Sept. 11, 2014 KickoffIn honor of those whose lives were lost or forever changed by the tragic events of Sept. 11, 2001, County Executive Robert P. Astorino joined with Volunteer New York! to once again host "9/11: Serve + Remember" at the County Center. New this year was the launch of the Westchester County Diaper Bank in partnership with the Junior League of Central Westchester. Westchester County's formal 9/11 memorial ceremony will take place Sept. 11 beginning at 7 p.m. at The Rising at the Kensico Dam. The public is invited to attend.

"Volunteering is one of the best ways to honor the memory of the victims of September 11, 2001, as well as pay tribute to the heroism of those who came together to help," Astorino said.

Additional projects coordinated by Volunteer New York! can be found at www.volunteernewyork.org/service

"We are especially happy this year to announce the Westchester County Diaper Bank," Astorino added. "Diapers are a basic need for children – as essential as food, shelter and a parent's love. I want to thank the Junior League of Central Westchester for this tremendous partnership."

Service projects taking place at the County Center on Sept. 11 from 12 noon to 6 p.m. include:

  • Blood Drive (9 a.m. to 4 p.m.) – give blood to the New York Blood Center in partnership with county government
  • Diaper Drive – donate unused diapers or wipes of any size or variety to benefit the Diaper Bank
  • Food Drive – bring non-perishable food items to benefit the Food Bank for Westchester
  • Lamp Drive – help furnish homes for those in need through Furniture Sharehouse
  • Mentoring and Tutoring Fair – learn more about the need for mentors and how you can help
  • Blanket making for Project Linus – help keep children in hospitals and shelters warm
  • Postcard writing for Reverse the Course – support education for girls in Africa
  • Literacy Project – help Head Start students retell their stories and master early reading
  • Additional projects that will run through Sept. 14 can be found at www.volunteernewyork.org/service 

"As an agency devoted to strengthening our communities through active volunteer engagement in Westchester and our surrounding communities, we see this as an important opportunity for people of all ages and interests to join together in service to build a permanent and positive legacy that rekindles the spirit of unity that followed the tragic events of Sept. 11," said Alisa H. Kesten, executive director of Volunteer New York!

Special thanks goes to the Westchester Knicks for joining the volunteer efforts, as well as Marathon Financial Group, Maier Markey & Justice, The Standard Insurance Company of NY in White Plains, and all other companies and individuals who recently hosted food drives in support of the Food Bank for Westchester.

Diaper Bank Now Accepting Donations
The Westchester County Diaper Bank will be collecting all sizes, types and brands of disposable diapers as part of an ongoing partnership between the Junior League of Central Westchester and Westchester County government. Donations for baby wipes are also accepted. The goal is to help get clean diapers to families that struggle to afford them in Westchester. Donations can be made anytime, while the Diaper Bank is expected to begin operations later this year.

A recent study found that one in three American mothers struggles to afford clean diapers for her child. On average, diapers cost $18 per week, or $936 per year for each child, according to the Huggies study.
Without an ample supply of diapers, babies are left in soiled diapers for too long, leading to poor health from infections, discomfort, and emotional struggles. For families, the list of tough choices – pay the bills, buy food, buy diapers or miss work due to lack of diapers for daycare – can also cause distress.

Westchester County's Department of Social Services is helping to warehouse the diapers as well as distribute them to residents in need. The county's Department of Health, meanwhile, is providing information and referrals to parents about important health topics.

People are encouraged to help by donating to the Westchester County Diaper Bank. For more information, contact the Junior League of Central Westchester at (914) 723-6130 or  or simply visit www.jlcentralwestchester.org.

Special thanks goes to the Westchester Coalition for the Hungry and Homeless, which recently donated 50,000 diapers, as well as Authentic Church in White Plains, which donated 8,000 diapers.

JLCW President Nikki Hahn explains: "With the establishment of the Westchester County Diaper Bank, the Junior League of Central Westchester believes, with the community's help, that we can significantly reduce diaper deprivation, leading to improved emotional outcomes for babies and their caregivers. Simply stated, Changing Babies...Changing Lives; that's the goal, and we encourage community members to contribute to this important cause and are thrilled that Westchester County has agreed to partner with us."

Volunteer New York!'s annual communitywide call to action for the 9/11: Serve + Remember projects is made possible thanks to the generosity of Westchester County and Corporate Champions: MasterCard, TD Charitable Foundation, PepsiCo, IBM, New York Life, ConEdison, Bunge, Robinson Oil Company, Journal News Media Group, Mack-Cali, Scent 2 Market, Morgan Stanley, M&T Bank, Regeneron, The Dannon Company, Chubb, Pentegra, The Rollins Agency, Reader's Digest, RPW Group and O'Connor Davies LLP.