Volunteers 2011 - Herald Community Newspapers

June 9, 2011

"The best way to fi nd yourself, is to lose yourself in the service of others." ~Ghandi

CELEBRATING

LOCALHEROES

The people behind the scenes

Each year, thousands of people give the most valuable gifts of all. They give their time. They give their talents. They give of themselves. They give something back to the community to make things a little better for someone else and to make Long Island a better place to live. Volunteering is an American tradition that has made an immeasurable contribution to communities, organizations, and the lives of those around us. Today’s volunteers are active, dynamic, creative individuals who possess the skills, desire, patience, and time to accomplish a wide variety of tasks. Consider these timeless words from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.: “Everyone can be great because anyone can serve. You don’t have to have a college degree to serve. You don’t even have to make your subject and your verb agree to serve... You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love…” It is in this spirit that the Herald once again introduces our readers to some of the many people and organizations in our communities who give of themselves to help others. These are people that the Herald salutes as ‘local heroes’.

This special section features the stories of some of our many local volunteers, highlight-ing what they do and why they take the time to help. Our ‘local heroes’ are individuals who come from all walks of life, from different backgrounds, and make up a vital part of the daily life our communities. But they all have something in common: a desire to reach out to others and make a difference. And make a difference they do. They do it not for reward, or recognition, but to respond to others in need.

In the spirit of volunteerism

Volunteers is an advertising supplement tothe HERALD Community Newspapers.

Copyright © 2011 Richner Communications, Inc.

Published by Richner Communications, Inc. 2 Endo Blvd., Garden City, NY 11530 (516) 569-4000

HERALDCommunity NewspapersPublishers

CLIFFORD RICHNERSTUART RICHNER

EditorKAREN BLOOM

Vice President of SalesRHONDA GLICKMAN

Editorial DesignerNICOLE KIVIRTZIKIS

JEFF NEGRIN

Sunrise Day CampThe Friedberg JCC’s Sunrise Day camp wel-

comed volunteers to a planting and clean-up day in April, to help get the campground ready for the summer camping season. The camp for chil-dren ages 3-16 is the only dedicated day camp in the nation for children with cancer.

The supportive staff and loyal volunteers contribute to make Sunrise Day Camp a place

of hope and joy for all those who participate in its summer and year-round programs, all pro-vided free of charge. Among the many who vol-unteered their time and efforts to beautify the Henry Kaufmann Campground were Jenna Talesnick (holding flowers), with Lily Pollard (middle) and Marcia Talesnick (right), along with Assistant Camp Director Amy Pilott (sec-ond from right) and other staff members and volunteers who participated in the clean-up effort.

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Congratulations to

Ponte TeramoOn All of Your Accomplishments and Service

to Our Club and Our Community Throughout the Years

Five Towns Kiwanis ClubP.O. Box 429 • Hewlett, NY 11557

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HEWLETT HOUSEResources, Support, Encouragement & Hope

86 East Rockaway Rd. Hewlett(516)374-3190

Yana Cherepashenskaya,our Volunteer of the Year,

sets the example of what makes us proud of our next generation

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FRANKLIN SQUARE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

(516) 775-0001

Salutes All our Volunteers and Local Heroes

We support our neighbors.

We are locally owned.

We are locally operated.

We are here to serve you.

www.franklinsquarechamber.org

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VOLUNTEERS CELEBRATING LOCAL HEROESAnnette Gray, Valley Stream Annette Gray is recognized by Dr. Joseph Pompilio, principal of Central High School in Valley Stream and the entire Cen-tral High School community for the count-less hours she devotes to the PTSA of Cen-tral and Memorial schools. “Annette has contributed thousands of

dollars toward scholarships in both schools through her employee contribution pro-gram.” Dr. Pompilio says. “More important than money, Annette spends many hours organizing the annual PTSA fashion ahow, which is a huge undertaking. The fashion extravaganza involves student models, hun-dreds of guests, and fine dining. The fashion ahow raises money for scholarships. Lastly, Annette is a very positive person and makes hope and success contagious.”

Bob Coopers The Tempo Group honors Bob Coopers for his commitment to the community. Bob grew up in Teaneck, N.J. where he was not only a star soccer player (all- state) but an excellent student. He contin-ued to excel at Brown University, where he received his undergraduate degree. Later Bob attended and received his MBA at the Wharton School. Bob worked his entire professional career as an accountant at Ernst and Young, where he achieved partner status. After 32 years of employment, he happily retired. This allowed Bob the ability to pursue his biggest passion – spending time with his family. He is married to Tina and loves spending time at the beach and in the Berkshires, always having room for the entire family – his daughter Abigail and her husband David, his grandsons Alex and Daniel, also Pamela and Josh

and Cary and Sarah. No matter what their needs are, he is always there for each and every one of them, offering support and love. He takes the greatest interest in everyone’s likes/dislikes, knows all their friends and all the things that are impor-tant to each of them. It is his love of children and family that also found expression through his associa-tion with Tempo Group. As a father, a neighbor and a friend, he came to realize the value of Tempo Group’s family systems approach to the struggles we face in our community. Bob has served as President, Treasurer and is currently the Chairman of the Finance Committee. Because of his efforts and the organization he mentored, families in the-community truly understand the honor the Tempo Group has in counting Bob among those that devote themselves in service to others.

Atria Tanglewood Atria Tanglewood honors the many vol-unteers in the community, including resi-dent volunteers. Among these many out-standing residents is one who teaches an exercise class to the other residents, others who teach ESL to the Atria staff under the direction of Barbara Fabrizio, along with

special needs children who assist in the dining room, Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts who assist with activities, and Dancing with the Tanglewood Stars with Mary Sweeney, as well as local volunteers who help in numerous other activities within the community. Atria Tanglewood would like to thank and congratulate all of them for their hard work and dedication.

Colleen ButtColleen Butt and her class of children

with special needs from New Hyde Park High School have been volunteering for Family and Children’s Association for close to 10 years. Ms. Butt brings her class to the Family and Children’s Association’s office approximately three to four times per month to help out with mailings and resource development projects.

Her class of six students puts together public relations mailings, special event mailings and other office-related proj-ects. “Their volunteer work supports the activities of Family and Children’s staff and allows the agency to do more work for the good of Long Islanders in need,” says Joyce Mullen, director of Marketing & Communications for Family and Chil-dren’s Association. “Ms. Butt and her stu-dents arrive with smiles on their faces and

complete their assigned tasks in a very timely and professional manner. Family and Children’s Association is proud to nominate Colleen Butt as our local hero.”

Cara A. Lee, Long Beach Cara A. Lee, of Long Beach, is an active member of Girl Scout Troop 2170 who has dedicated her time and efforts to help those less fortunate. She recently coordi-

nated a collection of new and gently used sports equipment to be sent to the chil-dren at St. Vincent de Paul School in Haiti. Cara collected over 300 pieces of sports equipment, and purchased additional items with the $200 cash donation she received. The items were scheduled to be shipped to Haiti in early May.

The East Rockaway Chamber of Com-merce salutes Charles Lunenfeld, owner of The Fishery Restaurant in East Rockaway, for his outstanding contributions to the com-munity and for being chosen as “Man of the Year.”

Besides overseeing his thriving restau-rant, Lunenfeld is actively involved in better-ing the lives of East Rockaway residents. He serves as Vice President of the East Rocka-way Chamber of Commerce, where among other things, he assists with coordinating numerous fundraisers throughout the year, including one for Juvenile Diabetes.

Lunenfeld assists the village of East Rockaway in planning their marquee events, including the Oktoberfest, the Stars and Stripes Festival and the pre-

prom party for high school seniors.The East Rockaway Chamber of Com-

merce honored Lunenfeld as Small Busi-ness Person of the Year on Oct. 15, 2010.

Carlos Caban, Valley Stream Carlos Caban has dedicated his life to the Scouting movement, devoting his time and energy to the youth of Valley Stream. He is currently the committee chairman for Cub Scout Pack 367, and an Assistant Scoutmaster for Boy Scout Troop 116, both from Valley Stream. A former Scout him-self, Carlos' children have followed their father’s lead; his two sons have achieved Eagle Scout rank and his daughter is a Gold Scout (Girl Scouting’s highest rank). Carlos has been volunteering with Cub Pack 367 for approximately 15 years, and with Troop 116 for over 20 years. He is a constant presence in the Scouts' lives, and a true example of what Scouting is all about. He is selfless and unmatched in his dedication to his Scouts. He coordinates and volunteers at all Scouting events his

Scouts take part in. He is also involved in Scouting on a county-wide basis, serving as a member of the Sagamore Service Troop, a group of Scout leaders who volunteer their services to various units across the county; a mem-ber of the Order of the Arrow, a group which dedicates itself to the service of oth-ers, and as a Scout Commissioner, involved in training and educating adult leaders. Carlos is a recipient of the Theodore Roosevelt Council’s District Award of Merit, the National Boy Scouts of America Silver Beaver Award, and the 2010 Valley Stream Scout Leader of the Year Award. Not only is he respected and admired by his Scouts, he is also loved by them. The way that the boys react to him, regardless of their age, is a very special thing to see.

