Youth Community Fund Awards Two Grants to Local Organizations
By Spencer Blumenreich
May 19, 2021: On Sunday, April 18, the Youth Community Fund of Bronxville, Eastchester, and Tuckahoe (YCF), a program for high school students to participate in local philanthropy, held its annual grant award meeting. YCF participants raised $8,000 during the school year to provide two $4,000 grants to local non-profit organizations serving youth in the local communities. Five grants were presented and voted upon by YCF members. The winning applications were the Bereavement Center of Westchester's Tree House program and Bundles of Joy.
The two organizations awarded grants provide unique and important services to children in our local community. The Bereavement Center provides counseling to help families grieve after the death of a loved one. The Tree House program focuses on helping children talk through their trauma and has been in existence since 1995. The program's goal is to ensure that each child works through their grief and heals.
Anne-Marie Conlan, Executive Director of The Bereavement Center, stated, "BCW Tree House program is so grateful to be the recipient of the BET Youth Community Fund grant. It was such a pleasure to have the opportunity to explain our program and organization to these poised and professional young adults. Thank you for choosing the Tree House program and for your commitment and diligence throughout the process."
Bundles of Joy's mission is to provide essentials to babies, toddlers, and new parents in critical need. Through community drives and donations, Bundles of Joy helps low-income parents adapt to parenthood by providing clothing, diapers, and other necessities for their children. It provides those in need with these supplies for no cost. The program has had a great impact on those struggling to provide for their children.
Regarding their YCF grant, Adrienne Harper, Founder & Executive Director, stated, "Bundles of Joy depends on its surrounding community to not only take an interest in our mission but to actually put in the work, and that's what the Youth Community Fund does. We are incredibly grateful that the committee sees value in our purpose and is interested in sticking around to make great things happen. We couldn't have asked for a better partnership."
This is the second year of the YCF, a branch of the long-running Community Fund of Bronxville, Eastchester, and Tuckahoe. The YCF's motto is "youth serving youth." Currently, the YCF has over 100 high school-aged members from the BET community who participate in community service and fundraising.
The Evaluation chair, Spencer Blumenreich, along with co-chairs Molly Stoltz and Connor Huang, solicited local agencies in the Bronxville, Eastchester, and Tuckahoe area who provide services to youth to submit grant applications. Once the grant applications were submitted, students from the YCF Leadership and Evaluation teams met with a member of the non-profit over Zoom. The students conducted an interview and reviewed the application to decide if the grant was worth funding.
They looked at several factors in their evaluations, including how the $4,000 would be used, what kind of impact the grant would have, and if the organization was "reliable." They also examined if COVID had negatively impacted the organization or if the program was new. Each group then presented its findings to the entire YCF at the April meeting. The YCF then voted on which two organizations would get grants.
YCF members expressed that the overall experience was "a great one." One member said, "We learned about needs in our community, and each one of us helped to have an impact. Every member of YCF played a different role at some point during the year, which ultimately led to this successful year. We encourage any high school student who resides within Bronxville, Eastchester, and Tuckahoe to visit www.thecommunityfund.org to apply to join for the 2021-22 school year!"
Pictured: Members of Youth Community Fund and Bundles of Joy
Photo courtesy Youth Community Fund
Editor's note: As a public service, MyhometownBronxville publishes articles from local institutions, officeholders, and individuals. MyhometownBronxville does not fact-check statements therein, and any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect the thinking of its staff.
Community Service Organizations Directory
HOME & GARDEN
Bronxville Beautification Council
Organized in 1982, the Bronxville Beautification Council (BBC) is a not-for-profit organization administered by a volunteer Board of Directors. The mission of the BBC is to enhance and maintain the natural and man-made beauty of the village of Bronxville, with an emphasis on the downtown business district.
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Boulder Ledge Garden Club
Founded in 1966, the Boulder Ledge Garden Club is rooted in a mission to inspire a deeper appreciation and love for gardening and flower arranging. The club is dedicated to fostering and promoting interest and knowledge in gardening.
The Club maintains Bronxville’s Bicentennial Park and other civic gardens. In 2019–2020 the club raised $18,000 to replace trees in the village, reflecting its active role in community beautification. It also holds garden therapy projects and educational garden trips for members.
