Junior League Invites Prospective Members to Informational Coffees
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The Junior League of Central Westchester (JLCW) invites women from Eastchester, Greenburgh, Scarsdale and White Plains to its semi-annual “Recruiting Coffees” at historic Wayside Cottage on September 20th at 8:00 pm and September 21st at 9:30 am. The JLCW is an organization of women committed to promoting volunteerism, developing the potential of women, and improving the community through the effective action and leadership of trained volunteers. The JLCW invites women of all races, religions and national origins who are committed to volunteerism to become a member.
At the informational coffees, prospective members will learn about the JLCW’s efforts to improve the lives of neighbors in need, as well as the activities that support these initiatives, including fundraising and development, volunteer training and communications. Joining the JLCW provides opportunities for volunteers to impact their community in a meaningful way, to benefit from training in a variety of educational and leadership programs, and foster life-long friendships and professional relationships with fellow volunteers and members of the community in which they serve.
New members enter a training course where they work together to complete a short-term community service project. Last year’s Fall New Member project was a diaper drive that successfully collected over 55,000 diapers for local children in need. The short-term projects are designed to help the community, allow members to get acquainted with the League, and foster networking between new members.
“Our membership encompasses the full spectrum of central Westchester women, including professional executives and stay-at-home moms, who share the same commitment to making an impact on the community and building life-long friendships ,” stated Lauren Wyler-Smith, President of the JLCW. “I look forward to welcoming a new group of dynamic women, calling them my friends, and working with them on many projects in the future.”
The coffees will be held on September 20th at 8:00 pm and September 21st at 9:30 am at Wayside Cottage, 1039 Post Road, Scarsdale NY. Women interested in learning more about the JLCW should RSVP by September 14th to [email protected] or by phone to (914) 723-6130. More details are available at www.jlcentralwestchester.org .
About the Junior League of Central Westchester
The Junior League of Central Westchester (JLCW) is an organization of women committed to promoting volunteerism, developing the potential of women, and improving the community through the effective action and leadership of trained volunteers. Its purpose is exclusively educational and charitable. Headquartered at historic Wayside Cottage, the JLCW has served the communities of Eastchester, Greenburgh, Scarsdale and White Plains for over 65 years. Its approximately 250 active and sustaining members are accomplished collaborators who identify community needs and develop effective and responsive programs to serve those needs. The JLCW invites women of all races, religions and national origins who are committed to volunteerism to become a member.
For more information call 914.723.6130 or [email protected].
Day of Chesed, Service and Remembrance Sunday at the JCC
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This Sunday, September 9, from 10 am to 3 pm, the JCC of Mid-Westchester and UJA Federation of New York will host a Day of Chesed (Kindness), Service and Remembrance in honor of the observance of the September 11th National Day of Service and Remembrance.
In 2011, the JCC welcomed over 1,200 members of the community as part of the largest day of good deeds and charitable service in commemoration of the 10th anniversary of 9/11. “The response to last year’s event was overwhelming. We want to continue the spirit of volunteerism that followed the tragic events of 9/11 by organizing a day where the community can participate in service projects, good deeds and remembrance”, said Milton Sussman, Acting Executive Director.
A number of activities will take place, including a Rosh Hashanah Holiday Package program in partnership with UJA to benefit Bronx Community Services, a children’s clothing drive sponsored by Kids Kloset, a program of Westchester Jewish Community Services, a teen/adult clothing drive to benefit the Jewish Board of Family and Children’s Services (JBFCS) and Jewish Child Care Association (JCCA) and a sandwich brigade and boxed cereal collection to benefit Hope Community Services, which provides meals for the hungry in New Rochelle.
Also planned are a bone marrow drive with the Gift of Life Bone Marrow Foundation, a pet adoption with PetRescue, a blood drive to benefit the blood bank at White Plains Hospital, a DVD collection for Operation Support Our Troops which sends packages to soldiers, toiletries/first aid supplies for AFYA Foundation and hair donations for Locks of Love, an organization that benefits children with medical hair loss. “In total, fourteen local agencies will benefit from the day’s activities. We are asking members of the community to come out and donate items for these drives and/or participate in other charitable opportunities taking place that day at the JCC,” said Sussman.
New this year will be sports activities for children, and intergenerational activities including a concert by Rockmitzvah, a musical ensemble of real rock and roll musicians performing with local teens. In addition, there will be age appropriate art activities for children as well as teen service projects for both high school (11am-1pm) and middle school (1pm-2pm) students. A remembrance program will take place at 10:30am. “We are happy to host this event and serve as a hub of community activity to bring awareness of our role in the community and also for the many services we provide here at the JCC”, said Ophira Cukierman, co-president of the Board of Directors.
Everyone is welcome to participate, though teens are being asked to sign up in advance here. Children of all ages are welcome as there will be sports activities, art projects and the Rockmitzvah concert. See the entire schedule here .