Chris Anderson, Lynbrook The Lynbrook Chamber of Commerce

honors Chris Anderson for his many con-tributions to his community. His roots to the community go back decades to the business his father started many years ago on Merrick Road.

Chris can be described as a humble man, who is deeply involved in many activ-ities including securing funding for veter-ans and supplying vehicles to transport medical supplies to vets. He supports all

Chamber of Commerce events with either funding or his presence. He supports all fundraising for local charities and spon-sors two or three classic car shows in Lyn-brook each year. As a Chamber board mem-ber, he gives invaluable assistance to those chairing different events with his knowl-edge, wisdom and his time. The Lynbrook Chamber of Commerce is proud to recog-nize Chris’ many accomplishments.

Craig Spatz, WoodmereThe Woodmere Merchants Association

salutes Craig Spatz. Craig has 18 years of experience working in banking and finance. Currently a Group Director and Senior Vice President at Signature Bank’s Woodmere office (since 2004), Craig is no stranger to private client/high net worth personal banking. Having come from Fleet/Bank of America where he served as a Vice President and Branch Manager, he joined the company in 1992 in the manage-ment training program, serving eight of his 12 years at Fleet/Bank of America in the Five Towns Communities of Cedar-hurst, Hewlett and Lawrence.

He is a member of both the Hewlett Business Association and the Woodmere

Merchants Association.Craig is the President of the Five Towns

Community Chest, an 80 year old foundation that funds local health and human service agencies that strengthen and support fami-lies, help children and youth succeed, assist the frail and elderly, and provide vital servic-es to special needs children and adults. Addi-tionally, he serves on the Board of Directors of Let All the Children Play, which creates universally accessible playgrounds and inclusive programs that allow children with disabilities to play side-by-side with their able-bodied peers helping to promote friend-ship and acceptance.

In his spare time, Craig is an avid runner and swimmer.

Charles Lunenfeld, East Rockaway

June 9, 2011 — HERALD COMM

UNITY NEWSPAPERS — VOLUNTEERS

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Eric Keslowitz, of North Woodmere, is no stranger to the business and philan-thropic communities. Self-employed at Cy Psyon Company, Keslowitz is a scion of the corporate and personal promotions busi-ness. Having grown up in Far Rockaway, Queens, he learned the importance of community and giving back at the feet of his father Bernard and his late mother Marilyn. Eric is the Chairman of the Five Towns Community Chest, an 80 year old founda-tion that funds local health and human ser-vice agencies that strengthen and support

families, help children and youth succeed, assist the frail and elderly, and provide vital services to special needs children and adults. Additionally, he serves on the Board of Directors of The Jewish Community Center of the Greater Five Towns. Also, he is involved with Congregation Sons of Isra-el, where he is the Fundraising Chair, and is a former Director of the Hewlett-Wood-mere Little League Association. In his spare time, Eric is a devoted fam-ily man to his beloved wife Jamie of 22 years, his children Adam, Drew and Josh, as well as his dogs, Cosmo and Willow.

VOLUNTEERS CELEBRATING LOCAL HEROESDebbie Brimlow Hirschberg, East Rockaway Fiscal competence and community spir-it are two of the many attributes that describe Debbie Brimlow Hirschberg, who was honored by the East Rockaway Kiwan-is as its 2010 Person of the Year. The East Rockaway High School gradu-ate, who lives in East Rockaway with her husband of 29 years and two children, has served her community in many capacities over the years. As the Branch Manager of Capital One Bank’s East Rockaway branch, Debbie

brings her fiscal experience to her exten-sive involvement in the community. She has served as Treasurer of the East Rocka-way Chamber of Commerce, the Village Foundation of East Rockaway, the Cape Cod Homeowners Association, and East Rockaway Kiwanis. She is a former Presi-dent of the East Rockaway High School PTA and was honored by the PTA with a Life Membership Award. She currently is the President of the East Rockaway Cham-ber of Commerce. Debbie was also a founder of the E.R. Chamber of Commerce and helped orga-nize the Chamber’s first “Networking and Awards Night.” She was named Business Person of the Year in 2006.

Eleanor Jobbagy, Lynbrook

Eleanor Jobbagy has been a member of the Per Sempre Ladies Lodge #2344A, Order Sons of Italy in America (OSIA), in Lyn-brook sfor 30 years.

During that time Eleanor has served in various Council positions, including serving as President for four years from 2001 to 2005. She has worked on and chaired many Lodge committees including Membership, Scholar-ship, Nominating Committee, Psychic Night, and Military Bridge to name just a few. In addition, during her term as president, the Lodge sponsored Operation Shoebox, where it reached out to the Lynbrook community and sent numerous boxes of needed supplies to our men and women in the Armed Forces.

Since the Lodge moved to Lynbrook dur-ing her presidency, the Per Sempre Ladies Lodge has been a donor to the pantry at Our Lady of Peace Church and has participated in Awards Night at Lynbrook High School where it presented the Dante Medal and a monetary gift to a student who excels in Italian.

Currently, on a state level, Eleanor serves as Trustee for the New York State Grand Lodge, OSIA, and has also served as the Hofs-tra Liaison for NYS OSIA since 2007. In addi-tion, she serves as the co-chair of the New York State Grand Lodge Walk for Education and Culture, which is held each May at Eisenhower Park, the proceeds of which are used to help fund the New York State Schol-

arship Program. She is also involved with the State Membership Committee and was instrumental in bringing a new Lodge into the Order this spring.

Eleanor also contributes to Commission for Social Justice (CSJ), which is the anti-def-amation arm of OSIA, where she serves as treasurer. The CSJ is specifically designed to combat defamation of Italian Americans and others. She is part of a committee, which organizes a solidarity, breakfast each year with the B’nai B’rith.

Among Eleanor’s many accomplish-ments, it was during her term as President that the Per Sempre Ladies Lodge joined the Lynbrook Chamber of Commerce. She became a Director and continues to serve in that capacity.

Deborah Watman, Woodmere

Kulanu is proud to recognize an incred-ible young woman, Deborah Watman as a “Local Hero.”

Deborah volunteers at Kulanu’s Sun-day Activities Program for children with special needs. She is an outstanding assis-tant who works with children of all abili-ties. Deborah has a kinship for the older group, which happens to be the most behaviorally challenged. She is kind, com-passionate and understands the needs of the developmentally disabled population. The children love to be with her – she is quiet, calm and fun to be with. She helps the program leaders whenever necessary. She is an amazing asset to the program and a role model to the younger volunteers.

Deborah has been with Kulanu since she was in the sixth grade. Some of her friends invited her to come along one Sun-day, and since that day she has been a part of Kulanu! In addition to the Sunday pro-gram, Deborah worked in the day camp for two summers as a general counselor and assisted with the swim program. When asked what she has gained from her Kulanu experience, Deborah said that she has more sensitivity and understanding of special needs individuals.

Deborah is a senior at SKA High

School and lives in Woodmere with her parents and brothers. (Deborah’s older brother also volunteered at Kulanu).

After graduation, Deborah plans to spend the next year at Migdal Oz in Israel. The following year she will attend the Queens College Macaulay Honors Pro-gram where she will be a pre-med major. Deborah hopes to apply her medical stud-ies in some way to the special needs popu-lation.

In addition to her academic honors, Deborah has talents in music, athletics and languages. She studied piano since she was in first grade, is an avid runner and is fluent in both Hebrew and Spanish. All in all, Deborah is a well-rounded stu-dent with her future in check!

Kulanu is so fortunate to have Deborah Watman on its team. She is indeed a hero – locally and wherever she goes!

Dylan Bien, LynbrookDylan Bien, captain of the Lynbrook

Junior Fire Department, is honored by his family as someone who makes a difference in the lives of others. The 16 year-old plays football and lacrosse at Lynbrook High School. “Not only was he a key player on defense to help Lynbrook High School win “The Long Island Championship,” but most recently on Apr. 15, 2011, he became a hero!” reports his mother Cathy Bien.

“He was home with his sister and was leaving the house to go out with his friends,” his mother relates. “As he started out the door he smelled a strong odor of smoke. He called to his sister that it smelled like a fire. He started to investigate and real-ized the house across the street had a chim-ney fire with three to five foot flames shoot-ing out of the chimney. He called to his sis-ter to call the fire department and ran across the street to our neighbor’s house, running in the door and telling all six fami-ly members to “get out of the house your house is on fire.” Everyone got out safely

and the fire was put out with minimum damage to the house due to Dylan’s heroic actions. I really believe it is the training that he receives as a junior firefighter that gave him the knowledge to save this family what could have been a horrific ending. Most kids his age would have ignored it all but not Dylan – he is truly a hero!”

