of the Wallace Pavilion, but she also takes on other roles. “I feel a volunteer should go where they are needed,” says Jo. Whether it’s helping with blood drives, stuffing envelopes, delivering greeting cards to patients, or making sure wheelchairs are accessible at the front entrance–Jo is on it. Working at the front desk is not without its challenges. “Typically when people walk into the hospital, it’s not on the best of circumstances…unless they’re visiting the maternity ward,” says Jo. “They need to be received and guided with patience,” she adds.

Jo with Ellen Muentener PHOTO BY JANINE CROWLEY HAYNES

Jo is the recipient of the 2017 Mary B. Robbins Beacon of Light Award which is given by NWH to the volunteer of the year. In lieu of the personal gifts she would have received from NWH, Jo asked if it could be in the form of a monetary donation to be split up between two of her charities—Rosary Hill Home and the Mount Kisco Food Pantry.

“I love this hospital and its mission to provide quality care to the community,” says Jo. “The people who work here are open and receptive. It’s a family atmosphere and that makes for a pleasant experience,” she adds.

In addition to all of her volunteer activities, Jo finds the time to knit and crochet blankets for children with cancer. She’s made over 1,000 blankets so far. Jo has also made hundreds of hats for infants that have been born at NWH.

If you would like to donate some yarn for her projects, please feel free to leave it at the front desk of the Wallace Pavilion. She would greatly appreciate it.

Idelle Skriloff

Idelle Skriloff volunteers at the Ken Hamilton Caregivers Center (KHCC) located in the Wallace Pavilion of the hospital. KHCC was founded by Armonk resident Marian Hamilton in loving memory of her husband, Ken Hamilton. Marian was the primary caregiver to her husband when he was sick. The experience was stressful and, at times, isolating. After her husband passed away, Marian founded the KHCC, the first in-hospital facility of its kind in the entire New York Metropolitan region. Named in memory of her husband and inspired by her experience caring for her husband through his illness, while juggling her role as a mother to two teenage daughters, gave her a firsthand understanding that hospitals are often not equipped to help caregivers in a meaningful way. With a vision to support family caregivers, Marian approached Northern Westchester Hospital. Since its inception, the KHCC has had over 60,000 family interactions, demonstrating the vast need for caregiver support.

For ten years, Idelle Skriloff has been one of over 30 volunteers at KHCC. “I wanted to do something meaningful to give back to the community,” she says. “At times, my husband and I have been patients at NWH, and we received such great care.” What makes Idelle well-suited for this particular type of volunteer work is her kind, compassionate spirit that comes along with being a retired special education teacher from Fox Lane. Idelle volunteers once a week seeking caregivers on the floor to engage in conversation and offer appropriate support as needed. “We let them know we are there for them if they have any questions or need information, and we invite them to the center to relax and unwind,” says Idelle. “Sometimes caregivers just need emotional support. Sometimes they need information and resources.”

KHCC’s volunteer training is intensive. Trainees will shadow a seasoned volunteer for three to six months and are also expected to make a long-term commitment to the center.

KHCC has extended their services with a ‘Stay in Touch’ program where volunteers reach out to caregivers after discharge via telephone. Idelle describes her volunteer experience as uniquely rewarding: “I am so grateful to have a hospital like NWH in our community. Volunteering gives me so much more than I give.”

Joanna Cirasella

Joanna Cirasella, Briarcliff resident and a massage therapist at the Chappaqua Wellness Center, volunteers her time at NWH twice a week. She and her 10-year-old pet therapy Norfolk terrier, Mandy, make their rounds at the hospital. For Joanna, her mission is personal. She is a 5-year breast cancer survivor. Joanna wanted to give back to the hospital that took great care of her. “They’re like family to me,” says Joanna. Mandy and Joanna typically visit the Cancer Center, the Breast Institute, and the Women’s Imaging Center. They also make visits to the oncology inpatient units. “Mandy opens the door. Once you say to a patient ‘I sat in that same chair,’ a whole other dialogue happens.”

For her service, Joanna received the prestigious International Pet Therapy Team Planetree Award. In addition to visiting patients, Joanna is on the Cancer Patient Advisory Council, designed to be the voice of the patient by providing ongoing insight into actual patient and family experiences.

Joanna is also involved with NWH’s Living with Cancer Support Group. She’s held fundraising events at Le Jardin du Roi with proceeds going to the NWH Cancer Health & Wellness Program. Joanna is also an accomplished photographer. You can also find several of her photographs hanging in the Cancer Center.

Sophie Peterfreund

Sophie Peterfreund, a Bedford Hills resident, has been volunteering in the Emergency Department at NWH for six years and was a member of the NWH President’s Junior Leadership Council during her sophomore, junior and senior years at Fox Lane. The President’s Junior Leadership Council is made up of high school students in Northern Westchester. PJLC members develop projects that are meaningful to them about health issues affecting their peers.

Whenever she is home, you can find her in the Emergency Department helping out at the security desk at NWH helping out at the security desk and checking in patients. She is passionate about the hospital and loves tapping into its spirit and energy. The fast-paced atmosphere of urgent care is well-suited to her particular skill set. “It may sound strange, but ever since I was young, I loved going to the doctor,” says Sophie.

Sophie is a junior at Stony Brook University and hopes to attend physician’s assistant school after she graduates. Sophie is also an EMT in her town.

If you’re interested in volunteering at NWH, please contact Ellen Muentener, Director, Volunteer Services emuentener@northwell.edu.