Volunteer Maria Fabian weighs food to be given out at the West Side Campaign Against Hunger at the Church of St. Paul & St. Andrew on West 86th Street.

West Side Campaign Against Hunger passes goal in Thousand Turkey Challenge

West Side Campaign Against Hunger stocked a special item in their pantry this past week: a whole lot of turkeys. The nonprofit, located in the basement of the Church of St. Paul and St. Andrew at 262 W. 86th St., co-sponsored the second annual Thousand Turkey Challenge, a turkey drive organized by local religious groups to provide holiday meals for at-need families.

“You’re seeing us at our most chaotic. We’re not usually this messy,” promised Stewart Desmond, incoming WSCAH executive director, as he gave a quick tour of the bustling basement pantry on Monday during the busiest meal time. Patrons pushed small carts and chatted mostly in Spanish while volunteers checked out finished shoppers and ushered in others seated in the large basement waiting area. Unlike a soup kitchen, Desmond explained, patrons at WSCAH’s pantry choose their meals from well-stocked shelves based on a point system that allows for a certain amount of grains, protein, vegetables and so forth. Then they cook the food at their own apartments.

“We live in a progressive community that wants to help people in the most progressive way possible,” Desmond said. “A pantry like this that gives people some dignity represents the values of the Upper West Side. We’re something the Upper West Side can be proud of.”

At the basement’s far end, a table with members of the Society of the Advancement of Judaism and West End Synagogue, the drive’s two founders, collected turkeys for the pantry from Upper West Side donors. Last year, the members said, the organizations collected several hundred turkeys and raised over $10,000 from cash donations, which allowed them to provide holiday meals for over 1,700 families. This year, Desmond estimated that they would raise over 1,000 turkeys from Nov. 15 to 21, the drive’s dates. He noted that they also provide hams and cooked chickens to smaller families.

Chris Gill, a volunteer at a check-out counter who has been involved with WSCAH for about 10 years, said that the pantry was providing an essential service to the city’s community in hard economic times. “Famine is serious,” he asserted. “If it wasn’t for pantries, they’d have to open more jails. There’d be a lot more crime. The rate of unemployment, the lack of food stamps—that would cause havoc. There would be a lot more policemen standing in front of doors.”

Many shoppers agreed that the pantry was providing a good service. Bronx resident and pantry regular Roger Beddoe complained that the 1.5-hour line this time of year was “crazy, ridiculous,” but perked up at the prospect of turkey. “Yeah,” he said, “it’s worth the wait.”

SHAKESPEARE’S LADIES
Just about all of Shakespeare’s characters are iconic symbols of the human condition,
and the same can be said of the heroines within his tales. The experimental Shakespeare ensemble Dark Lady Players will be performing Shakespeare’s Annunciation parodies Sunday, March 25, at 5 p.m. at West-Park Presbyterian Church, 165 W. 86th St. The event is free to attend and will feature actors portraying Juliet, Desdemona, Olivia and Ophelia in part-comic religious allegories for the Virgin Mary.
WILD BIRDS NEED CASH
The Wild Bird Fund’s wildlife rehabilitation and education facility, located on the Upper West Side, will be NYC’s first wildlife rehabilitation and education center. To raise money  for equipment and medical supplies, the fund will host “Wild Bird Fund Takes Flight,” Tuesday April 3, 6:30–9 p.m., at “Birdie” Vanderbilt’s mansion at 60 E. 93rd St. The group is hosting a multitude of events that evening, including a speech from acclaimed author Jonathan Franzen.

Other events will include a self-guided tour of the historic Vanderbilt residence and the Carlton Hobbs antiques gallery, a video tour of the new center, a performance by Dzul Dance, jazz renditions by Jennifer Dudley of the song “It’s for the Birds,” a showing of baby birds, squirrels, owls and hawks, a silent auction and hors d’oeuvres and wine. Tickets are $100 and can be purchased by contacting Beverly Mastropolo at 917-848-0044 or online at http://bit.ly/GCXNPr.