Eric Keslowitz, North Woodmere

The Lynbrook/East Rockaway Soccer Club honors Guy Punzi as its “Volunteer of the Year.” Over 14 years ago, Guy began with the organization quite simply, as a parent volunteer and coach as his two daughters participated on numerous teams. His role then expanded and took on added responsibility. For the last 10 years, he has served as President and Registrar of the not-for-profit organization and guided the club to unprecedented membership lev-els. In fact, this spring, the club will serve over 850 children. The club will also award an all-time high eight scholarships to grad-uating senior varsity soccer players from the local high schools to continue their education.

Guy’s leadership was instrumental in creating two unique programs for the club this spring – a U-5 Pre-K Program and a TOP Soccer Program, to bring the game of soccer to children with disabilities. This past fall, two travel teams won their divi-

sions, but just as important to Guy was the fact that the club also had six teams earn Sportsmanship Awards for their divi-sions (triple the average of most clubs).

Whether you see him at his customary white folding table at Bay Park on Satur-days during intramurals or on the pitch coaching a U-10 inter-town team or lining the fields on Friday nights when no one is watching, Guy Punzi is the club’s Volun-teer of (Every) Year!

Guy Punzi, Lynbrook

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Gary Port is considered to be a true local hero in his community of West Hempstead. He is not only a founding member and two-term past President of the West Hempstead Chamber of Com-merce and spent eight years coaching West Hempstead Little League and soft-ball, but is the Scoutmaster of Boy Scout Troop 240.

In his year and half as Scoutmaster, Port has doubled the size of the troop and graduated six Eagle scouts, with two more awaiting their boards of review. In his role as Scoutmaster, he is always patient and has time to mentor every child in the troop. Despite a busy sched-ule with his legal practice, Scoutmaster Port never misses a Monday night meet-ing and has only missed the monthly camping trip when it conflicts with his Army Reserve duty.

Yes, in addition to everything else, Scoutmaster Port is also a Lieutenant

Colonel in the Army Reserve. Port’s many accomplishments are recognized by Boy Scout Troop 240 and the many community members who are honored to know him.

Hewlett-Woodmere School District’s Community Service Program

The Hewlett-Woodmere School District honors their “10 and 11 year-old local heroes” from the Woodmere Middle and Hewlett Elementary Schools. These dynamic young people have donated their time and talents performing for their schools’ Community Service Program. Pic-tured from left are Andrew Pareles, Michael Migliano, Mathew Pareles, Eliza-beth Maday, and Eddy Maday.

The children participate in concerts for senior citizens, who enjoy having the kids

with them. They have performed locally at Sunrise Assisted Living in Lynbrook and at Atria Tanglewood in Rockville Centre, and as far away as Peconic Landing in Green-port. They also spend time with the seniors after these programs. This has truly made the seniors happy, along with the children. The young musicians have performed three times so far this spring and will continue to be involved in community service through-out high school. They were welcomed back by all!

Herb Maletz, North BellmoreHerb Maletz, of North Bellmore, is hon-

ored for his devotion to the community’s local youth sports organizations. He has given years of his time to children of North Bellmore, as a coach in the NBNM

Little League and the NBNM Basketball League. “He deserves to be recognized for the countless hours of volunteering he does,” says North Bellmore resident Beth Stein.

Gary Port, West Hempstead

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VOLUNTEERS CELEBRATING

LOCAL HEROES

When it comes to volunteers, the Hewlett-Woodmere Parent Teacher Association is simply second to none! This dedicated group of women – and men – give tirelessly of their time, efforts, and enormous talents with only one purpose in mind – the health, happiness and academic success of all students at Hewlett-Woodmere Public Schools. The PTA provides all of the school dis-trict's parents and families with a powerful voice to speak on behalf of every child, while providing the best tools for parents to help their children be successful students. The Hewlett-Woodmere PTA members far exceed the typical duties associated with PTA organizations. From organizing book fairs, plant sales, holiday celebrations, and fundraising efforts, to serving on numerous academic, safety, transportation and district committees, the Hewlett-Woodmere PTA never lets the students down. No task is ever too great for these PTA volunteers! They are always among the first to rec-ognize and celebrate the many academic, athletic and artistic achievements of the

community's students. In addition, the Hewlett-Wood mere PTA provides an annu-al scholarship to one college-bound high school senior. Guided by the Central Council presi-dents, the PTA works hand-in-hand with district administration, teachers and staff, often providing valuable insight and opin-ions to help the district continue to provide excellence in education to all students. The PTA maintains a presence on the district website, which has quickly become an important destination for parents to receive information on upcoming events, seminars, special education forums, and much more. The Hewlett-Woodmere PTA gives new meaning to the word “volunteers.” They are integral and invaluable members of the Hewlett-Woodmere Public Schools family. The District salutes ALL of its PTA vol-unteers, and thanks them on behalf of the entire community!

Hewlett-Woodmere PTA

Ilene Schuss is known as a "local hero" to family and friends in her community. After losing her own husband and seeing how few groups there were for young wid-ows and widowers, she started one of her own. In no time at all, she had several hun-dred members, owing to her extensive out-reach efforts.

Her group, called the LI/NYC Area Young Widow/ers, is a social group for those past the initial grieving period. Through this, many have made important connections and formed lasting friend-ships and relationships, which is so impor-tant for those who would otherwise be side-lined socially for being without a spouse and, quite often, with children. She now runs an international group for young wid-ows and widowers on Facebook with over 1,400 members, and she periodically hosts free chats for people to air their concerns, seek advice from one another, and discuss relevant topics (particularly around the holidays, which are most stressful without

their spouses around). Additionally, Ilene is an active volun-

teer with Hofstra’s Alumni Association’s Executive Council as their Homecoming/Reunions Committee Chair as well as has helped the UJA-F’s Connect-to-Care Pro-gram offer LinkedIn training to mid-career job seekers.

Ilene Schuss, Oceanside

Janet Fash, Lynbrook Janet Fash is recognized by her friends and family for her many contributions to her community. Fash has been a volunteer member of Lynbrook’s Emergency Medi-cal Co. Ambulance Corp. for years. When not on calls at all hours of the night, she works as a media/technology teacher at a high school in Ozone Park, Queens. During the summer, Janet is a Chief Lifeguard at Rockaway Beach. “Even with all of her jobs, Janet still makes her family her priority,” says her friend Beth Schach-inger. Janet and her husband, Bob, have two children, John and Caitlin. Janet is also an excellent friend and teammate to her pals on the soccer team she plays for, the Lynbrook Lady Force, in the Long Island Ladies Soccer League.

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71Supporting working families by providing nurturing care and quality early education for young children for more than 70 years

Celebrating VolunteersThank you for everything that you do to make the world better

From The Staff, Children and Families of the

Five Towns Early Learning Center112 Wahl Ave.

Inwood, New York 11096516-239-4660

We salute Eric Keslowitz for his dedication and hard work in our community

Five Towns Community ChestBoard of DirectorsCraig Spatz, President 47

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Thank you NCJW for helping our students!

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FIVE TOWNS SENIOR CENTER37 East Rockaway Rd, Hewlett (516)374-4747

Georgiana Wolfson, M.S. Executive Director

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John Gagliardo coached softball and base-ball the past couple of years for Lynbrook Lit-tle League and donated his time to the Cub Scouts and United Way. John was 43 when he passed away this April.

Many people volunteer their time the way John did. But it takes a unique individual who perseveres through extreme personal hardship. Five years ago he was diagnosed with Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF) and more recently, lung cancer. These conditions

made his breathing difficult for him. Yet, he never let on how serious his conditions were and always found time for others. The week-end before his final surgery, he led infield practice for his daughter’s softball team for two hours.

As a Director at Bank of New York Mellon, he was a mentor to a fairly large number of people. He did this on his own volition and not as part as a company organized program. Recently, he managed a United Way cam-

paign. He was a fund-raising captain and organized a casino and games night. Many of the games (i.e., ring toss, basketball shooting, etc.) he built himself.

His volunteerism also extended to less for-mal means. A friend of his had this to say:

“…I have a friend who was recently diag-nosed with lung cancer and I asked Gags for advice on a doctor. He got right back to me and gave me recommendations and then he offered to speak with her and give her advice and tips from his experiences. With all he was going through and dealing with, he was still willing to help out a complete stranger. And

then whenever I saw him he checked up on how she was doing. Always thinking of others.

A hero is one who thinks of others before his own well being. John certainly fits into this definition. A man who enthusiastically devoted his time to others when his own per-sonal health was so impaired. He will long be remembered in the Lynbrook/East Rockaway community for his grace, courage, class, honor, and the way he enthusiastically did everything in life. We lost a true gentlemen and friend. He will be missed by all who knew him."

