You're Invited: RSVP - Fall/Winter 2022

You’re Invited : RSVP

Written by

Members of RSVP for

Members of RSVP

Editor-in-Chief

Lew

Koflowitz

Executive Editor

Wendy Armstrong

Newsletter Committee Advisors

Cheryl Brandwein

Jacqueline Cannino

Charling Fagan

Jill Harper

Publisher

Volunteer New York!

220 White Plains Road Tarrytown, NY 10591 c/o Tony Fasciano vol@volunteernewyork.org

READ THIS ONLINE AT: VOLUNTEERNEWYORK.ORG/RSVP

Volunteer New York! is an AmeriCorps Seniors grantee that has been host of the RSVP program in Westchester for over 50 years. Thank you to the tens of thousands of RSVP of Westchester members who have served since 1972.

Additional support for RSVP of Westchester is funded in part by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, New York State Office for the Aging, and the Westchester County Department of Senior Programs and Services.

To learn more or join RSVP visit volunteernewyork.org/adults

Director’s Message

Hello, Dear RSVP Members!

Happy Holidays! And it is indeed a happy season, as volunteering is experiencing a post-pandemic comeback!

Most of our stations are ready to welcome RSVP volunteers to their posts again! Have you been in touch with the nonprofit where you were volunteering in early 2020? Might you consider exploring a different opportunity? As you may recall, with the American Rescue Plan funds, we are addressing lost learning. Those four nonprofit partners need your talents, too! How about assisting with a feeding program at The Carver Center? The article on the Carver Center in this issue describes their good works and volunteer opportunities. I encourage you to make a call!

Next, let’s relive our glorious RSVP 50 luncheon through the article and photos. On May 18th at the Tarrytown Marriott, 150 of us gathered, and what fun we had! Everyone felt the happy vibes in the room as we reunited after so many months apart. RSVP members: stand up and take a bow for the part you played in 50 years of impressive volunteer action! Your skills and knowledge are the core reasons why RSVP of Westchester is going strong today. I am so proud to be your director!

Expect to see in-person events going forward as we trend back to the prepandemic days and more! Do you have any volunteer inspired poetry or prose you’d like to share? Please send it our way (and make sure to read the previously submitted poems by RSVP members on the next page).

Since it’s still 2022, let’s continue to say, “Happy Anniversary to Us!”

Warm wishes,

Wendy Armstrong

Director, RSVP of Westchester

Volunteer New York! 914-227-9318

The Power of A Volunteer

BY JACKEE CANNINO

To be selfless and kind and sharing a smile To “make someone’s day,” even just for a while

To remember it’s better to give than receive To realize in life we have more than we need

To find the joy in what we can share To give assurance to others we’ll always be there

To hold a hand, to lend an ear To know family and loved ones are not always near

To know that time, so precious to us all To take several minutes, if only to call

To respect community and commit to service To remember that, to each of us, there is a purpose

To make it simple, to make things clear To see the power of a volunteer

BY PATTI CHATTMAN

A reading mentor . . . A volunteer . . . . Wait! Am I going to be able to do this? What would it be like? Would I be okay for this? I opened the classroom door . . . I was shaking . . . Oh no! Could I?

Then I saw him, a little 6 year old boy

A scared little 6 year old boy

And then . . . And then . . . the magic started to happen And suddenly, suddenly, my heart opened up wide . . . My inner voice said, “Reach out! Reach out! To him!” My heart started to speak to me You can help him, now! You can help him . . . More magic . . .

For I needed more than anything, at that moment To help that little boy to trust me Then . . . we sat down together I spoke to him and to myself. “Okay, so let’s do it!” I asked him, “Can you help me? I bet we can do this . . . ”Together.”

Then I opened the book and oh no . . . The magic was waning

As that little face was frozen in fear He spoke up. ”I am not a good reader . . . ” I responded, “I am not sure that I am, either.” Then, to him, “Can we try? I bet we can do this . . . together.”

Suddenly the magic returned! That small child smiled . . . a big smile

My inner happiness exploded Yes we could work! Yes, we could read! Yes, we could learn! Together

And now . . . my inner shaking of 20 minutes before, vanished! My little student trusted me . . . ! Then, suddenly, oh,no!

Our session needed to end for the day And as I handed him a sheet of reward stickers As his smile met my smile, I asked him “Can we do this again next week . . . ? Together?”

He nodded. And as we parted I told myself, “I did it!”

As I left the building I asked myself, “Who learned more today?

“My first day?

