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Charity

Port Jeff resident, business owner travels to Kenya to help needy children

by Alex Petroski - August 16, 2017

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joey-kids-2w — Port Jeff business owner Joey Zangrillo during a July trip to a Kenya orphanage he hopes to help expand. Photo from Joey Zangrillo

By Alex Petroski

Main Street in Port Jefferson and Nairobi County in Kenya are separated by 7,300 miles, but a chance meeting between a local business owner and a Kenyan lawyer has made a world of difference for needy children in the impoverished nation.

In 2016, Annette Kawira, 28, moved with her then-fiancé from Kenya to Port Jeff. One night she and her now-husband, who relocated to begin working at Stony Brook University, found themselves in Port Jeff looking for a place to eat and ended up dining at the Greek restaurant Z Pita. Owner Joey Zangrillo struck up a conversation with Kawira, who had been a practicing lawyer in Kenya. She told him about her home and about a charitable effort in which she had previously been involved. Kawira said she used to donate 10 percent of her monthly salary to a cause being undertaken by a pastor in a suburb of Nairobi, whose mission was to help orphaned and forgotten children living on the streets without proper care.

A well that was established in large part through a fundraiser at Zangrillo’s restaurant. Photo from Joey Zangrillo

According to Kawira, Pastor Hika Kamau and his wife Judy realized after several church services that when tea and bread were shared with members of the congregation, several children would appear to eat and then disappear. Kawira said Kamau was curious about what was going on with the approximately dozen children. So after one service he told the children he would gladly feed them lunch; but in exchange he asked them to introduce him to their parents. It then occurred to him many were orphans, and others had families that were either unable or unwilling to care for their children.

“He just wondered, ‘Where do these kids go during the week?’” Kawira said.

This sparked Kamau’s motivation.

In 2009, the pastor set up what would eventually evolve into the Bethsaida Orphanage, headed by the Bethsaida Community Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to helping needy children in the area, with the help of the Bethsaida Women’s Empowerment Group. The school, which is also home for many of the children, originated as a small dwelling built out of mud and soil on the grounds of the church for the original group of children the pastor met after services. Through word of mouth, the number of children served by the school has ballooned to more than 100, with 72 kids from 1 year old to 17 years old living permanently on the site, which has grown through the exchange of the pastor’s ancestrally inherited land.

Kawira said she was happy to donate part of her salary to help the cause.

“Every time I would give it to them, I realized what I was giving really wasn’t making a difference, because they would probably just eat, buy a few utilities — that doesn’t change the situation that they were in,” she said while sitting at a table inside Z Pita. “My interest with the kids was to just make sure whatever we do, it’s sustainable. I don’t think you can beg forever … what can we do that will empower these kids to empower themselves?”

When Kawira found herself at Zangrillo’s restaurant last year, they struck up a conversation, and the restaurant owner told her about his own charitable effort on which he had just embarked. Zangrillo founded a company called Race Has No Place, an apparel brand with a mission of breaking down barriers between people of different races. Purchasers of the apparel, upon check out, are instructed to select a charity of their choice toward which to direct 10 percent of their purchase. Zangrillo and Kawira soon realized their missions intersected and decided to team up.

Kawira explained the story behind the pastor’s mission in Kenya, and by July of this year, after a fundraiser at Z Pita, the Port Jeff business owner was on a 25-hour excursion to see the desperate area for himself.

“I’m telling you — what good food can do,” Kawira said, laughing about the lucky circumstances that led to the charitable partnership. “Good food brings people together.”

Port Jeff business owner Joey Zangrillo during a July trip to a Kenya orphanage he hopes to help expand. Photo from Joey Zangrillo

After the first fundraiser and additional money accumulated by a donation container that sits on the front counter at the restaurant year-round, enough money has been raised to begin the construction of a well at the orphanage, which will provide much-needed clean water.

“I’m never going to forget them — I’m going to make this a lifelong mission, as long as I’m alive,” Zangrillo said, reflecting on his eight-day trip to East Africa.

