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WCF Welcomes Rebecca Putter
The Board of Advisors of the Westchester Community Foundation (WCF) announce Rebecca Kraley Putter was appointed program officer at the Westchester Community Foundation in December 2011. Her responsibilities include developing and implementing strategic grantmaking in the areas of the arts, academic opportunity, strong nonprofits, and the Westchester Fund for Women and Girls. 

Prior to joining the Foundation, Ms. Putter served as a consultant to regional community foundations and nonprofit organizations; a grantmaker at The Columbus Foundation in Columbus, Ohio; a development consultant for a government agency in the West Indies; and an associate at the Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs in New York, New York. She has been an active volunteer with a number of nonprofit organizations, most recently Habitat for Humanity and the American Red Cross. She holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from Vassar College and a master’s certificate in international security from Stanford University.

“We are so pleased to welcome Rebecca to our staff,” said Catherine Marsh, Executive Director of the Westchester Community Foundation, “Her combination of talents, along with her background addressing community challenges, bring a unique perspective to our work as a community foundation.”

“I am thrilled to accept this position as program officer” said Ms. Putter, in accepting the appointment, “and look forward to bringing my experience in the nonprofit, government, and community foundation world to the Westchester Community Foundation where I join a group of skilled professionals dedicated to strengthening our community through charitable giving.”
 
"Community Matters" Film 3
307285_10150348690280966_131314930965_8342751_258809645_nWestchester Community Foundation is sponsoring a 2011-2012 film series dedicated to generating discussion around topics that affect us locally, including health, environment, education, housing, and energy. The third film in this series was "Mothers of Bedford" which was shown on Tuesday, November 15 at Jacob Burns Film Center.  This film offered a look into the minds and hearts of the women inmates of New York’s Bedford Hills Correctional Facility. 
 
Film Series "Community Matters"
Westchester Community Foundation is sponsoring a film series dedicated to generating discussion around topics that affect us locally, including health, environment, education, housing, and energy. The second film in this series was Wretches & Jaberers, scheduled for Wednesday, September 21.  This film debunks the myth that autistic individuals do not have feelings, cannot communicate, and have low intelligence.  The autistic individuals in the film use assistive technology to express themselves and communicate with others.  The Foundation has supported a range of programs that encourage persons with those with autism express themselves through music, theater, visual arts, and, with the help of assistive technology, be educated in the public school system.


 
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Faith-Based Health Initiative

 

Places of worship play an important role in the health of those living in vulnerable and underserved communities. They are trusted sources for health information and referrals, a gateway for important screening and early intervention, and a community of support for those managing chronic disease. Through partnership and collaboration with healthcare providers, places of worship can promote long-term sustainable approaches to the reduction of health disparities in their communities.

In 2010, the Westchester Community Foundation launched its Faith-Based Health Initiative to promote programs that strengthen the capacity of individuals to make well informed decisions about options that affect their lives. Through its Health Fund, the Foundation supported partnerships between healthcare providers and places of worship to address health disparties in Westchester's most vulnerable communities.

In 2011, the Foundation awarded second year renewal grants of $30,000 to Sister to Sister International and Hudson River HealthCare to expand health education and access to healthcare in the Cities of Yonkers and Peekskill.

 

Children's Environmental Health Center of the Hudson Valley

Infants and children, with their smaller and still-developing bodies, are particularly vulnerable to environmental toxins.  In New York, the disease most closely linked with environmental toxins is asthma.  Unfortunately, the prevalence of asthma continues to rise.  Contributors to childhood asthma include poor air quality and exposure to second-hand smoke. School-age children can be affected by mold and dirty ventilation systems in school facilities, and exposure to idling diesel-powered schoolbuses.  Primary care physicians, healthcare providers, parents, and caregivers can play an important role in identifying environmental triggers for asthma and other childhood health issues related to environmental toxins.

Launched with our support in 2008, the Children's Environmental Health Center of the Hudson Valley is a partnership of New York Medical College and Maria Fareri Children's Hospital.  It provides clinical consultations and education to the medical community and the public about childhood exposure to environmental toxins.  In 2011, the Foundation awarded $30,000 for continued support of the Center's efforts to educate and inform the medical community and the public about the effects of environmental toxins on children's health.

 

Proposals for 2012 will be due on September 7, 2012.  For more information,  contact Laura Rossi-Ortiz, Program Officer, at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it g, or (914) 948-5166 ext. 4.


2011 Grants