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Non-Profit Survey Results In. In the months of December and January, EssentialMom.com conducted a survey to get a feel for the pulse of the economy in Westchester County and the effects that the changes were having on area Non-Profits. Highlights of the survey were as follows:
- The Food Bank of Westchester Reports Demand Doubled at Several Locations
- Local Charities predict a 20-30% Decrease in 2009 Donations
- 59% of Social Agencies recognize they must drastically alter traditional fundraising plans to draw and maintain donors this year, citing such items as dropping some special events, increasing asks to specific donors, reaching out to smaller donors, increase marketing, extra appreciation for major donors
- Increased demand and decreased budgets are playing major roles in changing the way these groups are operating, as well as fundraising.
- 25% of respondents stated that their budgets are at risk for 2009
- 25% stated that donations were down from last year
- 5.7% have already had to cut staff
- Organizations reported a 10-20% decrease from 2007 year end at 2008 year end, but the majority feel that 2009 will be worse
- Biggest concerns/challenges? Maintaining service standards on a lower budget, keeping staff, making sure donors approve of decisions/project goals/direction of agency, replacing funding from corporations.
Click here to read further results of the eye-opening EssentialMom.com poll regarding the tremendous squeeze Westchester non-profits are experiencing entering 2009.
The Current Economy: A Challenge or an Opportunity?
As a follow up to our survey, Essentialmom.com paired up with the Westchester Land Trust for an open discussion with fellow members of the non profit community about the challenges and opportunities presented by our current economic climate. The financial crisis embroiling the United States has many charities worried about how to manage their finances, raise money, and keep up with growing demand for services. To help our local organizations benefit from each others’ knowledge and expertise, we invited representatives from nonprofit groups all over the county, to share ideas, strategies and best practices for successful fund-raising and donor cultivation- even in a tough economy. Check out the results of the day here.
Writing Contest!
Essentialmom offers youngsters a chance to become reviewers on EssentialMom. Encourage your children to review books, restaurants, movies, and more in an effort to encourage their writing skills and have their work published on Essentialmom.com.
Best submission by summer`s end wins a $20 Borders Gift Certificate!!!!
Read more here >>
EVERMORE Mystery Writing Contest. The Rye Arts Center Now Accepting Submissions For EVERMORE Mystery Writing Contest. If you are in grades 6-12, create a mysterious tale, send it in, and you could win prizes and meet world-famous masters of mystery. The RAC is accepting submissions now through October 1, 2010. Here’s how to enter: Write your original mysterious tale, a short story in the spirit of Edgar Allan Poe, in 2,500 words or less. Get the submission guidelines and submission form at The Rye Arts Center or on www.ryeartscenter.org. Submit your story, following all the rules, along with your $3 entry fee by October 1, 2010. Stories will be judged by a panel of three published authors. All entrants will receive a Certificate of Recognition, and 1st, 2nd, 3rd place winners will be chosen in each age category. The EVERMORE Mystery Writing Contest is created in conjunction with their annual Literary Arts event honoring Edgar Allan Poe, a performance that has become a seasonal favorite for families throughout Westchester and Lower Fairfield Counties. This year’s event, “EVERMORE: Poe, The Master of Mystery,” will be held on Sunday, October 24, at The Rye Arts Center where winning student authors will be announced and prizes will be awarded. For more information about the contest or the show, please visit: www.ryeartscenter.org or call 914-967-0700 ext. 33.
Food donations needed! As the result of the economic downturn, the Community Center of Northern Westchester is providing supplemental food to unprecedented numbers of Northern Westchester families. More families than ever are coming to the Center for help for the first time, including people who never dreamed they would need this help. In addition, families are visiting us more often. Please consider donating food, or organize a food drive and enlist your neighbors and friends. Here is a list of the food we need most: Dried black and pinto beans, Hot and cold cereal, Tuna, Spaghetti sauce and pasta, Canned soups, fruits and vegetables, Peanut butter and jelly, Macaroni and cheese, Fruit juice. We gratefully accept your donations Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. The Community Center of Northern Westchester needs everyone`s help in order to help our neighbors in need. Add a bag of much needed food to your grocery shopping this week and drop it off directly at the Community Center, 84 Bedford Road in Katonah.