VOLUNTEERS CELEBRATING LOCAL HEROES

Johanna Mathiesson, director of Art-ists in Partnership, is honored for her many contributions to the cultural life of Long Beach, through her organization that brings free concerts and art events to the community. She plays an integral role in Art in the Plaza (a Sunday series that runs May through October), the Barrier Beach Blues Festival, Folk-2-Funk Festival, and other AIP-related events, including a cabaret series. Many children, elderly, and people of low income are serviced by these free events, which offer art, music, dance, poet-ry, and more. “Johanna deserves recognition by her peers for all the great work she does,” says Benjamin “Benoir” Metzger, of the band

Dreamer Cult. She has served as director of the Harri-et Eisman School, which helps kids 16-21 obtain a high school diploma, and is cur-rently involved with developing program-ming at Long Beach High School.

John Gagliardo, Lynbrook

Johanna Mathiesson, Long Beach

Kelsey Soskel, Hewlett Kelsey Soskel a 16 year-old junior at Hewlett High School, demonstrates a con-cern and commitment to helping those in need. Kelsey has spent countless hours over the last three years helping clothe and feed those less fortunate. Kelsey runs the Rock N Wrap It Up Foundation at Hewlett High School, which feeds and clothes the homeless. She is the only member of Hewlett High School on the Youth Advisory Board for the Inter-faith Nutritional Network, which also feeds the homeless. She has also organized efforts to send countless supplies to our troops in Iraq. Her family and friends, along with the community, salute her tire-less efforts.

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would like to honor all of our volunteers who dedicate so much of their time to helping others:

Thank you!

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Atria Tanglewood

Mary SweenyMarge Koehn

Connie Heck Shaw



Mercy Medical Center salutes its more than 1,000 volunteers – all of them heroes to Mercy's physicians, nurses, staff and, most of all, to patients and their families.

Their tireless dedi-cation is exemplified by Richard Kraeger of Rockville Centre and Lawrence Doyle of West Hempstead.

Mr. Kraeger began his volunteer activi-ties at Mercy in 1999, after a long career in newspaper advertis-ing. He has put in some 9,400 hours at Mercy, working four or f ive days each week, in areas as diverse as the operating room, imaging center, and Health Infor-

mation Management Office.Mr. Doyle is a retired Verizon Commu-

nications executive who also served 32 years in the Ar my Reserve, retiring with the rank of Lieuten-ant Colonel. He puts in three or four days each week in the hos-p i t a l ’ s H u m a n Resources Department and has accumulated more than 5,100 hours of volunteer t ime since 1995.

Mercy applauds their efforts, and those of all of the volun-teers who suppor t Mercy's ability to pro-

vide outstanding service in an environ-ment dedicated to compassionate care.


The Five Towns Early Learning Center honors Louise Schindler as its Volunteer of the Year for 2011.

Volunteering was natural for Louise, who has said, “In giving time as a volun-teer, we find that we get back double what we give.”

Louise was a fulltime social worker on staff at Peninsula Counseling Center for more than 20 years. She always loved work-ing with families and was involved in child development programs in the community. As consultant at Head Start, she led tod-dler parent groups in Inwood. When Lou-ise retired in 1994 she found that she missed that part of her life. Bernice Levin, former director of the Early Learning Cen-ter, called Louise and asked her to become

a volunteer at the Five Towns Early Learn-ing Center. She enthusiastically agreed, volunteering her services as a social work-er and consultant. It gave her the chance to be with children and their families and to work with the staff at the Center. She soon became an active, dedicated member of the Board of Directors at the Center. Louise was also an active volunteer at SAIL (Senior Adult Independent Living)

Louise continued her dedication to the Center until her unexpected passing in February of this year. She prepared the nominating report for the March Annual Meeting even when not feeling well. Com-ing to the Early Learning Center was a high point in the week for Louise. She shared her expertise and her love with all at the Center and will be deeply missed.

Mercy Medical Center's 1,000 Heroes

Louise Schindler Mallory Parker, Merrick

Mallory Parker is considered to be a “local hero” not only by her family, but by her entire community. The 15 year-old student at Kennedy High School in Mer-rick has undertaken a massive project to help poverty and HIV/AIDS victims in the tiny country of Lesotho, Africa try to escape their harsh realities, even if only for a few hours or a few chapters a day. As part of a life mission to help the less fortunate, Mallory decided to take up her cause in support of the Sentebale Foun-dation (founded by Prince Harry of Eng-land and Prince Seeiso of Lesotho) to transform the lives of Lesotho’s orphans and vulnerable children).

An avid reader, Mallory gathered up books to send to this nation, beginning July 2010. She set a goal to collect 700 books to help the people of Lesotho build a library. As the books started to accumulate at various drop-off points, including the

local library and her home, she wrote a let-ter to the chairman of Barnes & Noble asking for their support. The bookstore company contributed over 100 books.

A local resident found out about this endeavor and arranged to have Priddy Books deliver 2,800 books to her home. Realizing her success, Mallory stepped up her pace, broadened her requests and soon many others pitched in to help with the project, including Merrick’s Chatter-ton Elementary School and the Kennedy High School Key Club. Within months over 8,000 books were stacked on pallets in her parents’ garage waiting to be shipped overseas.

At the request of Sentebale Founda-tion Chief Executive Kedge Martin, Mal-lory was asked to expand her collection to include Braille versions and books on CD. As of now she is seeking benefactors to help out with this request. She and her parents are hoping to visit Lesotho in November to help distribute some of the books.

Noelle Moreno, of Baldwin, recognizes the Nassau County Police Explorers, guided by Officer Johannessen, Lead Post Advisor. “They are a group of young high school men and women, who dedicate much of their time to giving to their communities through ongoing community service details and fundraisers, including St. Bal-dric’s, The Polar Plunge, holiday parties for special needs youth, funeral details for fallen Police Officers, and much more,”

says Moreno, whose son is a member. “These youth exemplify good character, morality, and duty. They are the youth sel-dom recognized in today’s news. Their advisors, who believe in them and donate their time to keeping the program vital and model these traits should also be hon-ored.”

Moreno praises Officer Johannessen for his dedication to the youth in his post. “He and his fellow advisors, as well as the explorers, are all local heroes…I am proud of them all! I am eternally grateful to their advisors for setting such a fine exam-ple of humanity, character, morality, and responsibility.”

Nassau County Police Explorers

The National Council of Jewish Women At the beginning of each school year, volunteers from the National Council of Jewish Women (NCJW) begin their altru-istic work with English as a Second Language (ESL) teachers and English Language Learners (ELL) at Hewlett-Woodmere Public Schools (HWPS). This union between NCJW and HWPS began in 1993. Volun-teers are placed in schools according to preference and experi-ence to help improve literacy skills in English Language Learners. Many volunteers are retired teachers and have a vast knowledge of how to affect student achievement and morale in

a positive way. The lead ESL teacher, Caryn Bachar, coordi-nates the matching of schools, volunteers and teachers. The volunteers come into the schools on a weekly basis and have commented about how they love being part of the HWPS family – and HWPS loves having them! These hard-working volunteers serve as tutors, mentors, and honorary grandparents. They help students read, write, study for exams, do homework, and navigate through their new school, home and language. At the elementary level, these dedi-cated volunteers come on their assigned day ready to help youngsters in all their endeavors and academics. At the second-ary level, the NCJW volunteers establish a schedule affording students daily help. The volunteers tutor English language learners in all subjects as well as helping them with college

applications, filling our forms, and more. It is through the hard work and continued support and dedication of teachers and volunteers alike that Hewlett-Woodmere’s English language learners flourish and succeed both academically and socially. Feedback from teachers and students has been overwhelm-ingly positive over the past 18 years. The students look forward to seeing and working with their volunteers. It is evident from the fact that some volunteers have been working in the District for more than ten years, that they enjoy working with the stu-dents and teachers too! Hewlett-Woodmere Public Schools thanks the NCJW for their tireless efforts on behalf of our students. The district looks forward to a continuing partnership with its NCJW volunteers!

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and

The South Shore Symphony

Recognize the volunteers from the Sandel Senior

Center and thank them for all their efforts

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The Board of the Rockville Centre

Chamber of Commerce

would like to recognize and thank their many members/volunteers who donate their valuable time to make

Rockville Centre a better place to live and work.

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Neil Carboy of Bellmore, is a hero to his family and everyone who knows him. Neil has not only been a volunteer coach for the Bellmore/North Bellmore PAL Soccer Club for 14 years, but for the last 10 years, he has donated his time and tal-ents to the Soccer Club as Soccer Com-missioner. Neil organizes and oversees coaches meetings, referee training and soccer registration for the league.

