No Waste ~ No Hunger

These projects represent the work I am doing to help bring notice to the issues of food waste and food insecurity.  Our world has been programmed to "look the other way" - ignore our "superconsumerism" and ignore the fact that a large portion of our neighbors don't have enough to eat.  I'm working to stop this passive approach and promote action - to understand these issues and meet them head-on with a solution.  If my 11 year old son can do it and create the Pleasantville Community Garden - so can I.  So can all of us.  We just need to understand and make a change.

Project 2.  Director of Development 

 

One of the agencies that the Pleasantville Garden donates to, Hillside delivers food to 2500 men, women and children who cannot get to a food pantry - due to illness, age or work status.  Kathy Purdy, the Founder and Executive Director, has done an amazing job of carrying out this mission for the past 18 years.  Since 2009 and the recession, her budgets have taken a hit and I'm working to help her increase her financial support so she can securely help her current clients AND be able to take on the more than 100 families currently on her waiting list for help.  I've brought in new corporate clients (Blue Sky Studios; Boies, Schiller & Flexner LLP) and new Foundational support.  I've secured additional new funding, sponsors for Hillside's annual fundraising gala and corporate volunteer events for new partners to get involved.  

Project 1.  Pleasantville Community Garden

 

Described on the "About" page, this project is on-going and although I continue to play an Executive Director role overseeing the growing in the gardens, I've now created a structure - volunteer organization, youth management team and Board of Directors - so that I can focus my efforts on other projects.  My role has become chief partnership developer - working on partnering with area companies, groups, organizations, teams and the like.  This has yielded new donations, new pools of volunteers, more press, more supporters and new ideas.  I believe this program has the ability to continue to grow and to influence other towns, groups or organizations to build similar programs to help stem food waste and help provide nutrition to those in need. 

Project 3.   Consulting

 

Based on the work we've done on the Pleasantville Community Garden, I've been in contact with a number of groups who would like to replicate our project - to create a garden to be maintained by volunteers, grow vegetables, donate at least a portion of the vegetables to local food distribution groups.  I'm honored to be able to help these groups, including:

- Mohawk Day Camp - this camp in White Plains, NY has an existing large garden but is not being properly utilized.  Devin and I met the owners at an event and we're currently consulting with them on garden layout, what to grow and how to educate the campers about hunger in Westchester as well as growing.  Mohawk expects to donate much of what is grown to Hillside Food Outreach and we will help make this happy through the volunteers of the Pleasantville Community Garden.

- Town of Bronxville - building a garden next to their farmers market with a similar purpose to ours

- Phelps Hospital - building 3 gardens - for seniors, children at a daycare center and for rehab patients at their main facility.  

- Town of Mt Pleasant - volunteer considering building a similar garden to ours

- Pace University - have an existing garden - hoping to donate to local pantries as program grows

- Episcopal Charities - Gave a webinar on 2 dates to help teach programs how to add nutrition - either  growing or gathering - to their existing programs - including summer camps, schools, food pantries, etc. more than 40 representatives from various programs attended the 2 seminars. 

My Current Projects