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Written by Joanne Wallenstein

Published: 15 October 2014

Created: 15 October 2014

Last Updated: 15 October 2014

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SHS student Kate Schnitzer is among ten high school seniors in Westchester to win the Milly Kibrick Youth Service Award. County Executive Rob Astorino announced the names of the recipients who have shown exceptional commitment to their local communities. The awards will be presented at a dinner at 6:30 p.m.on October 15 at the Davenport Club in New Rochelle.

The Milly Kibrick Youth Service Awards are given in memory of Milly Kibrick, a prominent county social worker and youth activist, who dedicated her life to helping underprivileged children. During her career and in retirement, she was the quintessential social worker, social entrepreneur, volunteer and political activist, pursuing social and economic justice for children of all ages.

"Milly Kibrick selflessly devoted her life to helping underprivileged children and made a lasting impact in Westchester County," said Astorino. "This year's honorees, even at a young age, have touched many lives in their communities and have accomplished great things. I know we will continue to hear from them in the years ahead, and I offer them my congratulations."

Schnitzer began her community service working with her family on the annual UJA-Federation of New York, Westchester-wide Families Feeding Families Food Drive and Sorting Event (FFF), which benefits the Bronx Jewish Community Council Food Pantry. Over the course of seven years, she joined hundreds of Westchester County inter-faith teens and pre-teens to sort and package food. In ninth and tenth grades, she served as FFF teen co-chair, recruiting teen volunteers and helping to run this extensive effort. For this work, Schnitzer and her family received the BJCC Philanthropic Champion Award in 2012. Following Hurricane Sandy, she participated in an FFF emergency relief food and supply effort. In the wake of the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill, Schnitzer travelled with UJA-Federation of NY on a Parent-Teen Relief Mission to New Orleans and Mississippi where she repaired Katrina damaged homes, met with impacted families and provided Christmas gifts for their children, and brought families devastated by medical crises much needed supplies.

Closer to home, it has been Schnitzer's work with children in Mount Vernon that is nearest to her heart. From seventh through ninth grades, Kate tutored underprivileged elementary age children in the Amazing Afternoons Afterschool Program run by Westchester Jewish Community Services at the Edward Williams School in Mount Vernon. Her weekly work with these children led to close personal relationships and had a visible impact on her tutees, both academically and socially. Determined to see that impact continue beyond elementary school and aware that there were no after-school programs for these children in middle school, Schnitzer created Climb Mount Vernon, a program specifically designed to address that gap. Fundamental to Climb Mount Vernon's success, is the commitment of the students involved, both mentors and mentees. The Scarsdale High School mentors Schnitzer has recruited commit to work with one or two middle school kids weekly over the full three-year stretch of middle school. Kate also formed the Climb Mount Vernon Club at SHS. The club fundraises for essential items needed for the after-school program and for field trips to support the material being covered in the weekly sessions at Climb. Kate's enthusiasm for helping other students also extends to her own community where she is serving her second year as a Scarsdale High School Civic Education advisor to underclassmen.

Sue Peppers, Assistant Principal at Scarsdale High School, nominated Schnitzer and state the following on her application. "Kate has given much of herself to her school and her community, and has found joy in the giving," said Peppers. "She cares deeply about the students she works with, and when she sees inequity, she is proactive to realize change."