Neighbors Foundation shares holiday spirit

by Donna M. Webb
Grand Island Dispatch, December 16, 2005

The Neighbors Foundation first collection of toys and gifts for families in need is now at the Nike Base Community Center. The donations will be sorted, along with other gifts and toys yet to come. Town employees from the Waste Water, Highway and Water Departments were on hand for the first delivery. Mike Gallagher and Justin Bridenbaker of the Water Department and Mary Leavy, treasurer of the union at the Waste Water Department, joined with Hank Kammerer of the Neighbors Foundation for the presentation. The donations will be moved the Knights of Columbus Hall by Dec. 20, to coordinate with food donations, and distributed to the families. (photos by Barbi Lare)

Once again, the Neighbors Foundation of Grand Island is working to bring some holiday cheer to families in need.

Foundation President Hank Kammerer is a bit concerned, however, since donations to their “Share Your Happiness” drive are down compared to previous years.

“The needs are probably higher than ever this year but the income is below the usual,” Kammerer said. He explained that the natural gas and electricity price increases will hit families especially hard this winter.

The foundation has been collecting canned goods and other non-perishable foods, along with promises of free/reduced price turkeys and hams, and gifts of clothing and toys for children. All of these items will be distributed right before Christmas to some 50 to 60 Island families.

Connor Middle School Student Council President Brett Brennan and Treasurer Stephen Vitello present President Hank Kammerer of the Neighbors Foundation with a $150 check from the council. (photo by Donna Webb)

Students Help Out

Donations are coming from an array of individuals and groups. Most of the canned goods, for example, are from students in Grand Island schools. Collections began last Thursday and continue until today.

Veronica Connor Middle School Principal Bruce Benson noted that this year’s goal is 3,050 cans, just a bit higher than last year’s donations. Kammerer also received a check from Mary Jane Fonte’s eighth-grade Home and Careers class. This represented the money they collected after preparing homemade food and selling it at the middle school’s International Night this month.

Two other special gifts to the Neighbors Foundation this year came via individual middle school students. Joe Green, a sixth-grader, entered Connor Middle School into a “Back to School” sweepstakes that Wegmans held at the start of the school year. His entry was picked, and the prize was a whopping $500 in Wegmans’ gift certificates. He presented these to Kammerer on Wednesday. Also, at that time, the Student Council President Brett Brennan handed Kammerer a check for $150, which was raised during International Night.

Significant Donations

A number of other groups and organizations have aided this special holiday drive. Significant donations were received from:

•The offering from the Ecumenical Thanksgiving Service on the Island.

•Grand Island town employees, who are members of American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees.

•The Knights of Columbus, who donated the proceeds from their recent spaghetti dinner to the Neighbors Foundation. Also the Knights are donating the use of their hall for the sorting of all the food items.

Larry Slovick, a vice president at the First Niagara Bank and a member of the Foundation’s board of directors, was instrumental in obtaining a significant grant for renovating and refurbishing the group’s food storage area, which is located in the basement of the older St. Stephen's Church.

Community groups, such as the Zonta Club and Grand Island Rotary, have provided donations. Some businesses are helping out, too. Invitrogen donated several free turkeys, and Tops Market arranged for discounted prices on others. Russer Foods did the same on ham pricing.

In addition several individuals have also provided turkeys, and a good number of people have made cash or toy donations to the Neighbors Foundation. Each of the 50 to 60 families they help will receive either a turkey or ham, non-perishable foods, a Wegmans’ gift certificate, and clothing/toys for their children. An anonymous donor has also given the Foundation potatoes for distribution.

Sorting Task

Of course, so many donations mean that a big sorting task lies ahead. School groups from on and off the Island will be providing the “muscle” for this job. About 30 Grand Island High School students from the Interact Club (a junior version of Rotary) and DECA -- the Distributive Education Club of America -- are set to spend several hours next week either sorting the non-perishable foods at the Knights of Columbus Hall or the children’s clothing and toys at the Nike Base. The latter will be under the supervision of Town Recreation Supervisor Linda Tufillaro, who is a director of the Neighbors Foundation. Also, students from St. Stephen’s School and St. Joseph’s Academy will all be helping her organize as part of the community service requirement for their confirmation.

John’s Pizza has arranged special pricing for the Neighbors Foundation, so that they can offer a pizza-and-pop luncheon for all the hungry students who will be sorting. Also, John’s Pizza has donated gift certificates to be given to some of the recipients of the Foundation’s holiday drive.

The Neighbors Foundation is still accepting cash contributions to its “Share Your Happiness” drive. Residents are invited to send a check in the amount of their choice. Tax-deductible checks should be made payable to the Neighbors Foundation and mail to: P.O. Box 155, Grand Island, NY 14072. The names of those whose donations are received by Dec. 21 will be published in the holiday editions of the Island Dispatch, the PennySaver.

Please help the Foundation spread holiday happiness by sharing some of yours.