“That once scared little boy, or me?

To give so much, and receive more in return To use what you have, giving others to learn

Jackee Cannino reading “The Power of a Volunteer” at our May 2022 RSVP 50th anniversary celebration!

Poems by Members of RSVP of Westchester!

Lew Koflowitz Editor-in-Chief & RSVP Member

EDITOR’S CORNER

By Lew Koflowitz

Dear fellow volunteers,

It is my privilege to present to you the Fall 2022 issue of You’re Invited: RSVP. We are very proud of the issue, which is filled with a range of interesting and useful information.

The keynote article covers the successful, well attended luncheon in May celebrating the 50th anniversary of RSVP of Westchester (See cover image and page 6). If you were at the event, you’ll recall the enthusiasm in the ballroom of the Westchester Marriott that day. If you did not attend, you’ll learn the details of the event, and the plans that made it a success.

Wendy Armstrong, in her Director’s Letter, mentions several other subjects covered in this issue: The Port Chester Carver Center, which will be

Thomasenia Myers Featured Fall 2022 RSVP Member

celebrating 80 years of service to the village’s residents and the opportunities to assist students in recovering from learning lost during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Then read the profile of Thomasenia Myers, the new chair of the RSVP Advisory Committee, who has been volunteering for more than 20 years, and is an inspiration to us all.

Finally, support your efforts to become more physically fit while enjoying yourself: The Meet & Move app from Northwell Health provides listings of dozens of available physical activities in Northern Westchester.

Thank you to all those who contributed to this issue – Jackee Cannino, Jill Harper, Sha Fagan, and Cheryl Brandwein, Tony Fasciano, and Wendy Armstrong. Please let us know of subjects you would like to see covered in future issues of You’re Invited: RSVP.

THOMASENIA MYERS: PUTTING VOLUNTEERING FRONT AND CENTER

By Sha Fagan

Thomasenia

Myers, the new chair of RSVP’s Advisory Committee, taught American literature, writing, and women’s studies at SUNY Purchase for 25 years before retiring to embark on a long journey of volunteering.

She was attracted to volunteering for both personal and pedagogical reasons. “When I think about my history of volunteering, I’ve chosen work that was directly connected to experiences which, at the time, affected me personally,” Thomasenia says. “My first volunteer work was in health and education. Later, my passion for the arts and individual empowerment led me to volunteering in those areas.” After a bout with walking pneumonia, which took her two years to fully recover, she took a strong interest in heart-related issues. This led to her first volunteer effort — with the American Heart

Association. She then volunteered with the American Diabetes Foundation. Though only borderline diabetic at the time, Thomasenia knew that diabetes disproportionately affects people of color. The message that diet and exercise are major components of reducing the impact of the disease was vital information to impart to her audiences in schools, churches, and community organizations.

Self-Empowerment and Volunteering Altogether, my volunteer focus has transitioned from “me, to others, to we,” she says. “I have a strong belief in self-empowerment. I am deeply enriched by supporting people to mobilize their strengths, and how they can advance themselves while helping others.”

“Whether in a professional or personal situation, if someone says they are ‘at loose ends,’ or they’re bored, or they don’t know what’s next, I almost always encourage volunteering,” she adds. “How do you choose what to do? — begin with what you’re interested in, passionate about, or work on some new skill you want to explore. There are many places to offer your help.”

In mid-2007, she was offered the position of Program Coordinator for YSPEC. After she recruited and developed a staff of ten volunteers, the group worked to find employment for home health aides, drivers, handymen and clerical workers.

While developing her own administrative skills, Thomasenia created alliances with the YWCA of Yonkers, the Yonkers Board of Education, and the Will branch of the Yonkers Public Library. These partnerships enabled YSPEC to offer classes in computer skills and panel discussions for mature job seekers — all these offerings provided by volunteers. The effects of the 2008 recession forced YSPEC’s closure in 2009.

Alternatives to Violence Project

Thomasenia’s commitment to assisting individual empowerment within community, led her to volunteer (2016-2018) for the Westchester area Council of AVP (Alternatives to Violence Project), an international organization dedicated to “dealing with conflict and violence in new and creative ways.”

Volunteering in the Arts

Thomasenia’s love of art and her part-volunteer/partpaid work as an independent curator of several fine arts shows in NYC and Westchester, led her to rent a studio at Arts Westchester in White Plains. At her studio, she experimented with creating abstract paintings and collages that were strongly informed by the literature she taught. For over three years, Thomasenia served as a volunteer Arts Ambassador for Westchester Arts. She visited grant-funded artists working in schools and community centers, observing and evaluating artists teaching visual and performance arts to elementary and secondary school students, and adults with developmental disabilities.

