December Update
| Hello, Everybody! We’re in the midst of the busiest time of the year both personally and with our Staten Island Giving Circle activities. In lieu of our monthly meeting, we will savor the “goings ons” via this email message. We don’t hold a December meeting because we need every waking moment to be on the ground with all our community requests and solicitations. Let us fill you in so far (hey, we still have a couple of weeks left, but wanted you to be kept abreast. Without any doubt, our Nourish the Service initiative begun in January of this year and orchestrated by Michele Yacovello and Kathy Barzal, has been a blockbuster. We did not envision the enormity of the problem nor the response its creation generated. To be succinct, just for December, look at the tremendous outpouring of support. ROLLING THUNDER CHAPTER II SINY – $6,500 THE STATEN ISLAND FOUNDATION – $10,000 ISLAND AUTO – $2,000 MR. AND MRS. ROBERT P. MOORE – $2,500 LYNNE PERSING – $2,500 KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS – $300 THERESA PITTARO – $100 Demonstrating again the need for food in the community is our success with our school Weekend Food Backpack Program. As you know, we added P.S. 20 to our list of recipients so now we assist 15 students/families each WEEK in P.S. 20, P.S. 21, P.S. 31, P.S 45, P.S. 57, P.S. 74, I.S. 49. Thanks to the efforts of Ann Rodriguez, we are very close to having enough funding to add another school to our list. Below notice our grant from Richmond County Saving Foundation RICHMOND COUNTY SAVINGS FOUNDATION – $10,000 Charlotte Sciarrino has enthusiastically jump started our Literacy Program. She continues to expand and improve this segment of our “giving.” The Literacy Program was rewarded this past week with a grant through a new partnership of Wish You Well Foundation. Charlotte is looking for additional volunteers to grow this program. WISH YOU WELL FOUNDATION – $2,500 Melissa D’Accordo, Ph.D. who works with our Cerebral Palsy friends at CP (Constructive Partnerships Unlimited of New York State took it upon herself to ask her book club to collect $684 which translated (by Melissa’s purchases) to gifts for the Grades 4-5 girls and boys in P.S. 20’s After School Program as well as 160 new activity books for residents at New Lane. Mary Lee Moltavo donated coloring books and crayons for the K-3 children in the program. On Wednesday, December 7, we hosted our annual holiday party at Canterbury House for the seniors residing there plus guests from Act Cares (Alzheimer’s Respite Program). It was a resounding success thanks to pizza, music by DJ Matty and gift bags which were prepared by the members of Monsignor Farrell High School’s Football Team. Kathy Barzal put the gift giving together. SIGC also offered food bags which were so bountiful that we were able to distribute throughout the Canterbury Houses. How’s that for only 15 days into the month of December. Stay tuned. We should be able to tell you more about the Community Gardens Project and the publication of our children’s book very soon. Please try to find some down time to enjoy your family, friends and joy of the holidays. Evelyn, Michele and the Executive Committee |