United Way of Scarsdale-Edgemont Announces 2013 Local Grant Recipients

July 2013 – United Way of Scarsdale-Edgemont is pleased to announce the 2013 Local Presence Program grant recipients. Over $5,000 in grants was awarded following the recommendations of United Way Local Presence Committee Members Janice Cohen (Chair), Sidney Witter, and Alfredo Gonzalez.

These modest grants awarded by United Way’s Local Presence Program help fund local community-based human and health service organizations that do not currently receive United Way funding. Organizations that receive funding share with United Way the fundamental belief that education, income, and health are essential for a better life.

2013 Local Presence Grants were awarded to: Blythedale Children’s Hospital; Duchesne Center at Manhattanville College; Food Bank for Westchester; Grace Church Community Center; Human Development Services of Westchester; and the Scarsdale High School PTA Scholarship Fund.

Blythedale Children’s Hospital is New York State’s only independent, specialty children’s hospital dedicated to improving the health and quality of life of children with complex medical illnesses and conditions. Grant funds will support art supplies for the “Child Life Program,” which uses play therapy to meet the acute psycho-social needs of young patients who have life-altering diseases, degenerative conditions, and serious injuries.

Local Presence funds will support the “Dream Catchers” program at the Duchesne Center of Manhattanville College which aims to give a college campus experience for young adults with disabilities over the age of 18 and their parents. College student coordinators support 10-12 young adults who attend the college once a week and have the opportunity to interact with other college students.

As demand continues to rise, the Food Bank for Westchester will use grant funds to support the purchase and distribution of food through over 200 community hunger relief programs in our communities, helping to feed some of the 200,000 Westchester residents who are hungry or at risk of hunger.

In support of its mission to provide shelter and support for Westchester County’s neediest and most at-risk residents, Grace Church Community Center will purchase netbook computers with United Way support for use by students in their After-School Mentoring Program for homeless and at-risk youth. These Netbooks computers will be used for “BudMath,” an interactive web-based tutoring program to help these students improve their math skills.

This year’s grant to Human Development Services of Westchester provides scholarship support to enroll 4-5 highly motivated adults recovering from psychiatric illness in gym, exercise, swimming, dance, and other physical activity classes and programs. These activities are an integral part of “LifeSPAN”, an agency-wide program adopted in 2009 to address critical health conditions among persons with serious mental illnesses.

Scarsdale High School PTA Scholarship Fund provides one year grants to graduating seniors of Scarsdale High School to use toward their first year of college. These grants are given to need-based students after their families have exhausted all other resources. The Grant funds will be used to further their efforts of encouraging students requiring financial aid to continue their higher education.

About the United Way of Westchester and Putnam

For the past 50 years, United Way of Westchester and Putnam has operated with the fundamental belief that all people deserve a quality education, enough income to support a family, and opportunities for a healthy lifestyle. United Way works with agency partners, government, businesses and community leaders to solve problems that are too complex for any one entity alone. All contributions go toward improving the education, income, and health of the children, youth and families throughout Westchester and Putnam. United Way’s Hudson Valley Region 2-1-1, covering Westchester and Putnam as well as Dutchess, Orange, Rockland, Sullivan and Ulster counties, answers up to 500 calls and 1,000 online inquiries per day ranging from tax, heating, and mortgage questions to childcare, basic needs, natural disaster and crisis calls. United Way of Westchester and Putnam is at 336 Central Park Ave., White Plains, NY 10606. They can be reached at 914-997-6700 or by visiting www.uwwp.org. Follow United Way on Facebook (www.facebook.com/UnitedWayWP) and Twitter (@UnitedWayWP) for the latest news and updates.