Port Chester, Rye Residents Join County-Wide 9/11 Volunteer Effort

Rye and Port Chester residents were among the more than 800 people who volunteered during the Westchseter County and The Volunteer Center of United Way’s “9/11: Serve & Remember” event from Sept. 3-11 this year. Volunteers sorted more than 12 boxes of girls clothing for Family Services of Westchester's The Sharing Shelf in Port Chester.  People from Westchetser, Putnam, Rockland and Ulster also helped prepare medical supplies for shipment overseas, donated pints of blood, wrote hundreds of letters to soldiers, collected food items from HOPE Community Services’ food pantry, donated sporting goods and did much more.

The Clay Arts Center in Port Chester and Rye’s Nature Center also participated in the week of volunteerism. The photo above shows Rye’s Barbara Brown and Port Chester’s Ada Alicia with many others from around the county, sorting clothes at The Sharing Shelf.

Here is more information from a County press release on the event:

 Alisa H. Kesten, executive director of The Volunteer Center, said: "We are delighted at the large turnout of volunteers who donated their time and energy to support local nonprofits as part of 9/11: Serve & Remember. We also want to remind residents in Westchester and the surrounding communities that there are volunteer opportunities year-round, and we are always here to help them connect to activities that match their interests."

For more information on how you can get involved with volunteering, please visit: www.volunteer-center.org.

The Volunteer Center's annual community-wide call to action for the 9/11 Week of Service and Remembrance was made possible thanks to the generosity of Westchester County, United Way of Westchester and Putnam, and Corporate Champions: IBM, New York Life, PepsiCo, Con Edison, Bunge, Journal News Media Group, Mack-Cali, Robison Oil Company, Scent 2 Market, M&T Bank, Regeneron, The Rollins Agency, The Dannon Company, Chubb, Erie Insurance Company, O'Connor Davies LLP, Reader's Digest and RPW Group. 

Participating nonprofits included: Afya Foundation in Yonkers, Arc of Westchester in Mount Kisco, Clay Art Center in Port Chester, Common Ground in Montrose, Dominican College in Blauvelt, Educated Canines Assisting with Disabilities in Dobbs Ferry, Franklin D. Roosevelt State Park in Yorktown Heights, Greenburgh Nature Center in Scarsdale, HOPE Community Services in New Rochelle, Hudson Valley Blood Services (blood drive, Westchester County Center in White Plains), Job Readiness Project, Let's Play It Forward, Inc. (collection spots at locations across Westchester), Meals-on-Wheels of White Plains, Mercy College in Dobbs Ferry, New Rochelle Public Library, Pass It On Kid's Kloset/Westchester Jewish Community Services in White Plains, Pace University in Pleasantville, Putnam Community Action Program/WestCOP, Inc. in Brewster, Richmond Community Services in Yonkers, Rye Nature Center, Family Services of Westchester's The Sharing Shelf in Port Chester, SUNY New Paltz, Support Connection, Inc. in Yorktown Heights, the White Plains YMCA, the White Plains YWCA, and Yorktown Grange #862.

About The Volunteer Center of United Way
Recently awarded a Top-Rated Nonprofit designation, The Volunteer Center's core mission is to inspire, mobilize, and equip individuals and groups to take positive action to address pressing challenges, support nonprofits and strengthen the quality of life in our community.  The Volunteer Center is a one-stop resource devoted to increasing volunteerism in Westchester and our surrounding communities.  We encourage adults to serve, youth to build character, families to bond, young professionals to lead, mature adults to share their wisdom and businesses to support our community. Through organized volunteer projects, as well as by connecting individuals to nonprofit organizations, The Volunteer Center helps people take action to strengthen the quality of life in their community. Over 254,000 hours of service were devoted last year to 500 nonprofits at a value of over $7.7 million. In September 2011, The Volunteer Center was designated one of ten Regional Volunteer Centers in the State of New York, covering the Mid-Hudson Valley.  For more information, visit www.volunteer-center.org.