He also spends countless hours sched-uling games and referees, and spends his entire Sunday at the soccer field making sure everything runs smoothly for all the children who love the game. His own chil-dren are older now and no longer partici-pate in the soccer program. However, Neil is still there, volunteering his time for the children of his community.

Neil also volunteers his time as the Travel Registrar for the Long Island Junior Soccer League (LIJSL) Travel Soccer Program for Bellmore/North Bellmore. In 2007, he was honored as the ‘Volunteer of the Year’ at their annual Volunteer Awards Din-ner. Neil’s dedication and commitment to the children of the Bellmore community is indicative of the type of man he is.

Olga Guida She was looking for an exercise class. Lit-tle did she know that a volunteer job was looking for her. It was about three years ago that Olga Guida, newly retired, walked into the Five Towns Senior Center to inquire about a dance and exercise program. Georgiana Wolf-son, executive director of the center, remem-bers, “I had just lost my administrative assis-tant and here was this lovely, professional woman with time on her hands. Olga was an answer to a prayer.” Today Olga is an indispensable member of the Senior Center team. She handles a con-siderable workload – correspondence, the monthly newsletter, the annual journal, and a mailing list of several hundred members – all with the upbeat attitude and easy efficiency of her previous commercial career. Olga’s background includes 30 years with Pan Am and further employment with

the Port Authority at Kennedy Airport. She and her late husband, Carmine, were world travelers, visiting every major European country, Central America and the Far East. In addition to her volunteer work, Olga is busy taking care of her rambling 22 room house, one of the mansions built in the golden days of the Rockaways resorts, enjoying her many friends and keeping up with her children – Denise (Mrs. Robert) Brugna, Michael Guida and his wife, Carol, and Steven Guida – and a flock of grand-children. In addition, she spends as much time as possible at the beach. “My father was a swimming coach at Far Rockaway High School,” she says, “and I could swim before I could walk.” There is no record of the number of hours Olga has given freely to the Center, nor of the monetary worth. It has never occurred to her to add them up. Ask Olga why she volunteers and she flashes her radiant smile and says simply, “I like to work. I like people. I like to help.”

Nicholas Smith, Wantagh

Nicholas Smith, “Nick” to his friends exemplifies great character at the young age of 20. Whether it is a car break-ing down or a tree falling on your house, just call Nick and he’s there!

So it was no great surprise when he became a Wantagh volunteer firefighter, along with some of his close friends. His family continues to be amazed at the level

commitment he has shown in answering calls at all hours of the day and night. There is also the constant training that takes places well as volunteer work to do within the department. This is all done while maintaining a normal life of a full-time college student and part-time work, with some sleep thrown in. There is always that threat of injury or worse, but, of course, that is never spoken of and proba-bly not a thought in his head as he runs out the door in the middle of the night to respond to a call.

Nick is a hero to his proud family.

Neil Carboy, Bellmore

Rolf V. Mahler, Baldwin For more than 60 years, Rolf Mahler has dedicated himself not only to Mahler Realty, his family business, located in Baldwin, but to the community as well. Mahler has lived in Baldwin since the early 1960s and has been involved in and has leadership positions in various community organizations. These include the Baldwin

Kiwanis, Baldwin Garden Angels, Baldwin Methodist Church, Baldwin Chamber of Commerce, Baldwin Soccer Club, Baldwin Historical Society, Baldwin Republican Com-mittee, Salvation Army, Bremer Voerde Choir, and the Arbor Society, where Mahler helps facilitate distribution and planting of 500+ pine seedlings in Baldwin every year. The outstanding Baldwin resident is now 75 years-old and still donates 20+ hours week-ly of his time to various organizations to help better the community.

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The Rockville Centre Lions ClubThanks all those who contribute to our

volunteer efforts

Your support allows us to fi nancially aid individuals, groups and other charities in need

We are looking forward to your continued support with our new

Duck Pluckat Kids Fest

RVC Recreation CenterSeptember 17, 2011

To become a member of the World’s Largest Service Organization

Call Mike Jordan at 764-1775

www.RVClions.com

Look for our members around town to sponsor your Rubber Duck(s) or

go to our website below and sponsor your Ducks online with

Credit Card or PayPal!

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wishes to congratulate all of the organizations and

individuals honored in this special edition for the

example they set and for their tireless service to our

community. Together we have contributed toward

making Rockville Centre a wonderful place for all

of us to live and a positive environment

for our children.

We also thank our residents for 61 years of their

generous and loyal support.

Rockville Centre LITTLE LEAGUE




LOCAL HEROES

Every person brings his own special experiences, skills and talents to an organi-zation – those ingredients make it success-ful. While Peter Anthony Matuza is no exception, his abilities, passion, integrity and goodness are exceptional. The Wood-mere Republican Club is honored to salute Peter as Volunteer of the Year.

Peter Matuza personifies the balance of teamwork and leadership. For over four decades, he served with distinction in the U.S. Navy and in the Nassau County Police Department. He rose through the ranks in an extensive range of illustrious com-mands and assignments but never lost sight of where he started and always held great respect for all his colleagues.

Some of Peter’s finest accomplishments throughout his life resulted from his tre-mendous creativity and ingenuity. Peter graduated Summa Cum Laude after study-ing architecture, mathematics and psychol-ogy at Pratt Institute. Among his duties in the Navy, he directed the production and distribution of a daily newspaper as Edi-tor-in-Chief and hosted a radio show on cultural and world events. Some creative highlights in the Nassau Police included drafting the first proposals to employ laser fingerprinting, creating inter-agency proj-ects as Department liaison to the District Attorney’s Office, starting Long Island Cooperative Policing and co-producing the first NCPD cable television show. Being innovative and passionate to succeed and helpin g others to do so make him an out-

standing individual. Peter truly appreciates the lighter side

of life. That includes good times with the family, golf (!), travel, reading, crosswords (with a pen) and chess. And, lucky for the Woodmere Republican Club, he volunteers endless hours remodeling and fixing their 10-month-old storefront in Woodmere, help-ing the club with everything that comes up from posting signs to answering phones to figuring out technical problems, serving as Treasurer and PR Director, and being a source of strength for everyone.

Peter is an essential part of the Wood-mere Republican Club, the engine that moves it and the heart that motivates it to “do the good work we do” for the GOP and the community!

Peter Anthony Matuza, Woodmere

Peter Garrity, Rockville Centre

Peter Garrity has been a member of the Rockville Centre Little League for 19 years serving as a coach, manager, commissioner and secretary to the board. Last September Peter, his wife, Delia and daughter, Trish joined another Rockville Centre family, the Silons, to travel to Uganda to work with H.E.L.P. International, a humanitarian aid organization based in Denver Colorado. Their goal was to participate in establish-ing a free school in the impoverished vil-lage of Masese in Uganda.

Education has been the main focus for Peter and the RVC team. Thanks to the

schools in Rockville Centre, they were able to bring nine 50 pound boxes of school and medical supplies. They set up a library and a teacher resource center stacked with school supplies and hands-on teaching materials. Peter conducted math lessons on problem solving and the use of these mate-rials thus teaching the children and at the same time providing professional develop-ment for the teachers of the school.

The school that started with 40 students and one grade level now serves over 280 students and four grade levels. Peter and the rest of the RVC team hope to return to Masese in August. Donations can be made on H.E.L.P.’s website at http://help-uganda.com/ or by check payable to H.E.L.P. Inter-national, sent to Peter Garrity, 15 Wachu-setts St., RVC.

Ponte Teramo, Cedarhurst

The 5 Towns Kiwanis honors Ponte Teramo as Volunteer of the Year. Ponte has been a Kiwanian for the past 12 years. He has served as the club secretary on and off for many years, and although he does not hold that position now, he still volunteers to fill in where needed.

You can find Ponte at every Kiwanis event. He serves bagels at the Inwood 5k Run at the Kiwanis table, he assists at the annual golf outing, he serves pancakes at the pan-

cake breakfast, and this year he spent a part of his Valentine’s Day at Mary’s Manor, giv-ing flowers and candy to shut-in seniors. Ponte also chairs the Kiwanis’ wine tasting night and participated in the holiday toy pro-gram for the 5 Towns Child Care Center.

Ponte had his own physical therapy prac-tice in Cedarhurst for almost 40 years before he retired. He still lives nearby with his Fran. They have four grown children. He regularly helps people in need now that he has extra free time; he regularly delivers clothes to charities that distribute them. He is very much the ideal Kiwanis member, doing chari-table works and asking nothing in return.

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RESIDENTS...VOLUNTEERS...

HEROES...

You are making a DIFFERENCE and giving back to our communities.

The Herald Community Newspapers would like to acknowledge all of our volunteers with a much-deserved thank you for all that you do in support of others.

LET'S KEEP UP THE GOOD WORKYour accomplishments are valued by everyone in our communities.