Corporate Sponsors include Arizona Beverages, Houlihan Lawrence, and Seasons. Co-sponsors include American Jewish Committee, BBYO, Hillels of Westchester, JCC on the Hudson, J-Teen Leadership, New Rochelle Jewish Coalition, Rockmitzvah, Rosenthal JCC of Northern Westchester, Solomon-Schechter School of Westchester, The Jewish Renaissance Experience, Westchester Day School, Westchester Hebrew High School, Westchester Jewish Community Services, and Westchester Jewish Council.
The JCC of Mid-Westchester, a proud beneficiary of UJA-Federation of New York, is a nonprofit organization dedicated to enriching the community by providing cultural, social, educational and recreational/fitness programs, human services and Jewish identity-building opportunities to people of all ages and backgrounds. For more information about the JCC of Mid-Westchester please visit their website .
Descendants of Escaped Slave Robert Purdy Gather for a Reunion
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Over 140 descendants of Robert Purdy, (1823-1890), an escaped slave from Louisiana, held a reunion on August 11. Purdy purchased farmland on Saxon Woods Road in 1858 and traces of the original farm still remain today. Residents staged an unsuccessful attempt in 2011 to preserve a home at 140 Saxon Woods Road , one of the original stuctures on Purdy’s property. Purdy, a farming entrepreneur co-founded the A.M.E. Zion Church of Mamaroneck, N.Y.
Mayor Miriam Levitt Flisser issued a proclamation at the event proclaiming August 11, 2012, as Robert Purdy Day in the Village of Scarsdale.
Pictured above: (standing l-r): Haywood Gill, William Peterson, Mayor Miriam Levitt Flisser, David Vaughn (seated): Hazel Gill (family matriarch, age 93), Gertrude Faulkner
Photo credit: Harvey Flisser
Grad Bag Distributes Dorm Room Essentials to Kids in Need
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In a small Barnard College classroom, a group of over thirty rising college freshmen sorted through lamps, sheets, towels, rugs, fans and hangers to stock their soon-to-be dorm rooms. The items had been collected by Grad Bag, a local organization that gathers dorm room items from recent college graduates to be distributed to incoming freshmen who may not have the means to buy them on their own.
For its inaugural event, Grad Bag partnered with Let’s Get Ready (LGR) and College Summit, college prep and mentorship programs based in Manhattan. The event was part of LGR’s first annual orientation for students who start college in the fall. At the end of the program, each student selected items from the Grad Bag collection. By day’s end, every single item had been distributed. “It was an incredibly successful program; it makes us confident that the model will succeed at colleges and universities around the country,” said founder Liz Gruber.
Grad Bag was founded by Tara Tyberg and Liz Gruber in 2012. When moving their children out of their college rooms, Tyberg and 
Gruber realized that there were a lot of dorm room items college kids have no use for once they’ve graduated but are in fine workable condition. Over the last few months, the pair contacted their friends and neighbors—parents of recent college graduates—to gather items that would otherwise be thrown away.
The August event was the organization’s pilot program. Gruber and Tyberg hope to coordinate with colleges to place collection sites near senior student's living quarters where they can donate unwanted items that Grad Bag could then arrange to pick up, sort and redistribute.
Worth Writing About
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This article was contributed by Greenacres resident Linda Flaxer who is a part-time senior tutor at the Writing Center at WCC and assist students with their college and grad school essays and resumes privately: As a Writing Tutor at Westchester Community College, I have been inspired by so many students: One grew up in a small rural village in Ghana where her Grandmother was the local mid-wife. She is now on her way to becoming a neo-natal nurse and wants to eventually establish a non-profit organization to have a global impact on expectant mothers and their newborns. Another is completing her degree in Early Childhood Education. She plans to further advance her education and become a bi-lingual, Spanish-English speech therapist to children. A man whose life took him around some very difficult turns, is studying to become a Para-legal. In the future, his goal is to enter the seminary and become a Rabbi. These students juggle full time jobs, families and community commitments in addition to school. They are truly admirable.
I love this position. It is challenging and full of the unknown. I am called on to make a difference each time I come in to volunteer or work. I interact with students of all ages, nationalities, life stories and talents. I expand my knowledge base of History, Marketing, Psychology, Early Childhood Education and Art History, sometimes even Philosophy and Chemistry. I obtain renewed perspectives on some of my favorite authors, short stories, poems and plays, and become familiar with new ones. Whether I have been at the Writing Tutorial two or five hours, I leave having helped others and having made personal connections with people from all walks of life.
The writing center is busy, and we’re always looking for new volunteers. If you’re interested in becoming a tutor at the WCC Writing Tutorial for the Fall Semester, now is the right time to contact the volunteer office. To learn more about this and other volunteer opportunities, please go to the Westchester Community College website at www.sunywcc.edu , navigate to the “About Us” tab and drop down to “Volunteering.” Hope to see you on campus!