Zangrillo and Kawira have enlisted the help of Maureen Nabwire, a native of Kenya, who serves as a project manager for their efforts and has plans to venture to Port Jeff to establish a game plan for 2018. Plans include figuring out how much money needs to be raised and how it will be done to make the facility everything it needs to be for as many needy Kenyan children as possible.

“Annette and Joey are the kindest and most beautiful souls, and I am so glad I get to work on this initiative with them,” Nabwire said in an email. “They have marshaled the Port Jefferson community into this great cause, and I am super proud of them. They have brought the plight and needs of Bethsaida community children home to a much greater audience and the response has been immensely positive. Annette and Joey represent the society we want to have where your neighbor’s trouble or suffering is your problem. From what they have done, the home down here in Kenya is going to take care of the children without trouble, and guarantee them basic needs and a good education.”

Kawira tried to sum up what the extra attention being paid to a needy group in her home country has meant so far, and what it will mean in the future.

“We’re dealing with kids who don’t have primary resources — water, clothing and shelter,” she said. “It would be hard to explain how dire the need is until you see it.”

To learn more about the cause, visit www.facebook.com/racehasnoplace. For more information about the Bethsaida Community Foundation or to get involved, visit www.besahemi.org.

Huntington groups, leaders work together to battle hunger

by Victoria Espinoza - August 10, 2017

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Joining-in-to-Help-Feed-the-Needyw — Community members stand with the baskets of food donations raised for Tri CYA. Photo from A.J Carter

Huntington Town Councilwoman Tracey Edwards (D), a Huntington grocery store and many other local groups recently made it their mission to help stock the kitchen at a local children’s organization.

Tri Community and Youth Agency, a not-for-profit organization that offers educational, recreational, social, cultural, athletic, counseling and advocacy programs for the town’s youth spanning from South Huntington to Cold Spring Harbor, noticed an issue with food shortage among its young attendees.

Edwards said she was told that 80 children were receiving meals while attending Tri CYA programs during the week, but were pressed for food during the weekends when they were home. Edwards reached out to a network of organizations that responded quickly and were eager to help.

“This is an example of what we can do when we all work together on a common goal,” Edwards said in an event announcing the donations at the Stop & Shop on Jericho Turnpike in Huntington. “Thank you to Stop & Shop and all the service organizations in our community.”

Responding to a call to action from Edwards, a large roster of community-based organizations and the Huntington Stop & Shop store mobilized to gather food and donate it to help the 80 kids enrolled in the Tri CYA program.

“Our children and their families are most appreciative of Stop & Shop’s assistance,” said Debbie Rimler, (regional director) executive director of Tri CYA. “I am very grateful that all these groups have banded together to address food insecurity over the weekends. This donation will make a huge difference in many households and for many youths. Thank you so much.”

The participating organizations said it was their pleasure to get involved.

“It is our privilege to lend assistance to those in the Huntington community who make sure that children are cared for,” said Cindy Carrasquilla, manager of public relations and community relations for Stop & Shop said in a statement. “Stop & Shop is pleased that our efforts can provide food and nourishment to youngsters in need.“

The grocery chain donated milk, cream cheese, butter, vegetables, fresh fruit and kid favorites such as hot dogs, soup, macaroni, ravioli, Lunchables, Pop-Tarts and juice.

Huntington is not alone in a need for more food to feed our residents.

According to Feeding America’s most recent hunger study, 39 percent of Long Islanders who receive emergency food are children under 18 years old. Feeding America is a nonprofit organization that works as a nationwide network of more than 200 food banks feeding more than 40 million people.

“Summer hunger is a serious issue here on Long Island,” said Robin Amato, chief development officer of Long Island Cares, Inc. “Moving forward we will be talking to the Tri CYA about utilizing our children’s breakfast food trucks to ensure that these children have nutritious weekend meals all year round.”

