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Lisa LaRocca

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And with the Thanksgiving holiday fast approaching, nonprofit groups are really working overtime. News Twelve's Lisa LaRocca is hope at Hope Community Services showing us what's being done in this neighborhood. Lisa. Hey, OK, uh, hey, OK, sorry, we're having a little, we're having a little trouble hearing, so, uh, you know, right now we're outside folks are lining up here, uh, to go inside Hope. Some are coming for breakfast, some are coming to go in the pantry, uh, that we showed you earlier to get things that they need. So, uh, and again, the need is, is, is big here. So I wanna introduce you to Ada. Ada comes. Good morning, Ada. So you come once a month, yeah, once a month, yeah, just to, to get things to help you fill for the fill up for the rest of the month. Yes, how important is it? Oh this place is important for me. I mean, you know, I mean sometimes I come for the for pantry, sometimes I go in the in the soup kitchen. And to me this place is very, very helpful. I mean, you know, we are so blessed to have this place and these wonderful people, you know, the people that also, you know, volunteer inside. They they're very kind and they try to help us, you know, with, with any way they can. And so this is a big help and Gus, you said that you come, this is Gus, and Gus comes you said like about twice. Good morning. You said what about 2 times a month? Yeah, 2 times a month, and they really help a lot. And you see the line, the big line of people. This is from Neuroshell, which is the neuro shell and the staff here. They are very good. They take care of us all the time. They are very kind and they help them really help. We need help. And what does it do, you know, just being able to come here and you pick up some things, groceries, and that just kind of helps they help a lot. They come 2 times a week. I'm sorry, 2 times a month. So I mean you know this is this is so important it absolutely is. And so when we were saying earlier that we need donations, this is why we need donations without donations of food, of clothing of uh funding we could never do this every Wednesday uh and keep these lines going so uh feeding our neighbors is very important. So if anyone can help, it's those of you who are out there listening to this broadcast now so thank you. OK, so and we have uh a link on our website, Newst2.com if you're interested in volunteering or donations and you know, just in addition to doing this 5 days a week and services that they offer, we're also getting ready for the holidays too, so it is an awful lot. We're in Rochelle, let's go back to the studio.

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And with a Thanksgiving holiday fast approaching, nonprofit groups are working overtime. News 12's Lisa LaRocca is at Hope Community Services in New Rochelle showing us what's being done in this local neighborhood to help Lisa. Yeah, he can't imagine what's being done. I mean, not only here at Hope are they a food pantry, but they have other services as well, and they have day to day stuff. We're going to talk here with Sylvia and Valentina. So last hour we were in the other room with the volunteers who were getting everything out, getting ready for your clients to come in and kind of do their shopping. Um, so in addition to all of this, you, you have the holidays coming up. I mean. It's nonstop. Yes, the holidays are very important to our clients. Uh we have Thanksgiving coming up, so we're preparing for our Thanksgiving give out today we start giving out turkeys and chickens to clients, but in addition to that we're also preparing for our toy giveaway and our pie giveaway, uh, so we have a lot going on this morning we're also preparing for dinner. We have the soup kitchen which we talked about earlier. And we feed between 120 and 140 people per evening so the ladies here are getting prepared this morning for that. They're also preparing for lunch so those who are experiencing homelessness, they can come here at 9 o'clock in the morning. They can get breakfast, they can get lunch, and then of course they can have dinner. So in addition to the pantry, we also feed people all day um and recently we've been seeing. Seniors here, so it isn't just for those who are in the shelters. Some of the seniors in the last two weeks have been telling us that they're hungry, they would like to have breakfast, they would like to have lunch, and we've said, of course, come in because we don't want to turn anyone away. So yes, so and Valentina, I mean you're again like we've been saying, you're working overtime with your day to day operations and getting ready for holidays. It's a lot. It is a lot. Yes, and we're getting ready to do some special things also for our kosher pantry clients. We will have toys for Hanukkah just as toys for Christmas for our regular pantry, and we will do things like I like to do fun items like Sof for Hanukkah for a special item like that. And that is just so interesting that what folks know you have the only kosher food pantry in all of Westchester County, so you. Really kind of do it all here absolutely and it's open to Westchester County residents, not like the pantry. It's just for New show residents. The kosher pantry is for anyone who keeps a kosher household. Well, listen, this is an amazing organization. If you're interested in finding out more volunteering, donating, anything, go on to our website, Newst2.com. We have a link for you there. We're in New Rochelle. We'll be back here at Hope with much more just ahead.