GIVING BACK,THAT DEFINES A TRUE LOCAL HERO

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The Lynbrook/East RockawaySoccer Club

would like to honor

GUY PUNZI

Thank you for all of yourhard work.

www.lersoccer.com

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As it’s volunteer of the year.

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COLEMAN COUNTRY DAY CAMP MERRICK BAGEL CAFÉMODELL’S SPORTING GOODSLEGISLATOR DAVID DENENBERG WINHALL MEDIAKAPPER SOCCER TRAINING

MERRICK PAL SOCCER THANKS OUR WONDERFUL SPONSORS FOR THEIR GENEROUS SUPPORT.Our commitment to providing the best soccer experience for Merrick’s kids is made possible each year through the generous support of sponsors dedicated to our community. We thank them for helping us to provide the most complete soccer program in Merrick, featuring successful clinics, recreational, developmental and travel programs, as well as festivals and other fun events.

See why Merrick PAL Soccer is the best blend of fun, training and competition at merrickpal.org



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LOCAL HEROES

With a dedicated board of directors, the Malverne Merchants and Professional Association works tirelessly for the Village of Malverne. All funds that are generated by the mer-chants are used to give back to local orga-nizations, including grants to Malverne

High School and Valley Stream North High School. Throughout the year the MMPA holds many events to promote businesses and professional services, including its annual Easter Egg Hunt, Garden Tour, Children’s Play in the Park, and Christmas Lighting.

Malverne Merchants and Professional Association

Rose Ann Maloney has made a major difference to so many people in Valley Stream. Many people ask ‘what can I do to help others?’ And yet most seldom find the direction or the time to do anything about it.

This is not true with Rose Ann. In her leadership role as the President of Saint Vincent De Paul Conference of Holy Name of Mary Church for the past three years, Rose Ann has helped, guided and support-ed more than 65 volunteers in their work of serving people in need in the communi-ty. With great generosity, Rose Ann has directed this corps of volunteers in order to help over 90 families each month with food deliveries and so many other forms of help.

Rose Ann’s generosity, integrity and spirit of service and willingness to go the extra mile are an inspiration, not only to the volunteers, but also to so many whose lives she touches. Her love for the poor and the drive to make a difference and ease the pain of others has made Rose Ann Malo-ney one of the many local heroes in the Valley Stream community.

Rose Ann Maloney, Valley Stream

Ruff House RescueRuff House Rescue, a local animal res-

cue group, was created several years ago by Diane Indelicato – President and Found-er of Ruff House – out of the growing con-cern for shelter dogs and cats being eutha-nized daily in shelters here on Long Island, Manhattan, Brooklyn, and across the country.

Ruff House is staffed with volunteers with the sole purpose to save the lives of the voiceless and frightened animals who have survived, neglect, abuse and indifference.

With donations, fund raising and adop-tion fees Ruff House pulls the weight of rescue to impressive heights managing to save literally hundreds of dogs and cats since its inception.

Ruff House will find foster homes and vet and care for their rescues until the pets can find safe and loving permanent homes. It educates young people and adopt-ers the importance of neutering and encourage the use of trainers to make adoption permanent.

“Rescuing instead of buying a cat or dog from a breeder or pet store is reward-ing and has become a growing trend that should and needs to become the standard,” says Indelicato. “It simply saves innocent lives.”

To volunteer, donate or get more infor-mation, email [email protected] or visit the website (soon to be launched) where visitors can blog, get information on rescue and post their stories, check events, and more.

The RVC Guild for the Arts is all about volunteers. The Guild recognizes all the musicians, dancers, actors and performers who graciously give of their time and tal-ents, to promote the arts in the community.

In addition, RVC Guild for the Arts

thanks all the people who volunteer their time to make all the performances a suc-cess. Finally, the Guild thanks the resi-dents of the community who support the arts and who make the organization successful.

Rockville Centre Guild for the Arts

The Malverne Community would like to honor the Malverne Merchants and

Professional Association for their dedication and support in promoting the business & professional community

as well as our local organizations.

T hank you

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Don't miss out on our nextSpecial Section!Call 516-569-4000, x249 for more information

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Since its inception in 1934, the Rockville Centre Lions Club has been meet-ing the needs of its com-munity through the dedi-cated and selfless efforts of its many members. Two such Lion leaders are Arnold Fleischer and Ed Asip. Arnold Fleischer has been an active member of the Rockville Centre Lions Club since 1969. He has served in all leadership positions, including Presi-dent on several occasions. A retired pharmacist and small business owner, Lion Arnold has been involved in every club fundraiser since becoming a member. A true “knight of the blind,” he coordinated the eyeglass collection drive in the Village for many years. Arnold is currently a vol-unteer eye tissue trans-porter for the Long Island Lions Eye Bank. He and his wife, Lion Linda, have delivered the gift of sight on nearly 100 occasions. Arnold worked with fel-

low Lion and then-Mayor Eugene Murray to success-fully reinvigorate the club in the 1990s. The result was a stronger and more active club that is still thriving. Lion Arnold continues to act as a mentor to every member in the club. One of the Lions that Arnold helped nurture is the club’s current presi-dent, Ed Asip. A lifelong Village resident, Ed joined the Rockville Centre Lions Club in 2004 and quickly got involved in its annual Duck Race fundraiser. Lion Ed brought the impressive organizational skills he acquired as an active mem-ber of the Oceanside Kiwanis and the Knights

of Columbus to help maxi-mize charitable profits for the club. A marketing pro-fessional with an MBA from Adelphi University, Lion Ed continues to inspire new ideas and inject enthusiasm into all club activities. Ed and his wife, Sandi, have three adult children. Ed is employed as the Commer-cial Real Estate Sales Director for Century 21 A m e r i c a n H o m e s i n Oceanside. Lion Arnold and Lion Ed are dedicated volun-teers and compassionate neighbors who give true meaning to the Lions' motto “We Serve.”

Samantha Tuchfeld, WoodmereSamantha Tuchfeld is considered not

only as not only a “local hero” by her fami-ly, but a “global” one as well. Samantha, 23 years old, is a 2010 graduate of SUNY Bing-hamton, and has dedicated her young life to community service.

She has participated in wide-ranging activities over the years in service of oth-ers, including volunteering her time to support Sunrise Day Camp, a free camp specifically for children with cancer, and their siblings, where she has served as vice president and event coordinator for Team Sunrise. Her other many outstanding con-tributions to help others, include Relay for Life Team Captain, member of Woodmere Fire Department Rescue Company, Oxfam and Hillel Banquet Coordinator, volunteer at Long Island Jewish Hospital, working with Sunrise Day Camp’s Sunrise on Wheels program that visits children with cancer, participating in the Walk for Susan B. Koman Breast Cancer fund and the Walk for Juvenile Diabetes, and volunteering at the Peninsula Senior Center. The list goes on and on.

Samantha, who will begin her graduate studies at Columbia University in the fall, also spent one week rebuilding an elderly man’s devastated home in the Gulf Coast of Louisiana following Hurricane Katrina, and recently joined the newly formed Lega-cy Corps, which works with the Parker Institute at North Shore-LIJ to provide caregiver support to those caring for those

suffering with dementia.According to her mother, Wendy Tuch-

feld, “My daughter Samantha’s rationale for her philanthropic instincts and tireless efforts in the service of others was proba-bly best expressed by her in a piece she wrote a few years ago. In her words: ‘We all have the power to better the world – it’s only a matter of getting there.’ As her proud mom I can only add that she has made Herculean efforts whenever it was possible to be ‘getting there’.”

Rockville Centre Lions Club

ARNOLD FLEISCHER ED ASIPCHER

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The Jean Fischman Chabad Center of the Five Towns Congratulates the Friendship Circle Volunteers!

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WOODMERE REHABILITATION

& H E A LT H C A R E C E N T E R

extends great gratitude to the many volunteers who provide programs and visits to our residents

throughout the year.

121 Franklin Place • Woodmere • 516-374-9300

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Richard and Lisa Schary are retired teachers turned ful l t ime environmental activists and community advocates. The North Bell-more couple, who have two grown children and twin grandchildren, have devel-oped a unique multi-media approach to solving impor-tant community issues and s av i n g L o n g I s l a n d ’ s environment for future gen-erations.

Their love of nature pho-tography and frequent hik-ing and biking adventures led them to discover illegal activities in Long Island’s woodlands. In Massapequa P r e s e r ve, t h e S c h a r y s became enraged by litter fires, vandalism, graffiti dumping, late night and par-ties, and excessive drinking ruining their visits.

In 2000, they organized the non-profit Friends of Massapequa Preserve to pro-tect, preserve and restore this neglected natural habitat. They wrote and received two grants from N.Y. State Senator Charles Fuschillo to produce, direct and distribute over 3,000 copies of their award-winning documentary about their challenges and successes in the preserve. The video was featured in the Long Island International Film Festival.