Important Organ Donor Information. Have you signed the back of your driver’s license to become an organ donor? Incredibly, in its infinite wisdom, NY State now no longer recognizes signed driver’s licenses as sufficient for organ donation. Unless you renewed your license in the last 2 years and "Organ Donor" is pre-printed on the front, you are NOT yet registered to be an organ donor. 18 people die every day waiting for a transplant that never comes, and thousands of us who think we are registered to be organ donors are not. Take one minute, download, fill out and mail this attached form to NY State. http://www.health.state.ny.us/professionals/patients/donation/organ/docs/enrollment_form.pdf For more info on what`s going on with driver`s licenses and donor registration, see this page: http://www.nydmv.state.ny.us/orgdonr.htm. On behalf of the many thousands of people in desperate need of transplants – thank you.
Love, treachery, battles of the sexes, and a dash of rap: it all adds up to the Hudson Valley Shakepeare Festival. Tickets are available through the HVSF Box Office, 845-265-9575 and online at www.hvshakespeare.org. Essentialmom.com readers receive a 15% discount on performances Tuesday-Thursday for the season -- just ask!
Lower Radiation Exposure for Pediatric Patients at Lawrence Hospital Center. Lawrence Hospital Center is pleased to announce that it has acquired the only Low-Dose CT Scanning device in Westchester County and southern Connecticut. The GE Healthcare LightSpeed VCT XTe reduces up to 40 percent of the radiation that a patient is exposed to during a scan. “Not only is it safer, but it allows us to get better images faster,” states Raymond Farquharson, Administrative Director of Radiology at Lawrence Hospital Center. “It also provides peace of mind to parents whose children may need a CT scan. Given their age, it is a far better option for them if they are in need of an image,” insists Farquharson. ASiR (Adaptive Statistical Iterative Reconstruction) is a new, advanced image reconstruction technique that makes it possible to dramatically reduce radiation dose to patients. This is especially beneficial for children and young adults who are more susceptible to harm from excessive radiation exposures. In addition to less radiation exposure, the new CT device allows technicians to conduct whole body, Neurological and Cardiac Imaging. The new GE LightSpeed VCT XTe Low Dose 64 slice machine is up and running at Lawrence Hospital Center. If you are or your child is in need of a scan, you can call 914-787-5008 to schedule an appointment. Visit www.lawrencehealth.org.
Performance Opportunity for Talented Children. Ajkun Ballet Theatre, a New York City based professional ballet company, invites children of Westchester County, grades pre-k - 8, to participate in our 2010 production of the Nutcracker. Children partake in rehearsals of dance or theater (child’s choice, divided by age) at a local School venue taught by AjkunBT’s Professional Artists on Saturdays throughout October and November. In December, participants perform alongside artists of New Rochelle and Ajkun Ballet Theatre in the beloved Holiday Classic The Nutcracker. AjkunBT’s Staff is committed to making this experience a unique and enjoyable one for all children, with or without previous training. Registration is limited. A suggested donation of $35 for your child’s participation will help cover the cost of instructor’s transportation to and from New Rochelle. Contact Info: AjkunBT Young Dancers Performance Program, 193 Cross Street; City Island, The Bronx, NY 10464-1225, Telephone: (917) 599-6915 Email: artisticstaff@ajkunbt.org
Recycling. Did you know that plastics make up eight percent of our garbage by weight, but as much as 24 percent by volume? You can now help decrease the amount of plastic in the garbage by not just recycling plastic containers, but also their plastic caps -- every little bit helps. Rinse the containers and place them and their caps loose in your recycling bin. Get a copy of the Guide to Curbside Recycling in Westchester to see how to properly recycle paper, cardboard, plastics 1 and 2, glass and metal containers. If you have a question, call the Westchester County Recycling HelpLine at 914-813-5425.
