Initiatives
We look at Education, Food Needs, Kindness to Children, Support for Seniors
WEEKEND FOOD BACKPACK PROGRAM
This highly-sought program provides food to underserved students who experience food scarcity on weekends, holidays, snow days and vacations when the school cafeterias are closed. School Principals and Parent Coordinators identify children/families who need this weekly food supplement. The backpacks, typically filled with beans, rice, pasta, sauce, cereal, granola bars, canned fruit and more are given to the students at the close of school on Friday afternoons; the backpacks are returned on Monday and the cycle continues.
NOURISH THE SERVICE
While hard to imagine, some military families worry about putting food on the table. In addition to facing deployments, time away from family and friends, and moving every few years, military families are struggling financially. It’s a hidden crisis that has existed for years inside one of the most well-funded institutions on the planet and has only worsened during the coronavirus pandemic. As many as 160,000 active-duty military members are having trouble feeding their families. That estimate by Feeding America, which coordinates the work of more than 200 food banks around the country, underscores how long-term food insecurity has extended into every aspect of American life, including the military. The exact scope of the problem is a topic of debate, due to a lack of formal study. But activists say it has existed for years and primarily affects junior-level enlisted service members — ranks E1 to E4 in military parlance — with children.
The Staten Island Giving Circle, in partnership with Blue Star Families are working together to address food scarcity on Staten Island with the development of a food and essentials closet, located on Fort Wadsworth that will be open twice a month.
ADOPT-A-PANTRY
“All you can eat” unfortunately doesn’t apply to everyone. Food deprivation is a huge issue and continues to grow. Our Adopt-a-Pantry plan, mirroring the “Adopt-a-Highway” concept, encourages business people, organizations and/or individual donors to commit to a monetary donation to a local food pantry of their choice (there are nearly 40 food pantries on Staten Island). Monetary commitments can be one-time or spread over a timeframe of months selected by the donor. We have raised over $30,000 for the pantries since commencing this program in early 2013.
FOR THE LOVE OF LITERACY
Food is an on-going issue, and so is LITERACY. And the two are linked. A child cannot learn on an empty stomach. No one functions well without food. And people cannot function satisfactorily when they cannot read. Illiteracy is almost a hidden problem and people who cannot read or who have difficulties reading, spend their lives pretending and dismissing their deficiency.
It is a fact that if a child has not become literate by Grade 3, the likelihood of reversal is bleak. Then people whose first language is not English run the risk of never learning to read/write in English. Many factors contribute to the base problem and we have begun construction of a new initiative (2020) to help people learn to read. We have put together a blockbuster team of highly- educated teachers/leaders, most of whom are bi- lingual and multi-lingual to form two base groups (one for children and one for adults).
TEACHERS’ CLOSETS
For years, we have collected and distributed backpacks and supplies for children returning to school. But because this is such a popular project, many organizations have started their own collections. What we found, though, was that after the initial glut of supplies in September, as the school year progressed, the underserved schools continued to run into need as new children enrolled or children lost their supplies. We have begun our Teachers’ Closets program which supplies a classroom teacher with $500 worth of goods to parcel out throughout the year when the needs arise. We are made aware of specific classroom needs by teachers.
ROOM MAKEOVERS
Community Beautification is essential for a thriving population. Our unique idea of painting and enhancing community rooms/conference rooms flourished when the pandemic left these big areas vacant/unavailable to groups. Through a stroke of good fortune, we became acquainted with Jose Mendez of JM Custom Art Studio. Jose is an extraordinarily gifted artist. Jose speaks to the organizational committee directors to get an idea for an appropriate mural and then he gets to work to create unbelievable replicas of these requests. To see a catalog of what Jose has completed for the Giving Circle to date (end of 2021), please go to our website and click on “Room Makeover” photos.
MONTHLY CHARITY RAFFLE
Since our inception in 2008, one of our most unique projects has been our $10/ticket charity raffle at the end of each monthly meeting. Absentees can also participate. The winner of the monies collected choose the charity of his/her choice to which the monies are sent. We have collected and distributed over $100,000 to a myriad of charities this way. If more than $500 is collected in the charity raffle in an evening, we have two people split the pot.