Working with Seniors

At the end of 2006, Thomasenia learned of YSPEC (Yonkers Senior Program Employment Council), sponsored by Family Services of Westchester. YSPEC was designed to assist people 55+ find jobs.

Her growing interest in older people in need of work, and her belief that staying engaged in paid and/or volunteer work is essential to overall mental and physical wellbeing as we age, led Myers to volunteer for six hours a week at YSPEC. She answered phones and did job development for several months.

Having been previously trained in conflict resolution, Thomasenia received additional intensive training as a volunteer group facilitator, and later a trainer-facilitator for AVP. The focus of the Westchester Council of AVP is to send its volunteer facilitators into local prisons to teach and train inmates to employ conflict resolution. Thomasenia understood the important need within prison settings, but she believed that the AVP model could be beneficial to people in schools, camps, and community organizations. She successfully lobbied for this idea, and AVP Westchester began outreach to those in need of their model before encountering life-altering difficulties.

Thomasenia came to RSVP in August 2018 in search of a new volunteer opportunity. She accepted an invitation to become a member of the RSVP Advisory Committee in January 2019. Since then, she has volunteered as a Conversation Partner, helping ESL (English as a Second Language) students at Westchester Community College. Thomasenia most recently helped chair RSVP’s 50th Anniversary Celebration (see related article in this issue).

As newly elected Chair of RSVP’s Advisory Committee, Thomasenia looks forward to learning more about the talents each Committee member brings. It is her hope that collectively, the skillsets of Advisory Committee members will lead RSVP to continue to thrive as it reaches out to more volunteers and organizations needing helping hands.

A VERY SPECIAL RECIPE: CREATING THE RSVP OF WESTCHESTER 50TH ANNIVERSARY

LUNCHEON

By Jackee Cannino

Ilove

reviewing and collecting recipes, browsing cookbooks and cooking magazines...and trying out some in my ever-growing collection. On Wednesday, May 18, 2022, I unexpectedly added a very special recipe to my repertoire. In attending RSVP’s 50th Anniversary Luncheon, I acquired the recipe for orchestrating the most perfect celebratory event!! As with many meals prepared by compassionate chefs/cooks, the day was created with love, care, humanity, and dedication.

The planning of this celebration of 50 years of community service began with Steering Committee members Thomasenia Myers and Christine Plazas, Co-Chairs, as well as Wendy Armstrong, Tony Fasciano, Lew Koflowitz, Sharon McKenzie, Sherry Saturno, Lou Schenkel, Abbe Stein, Caryl Weinstein, and Rob Wingate sharing their vision, dedication, and excitement...and putting it into action at the Westchester Marriott in Tarrytown.

Jeanette Gisbert, Executive Director of Volunteer New York!, presented RSVP 50 Awards to our dedicated volunteers and station partners in celebration of their service, collaboration and partnership. Ann Kachmar and Duke Searles received awards for “15,000 Hours [of service] and Beyond,” and Joseph Rodriguez for “Variety in Volunteering.” Lynn Reichgott graciously accepted the “Decades of Dedication” award, which was a hand-crafted wooden cutting board. The board was masterfully crafted by RSVP volunteer Moshe Rabinowitz, who modestly stated: “It’s my hobby. I like to make things.” When asked about RSVP’s 50th Anniversary Celebration and receiving the “Decades of Dedication” award, Lynn said: “It was a wonderful, celebratory day. I was very honored to receive the award, especially coming from RSVP, an organization which

Presentations, Proclamations, and Awards

Beyond the warm welcome from those at the registration tables, came awards, presentations, entertainment, proclamations, and a delicious lunch. Westchester County Executive George Latimer offered a proclamation, as did Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano and the County Board of Legislators. RSVP also received a Citation from New York State’s Office of the Aging. On May 24, 2022, our 50th Anniversary was acknowledged on the jumbotron outside of the Westchester County Center.

