The national statistics are chilling: seven out of ten deaths each year are from chronic disease; heart disease, cancer and stroke account for more than 50% of all deaths each year; obesity and diabetes among adults and children are at epidemic levels.
Westchester County is not immune to the nationwide epidemic of diabetes and the rising incidence of heart disease. According Westchester County Department of Health Community Health Assessment, 2010-2013, less than half of resident’s have a healthy weight. Westchester County Blue Ribbon Task Force on Health Disparities noted communities of color are disproportionately affected by a wide range of preventable health conditions that impact life expectancy and quality of life. Low-income families throughout the county live in neighborhoods where there is little to no access to fresh, local fruit and vegetables. They also suffer disproportionately from the effects of poor diet and nutrition.
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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.”
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 Westchester 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.
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