RANDOM ACT OF KINDNESS AWARDS
Last year (2015), we started an initiative allowing members to nominate worthy recipients to receive $100 random acts of kindness. The recipient can remain anonymous but many times the Giving Circle “giver” can inform our group of what the need is and who the recipient is as a human interest story. This program has given lifts to many people who just need a little boost.
MONTHLY COLLECTIONS
This effort evolved over time and osmosis really. We needed a certain sundry item one month so we asked everyone to bring that item to the monthly meeting. It worked out so favorably that we name an item or two each month now and ask that those who want, bring that “ask” to the meeting. For instance, we have collected adult diapers; food; school supplies; and handmade lap blankets just to name a few.
SCHOOL ENRICHMENT PROGRAMS
One of our primary interests in “giving,” is to provide events that enhance education and learning. We schedule trips to local historical sites (i.e. Lighthouse Museum, Tibetan Gardens) to groups of grammar school-aged children. We collaborate with the school administrators and classroom teacher to organize these field trips.
BIRTHDAY BASHES
The Giving Circle has been hosting bi-monthly birthday parties for the children in Project Hospitality’s shelter facility on Central Avenue for over five years. The Hospitality House administrators provide us with the children’s birthdays, clothing and shoe sizes, and genders and we prepare individualized birthday bags for the children whose birthday fall within the two-month span since the last party. We provide refreshments and games as well. We are currently contemplating birthday parties for Los Promotores children as well.
SEASONAL AND FESTIVE PARTY CELEBRATIONS
In addition to our bi-monthly birthday parties at Project Hospitality, we provide Halloween and Christmas parties to both Hospitality House children and children in the Los Promotores after-school program at St. Philips Church on Bennett Street. We collect Halloween costumes throughout the year and distribute to the children. We provide holiday-appropriate decorations, snacks and small gift bags.
JUNIOR GIVING CIRCLES
Because we feel it is essential for young people to learn about need in their own communities and beyond, we promoted to idea to create Junior Giving Circles in our community schools. This ingenuity has taken hold and become wildly successful. It’s a win-win situation in that the students learn and experience need and giving and the recipients, of course, get some much-needed assistance and attention. The first Junior Giving Circle took root at CSI High School, then I.S. 75, P.S. 42, Academy of American Studies in Long Island City, and this year P.S. 3 on Staten Island will begin its group.
MONTHLY GIFT BASKET RAFFLE
Because it became evident that not everybody has won the charity raffle through the years, we decided to make an offer that would ensure the participant of some extra money to donate to his/her favorite charity. So at the beginning of each new year, we sign up 12 members who want to contribute a gift basket for a specific month. They create a thematic basket and sell tickets ($2/each or 3 tickets for $5) at the meeting. The basket is raffled to the paying members and the monies are then donated to the basket maker’s charity of choice. This has given more people the privilege of sending to various charities.
ANNUAL SWIMSUIT COLLECTION
It came to our attention that children who use the public swimming pools MUST have appropriate swim attire (no jeans, t-shirts, etc.). So one of our ingenious members organized a collection of new swimsuits, towels, and flip flops for these kids so they could swim all summer at the pools. The collected necessities were distributed pool side and very much appreciated. Small locks will be added to the packages next year as they are part of the public pool needs for locker security.
ANNUAL COMMUNITY ICE CREAM SOCIAL
A number of years ago, we initiated annual old-fashioned ice cream social which were held in a private yard. The event was easy and fun and elicited so much interest that it was decided in the summer of 2015 to host the event at the Willowbrook Carousel to be more inclusive of children in our entire community. The idea ignited and is now a very much anticipated highlight. We provide face painters, balloon making expert, music by a local radio station, and a school supply collection. Fidelis Care has reserved (donated the funds) the Carousel for the Giving Circle’s exclusive use on the evening of the event.
USED CELL PHONES AND EYEGLASSES
Constant extra “bring alongs” have been used cell phones and eyeglasses. The cell phones are refurbished to dial only “911” and given to women on the streets. The eyeglasses are distributed internationally.