Scarsdale Teens Lend a Hand, Grant for AFYA and SHS Blood Drive

Kate Schnitzer, Marlee Baumberg, Jacob Stein and Sam Goldstein, all residents of Scarsdale, helped out with 70 Jewish and Catholic teens to pack 140 cartons of nonperishable food for the food pantry run by the Bronx Jewish Community Council (BJCC), a UJA-Federation beneficiary agency. BJCC's food pantry, which operates on a walk-in basis and serves anyone in need, is the third largest in the borough and the only one open five days per week. The pantry has been seeing more clients since Hurricane Sandy created additional need in the area.

"This year's event is really special. It's great to work with teens from the Catholic community; we share an interest in responding to the needs of those who are hungry in our own backyard," says Marlee Baumberg, 16, of Scarsdale. "Working together to really make a difference is exciting."

Bound by a shared imperative to bring dignity, healing, and hope to all New Yorkers, the UJA-Federation and Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of New York have joined forces to leverage their vast networks to deliver 1 million meals to the hungry, literally multiplying their impact.

About UJA-Federation of New York: For more than 90 years, UJA-Federation has been a central force for communal planning and philanthropy in the New York Jewish community. Through UJA-Federation, almost 60,000 donors pool their resources to help people in need, inspire a passion for Jewish life and learning, and strengthen Jewish communities around the world -- to address the issues that matter most to Jews and New Yorkers. For information on how to donate or how to volunteer, visit http://www.ujafedny.org.

Photos courtesy of UJA-Federation of New York

AFYA Receives Grant from the Robin Hood Foundation to Provide Medical Equipment to NY Medical Clinics

The Afya Foundation, a large medical supply recovery organization in the Greater New York area, has been awarded $200,000 by the Robin Hood Foundation to assess needs and provide medical equipment to fifty medical clinics serving low-income, immigrant communities in Sandy-torn Brighton Beach, Staten Island and Coney Island. By reopening these practices with Afya's help, more than 25,000 New Yorkers will resume medical care in their local neighborhoods.

"We're proud that the medical equipment and supplies we're providing through the Robin Hood Relief Fund grant will help reopen critically-needed medical practices and change the lives of people still suffering after Hurricane Sandy," said Danielle Butin, founder and executive director of Afya. "As we know from our work in Haiti over the last three years, a physician's ability to ensure well-delivered, local healthcare in the wake of a disaster ultimately impacts long term recovery and the future of a community."

Hurricane Sandy further eroded limited services provided to the communities helped by this project. Among these populations are Brighton Beach's large Russian immigrant community, lower income groups in Coney Island (one of the poorest areas of Brooklyn) and Staten Island's diverse immigrant population from places like Italy, Ireland, Russia, and Puerto Rico.

"The Robin Hood Relief Fund is proud to work with the Afya Foundation and to help them provide desperately needed services to communities that have been devastated by Hurricane Sandy," said Sarah Oltmans, senior program officer of the Robin Hood Foundation. "Afya's cost-effective solution will make a real difference in improving the lives of tens of thousands of New Yorkers struggling to rebuild their lives."

About the Afya Foundation: Inspired by the land, the people and the language, the name Afya is the Kiswahili word for good health. Founded in 2007, Afya has shipped nearly one hundred 40-foot containers holding more than 4 million pounds of medical and humanitarian supplies, with a combined value exceeding $23 million, to more than 30 countries. To facilitate these efforts, Afya has established a regional program to collect medical supplies from numerous venues around the New York area. The Afya Warehouse in Yonkers serves as a temporary supply storage facility where the supplies are sorted, inspected, boxed and packed for shipment by volunteers.

The Afya Foundation depends on volunteer donations to sustain its mission to save and rehabilitate lives at home and abroad. To donate, please visit afyafoundation.org/donate.html.

Annual Blood Drive at SHS:

The sophomore class of Scarsdale High School will conduct the school's annual Community Blood Drive on Wednesday, March 6 from 8:30 am to 2:30 pm. The Blood Drive will be held in Gyms 1 and 2 in the High School, and will be administered by medical professionals from White Plains Hospital.

A photo ID and Social Security number are required to make a donation for everyone 17 years of age or older; 16-year-olds may donate if they also bring written parental permission in addition to the other documents. The consent form for 16-year-olds can be picked up in Jessica Levenberg's office, Room 376 prior to the blood drive.

Everyone who donates blood will receive a "Scoop Card" good for a free scoop of ice cream from All Good Things, located in the Golden Horseshoe Shopping Center.

Scarsdale Girls Celebrate 14th Birthdays with Gifts for the Edward Williams School

To celebrate their 14th birthdays, Haley Sontag, Kallen Cohane, Sydney Frydman and Ally Wollach asked their friends to contribute school and art supplies for the children at the Edward Williams School in Mt. Vernon. For the last year and a half the birthday girls have been tutoring elementary school children at the school on a weekly basis through the Amazing Afternoons program, a beneficiary of Westchester Jewish Community Services (WJCS). On Wednesday February 13 they delivered a load of supplies to the children at the school and were greeted by Tashiyah Watkins and Crystal Boache.