Ambassador Spotlight #7!

Name: 

Isaac Reichman

How long have you been an ambassador?

Five years

What organization(s) have you been proud to sponsor?

Jane Addams Resource Corporation; World Relief Chicago

Thoughts you have on your advocacy and the organization(s).

It has been an honor to be able to sponsor these two organizations, both of which do incredible work directly serving critical populations in Chicago. World Relief Chicago supports immigrants and refugees, while JARC provides job training and adult education. I thank the Ascienzo Foundation for allowing me to help them bring a little bit of Red Hook to these great Chicago organizations in such generous way.

If you are in a profession or field of work, what background/present employment status would you like to share?

I am currently working as the Communication Director for the City of Chicago Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection, while also helping out in Mayor Lightfoot's Press Office while Chicago's Press Secretary is out on Maternity Leave. It has been an incredibly challenging eight months during the pandemic, but I feel like I am working on the pressing issues facing our city and the entire country right now. It's the challenge of a lifetime but an honor to be in a role with a lot of responsibility.

Anything you'd like to share about your personal life? Fun thing or things you still do, in spite of the pandemic?

Honestly, it has been mostly work for the last eight months, but one thing that I started doing is a semi-weekly poker game with high school friends. That has been something that I very much look forward to that has helped get through these tough times.

Ambassador Spotlight #6!

Name: 

Emily Mauch

How long have you been an ambassador?

4 years

What organization(s) have you been proud to sponsor?

Partners for World Health; Maine Adaptive Sports Foundation

Thoughts you have on your advocacy and the organization(s).

In my advocacy, I try to connect what I'm interested in, either personally or professionally, with the organization I choose.

If you are in a profession or field of work, what background/present employment status would you like to share?

Physical Therapist - I most enjoy speaking with the patients I meet and seeing them improve! 

Anything you'd like to share about your personal life? Fun thing or things you still do, in spite of the pandemic?

Two of my most favorite things to do are to spend time outdoors & creative projects - both of which are very fitting during the pandemic! 

Ambassador Spotlight #5!

Name:

Brenna Dolen

How long have you been an ambassador?

3 years

What organization(s) have you been proud to sponsor?

Feed HV

Thoughts you have on your advocacy and the organization(s).

My first experience with grant writing was with the Ascienzo Family Foundation. It is a unique opportunity to have the support and guidance, funds, and framework set up to assist a worthy cause. The grant for FeedHV focused on a website revamp, allowing their organization to prevent more food from going to waste in the Hudson Valley and divert that food to food insecure families. The Ascienzo Family Foundation has nurtured a community of change-makers and it's an honor to be a part of the AFF family.  .  

If you are in a profession or field of work, what background/present employment status would you like to share? What do you really enjoy about what you do?

I am a youth educator, supporting elementary students through distance learning and delivering backyard STEAM [Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics] workshops and virtual classes. My new favorite class is an online kitchen science class (cooking with kids over zoom?! So fun!). This job focuses on developing STEAM skills through play and curiosity. I love seeing the benefits of this approach.

Anything you'd like to share about your personal life? Fun thing or things you still do, in spite of the pandemic? I love snorkeling, cooking, stretching in the sunshine, listening to music, and practicing acro-yoga. 

Audubon Certification Update

The AFF is represented on a sub-committee of the Red Hook Together community group, meeting over the last 4 months on an almost weekly basis, working through the second stage of Audubon International’s Sustainable Communities Program. The process of certification has been a multi-year undertaking, led by Laurie Husted from Bard College. Earlier this year Red Hook was cited as only the second community in the State of New York to receive the Audubon International Green Community Award after completing stage one.

“The Town of Red Hook has demonstrated a strong commitment to fulfilling the ideals of sustainability—economic vitality, environmental protection, and social responsibility,” said Jessica Latus, Director of Sustainable Community Programs at Audubon International. “Red Hook has made tremendous strides in identifying community challenges, harnessing the power of partnerships, and will now compile a strategic sustainability plan that will have a real and positive effect on the community and its residents.” She added: “The Program helps communities tackle challenges and plan for change in a way that fosters a vibrant local economy while maintaining a healthy environment and high quality of life. This is the concept of sustainability, which Audubon International views as the foundation for quality communities of today and tomorrow. We want to plan for the best of what Red Hook can be and show visitors and residents that it is truly a sustainable community.”

There are three stages in the multi-year certification process. Red Hook has already completed an assessment and community survey in the first program stage. The community will now define a long-term community vision, choose sustainability indicators as a mechanism for fostering action and measuring success, and implement its plan. The plan covers 15 focus areas, such as Education, Agriculture, and Open Space, the sub-committee will choose timelines and measurable goals for each of those areas - not a simple undertaking! After outreach to the community at large they will complete a vision plan and report progress on chosen goals, satisfying stage two requirements. Stay tuned as they continue working through all focus areas - online, of course, - just as everyone has been doing since March! The Audubon project has been another opportunity for AFF to collaborate with RH local leaders on a community building endeavor.

Ambassador Spotlight #4!

Name:

Alex Parks 

How long have you been an ambassador?

Leila and I have had the pleasure of submitting grant applications to the Ascienzo Family Foundation since 2015

What organization(s) have you been proud to sponsor?

We just submitted our sixth grant application for The Home for Little Wanderers, a Boston nonprofit that helps our most at-risk children succeed in their lives. 

Thoughts you have on your advocacy and the organization(s).

For years, we've felt strongly about advocating for children who do not have the stability in their homes that they deserve. For example, even before the COVID-19 pandemic, many children going to Boston Public Schools lived in situations where food outside of school was scarce, and violence in their homes and communities was prevalent. As many more parents in Boston have lost their jobs over the last eight months, the number of children experiencing distress in their lives has only increased. During this extraordinary moment in history, Leila and I feel it's more important than ever to support organizations that are helping all children live happy, healthy lives.  

If you are in a profession or field of work, what background/present employment status would you like to share? What do you really enjoy about what you do?

In 2010 I graduated from Brandeis University summa cum laude with a B.A. in economics and philosophy, and for the last decade I've been working in public relations. In 2015, I started my own business to provide organizations with high-quality and cost-effective PR services. You can read more about what I do at http://www.alexparkscommunications.com/

Anything you'd like to share about your personal life? Fun thing or things you still do, in spite of the pandemic?

We have a three year old, which makes for nonstop fun! Jack is a happy, energetic, and curious little boy. We spend lots of time building towers, singing and dancing, and going on walks to the many playgrounds near our home in Boston. I've included a picture of us apple picking. Since we were the only people in the field, we took our masks off for a moment to snap a selfie. (see above)