Other organizations and companies that donated food include American Legion Greenlawn Post 1244; the Boy Scouts of America, Suffolk County Girl Scouts, Huntington Community First Aid Squad, Huntington Public Library, South Huntington Public Library, Huntington Township Chamber of Commerce, YMCA of Huntington, NAACP, Huntington Station Business Improvement District, and more.

Girl Scouts spread holiday cheer

by Heidi Sutton - December 8, 2016

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gs_stockings_2016 — Photo from Carol Adamo

The Smithtown Service Unit 25 Girl Scouts filled 300 Christmas stockings and delivered them to the Smithtown Food Pantry, St. Patrick’s Outreach and the Smithtown Historical Society’s collection for Angela’s House. Twenty-three Daisy, Brownie, Junior, Cadette, Senior and Ambassador Girl Scout troops participated in the project.

Stony Brook museum gifted millions

by Phil Corso - April 20, 2016

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LongIslandMuseum_PhilCorsow — The Long Island Museum. Photo by Phil Corso

Two landmark Three Village institutions have received a landmark gift.

The Long Island Museum in Stony Brook and the Setauket Presbyterian Church were named beneficiaries of a $100 million charitable trust through the Kingsley Gillespie Charitable Trust, giving both groups a financial boost from a family that loved its community. The gift carried on the philanthropic contributions that both the Kingsley and Kenyon Gillespie families have made, keeping the arts, community service and faith strong.

The charitable trust came as a result of Kenyon Gillespie’s death in March 2015, which built upon the success of his father Kingsley Gillespie and mother Doris Kenyon, who both died in the 1980s. Every year, the beneficiaries will receive slices of the income earned by the $100 million trust, bringing in millions of dollars in gift money.

Neil Watson, executive director of the Long Island Museum, said the gift came at an exciting time as it approaches 80 years since the museum’s inception.

“This is a very significant gift for us — one of the biggest in our history,” he said. “It allows us to chart our own future.”

Watson said the charitable gift would allow the Long Island Museum to better maintain its 14 buildings, balance its $2.4 million budget and provide better programming for the North Shore community. Looking ahead, he said the museum would be working on launching new programs to attract new visitors, reopening the facility’s gift shop at its headquarters and investing in capital improvements to its carriage museum, which houses a 125-person meeting room dedicated to the Gillespie name.

“The board of trustees and the museum’s staff are overwhelmed by the Gillespies’ generosity,” Watson said in a statement. “This tremendous gift strengthens the LIM’s existing endowments and solidifies the museum’s financial foundation. We are forever indebted to the Gillespie family for their foresight and their belief in the important of the LIM and its place as a cultural leader in our community.”

The Setauket Presbyterian Church, founded in 1660, will also benefit considerably through the charitable trust. The institution, located on the village green at Caroline Avenue in Setauket, has been a longtime home for more than 500 people of faith.

Doris Kenyon was born in 1900 in Brooklyn, but spent summers as a child in Old Field before moving there in the 1930. She had a lifelong affection for the Three Village community, the Long Island Museum said in a press release. She was married to Kingsley Gillespie, a graduate of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and the two built their family in the Three Village area before retiring to Florida.

Other beneficiaries of the charitable trust include MIT and various Stamford, Conn., institutions.

Comsewogue High School presents 29th Annual ‘Night for Jason’

by Heidi Sutton - March 15, 2016

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Night-for-Jasonw — Dana Urbinati and her team of students took a break from rehearsals Monday night to pose for a photo. Photo by Heidi Sutton

For the past 29 years, students at Comsewogue High School have showcased their eclectic talents with the community at “A Night for Jason,” a student-run variety show produced in honor of Jason Mariano, a child in the school district who succumbed to leukemia in 1987. This year’s event will take place on Friday, March 18, at 7 p.m. in the school’s auditorium.

The money raised from the event benefits Friends of Karen, a tristate children’s charity with an office in Port Jefferson, that offers emotional, financial and advocacy support for children with life-threatening illnesses and their families in order to keep them stable, functioning and able to cope.

