Community Center of Northern Westchester

Report: Poverty in the Suburbs is Growing

According to the Brookings Institution, which recently released a book entitled Confronting Suburban Poverty in America, there are now 16.4 million suburban residents living below the poverty line — nearly 3 million more than in the cities.

The findings indicate several reasons for this increase, including the Great Recession, which exacerbated the suburban poverty problem as the construction industry faltered and many businesses closed. Workers were left without jobs, and the downturn forced middle class families into unemployment, underemployment and poverty. Read more about the growth of suburban poverty here, in this story from CNN.

In the suburbs, neighbors who quietly struggle with loss of jobs, catastrophic health crises, and the possible loss of their homes, are also part of this emerging picture of suburban poverty.

With the publication of this study, these problems may be gaining national attention today; yet the Community Center has been seeing, and addressing, such problems for more than twenty years, helping to relieve the burden of hunger by providing the essentials for living to quietly struggling neighbors in 37 Northern Westchester communities.

(in photo: a young client inside our food pantry)

Local Letter Carriers Help Neighbors in Need

On Saturday, May 11, letter carriers here in Northern Westchester along with thousands of colleagues nationwide, helped gather food in the 21st annual “National Association of Letter Carrier’s Stamp Out Hunger” campaign.

Volunteers and letter carriers collected food across towns and neighborhoods and then sorted and distributed the cans, boxes and jars of non-perishable food items that were left in bags next to customers’ mailboxes.

Katonah Postmaster Joe Bavosa delivered 238 pounds of collected food, in addition to the North Salem postal carriers who gathered 91 pounds of food from their neighborhood that was delivered to us.

The association says it is the nation’s largest one-day food-collection drive.

The Community Center thanks our generous neighbors and our dedicated letter carriers!

(pictured above, Katonah Postmaster Joe Bavosa)

Giving Back to the Community for a Bat Mitzvah Project

Shayna Monasch of Katonah spent a year gathering recyclable bottles and cans to support the Community Center as her Bat Mitzvah project. The John Jay Middle School seventh-grader used the $156 she raised through her recycling efforts to buy 300 reusable bags which she recently donated for our clients’ use.

A wonderful effort by a lovely young lady. Thanks Shayna!

Enthusiastic Students Complete Center’s English and Civics Course

English and Civics, a sixteen-week course offered by the Center, ended successfully on April 30, with 17 students completing the term.

The purpose of the course was for students to improve their English language skills while learning the rights and responsibilities of being a citizen of the United States. Students attended weekly classes to study the basics of American history and fundamentals of government, and explored the Constitution and its amendments.

Instructor Connie Kamerman, who has been volunteering and teaching English at the Center for over ten years, said the group was highly motivated. “Students came to the class after a day of work and often with dirt under their fingernails,” she said. “They truly wanted to know more about this country and its history.”

Connie added that many of these dedicated English-learners will be able use the knowledge they acquired in the class when they apply for citizenship.

We congratulate these students and also extend our gratitude to the Brown Family Fund for helping make English and Civics possible.

(above: English and Civics students receive certificates of completion)

Leatherman’s Loop Trail Racers Bring in Large Food Donation for Center

It is a spectacular local event that happens each spring at the Ward Pound Ridge Reservation in Cross River.

On April 21, the 27th running of the Leatherman’s Loop trail race took place on a chilly and sunny morning. The more-than 1,200 participants checked in and many stopped by the “Help Feed the Leatherman” tent—a food drive in its fifth year at the race that helps stock the shelves of the Center’s food pantry.

Spearheaded this year by 16 year-old Katonah resident Sam Ceisler, and helped by 16 year-old Emily Casper of South Salem, the collection tallied up to an amazing 1,100 pounds of food! Sam and his father David later came to the center to make the delivery in a very full mini-van.

We recognize and appreciate the efforts of these caring athletes who thought about their neighbors in need on the morning of this great race. And many thanks to the race organizers for their support.