Support Connection ANNOUNCES NEW ADDRESS. Support Connection, Inc., the Yorktown-based not-for-profit organization that provides free breast and ovarian cancer support services, has moved to a new location less than 1 mile from their previous site. The new address is 40 Triangle Center, Suite 100, Yorktown Heights, NY 10598. The telephone numbers remain the same: 914-962-6402 and 800-532-4290. The new Support Connection office is in the Triangle Professional Building across from the Yorktown Post Office. Executive Director Katherine Quinn, who has led the organization since it was founded, states: “We are so pleased. Our new space will better accommodate the continually growing number of people served by our free programs. We are very grateful for this opportunity to enhance service delivery.” Ms. Quinn adds: “We are fortunate to have many talented, dedicated volunteers. Now we’ll have more work space for them as they help us carry out our mission.” Other improvements include a larger “Hope Room,” created especially for private counseling sessions and support groups, as well as elevator service to improve access for those with physical limitations. Support Connection was established in 1996 to provide emotional, social, and educational support services to women, their families and friends affected by breast and ovarian cancer. Over the past 14 years, their programs have grown substantially to meet the needs of those living with these diseases. Current services include individual counseling and information services provided by professional Peer Counselors on their staff, 12 different support groups, and a year-round calendar of public educational programs and workshops for women living with cancer. To learn more, call Support Connection at 914-962-6402, or toll-free 800-532-4290, or visit www.supportconnection.org.
The Dannon Company Awards Open Door Family Medical Centers Grant for supporting nutrition and wellness program. The Dannon Company will present a $30,000 check to Open Door Family Medical Centers in support of its Fit for Life program, which creates an alliance of youth, parents, teachers, health care providers and community partners to teach children and their families how to be healthy for a lifetime. Dannon will award the grant at the 103.9 WFAS "Fun and Fitness Health Summit," which is sponsored by Dannon at The Cliffs at Valhalla, 2 Commerce Street, Hawthorne, NY, Saturday, June 19, 2010, 1 - 4 p.m. The Dannon Company is America`s first national yogurt company headquartered in White Plains. With the grant from The Dannon Company, Open Door`s Fit for Life program will provide more than 2,500 children and their families in the Westchester community with nutrition education, healthy cafeteria options, support from peers, and family and clinical service. Open Door will collaborate with the Port Chester/Rye Union Free School District to reinforce healthy behaviors.
The Westchester Land Trust announces Candace M. Schafer as the new executive director. Candace officially joins the WLT staff on September 20. Candace comes to WLT with a wealth of knowledge and experience in land use policy and a demonstrated passion and appreciation for the complexities and challenges involved in land preservation in Westchester County. Candace was trained as an architect and real estate developer, and received her LEED, AP certification last year. Most recently, she was senior vice president at Marcus Partners in Norwalk Connecticut and developed two LEED green building projects. For three years, she served as district chair for the Urban Land Institute`s Westchester/Fairfield District Council where she successfully initiated several task forces to encourage partnerships with other volunteer organizations interested in furthering best practices in land use. Her experience in the development community gives Candace a unique and valuable perspective on our land preservation work and programs. She intends to fully engage all parties and stakeholders as we continue to support towns and municipalities in their goal of protecting the open space which is most important to the people in those communities. Candace lives with her husband, Rob Mills, in Norwalk, CT. We continue to encourage an open dialogue between the land trust and you -- our supporters who have always provided us with the most steadfast guidance and support. We are equally pleased to inform you that Tom Andersen, who has served the land trust most effectively as our interim director, will serve as deputy director and will continue to play an essential leadership role in the organization. Visit www.westchesterlandtrust.org for more information.
Westchester Library System Congratulates School/Public Library Cooperation Award Winners. The Westchester Library System, together with the Westchester Library Association, Putnam/Northern Westchester BOCES Library System, and Southern Westchester BOCES Library System, recently recognized five Westchester public library and school district collaborations with 2010 School/Public Library Cooperation Awards. Each year, the School/Public Library Cooperation Awards recognize excellence, creativity, and effectiveness in programs that involve cooperation between school and public libraries. 2010 award winners include The Somers Library and Primrose School, Mount Kisco Public Library and the Mount Kisco Elementary School, The Trove at the White Plains Public Library and the White Plains Central School District, Ruth Keeler Memorial Library and the North Salem Middle School/High School, and the Greenburgh Public Library and Greenburgh School District No. 7. The collaborations recognized varied in scope from Somers’ First Grade Field Trip to the Public Library project to Kids Tell It – The First Annual Sunflower Story Arts Festival in Mount Kisco. White Plains and Greenburgh each won for their summer reading programs, Project Summer Read and Make Summer Reading Enjoyable, Inclusive and Continuous. North Salem received an award for their collaborative initiative Making New Friends. For a complete list of programs and events throughout the Westchester Library System, visit the WLS website at www.westchesterlibraries.org.