“This is always such a great way to keep our students involved in caring for our community,” said Dana Urbinati, a teacher at the high school and coordinator of the event. “Along with the talents and energy of everyone involved, we want people to know that the funds raised are going to help some very special families in our communities.”

A diverse mix of talents have graced the stage in the past and this year is no exception. Emceed by Jason Kellar, Eli Smith, Aleyna Kaya, Nicholas Keller and Ethan Wright, the evening will feature 22 acts including musical performances by the high school’s Jazz Band and female choir, Tapestry, along with singing, dancing, comedy and student bands. “This is an extremely talented, hardworking group and I’m just so grateful that we are able to help such an amazing charity,” said Urbinati.

Comsewogue High School is located at 565 N. Bicycle Path, Port Jefferson Station. Tickets for this one-night event are priced at $12 in advance by calling 631-474-8179 or $15 at the door. For more information about Friends of Karen, call 631-473-1768.

Volunteers brave the shave for St. Baldrick’s

by TBR Staff - March 14, 2016

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By Bob Savage

Locals shaved their heads for a good cause on Saturday at Schafer’s restaurant in Port Jefferson, raising money for the St. Baldrick’s Foundation and research into childhood cancers.

Among those going bald were TBR News Media’s own Michael Tessler, who said goodbye to his curly locks.

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St. Baldrick’s has Commack abuzz for childhood cancer research

by Alex Petroski - March 8, 2016

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Commack School District teachers, administrators, students and community members gathered at the high school on Friday to shave their heads in the name of childhood cancer research.

About 175 people “braved the shave” to raise money for the St. Baldrick’s Foundation. This is the seventh year that the district has hosted the event, which is organized by Commack High School teachers Lee Tunick and Bill Scaduto. Tunick said that the district eclipsed $500,000 raised since they began the annual event seven years ago, with more than $66,000 and counting coming in 2016. More than 700 people have had their heads shaved at Commack since they began.

“The community feel is terrific,” Tunick said. “The community just gets behind this like you wouldn’t believe.”

Huntington Town Councilwoman Tracey Edwards (D) was in attendance to take part in the festivities as well.

“In comparison to what children are going through with cancer, it’s nothing,” Edwards said about the bravery required to have her head shaved in front of a gymnasium full of people. “It’s breathtaking. It’s easy to write a check. We do that all the time. Not enough people do that probably, but when you’re doing something like this, you’re going for it. You believe in it. You’re passionate about it,” she added.

Commack High School senior Chris Walsh had his head shaved in St. Baldrick’s name for the tenth year Friday. He has personally raised over $20,000.

Scaduto came to the event with a thick mane of brown hair but left with far less.

“We have a lot of quality teachers here who really volunteer their time to make this happen,” Scaduto said. “Administration, kids, everyone gets involved and it’s just amazing.”

Sports memorabilia items were donated to be bid on by Triple Crown Sports Memorabilia in Hauppauge, as another fundraising source.

For more information about the St. Baldrick’s Foundation’s cause, or to donate, visit www.stbaldricks.org.

Centereach residents shave heads for cancer

by Giselle Barkley - March 7, 2016

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More than 100 people filed into the Centereach Fire Department on Washington Avenue to lose their locks and raise money for the Centereach Civic Association’s third annual St. Baldrick’s fundraiser on Friday.

Residents could shave their heads, volunteer, or simply donate money, at the four-hour fundraiser. Attendees also had the chance to enter various raffles and get a free dinner before heading home.

The civic hoped to raise $50,000 this year. Thus far it has raised more than $8,000 toward that goal, according to the St. Baldrick’s Foundation, though it was unclear if that amount included what was raised on Friday. All proceeds go toward the foundation, which focuses on curing childhood cancers.

According to event disc jockey Rob Wilson, three businessmen established the foundation to help give back to those in need. Their success with the fundraiser inspired them to create the 17-year-old foundation and sparked an annual head-shaving tradition.

