The NYC-area PSYCHOS will once again support iEatGreen & The River Fund in an annual effort to provide families in need with a holiday meal, food pantry items, toys for children, and warm clothing for all.
FIRST: We need volunteers to help prepare a warm Italian Dinner (featuring Baked Ziti, Caesar Salad, Garlic Bread, Brownies, and Apple Pie). This takes place at the iEatGreen Homestead (17 Pinetree Lane, Old Westbury, NY) during the days of Sunday (12/17) and Monday (12/18). Many shifts are available.
NEXT: We will select volunteers, with preference given to those who have helped prepare the meal, to serve and support the public giving effort at Rufus King Park in Jamaica, Queens on Tuesday, Dec 19th.
To learn about which shifts are available &/or to join, please contact Vanessa (917-561-8903) or email volunteer@worldwidepsychos.org
GIFT & CLOTHING DONATIONS APPRECIATED!
Additional information from iEatGreen:
We have had a lot of success in asking the community to use this opportunity to clean out your jewelry boxes and donate those items that you no longer wear. Polish them up and put them in a box, or bring them here and we will box them up for you. These make great gifts for the older children who no longer want toys, but would be thrilled with a new pair of earrings or necklace.
We will also take “like new” stuffed animals and other children items for gifts. I am doing a big call out for WINTER COATS, HATS, GLOVES, SCARFS, BOOTS, SOCKS, BLANKETS, SLEEPING BAGS, TOTE BAGS, TOILETRIES, and TOWELS. Anything to help keep people warm, as the winter approaches.
We need all sizes, so please help us collect from your friends and family. All gift and clothing donations can be dropped off at the iEat Green Homestead in Old Westbury, through Monday, December 18th.
If you prefer to make a monetary donation, donations can be sent to; The River Fund-NY, 89-11 Lefferts Blvd., Richmond Hill, NY 11418. The River Fund Food Pantry is a 501-c3 organization, so your donation is tax deductible.
For further info, call Bhavani at 516-238-3616.
...and more from River Fund:
Among the tens of thousands of beneficiaries we serve annually, at least 40% are children—a key demographic within our client-population.
Throughout the year, the RIVER FUND does things for children living in poverty that help to give them a “sense of normalcy.” What does that mean? Most children in poverty know that their situation is not normal. They can see how other people live, and they are deeply aware of their own disadvantages. Sometimes small gestures make a big difference: A turkey on the table at Thanksgiving, a gift at Xmas or a present for their birthday. These little things help children in poverty to grow up feeling that they are also “normal,” like other kids. They help prepare their minds to see the world as a place that is available to them too. And only a mind that can see opportunities, can break the cycle of poverty. That’s why it’s so important.
The Holiday Season is a particularly heavy lift “on both sides of the line” as we say here at the RIVER FUND. At this time of the year, a “sense of normalcy” for kids in poverty means getting a present—it's that simple... and it's that challenging, too.