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Bronxville Giving Garden
The Bronxville Giving Garden is a community-centered garden that donates organic produce to Eastchester Community Action Partnership in Tuckahoe and Community Service Associates in Mount Vernon. The garden is also a gathering place where school children and volunteers can discover the joy of tending plants and growing food.
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Bronxville Green Committee
The Bronxville Green Committee is a volunteer organization that is part of the Village of Bronxville. It proposes and implements environmentally sustainable programs in our community.
You can contact them HERE.
SCOUTING
Bronxville Boy Scouts
The village of Bronxville has a long tradition of scouting. “The troops and packs of Bronxville have maintained the finest scouting organizations and have taught the boys of the Bronxville area to be leaders and outstanding members of the local, national and global communities.”
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Bronxville Girls Scouts
The Girls Scouts is “the world’s preeminent organization dedicated solely to girls where, in an accepting and nurturing environment, girls build character and skills for success in the real world.” In Girl Scouts, “girls discover the fun, friendship and power of girls together. Through the many enriching experiences provided by Girl Scouts, they can grow courageous and strong.”
Here is more information about girl scouts.
HISTORY
Bronxville Historical Conservancy
Inspired by the highly successful Bronxville Centennial Celebration in 1998, the Bronxville Historical Conservancy was founded to record and preserve Bronxville's history and life in the village today.
BRONXVILLE SCHOOL
Bronxville School Foundation
The Bronxville School Foundation, founded in 1991, is a non-profit organization independent from the school with the sole purpose of supporting the school.
The mission of the Bronxville School Foundation is to enhance the quality of public education in our community by engaging the support and energies of educators, citizens, parents, students and alumni.
The Foundation awards grants for projects
CLICK HERE to learn more.
LECTURES, EXHIBITS, CONCERTS
Bronxville Women's Club
The Bronxville Women’s Club offers lectures, exhibits and concerts. It also has a beautiful clubhouse which is available for rental for events.
135 Midland Avenue
Bronxville, New York 10708
914-337-3252
Concordia Conservatory
Concordia Conservatory, a preeminent center for music education in Westchester and Fairfield Counties, is a welcoming community where children and adults find lifelong inspiration and joy through learning, performing, listening to, and participating with others in music.
The Conservatory’s mission is to inspire, instruct, and enrich lives through music offering excellence in education and performance.
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COUNSELING
Counseling Center
Founded in 1971, the mission of the Counseling Center “is to provide a wide range of psychotherapeutic and counseling services to individuals, couples and families by a staff of highly trained, experience and dedicated psychotherapists.
The Counseling Center
180 Pondfield Road
Bronxville, New York 10708
914-793-3388
www.counselingcenter.org
SERVICE & VOLUNTEERISM
Community Fund of Bronxville, Eastchester & Tuckahoe
The mission of the Community Fund is “to support broad social services in Bronxville 10708, Eastchester and Tuckahoe through grants and technical support to local agencies and community projects. All money raised here in our community stays here in our community.”
15 Park Place
Bronxville, New York 10708
914-337-8808
www.thecommunityfund.org
Junior League of Bronxville
The Junior League of Bronxville is “an organization of women committed to promoting voluntarism, developing the potential of women and to improving the community through the effective action and leadership of trained volunteers. Its purpose is exclusively educational and charitable.”
Rotary Club of Bronxville
The Rotary Club of Bronxville is part of a national network of 1.25 million problem-solvers. They see a world where people unite and take action to create lasting change – across the globe, in our communities, and in ourselves.
READING & LEARNING
Friends of the Bronxville Library
The Friends of the Bronxville Library is a not-for-profit membership association whose mission is to focus attention on the “Library’s services, facilities and needs” as well as sponsor projects and provide materials that are beyond the reach of the Library's regular budget and perform other services.
SENIORS
Gramatan Village
Gramatan Village is a unique community model offering programs, services and social connections that help members continue to live independently in their homes as they age. In addition, GV offers one-on-one consultations and counseling with our experienced staff to guide members through life’s transitions.
Senior Citizens of Bronxville
Senior Citizens of Bronxville is a not-for-profit organization that provides services and programs to seniors within the 10708 zip code area. “Programs cover a wide range of activities from educational seminars and cultural enrichment to community services, bridge classes and exercise.”
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