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And with the Thanksgiving holiday fast approaching, nonprofit groups are working overtime. Newswell's Lisa LaRocca is at Hope Community Services in New Rochelle showing us what's being done in this neighborhood. Lisa. Yeah Lisa, they're talking about working overtime. That's what these folks are doing, you know they've been here for more than 40 years here in New Rochelle, and they're much more than just a food pantry. So let me introduce you to Sylvia Hammer. She's the executive director. Thanks for getting up early and being with us this morning. We're in one of the pantries that you have. Tell me a little bit about home. Well, thank you. Good morning, and it is so nice to be here with you this morning. Everyone thinks of Hope just as a food pantry, but we're so much more. We have the largest and only kosher pantry in Westchester County. We also have a free after school homework program that for kids who are on the other side of New Rochelle, they could help with any of their school work, um, and then on Fridays we also help them with their mental. Health we also have a soup kitchen as well so anyone uh who's hungry doesn't mean that you have to live in Westchester County because we have people that come from Connecticut to have dinner with uh with us at night. So at 4 p.m., anyone who's hungry, they can come in and they can have dinner with us. Today is one of our pan. days. So every Wednesday we have a regular pantry. It's uh 9 to 12 and 2 to 4. So look around, we'll be getting ready a little bit later today, but here's the pantry. Alright, so we're gonna be here throughout the morning. We're gonna tell you a lot more about Hope, amazing place, and they could certainly use your help. We'll tell you more about that coming up. We're in New Rochelle, Westchester County. Let's go back to the studio.

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And with the Thanksgiving holiday fast approaching, nonprofit groups are working overtime. News Twelve's Lisa LaRocca is at Hope Community Services in New Rochelle with that part of the story showing us what's being done in this local neighborhood. Lisa. Yeah, and you know it's interesting here, it's not just about the food pantry. They have so many different services. They started as a soup kitchen back in the 80s and they have morphed into something really amazing and the need has grown. Let me introduce you to the board president. This is Lynette Goldberg and one of the things Because you've grown so much, you actually had a building about a block away that's been donated to you so but you're not quite there yet because it needs a lot of work. Yes, it does need a lot of work and as fortunate as we are to have received the building in order to keep providing the services that we provide. To the growing number of people that are coming to our door and also to keep providing new services and new programs that we know the community needs, we really need to do a big renovation on the building. We have all our approvals to do that's the only thing really holding us. is raising the money. Isn't that always the problem, right? Always, always. So you have, I mean, you have some funding, but, and what did you say? It's always like the last quarter that's always the hardest, yeah, so we have about 3 raised about 3 quarters of the money. The last quarter they say is always the hardest, and in this environment it's particularly difficult, of course. So the hope play on words, the hope is that folks are watching. They see the good you're doing when we talk about the services, everything from summer camps, after school services. I mean you you basically do it. All so if anybody has maybe a little extra lying around, uh, hopefully it would make it would make a real difference. OK, thank you. Very good. All right, so we'll continue to show you around more here at Hope Community Services, amazing organization here. Uh, lots more to show you coming up. Let's go back to the studio.

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And with the Thanksgiving holiday fast approaching, nonprofit groups are working overtime. News Twelve's Lisa LaRocca is at Hope Community Services in New Rochelle showing us what's being done in this local neighborhood. Lisa. Yeah, Lisa and you can see the day has certainly started here. Volunteers busy getting ready for the day here. Let me introduce you to Valentina Cook. She's director of food operations and Sister Mary Hannon Pantry supervisor. Thank you so much for being with us. Volunteers, big, big part of what you do, huge, huge part. We couldn't do it without them, absolutely not. Yeah, and you do, I mean you do breakfast, you do. Talk a little bit about that. So we do breakfast and. Lunch for the men from Oasis, the shelter across the street, and we do dinner for anyone who needs a hot meal and sister, of course, Thanksgiving right around the corner, a lot of families I'm guessing coming to hopefully get turkeys and all of that. Yes, hope is about feeding the people in the local area, and this is the time of year that we see people possibly not since last year. I always say the world cares about hunger from Halloween to the first of the year, but don't forget us after that. Absolutely. So and you know we've been talking about how it hasn't been easy for organizations like this between the shutdown government cutbacks, and so this is a time where volunteers, I guess, and donations are needed more than ever. Volunteers make this program go. If we did not have them, we could not do the work. They come faithfully. Every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday and in the evenings for the other programs, but without volunteers we cannot do it and can always use more, right? So if you're looking for a worthy cause, this is a good place to come, folks are already lining up outside, uh, to come in. And get a hot meal. So very, very busy time like you said, Liz, they're working overtime at organizations like Hope. We'll have more for you coming up just ahead. We're new Rochelle. Let's go back to the studio. Lisa, so much good being done there. Thank you so much and please thank those volunteers for all of us here at News 12.

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Staff at the non-profit organization say between the government shutdown and federal cutbacks more people need help. 

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