(Sam Ceisler, above, delivers donated food)

(Leatherman’s Loop runners, 2013, courtesy Tom Casper)

Antioch Baptist Choir Raises the Roof for the Community Center

Sunday, April 21 was a glorious spring afternoon in more ways than one. The skies were clear, the sun was shining and the Chancel Choir at the Antioch Baptist Church in Bedford Hills treated the packed house to a wonderful concert; both the women’s and the men’s choirs sang songs of hope and faith.

The yearly benefit is a free concert, where all collected donations are given to the Community Center of Northern Westchester, to support our work of helping neighbors in need with the essentials of living.

The Rev. Dr. Paul S. Briggs inspired the congregation with words of comfort and solace, after a difficult week following the tragic events in Boston. He spoke of the importance of “staying ahead” by doing good, through acts of kindness and giving in the community.

Reverend Gavin Meek of the First Presbyterian Church of Katonah and Cantor Hayley Kobilinsky of Congregation B’nai Yisrael of Armonk also offered readings and prayers.

The joyous crowd sang, clapped and swayed to “Glory, Glory Hallelujah/This L’il Light of Mine and “Great and Mighty,” among other gospel selections.

The Community Center extends its gratitude to the Antioch Baptist Church and to all those who came out on Sunday in support of our efforts.

View and listen: the glorious Antioch Baptist Church Chancel Choir! For much more of their beautiful sounds, join us for a Gospel Concert on Sunday, April 21 at 4 pm, at Antioch Baptist Church, 3 Church Street, Bedford Hills, NY. For directions, go here. Admission is free: the concert will benefit the Community Center of Northern Westchester. Free-will offerings will be gratefully accepted, to support the Center’s work of providing essentials of living to neighbors in need.

Food Bloggers Speak Out Against Hunger on April 8: Support Them

Hunger ravages families across the country — including in Northern Westchester.

In a new documentary film, A Place at the Table, the issue of hunger is intimately portrayed through the stories of three families who are struggling with food insecurity. It comes from Participant Media—the same studio that brought you “Food Inc.”—and premiered on March 1.

To support this powerful film and its message, food bloggers will donate their posts on April 8, 2013 to raising awareness of hunger. They will highlight the film, discuss issues of hunger and will ask their readers to send letters to Congress to protect funding for programs easing hunger and make anti-hunger legislation a priority.

At the Community Center of Northern Westchester, neighbors have been helping neighbors ease the burden of hunger for twenty years. Easing hunger is certainly at the very heart of the Center’s mission: to improve the well-being and self-sufficiency of neighbors in need in Northern Westchester, by providing food, clothing, programs, and other resources. Our food pantry provided food to nearly 2,000 families last year, from 37 communities in our area. One third were children.

On April 8, we encourage you to support food bloggers who are taking part in this effort: try visiting local food blogger Diane Balch, who is participating in this day of awareness. For a full list of food bloggers taking part, go to http://www.givingtable.org/food-bloggers-against-hunger.

Stay tuned for more information to come, on our upcoming screening of A Place at the Table, and how you can get more involved with the Center in its battle against hunger in our communities.

Books for Kids at the Community Center

Katonah Elementary School collected books throughout their P.A.R.P (Parents As Reading Partners) month and delivered to us several hundred gently-used children’s books (154 lbs).

KES Reading Specialist Enid Linden kindly put out the call to local families who found many beautiful books to share. The effort is much appreciated and the books will surely be enjoyed.

#katonah #westchester #books

Signs of Spring at the Community Center

As we all wait patiently for warmer temperatures, we would like to thank more from our generous community for thinking of us over these past few weeks.

Cabbage Hill Farm of Mount Kisco, a terrific supporter of the Center throughout the year, kindly came by to donate several cases of beautiful green lettuce to our food pantry. This fresh, local produce is much appreciated.

And once again this year, the Church of St. Mary of the Assumption in Katonah held its Lenten Food Drive, that gathered 2,463 pounds of food donated by parishioners. The food was brought in a caravan of 10 families in 10 cars; they worked together to fill our shelves (pictured below).

Said one parishioner, “I was amazed at how so much food was donated, unpacked and shelved in such a short period of time…many hands make light work.”

The Lewisboro Elementary School also kept the Community Center in mind and came to deliver 255 pounds of pasta for their neighbors in need. Thanks LES!

Page 1 of 12

← Newer • Older →