The Scharys helped write, plan and guide over seven million dollars worth of capital and bond act projects to successful-ly clean up and restore Massapequa Pre-serve, recently voted both “Best Nature Walk” and Best Nature Preserve” on Long Island.

Among their many endeavors, Lisa and Richard helped form coalitions to prevent overdevelopment in many areas through-out Long Island, such as the Southern State Parkway and Bethpage State Park.

Their efforts helped keep hundreds of giant windmills off Jones Beach and go-cart tracks out of Cedar Creek Park. The couple also helped establish Trailview State Park, the Wantagh Nature Trail, the Friends of Norman Levy Preserve, and the Meadowbrook Parkway Task Force and Bioblitz. Both volunteer on a number of environmental boards and serve on sev-eral Nassau County committees.

Among their many honors, Richard was inducted into the L.I. Volunteers Hall of Fame in February and Lisa received the Woman of Distinction Award from Assem-blyman Tom McKevitt last August.

Along with Legislator Norma Gon-salves, they are also cofounders and active members of the North Bellmore Civic Association, where they have been involved in many local issues – most of all saving the woods and establishing nature trails along parkway corridors and creat-ing new parks, just like Robert Moses envisioned.

Richard and Lisa Schary, North Bellmore Sol ReschEast Meadow resident Bruce Resch,

offers a “Belated Tribute to a Truly Wonder-ful Man,” his father, Sol Resch.

“In the midst of our current ‘me first’ and polarized political climate at least one man personified pure kindness and charity. At least he did until a short time ago. That was when my dad passed away.

Sol Resch was a veteran of World War II. Like many Americans he served in the South Pacific and returned home in 1946. He settled into that life adding me, his sec-ond son, to the family and going back to his pre war job in textiles.

In the early 90s when Sol was asked to retire from his 56-year career. Thinking retirement was absurd while there were things to be done, Sol started a new career, helping others in need.

He started off slowly at first but once he got his bearings it was full speed ahead. Using the same drive that made him a suc-cessful businessman, Sol eventually became Commander of the local Jewish War Veter-ans Post #209 – Jackson Hts.-Elmhurst, where he broke all fund raising records.

He became a regular volunteer at the St. Albans Veterans Administration Hospital doing whatever was necessary to assist those in need. Every Wednesday he met

with other volunteers such as former Post Commander and Holocaust survivor Han-nah Deutsch and fellow veteran Ben ‘Boulie’ Rosenthal. Sol drove the trio to the VA facility armed with bananas and smiles to spend the day spreading good will and cheer. On one Veteran’s Day Sol even drove a carload of disabled vets to a celebration in their honor at a local cemetery.

Sol was rewarded for his passionate and tireless volunteer work with an official Proclamation for “distinguished service to our nation” in 2003 by the Council of the City of New York. Then in 2006, at the ripe young age of 88, Sol was honored once again this time “for his commitment to our veterans” by Ivan Lafayette of the 34th dis-trict of the New York State assembly.

His relentless fund raising efforts even secured a generous donation from New York Mets owner Fred Wilpon, before the rest of Fred’s cash went to a lesser deserv-ing fund.

And as we laid Sol to rest on April 13th he received a wonderful tribute from the US Navy complete with taps and the presenta-tion of a ceremonial US flag. I shall cherish this Old Glory for years to come. But hope-fully his story will not end there.

During a time when our leaders are searching for new ways to leave the needy behind Sol was a breath of fresh air, a quiet man to admire and emulate.”

Sr. Evelyn Lamoureux, Elmont

Sr. Evelyn Lamoureux is honored by the Elmont community for reaching out to help others. Sr. Evelyn has helped forge many community bonds as coordinator of

human services for St. Boniface School (now “Martin DePorres Academy). Throughout the years she has always made sure if someone needed assistance, they were well taken care of. “She always tells people “come back, we are here for you.” Her decades of caring for others is what makes Sr. Evelyn a local hero.

Stephanie Joyce Kahn, Long Beach

Stephanie is no stranger to Long Beach where she has resided since 1955. Stephanie has been active in the community even in her high school years as a varsity cheer-leader, and in all the annual musical pro-ductions. In 1972, Stephanie was nearly killed in an automobile accident. Sixteen operations saved her life, but her sight was gone forever. Stephanie was introduced to talking books for the blind, a major source of diversion from her pain while in the hos-pital. Stephanie learned that other patients, who were sighted, did not have the same privilege though they were suffering. Sad-dened by this inequity she took steps to right the situation.

In 1976, the SJK Foundation was created to allow her to pursue “her dream” to expand the existing programs to include sighted seriously ill individuals. Now indi-viduals of all ages – children in pediatric units; patients in coronary care, stroke

rehabilitation and ICUs; elderly in nursing homes; developmentally disabled adults; children with special needs – are all bene-fiting from the therapeutic diversion of SJK Listening Therapy.

Stephanie never stopped giving back to the community, even while spearheading the Foundation, she volunteers as a motiva-tional speaker, for elementary, and second-ary schools and numerous universities and civic groups.

During the past 36 years, Stephanie’s efforts have been acknowledged by the New York State Legislature, the New York State Eleanor Roosevelt Community Service Award and the President’s Volunteer Action Award, to name a few. Recently, she was honored with the NYS Woman of Dis-tinction Award. Stephanie was inducted into the Long Beach High School Wall of Fame in 1996.

Today SJK serves over 6,000 persons per month in 60 individual programs. The SJK Listening Therapy Program has served over 3.5 million recipients since its incep-tion, all free of charge to the recipient.

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Per Sempre Ladies Lodge 2344AOrder Sons of Italy

is proud to recognize

Eleanor Jabbagyas our volunteer of the year.

She has been a proud member for 30 years and has served honorably and selfl essly

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The Congregation of Temple Am Echad

would like to thank the following who have made a huge impact on the lives of

the most vulnerable.We honor you for your selfl ess devotion.

Ilene Ehrich

Charlotte Hettena

Phyllis Zuckerbrot

Ellen Tolle

Steve Miller

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Joe Satriano established The Susan Satriano Memorial Scholarship Foundation in 2006 to honor the life of his wife Susan. It has aided 53 high school students from across the nation giving out scholarships totaling $50,000. This aca-demic year alone, it will help over 80 high school seniors with more than $75,000. These monies are earmarked for their college education. To be eligible for the award they must be a graduating high school senior going to a col-lege, in the fall, who unfortunately has a parent who has passed away of cancer, or have a parent who is presently battling the disease.

“You hear about the cancer patient, you may hear about the caregiver, but you rarely hear about the kids of parents that either have cancer or have deceased due to the disease,” explains Joe. “The foundation has helped these kids to attend college aiding them to live a dream that their stricken parent would have wanted for them.” The foundation is currently being funded from Sue’s life insurance monies, along with donations from friends, family and local businesses.

“This is where the book I wrote “In Sickness And In Health…A Memoir Of Love,” enters into the picture,” Joe says. “Every penny garnered from the book sales goes to the Foundation. The book is about the 13-year battle that Susan and I had with breast cancer. It will make you laugh, cry, but most importantly, it will inspire and move one forward in their lives no matter how bad things get at times. Its message is one of hope, optimism and love.”

Those who would like to make a donation to the Foun-dation, purchase a book, or simply learn more about its work and goals, can visit www.susansatrianofoundation.com or call Joe at 516-603-5520.

Temple Am Echad takes pride in the commitment to community service demon-strated by its dedicated mem-bership. The Temple Echad family honors its many mem-bers who actively support the community, notably Stephen Miller (Feed The Hungry), Charlotte Hettena and Ellen Tolle (Caring Community), and Ilene Ehrlich and Phyllis Zuckerbrot (Social Action).

The philosophy of the Car-ing Community is to engage all the members of the Temple Am Echad community. Temple Am Echad offer opportunities for everyone to make an impact in the lives of the most vulnerable among us and to nurture and preserve the val-ues of a diverse and vibrant Jewish community.

The Caring Community organizes and coordinates phone calls to the sick and suf-fering, makes bereavement calls, liaises with temple organiza-tions and committees, hosts a Medi-care workshop, and coordinates activities involving Temple Am Echad’s Early Childhood Center with Atria Lynbrook Senior and Assisted Living (including seniors reading to

nursery-school-age children, baking hamentaschen with religious school students). The Caring Community also cooks and delivers food for peo-ple and for members to mark happy or sad occasions; keeps in touch with the homebound; sponsors the Sassy Survivor group for women cancer

survivors; drives members who need transportation to medical appoint-ments and services; compiles a resource list for members and a senior resource list for seniors; delivers flowers used in Sabbath ser-vices to local nursing homes, and much more.

The Susan Satriano Memorial Scholarship Foundation

Temple Am Echad’s Caring Community, Lynbrook

PHYLLIS ZUCKERBROT ILENE EHRLICH

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Ruff House Rescue is a local animal rescue group that pulls dogs and cats off of death row from shelters in the city, here on Long Island and across the country.