Wendy Armstrong, Director, RSVP of Westchester, and Thomasenia Myers, RSVP Advisory Committee Chairperson and VNY! Board Member, contributed to the accolades and presentation of awards. The “Champion Collaborator Award” was given to FSSY (Family Service Society of Yonkers, formerly known as JCY). Madeline Finesmith, FSSY Volunteer Recruitment and Public Relations Manager, stated: “FSSY was honored to receive the Champion Collaborator Award. I am in full agreement that FSSY and RSVP have yielded amazing results over the years that have tremendously

I DON’T KNOW ABOUT YOU, BUT I LOVE RECIPES!

benefitted both organizations. It has truly been a symbiotic relationship!” The Hugh Doyle Senior Center’s Executive Director, Phillis Maucieri, graciously accepted the award for “Sustaining Station.” Phillis was supported by members of the New Rochelle Parks and Recreation Department, which oversees the Hugh Doyle Senior Center.

Music, Culture and Poetry

The day’s perfect recipe for success was “drizzled” with music, culture, and literacy. Luncheon guests were entertained with music by the “Men on the Hill” band. Greenburgh’s Evergreen Club entertained with talented Chinese dancers dressed in traditional costumes. The Evergreen is an Asian American Club that offers Tai Chi, singing groups, English instruction, and other programs to its members.

Prior to the event, RSVP sought entries from local poets (RSVP members and their friends). The subject matter of the poem was to include the compelling power of volunteerism and service. I was honored to have had my poem selected as the winning entry and enjoyed sharing it with luncheon attendees. You can read submitted entries on page 3 of this edition of You’re Invited: RSVP. In recognition of friends, family, and community, it was noted that Karen Schatzel, a daughter of one of RSVP’s original members, was in attendance, as were Harold and Evelyn Bolling, who were celebrating their 50th Wedding Anniversary.

Remembrances and celebration included a colorful slide show highlighting RSVP 50 and its history, and each attendee was welcomed with a mug commemorating RSVP’s special day.

The Perfect Recipe

At this beautiful luncheon, volunteers, stations, and their directors/ managers were honored, celebrated, entertained, and acknowledged. The perfect recipe for RSVP’s 50th Anniversary Celebration included just the right amounts of love, compassion, dedication, enthusiasm, and vision.

MEET THE PORT CHESTER CARVER CENTER: MEETING COMMUNITY NEEDS FOR 80 YEARS

By Lew Koflowitz with contributions from Jill Harper

Building

Brighter Futures.” That’s the mission of the Carver Center in Port Chester. The Center, whose history dates back nearly 80 years, serves a wide range of the needs of children, teens, adults, and seniors residing in the village. And it’s one of the most recent additions to RSVP of Westchester’s nonprofit stations for recruitment of senior volunteers.

It was originally founded in 1943 in a small storefront as an after-school program for African American children whose parents worked in wartime defense plants. In the years since, it has grown to a multi-program provider of services to residents of the community, no matter their race, gender, nationality, age, ethnicity, religion, or sexuality. It is named after the famed African American scientist, educator and inventor, George Washington Carver. Today the Carver Center now occupies the former YMCA building on Westchester Avenue in Port Chester and will soon celebrate its 80th anniversary supporting the needs of the community. One major program, the Carver Market, distributes food to residents and is open to the public three days a week.

Current programs specifically for seniors include a weekly Dinner@Noon community meal on Saturdays, which will run through December. In addition, senior aquatic classes will be back on the schedule soon, in the only public, heated indoor pool in Port Chester. Classes will be offered to individuals 60 and over.

Demographics of Port Chester

The Center notes that while “Port Chester is a vibrant, culturally rich community,” “the village’s demographics have changed drastically since the 1940’s. Then, it was a town of European immigrants, along with a smaller community of African Americans. Today, 70% of the residents are first- and second-generation Latinos from Mexico, Central America, and South America. In all, the village represents over 40 different countries. That’s the community that relies on Carver.”

Carver Programs

Carver Center has been at the forefront in serving this population to help them to achieve “brighter futures.”

ON LEFT

The first Carver Center that was built in 1943 on Traverse Ave in Port Chester

BELOW

The current Carver Center on Westchester Ave in Port Chester

A SAMPLE OF THE CARVER CENTER’S PROGRAMS & SERVICES:

CARVER MARKET

The Carver Market has served as a much-needed supplemental food source for families to survive between paychecks or when SNAP benefits [food stamps] don’t stretch enough to cover their grocerybuying needs. During the Covid pandemic, when so many parents were out of work, the number of clients served went from about 350 households a month to about 1,500 a month. During that period, the Carver Market was no longer a supplemental resource – it was a lifeline for parents who were out of work and children who were learning from home with no access to afterschool meals. About 10,800 family visits to the Market were recorded in the 12 months ended June 30, 2022.