North Shore kids have a gift for giving back

by Victoria Espinoza - March 3, 2016

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Gifted-Hearts_02w — T.J and Bella Manfuso sit with students from their recent trip to Costa Rica. Photo from Charlotte Rhee

Two kids from Fort Salonga are focused on giving back.

The Manfuso siblings, 12-year-old T.J. and 11-year-old Isabella, are credited as the founders of Gifted Hearts, a 501(c)(3) charity that provides medical care packages and school supplies to children in need, both locally and internationally.

Their website described it as an organization founded “by kids, for kids,” and the kids have been clearly steering the ship.

T.J. and Bella invited their friends to partake in packing parties throughout the year, where all the care packages Gifted Hearts donates to needy children are gathered and assembled. T.J. said there are usually about 20 friends helping out at these parties.

Bella and T.J. Manfuso smile while wearing their Gifted Hearts shirts. Photo from Charlotte Rhee

“The packaging parties are a lot of fun,” Bella said in a phone interview. T.J. added that it was most fun to be able to have a party while also helping people.

Recently, Gifted Hearts had a packing party at Ben & Jerry’s in Huntington Village, where Suffolk County Legislator William “Doc” Spencer (D-Centerport) also paid a visit.

“I was so impressed with the giving hearts, vision and organization of these young people,” Spencer said in a statement. “It’s inspiring to see them taking the lead to provide for the needs of other children throughout the world.”

Parents Charlotte Rhee and Paul Manfuso have been taking their kids on adventures with them around the world since they were about 5 years old, and they said the kids were always encouraged to learn and give back to the places they visit.

“We want our kids to see that traveling isn’t just about ourselves,” Manfuso said in a phone interview. “We want to promote giving back to where we go and making connections with the kids they see, so we don’t just drop off supplies and go.”

The family has traveled to Ecuador, Costa Rica and more, stopping at schools to meet students T.J. and Isabella’s age and hand out school and medical supplies and backpacks.

“My favorite part is to see the smiles on everyone’s faces when we deliver the packages,” Bella said.

T.J. said he loves learning new things when he travels to these places and seeing how other people live.

“I’ve found it so different; people over there are less fortunate than us, but they are very happy,” he said in a phone interview. “It’s a different way than how we live, but they’re totally happy with it.”

Suffolk County Legislator Doc Spencer smiles with members of Gifted Hearts during a packing party at Ben & Jerry’s. Photo from Elizabeth Alexander

Rhee said Gifted Hearts is also community-oriented, and the kids like to focus on helping their neighbors as much children abroad.

“There are so many needy kids in our own backyard,” Rhee said. “You don’t always need to go to other countries.”

Gifted Hearts donated winter coats, boots and Christmas gifts during the holidays this past year, which they gave to the Junior Welfare League of Huntington Inc.

Right now, the family is personally funding all the donations they give to children at home and overseas, however they said they are hoping to start organizing fundraising events in the near future.

T.J. said his future sights are also set on Bhutan, a country in South Asia. He said he and his family hope to travel there soon with supplies.

“They are really motivated and grateful for all they have,” Rhee said of her kids. “And their friends help out a great deal. They continue to help Gifted Hearts grow.”

Small North Shore church gives in big ways

by Desirée Keegan - January 22, 2016

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diane-burkhardt-haiti-w — Diane Burkhardt, a member of the North Shore United Methodist Church for the last 11 years, is seen below smiling with children she helps through the organization Life and Hop Haiti. Photo from Hal Low

Don’t let its size fool you — the North Shore United Methodist Church in Wading River may be small, but the variety of outreach and support programs it has reaches across the Island.

“Sometimes there are certain people who are going through a difficult time and I think extending a hand and caring helps restore some hope that things are going to be okay,” said Diane Burkhardt, a member of the church for 11 years who is a retired Shoreham-Wading River middle school teacher. “People are so appreciative and thankful, which makes the whole experience gratifying and fulfilling. It makes you really appreciate what you have, which is humbling.”