We count on donations, fundraising and adoption fees to raise money to continue this endeavor.

Ruff House pulls the weight of rescue to impressive heights managing to save literally hundreds of dogs and cats since its inception.

Rescuing instead of buying a cat or dog from a breeder or pet store is rewarding and has become a growing trend. It should and needs to become the standard that’s why animal rescues staffed with volunteers makes a difference in how many lives are saved in shelters today.

Rescuing your next family member, donating your time or money is crucial for small rescue groups like Ruff House to survive.

To volunteer, donate or get more information please email [email protected] or visit their website soon to be launched where visitors can blog, get information on adoption events and more.

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itrs Petey:

Sweet, Handsome & Needs a Home

Adoption Event this Weekend! Purebreed Dogs & PupsEmail us for info: [email protected]

Chamber of Commerce

EAST

ROCKAWAY The East Rockaway Chamber

of CommerceCongratulates

Debbie Hirschberg, President

for her hard work and dedicationto the

commitment and enhancementof our community

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CONGRATULATIONS TO

CHARLIE LUNENFELDfor his hard work and dedication to the

East Rockaway Community and receiving

THE “MAN OF THE YEAR”

AWARD

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Imagine having a young child look up at you and await your visit every week! Many volunteers have already discovered the joy of hanging out and playing with children who have special needs, through the Friendship Circle.

The Jean Fischman Chabad Center’s Friendship Circle reaches out and extends a helping hand to fami-lies in the community who have children with special needs. It’s part of a larger movement, with branches in communities throughout the world. The Friend-ship Circle offers a full range of Jewish, fun and rec-reational programs, such as Judaica Circle, Moms Night Outs, Sunday Circle, and Friends at Home.

The Friendship Circle serves a dual purpose and enriches all who participate. Families are assisted with extra hands and the teenage volunteers grow and develop, learning firsthand what incredible gifts special children are and the indescribable reward of such a friendship.

“Friends at Home,” a favorite of so many of the children, is a program which gives the teenage volun-teer, a chance to get to know these special friends in the environment they are most comfortable in: their own homes. Together they bake cookies, play games, or read books while at the same time developing an everlasting bond. With so many opportunities to have

fun together, it is no wonder the children anticipate the moment when their volunteer walks up to their doorstep!

As one volunteer put it “The Friendship Circle has enabled me to fulfill my dream of giving to others. I have developed many skills from volunteering and learned and continue to learn a tremendous amount from this experience. Friendship Circle truly makes the world a better place and has given me an opportu-nity of a lifetime.”

To join the circle as a family or volunteer, visit www.fc5towns.com, email [email protected] or call 516-295-2478 ext. 13.

Woodmere Rehabilita-tion and Health Care Cen-ter extends tremendous gratitude to the many vol-unteers who provide pro-grams and visits to resi-dents throughout the year. Shown at Woodmere Rehabilitation and Health Care Center’s recent bar-beque, one of the many activities for the center’s residents, are (from left): Claire Deus, resident; Adee Isaac, volunteer leader for Haitian Ameri-cans United For Progress (HAUP); William Kelly, r e s i d e n t ; I m m a c u l a Pier re, HAUP volun-teer; Robert Catalano, resident.

Woodmere Rehabilitation and Health Care Center

Thalia Piacquadio, a mother of two, is an inspiration to her hus-band, Chris, her family and her community. She works full time provid-ing early intervention services for children w h o h ave Au t i s m . Besides work and taking care of her family, she volunteers with her school’s PTA. She also runs a Girl Scouts Daisy Troop. And if that is not enough, she is hosted the third Unbreakable Spirit Walk for Osteo-genesis Imperfecta at Cedar Creek Park on May 14. She coordinates the entire fundraiser, from getting permits, r a f f l e s , s p o n s o r s , t-shirts, and of course, and overseeing the walkers.

Thalia Piacquadio

The Jean Fischman Chabad Center

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On behalf of theWest Hempstead

Chamber of Commerce

Congratulations to all our local volunteers who help

our community everyday

Special thanks to the volunteers who serve on the WHCC Board of Directors

www.westhempsteadchamberofcommerce.comh d h b f

ESTHEMPSTEADChamber Of Commerce

Striving to Enhance the Quality of Our Community



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Salutes the volunteers who help make our community a great

place to live

Many thanks to the

volunteers who serve on the

VSCC Board

of Directors:

Valley Stream Chamber of CommerceP.O. Box 1016 • Valley Stream, NY 11582

516.825.1741www.valleystreamchamber.org

Gail Carlin (South Nassau Communities Hospital)Bernard Ciccarelli (Ciccarelli Tailoring)Barbara DeGrace (Friends of Bridge)Lee Feinman (Millbrook Civic Assoc)Darryl Granum (StrongSide Studios)Debbi Gyulay, Pres. (AAMCO Transmissions)Boris Klerer (Collision Concepts)Howard Koppel (Sutton Alliance)Anthony Mezzatesta (Valley Stream Lincoln Mercury)Dominick Minerva (Minerva and Dagostino)Lisa Norwich, Secretary (Bethlehem Assembly of God)Angela Ogurick (MaryKay)Lou Palermo (Knights of Columbus)Dan Rakow (Adelson Business Solutions)Frank Ryan (TD Bank)Diahann Ryan, Treasurer (NEFCU)Elliott Rosenbaum esq, V.P, (Attorney)Jules Rabin V.P (Rabin Marketing)Lucy Viggiano (Emergency Services Comapany)

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Boy Scouts of America Troop 225, spon-sored by Cure of Ars Church, salutes the troop’s Scoutmaster Woody Blaufeux. Blau-feux founded the troop, which meets at Birch Elementary School in Merrick, some 38 years ago.

“Even though his son aged out of the Boy Scouts 30 years ago, our Scoutmaster (who is in his late 70s) still remains active with our troop,” says Assistant Scoutmaster Matt Jay. “He no longer lives

in Merrick, having since moved to Brook-lyn. Yet once a week he drives all the way from Brooklyn Heights to Merrick to help run our Boy Scout troop, and teach to all of our scouts his wealth of scouting knowledge that he has accumulated over the years.

Scoutmaster Woody Blaufeux volun-teers his time, not only for our weekly meetings, but also for all the behind the scenes activities that need to be done, and even still participates in our camping trips. To all of us at Troop 225, he is a real hero.”

Yana Cherepashenskaya, Valley StreamHewlett House hon-

ors Yana Cherepashens-kaya, a senior at Valley Stream South High School. Yana, 18 years-old, has been active in c o m m u n i t y s e r v i c e activities for all of her six years at Valley Stream South. She is president of the Art Honor Society, vice pres-ident of the Character Action Team, and a member of the Math, S c i e n c e, L a n g u a g e and National Honor Societies.

Yana's charitable contributions are limit-less. Yana organized the Hewlett House Guard-ian Angel Project, the Hewlett House Wreaths of Hope and Hewlett House Mother's Day flower pot sale. Yana has also headed the design com-mittee to create and produce posters and centerpieces for the Ronald McDonald House Charity Gala.

She was responsible for organizing the Wall of Hope and the Book of Love for a classmate battling Cancer. While maintain-ing her standing as an honor roll student, she also found time to manage the Memory Project, which created beautiful portraits for

children in orphanages overseas. Yana (above, left) has run innumerable bake sales to fund all of these charitable causes. She is tireless in her efforts to bring to all in need. Additionally, Yana was the team captain for the senior high school illustration team which took first place in New York State at the NYSATA Olympics of Visual Arts.

She will be attending SUNY Binghamton as a Business and Art major in the fall.

“Yana sets the example of what makes us proud of our next generation,” says Geri Barish, executive director of Hewlett House.

Woody Blaufeux eas Yana

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The Woodmere Merchants Association is deeply grateful for the time, talent and great

efforts of our nominee,

Craig Spatzof Signature Bank, Woodmere

His tireless efforts helps to make our village a great place

to live, work & shop

Dr. John L. Santopolo, President(516)374-366347

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The Lynbrook Chamber of Commerce

would like to honor

Chris Andersonfor dedicating his time and energy to the

charitable events sponsored by our chamber of commerce. He is an active member of our

Board of Directors and we thank him.

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MERRICK PAL. OUR VOLUNTEERS MAKE US MORE THAN JUST A SPORTS CLUB. Our successful comprehensive sports programs wouldn’t be possible without the many volunteers from our community. We’d like to thank these dedicated individuals who help bring our mission of achieving good citi-zenship through sports to life every day, on and off the field. Merrick PAL is more than just a sports club--it’s a vital way to make our community a better place to live, work and play.

See what makes Merrick PAL so special to our community and become a volunteer at merrickpal.org

SOCCER BASEBALL TENNIS JUDO LACROSSE GOLF

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