CARVER’S FOOD SERVICE PROGRAM

Carver Center provided a Summer Meal Program for Port Chester School District children and families through a federally funded, state-administered program. During the 2021-2022 school year, more than 1,000 students received meals provided by Carver’s Food Service Team. This included the total number of children enrolled in Port Chester’s three elementary schools, the after-school programming at the Middle School, and the teens who were participating in Carver Center’s Teen Center activities. 151,911 meals were served during the school year.

AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAM

The mission of Carver Center’s After School Program (CAP) is “to successfully contribute to the learning and healthy development of children,” the Center says. “Our CAP Program provides academic support, enrichment opportunities, social-emotional and recreational outlets, along with nutritious meals in a safe and nurturing environment. Our After School and Teen Programming is designed to make learning a rigorous and enriching experience.”

CITIZENSHIP CLASSES

Carver Center runs Citizenship Classes for adults seeking U.S. citizenship where English is not their native language. “Students in the class learn about American history and government as they prepare for the civics portion of the U.S. Citizenship exam,” the Carver Center says. “In addition, students practice their English language skills as they prepare for the reading, writing, and speaking portions of the exam. By the end of the course, students are familiar with the structure of the Citizenship interview and are more prepared for the civics and English portions of the exam.

VOLUNTEERING AT THE CARVER CENTER

There is so much more to the Carver Center’s offerings than can be cited in this article. A visit to the Center’s website at carvercenter.org will give you a more complete picture.

The Carver Center is actively seeking volunteers, specifically for its Carver Market operations. In the past year, volunteers at the Center gave more than 4,500 hours collectively. Carver Center is developing new volunteering opportunities for RSVP members. “We welcome RSVP members to join our dedicated group of volunteers,” encourages Gina Nocco, Sr. Director of Operations. If you are interested in volunteering here, you can search Volunteer New York!’s website at volunteernewyork.org, or by contacting Gina Nocco at gnocco@carvercenter.org or 914-305-6038.

THE BOTTOM LINE

The success of the Port Chester Carver Center is demonstrated by the number of individuals and families served each year, by the four-star (out of four) rating given to it by the Charity Navigator program; and by the many local and regional organizations that have partnered with Carver to provide services to the Port Chester community. You can also check the Carver website for the dozens of Carver Partner Organizations.

RSVP PARTNERS WITH FOUR WESTCHESTER NONPROFITS TO COUNTERACT

“LOST LEARNING” DURING THE PANDEMIC

By Cheryl Brandwein

A HISTORIC OPPORTUNITY FOR RSVP MEMBERS TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE

The Covid-19 pandemic has created a global and local crisis for children. Students across the country have fallen behind in critical skills including language and reading development. Children in Westchester County have not been immune from lost learning and other effects of the pandemic. Student experiences during the pandemic have varied greatly based on school closures, remote access, and home learning environments. Many students did not have reliable internet connections or access to tools required for remote learning. Many students’ caregivers had jobs that did not allow them to work from home or offer needed support. Students who were most affected were already behind their peers even before the pandemic. The added learning losses have pushed them back even further.

Students’ mental and physical health have also been impacted by the social isolation of school closures and remote learning. Students are suffering high rates of anxiety and depression and have had reduced access to a reliable source of nutrition. Some students lost loved ones and family members to the pandemic. The most vulnerable students continue to experience the steepest setbacks as gaps in access to resources and support systems have continued to widen.

RSVP to the Rescue!

RSVP members have a critical role to play in this oncein-a-lifetime moment – a historic opportunity to engage and re-engage with K-12 students suffering from lost learning, and to support our local community. Volunteers are vital assets in the global effort to bridge these wide education gaps and provide needed academic, social, and emotional support and mentoring for children.

RSVP volunteers are always a valuable resource, but particularly so during this moment in history. With your help we can stem the tide of lost learning and reverse the course for students who have been negatively impacted by the pandemic, paving the way to a brighter future for this next generation.

American Rescue Plan Grant

RSVP of Westchester is a proud recipient of federal American Rescue Plan (ARP) funds earmarked to address lost learning. This grant is dedicated to engaging volunteers and mitigating the educational impact of school closures as well as other detrimental effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on children in Westchester County. The grant will help us recruit RSVP volunteers for this historic initiative, creating partnerships with four select Westchester nonprofit organizations that work with students in considerable need of one-on-one support.