Burkhardt said she is fortunate enough to be the team leader for the church’s outreach program, working on volunteer efforts like the Helping Hands Fund, which includes a food pantry that assists about 50 families in the Shoreham-Wading River area on a regular basis, and its back-to-school project, which provided school supplies to 30 children in need this past September.

Volunteers also deliver food to people’s homes, drive those in need to doctor’s appointments, help out with the church’s thrift shop, and deliver meals to and spend time with residents of Maureen’s Haven, a shelter service for homeless adults on the East End.

The North Shore United Methodist Church in Wading River is involved in a myriad of projects from helping its church members to the needy across Long Island. Photo by Giselle Barkley

“Food is tangible, but what comes with it is the intangible quality of hope,” Burkhardt said. “I’m one of a dozen or so active members that are retired and put in a lot of hours because we feel we were all given gifts and skills that can be put to good use helping people.”

Linda McCall, of Center Moriches, has been attending North Shore United Methodist for four years and said she most enjoys spending her time helping those at Maureen’s Haven in Riverhead, while also volunteering through Helping Hands to provide gifts to children and meals to families around Christmas.

“It’s a very small church, and for such a small church we have so many outreach programs going that I found it almost impossible not to get involved,” she said. “It’s one of the things that keep me happy to be here on the Island. I moved here from Las Vegas, so I don’t have any family here, and the church has become my family. Volunteering fills my days with joy and happiness.”

Priscilla Hartman, a Shoreham resident who has been attending services for the last 35 years, said that as the church’s team leader for its membership care program, she finds it rewarding when she can help someone.

The program helps church members get to the pharmacy when they are temporarily ill, don’t have transportation or otherwise can’t leave the house. Volunteers also cook for them or clean their houses.

“It’s a great feeling when we’re helping a homeless person or someone who is down on their luck and seeing them get back on their feet,” she said. “I’m glad that my church is very ministry-oriented. I think it’s a good way for us to act. We’re a small church, but there’s nothing too large for us to take on.”

One example is the church’s partnering with Life and Hope Haiti, an organization founded by Lucia Anglade of West Babylon, who formed the Eben Ezer School in her hometown of Milot, Haiti.

Donna Eddy, who runs a craft group and is also involved with Maureen’s Haven and the thrift shop, said it’s these relationships people make with other community members and those they help that count in life and define who they are.

“I think we are all wired to need and to learn from each other,” she said. “You can’t love, have forgiveness, experience kindness, faithfulness and unselfishness unless you’re involved in the community. People need other people.”

And one person everyone at North Shore United Methodist agreed they need, is Burkhardt.

The North Shore United Methodist Church in Wading River gets together food for the less fortunate during the holidays. Photo from Hal Low

“She has an incredible amount of energy and her enthusiasm is infectious,” Pastor Hal Low said. “Nothing ever seems to daunt her. She’s an inspiration to others, including myself.”

Eddy agrees.

“She’s focused, driven and she makes you want to be the best that you can be and give all that you can, because that’s what she does,” she said. “She’s a wonderful model She gives selflessly her time, her energy. If you need something, Diane will be there. You can count on her.”

But Burkhardt doesn’t want to take any of the credit, because she said without the rest of the organization, there would be no outreach ministry.

“I’m part of a whole congregation and I couldn’t do anything alone,” she said, adding that other churchgoers also help by recycling cans and bottles to raise money for lunches for the children in Haiti for instance. Members are also currently providing dinner to children whose parents are both in the hospital while the father is ill, and have been helping transport a man in Bellport, previously of Maureen’s Haven and a home in Middle Island, to and from Sunday services since 2011.

Burkhardt said that she frequently recalls things Shoreham resident and longtime churchgoer Doris Olson used to tell her when she was heavily involved in outreach in her younger years.

“Whenever I’m dealing with someone that can maybe be hard to deal with, she always said, ‘God made that person, too,’ and that brings me right back in touch with what I’m really doing and why I’m going it,” Burkhardt said. “Every day, try to be a blessing to someone else.”

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