Woman's Club of White Plains Continues 100 Acts of Kindness

As part of its centennial celebration, the Woman’s Club of White Plains has embarked on its “100 Acts of Kindness” campaign. Philanthropy has long been the mainstay of the mission of the Club and this year it has sought to “step up” its contributions. One of the new additions to its charitable efforts is the bimonthly donation/collection drive for a variety of local organizations. As summer draws to a close, Sue Lynn and Sandy Altman, chairwomen of the campaign note that the Club is well on its way to completing these 100 acts.

Spearheaded by Peg Robinson, one completed project accumulated a total of 144 jars of peanut butter and jelly for a local grass roots philanthropy, “10,000 PB & Js”. PJ Collins, founder of 10,000 PB & Js, states: "On behalf of our volunteers and the neighbors we serve, I'm incredibly grateful for the White Plains Women's Club membership for their thoughtful donation to 10,000 PB&Js. This gift will enable our volunteers to prepare over 1,800 sandwiches for NYC's most vulnerable in the coming weeks”.

Other recent collections were of pet food for the Hudson Valley Pet Food Pantry, an organization that helps the disabled and elderly keep their pets by providing free pet food to them. The Club also contributed to Operation Paperback which collects and supplies books to the troops overseas and stateside. This was a labor intensive project and involved sorting and packaging over 400 books which were sent to individual soldiers. Items were also collected for the Afya Foundation which gathers and distributes used or excess medical equipment to areas of health crises. Dorothy Schere organized this drive and generously donated the use of her garage to store the numerous contributions.

This summer the Woman’s Club supported “Team Scott” in Swim Across America, an annual event whereby swimmers take the plunge to raise funds for cancer treatments and cures. Team Scott is named for Scott McMurray, a former White Plains resident who fought a 3-year battle with a rare cancer. The Club teamed up with the “Team Scott” swimmers at a “Shop & Support” night at LOLA New York, a fashion and accessory boutique in White Plains. LOLA generously donated 20% of all sales from this one night event which raised over $500. Peggy Robinson, chairperson of Shop & Support stated “I am grateful for the opportunity to support this great team in Scott’s honor on behalf of the Woman’s Club”. Dawn Pasacreta, co-owner of LOLA New York said, “We are thrilled to contribute to The Woman’s Club of White Plains in their support of “Team Scott, Swim Across America” and Tony Sibio, Chairman & Event Director for “Swim Across America” Westchester, added “I am exceedingly grateful to The Woman’s Club of White Plains for their generous act of kindness toward this vital cause”.

The most recent collection was for the Hour Children’s Center at the Bedford Hills Correctional Facility, a not for profit organization that has supportive programs for incarcerated mothers and their children both inside Bedford Hills Correctional Facility in Bedford Hills, New York and a transitional housing program for formerly incarcerated mothers and their families in Long Island City Queens. The facility has a program where incarcerated moms can “shop” for gifts for their children for birthdays and other holidays. During the summer, local families sponsor children to stay with them in order to be near their mothers. With so many children visiting, there was a dire need for contributions particularly for teens and pre-teens. The Club had already begun its collection but when it received word that the need was great and immediate, members of the Woman’s Club responded quickly. Within one week, a wide variety of gifts and presents for the children were sent to Hour Children. Deb Rigano at the Bedford facility remarked that they were very grateful for this donation and that every item donated from the Woman’s Club has already been given to a child.

This year the Club has also made the ballroom/auditorium available free of charge to local non-profits for a program or gathering. In February, the Westchester Children’s Aid Society held their 2016 Legislative Breakfast: The Next Generation at the Club and more recently in June, NAMI Westchester, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, held their Annual Meeting and Volunteer Recognition Event there. The club hopes other organizations can avail themselves of the use of the club for one of their events.

In the coming months, collections will include eyeglasses for VSP Global, cell phones for Verizon Hopeline, toys for the WP Youth Bureau Holiday Drive and mittens for Head Start (a practice dating back to the 1970’s!). The Club is also hosting a Community Open House on Sunday, September 11 where several local non-profits as well as supporters of the Club from the business community will be recognized and community groups will be invited to tour the house and learn about the mission of the Woman’s Club. In November, the Gala of the Century will take place as the highlight of the centennial year celebrations.

The Woman’s Club of White Plains is a diverse group of women with a shared sense of civic responsibility and a desire to give back to the community. Its mission is to enhance the lives of others as well as their members by participating in and sponsoring volunteer, charitable and fund-raising activities as well as social, educational and networking opportunities. In addition, the Club is also responsible for maintaining and restoring the historic CV Rich mansion, its clubhouse since 1930. The Woman’s Club believes every woman can contribute to the various opportunities the Club offers and invites women of all ages to join them as they continue their work to improve our communities. For more information about Club events and membership, see the website www.womansclubofwhiteplains.org.