We have partnered with four outstanding nonprofit organizations to engage intergenerational tutors and mentors:

The Family Service Society of Yonkers (FSSY)

FSSY is one of Yonkers’ largest nonprofits focused on community support for the most vulnerable Yonkers families and individuals through a wide variety of programs and services. FSSY’s exemplary literacy, academic and homework-help programs provide public school students in the Yonkers, White Plains and Ossining school districts with the most up-to-date approaches to personalized tutoring and mentoring. FSSYs Summer Reading Buddies program at local libraries is designed to prevent the “summer slide” loss of literacy skills that students often experience during the summer break.

Lifting Up Westchester (LUW)

Lifting Up Westchester respects the dignity and full potential of every individual and assists those struggling to overcome the challenges of poverty, homelessness, hunger, health, and education. LUW’s Next-Generation Education programs work with children of all ages on a continuum of academic and social support programs to provide literacy and learning skills and academic enrichment for at-risk students experiencing homelessness to increase their reading ability to grade level and beyond.

The Mount Vernon Youth Bureau (MVYB)

The Mount Vernon Youth Bureau’s Safe Haven Afterschool Program provides academic support in the core areas of English and Math at the Grimes and Cecil H. Parker Elementary Schools in Mount Vernon to help prepare students for middle and high school. The objective of the program is for students ages 7-12 to have an alternative and safe place offering free homework assistance and enrichment activities that allow for children in lowincome families to experience positive youth development opportunities that would otherwise not be available.

Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS)

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Westchester County (BBBS) is an affiliate of Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, the oldest and largest youth mentoring organization in the world. Its mission has been to help Westchester County children realize and reach their potential through professionally supported oneto-one virtual tutoring and mentoring relationships. BBBS operates under a Big/Little model, matching adult volunteers (“Bigs”) with children (“Littles”). These meaningful and enduring relationships have proven to positively change Littles’ lives. Male volunteers are urgently needed for this program.

WESTCHESTER STUDENTS

NEED YOU! Please join this historic effort by contacting Cheryl Brandwein at cheryl@volunteernewyork.org or 914-227-9302.

INSIDE “MEET & MOVE” APP

By Lew Koflowitz

As the threat of contracting Covid-19 has diminished over the past year, we have all tended to go out more and more -- to visit friends and relatives; eat out; attend meetings, shows, concerts and movies; participate in sports and other physical activities, and of course, volunteer.

Northwell Health has decided this is the right time to introduce a new app that provides residents of Northern Westchester with information on a wide range of sports and physical fitness activities, and volunteer activities that they may not be aware of.

The app – Meet & Move – launched this past April. It is the brainchild of Joel Seligman, the former CEO of Northern Westchester Hospital (NWH) who is now Vice President, Regional Initiatives for Northwell Health, which acquired both NWH and Phelps Hospital in recent years.

The idea behind Meet & Move, says Seligman, is to help people become more physically fit by informing them of the vast number of physical activities they can participate in. “Focus groups demonstrate that more and more people in their 50s to 80s are interested in increasing their activity levels,” Seligman says. “Meet & Move” is a major contribution to meeting this need.”

Seligman notes that there are many activities in local parks, preserves, fitness centers and even libraries and senior centers that people don’t know about. He adds that most of these activities have capacity to accommodate more people. “Meet & Move” lets you know about them.

Inside “Meet & Move” you will find listings of hundreds of activities that are available to residents every week in Northern Westchester. The listings are organized by types of activity, and by level of capability – beginner, intermediate, and advanced. Northwell researchers have combined the information from dozens of organizations that provide sports and other fitness activities, as well as volunteer opportunities, in the region into a single large database. Volunteer opportunities are derived in part from the relationship between Northwell Health and Volunteer New York!.

Most users of the app are surprised at the number of potential activities that are available on “Meet & Move” that they knew nothing about, says

The app is free to download on your phone; all you need to do is register with the app. After you register, you can log in and select any of the activity types that you are interested in, and you will receive information about what’s available in the coming days and weeks in those activities. You can further customize your results by the level of difficulty of the activity.

Try it; you’ll like it. According to Seligman, close to 1,000 Westchester residents are using “Meet & Move,” and more are signing up every week.

Still Here

by Langston Hughes

I been scarred and battered. My hopes the wind done scattered Snow has friz me Sun has baked me. Looks like between ‘em they done Tried to make me Stop laughin’, stop lovin’, stop livin’ But I don’t care! I’m still here!

THANK YOU!

Despite everything we’ve been through the last few years, we appreciate you and the way we can count on you (more than you know). Thank you for being what makes RSVP of Westchester such a special force for good in our community!