White Plains Hospital Center Diabetes Education Program Merits ADA Recognition. The Diabetes Education and Treatment Center at White Plains Hospital Center has been awarded the continued Education Recognition Certificate from the American Diabetes Association for the high-quality education services it offers to its patients. Programs that achieve Recognition status have a staff of knowledgeable health professionals who provide state-of-the-art information about diabetes management for participants. The certificate recognizes organizations that provide a quality diabetes self-management education program and offer high-quality education, an essential component of effective diabetes treatment. White Plains Hospital Center’s Diabetes Education and Treatment Center offers outpatient services that include individual and group sessions providing support to patients managing this disease. For more information on Recognized education programs in your area or other American Diabetes Association programs, call your local ADA office or contact the ADA online at www.diabetes.org. For additional information about White Plain Hospital Center, visit www.wphospital.org.
White Plains Hospital Center Receives Achievement Award from Commission on Cancer (CoC) of the American College of Surgeons. The Commission on Cancer (CoC) of the American College of Surgeons has granted its 2009 Outstanding Achievement Award to White Plains Hospital`s Cancer Program, at Dickstein Cancer Treatment Center. The Cancer Center is the only program in Westchester County and is one of only 82 accredited and newly accredited cancer programs across the United States to receive this honor. “We are proud to receive this recognition from the CoC once again,” said Kathy Duffy, RN, Administrative Director, Dickstein Cancer Center. “It really validates what our patients have told us over and over again, that our cancer program is among the best.” The Cancer Program first received the CoC accreditation in 1993 and has received accreditation with commendation in 2006 and again in 2009. The Outstanding Acheivment award was given to the Cancer Program in 2006 and again at its survey in late 2009. Established in 2004, the CoC Outstanding Achievement Award (OAA) is designed to recognize cancer programs that strive for excellence in providing quality care to cancer patients. The award is granted to facilities that demonstrate a Commendation level of compliance with six standards that represent five areas of cancer program activity to include cancer committee leadership, cancer data management, research, community outreach and quality improvement. The level of compliance with the six standards is determined during an on-site evaluation by a physician surveyor. In addition, facilities must receive a compliance rating for the remaining 30 cancer program standards. Eighty-two programs received the OAA as a result of surveys performed in 2009. This number represents approximately 18 percent of the 432 programs surveyed during this period. The CoC is a consortium of professional organizations dedicated to improving survival and quality of life for cancer patients through standard-setting, prevention, research, education and the monitoring of comprehensive quality care. Its membership includes Fellows of the American College of Surgeons and representatives of 47 national organizations that reflect the full spectrum of cancer care. Receiving care at a CoC-accredited cancer program ensures that a patient will have access to the full quality range of comprehensive cancer care close to home.
WPHC Opens Dedicated Room Offering Relaxation and Respite for Caregivers. White Plains Hospital Center unveiled a brand new Caregiver Support Room on July 12th. About the size of an average living room, the fifth-floor space is the final piece of the Caregivers Support Program to fall into place. The program is designed to provide support, resources, and services to the many caregivers of loved ones facing the challenges of acute or catastrophic illness at White Plains Hospital. Over time, caregivers are often stressed and exhausted -- so busy caring for others they often neglect their own needs. The Caregiver’s Support Room offers computers, comfortable furniture, access to valuable resources and much more available free of charge for caregivers to take a physical and mental respite away from the stresses of caring for a loved one. During the time a loved one is hospitalized, caregivers can also seek assistance from hospital volunteers - Caregiver Partners - who are trained and supervised by the departments of Social Services and Volunteer Services. Caregiver Partners have caregiver experience themselves, and therefore the ability to collaborate with caregivers in a compassionate, understanding manner. They will provide assistance to caregivers as needed, including: emotional support, coping strategies, and coaching techniques to better manage patient’s care while in the Hospital and after release. The Caregiver Support Program and Center are financed entirely through community donations and the help of the Auxiliary of White Plains Hospital Center. Donations may be sent to: White Plains Hospital Caregiver Support Program, 41 East Post Rd., White Plains, NY 10601, Att: Development Office, or visit our website at www.wphospital.org.
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