FAMED DEBATERS ON GOD, GAYS AND GUNS
On Thursday, March 29, Dr. Cornel West and the Rev. Osagyefo Sekou will host a discussion about Sekou’s new book, Gods, Gays, and Guns: Essays on
Religion and the Future of Democracy, at West-Park Presbyterian Church, 165 W. 86th St. West is one of the nation’s most prolific authors and a known critical activist who participated at Occupy Wall Street last year. Sekou is considered one of the most influential religious leaders of the current generation. His work as an on-the-ground activist has landed him in post-Katrina New Orleans and the World Culture Center in Berlin. There is no advance ticketing and doors open at 6:30 p.m. For more information, call the Rev. Bob Brashear at 646-541-3329.

LOCAL COUNCIL CANDIDATE HIRES BIG GUN
Ken Biberaj, the latest candidate to declare for the soon-tobe-vacant Upper West Side City
Council seat, has hired veteran political consultant firm Sheinkopf Ltd. to work on his campaign. The hire signals a serious move from a largely unknown candidate; Hank Sheinkopf has worked on many high-profile political campaigns, like President Bill Clinton’s re-election and Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s last election.

“As an Upper West Sider myself, I’m thrilled to work with a candidate who has such a compelling vision for the neighborhood’s future,” said Sheinkopf in a statement.

“We’re working hard, speaking with voters and small business owners to convey my campaign’s message,” Biberaj said.

Biberaj previously told the West Side Spirit in an interview that one of his top priorities is to get out in the community and introduce himself. Biberaj, who serves as vice-president of the Russian Tea Room and works in commercial real estate, is up against three other candidates who have each served on Community Board 7 and
are arguably more familiar faces on the Upper West Side.

JAPANESE RHYTHM: Taiko drummers from Soh Daiko perform during Japan Fest at the American Museum of Natural History. Visit www. nypress.com for more photos of the group in action. Photo Credit: Andrew Schwartz

FREE TAX HELP ON THE UWS

Sitting down to go over the taxes is an event most would equate with torture. However, residents of the Upper West Side can rest easy with several free sessions that condense the processes behind filling out tax forms. The AARP will host a number of sessions at several libraries and community centers during tax season to educate the public about filing their taxes:

• The Bloomingdale Library, 150 W. 100th St., will host classes every Friday through April 13 from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Call 212-222-8030 for more information.

• The Morningside Heights Library, 2900 Broadway, will host a session every Monday and Saturday through April 16 from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Call 212-666- 5099 for more information.

• The Riverside Library, 127 Amsterdam Ave., will hold classes every Thursday through April 12 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Call 212-870-1810 for more information.

• The Project FIND Hamilton Senior Center, 141 W. 73rd St., will hold classes every Tuesday through April 17 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Call 212-787-7710 for more
information.

• The West Side Campaign Against Hunger, 263 W. 86th St., lower level will hold classes every Tuesday through April 17 from 10 a.m. to 12 noon and 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Call 212-362-3662 for more information.

• Community Tax Aid at Goddard Riverside Community Center at 647 Columbus Ave. near 92 Street will cater to single adults with income of up to $25,000 or families with income of up to $45,000. Bring last year’s tax forms and other relevant documents. Class will be held every Tuesday through April 10 from 6–8 p.m.

By Gavin Aronsen

Hunger is on the rise on the Upper West Side.

Volunteers at the West Side Campaign Against Hunger prepared for one of its busiest periods of the year on a recent Tuesday, as they managed their final delivery of food just before Thanksgiving week.

The holidays are one of the busiest times at the West Side Campaign Against Hunger. Photo by Andrew Schwartz

The campaign runs an emergency food-pantry program located at the Church of St. Paul and St. Andrew on West 86th Street. Last month, representatives from the food pantry said that it saw a 31-percent rise in people from the same period a year before to more than 8,200 this year, and this month is expected to be even busier.

Since the recession in 2008 there has been a nearly 50-percent increase in the number of people seeking food at the pantry, according to Doreen Wohl, the program’s executive director.

“People’s need for food is all year round,” Wohl said. “The wider community only wakes up to this at Thanksgiving and at Christmastime.”

Most weeks, the pantry is open Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, with Tuesdays reserved for receiving new shipments of food. But next week, it will be open Monday through Wednesday and closed Thanksgiving Day and Friday so volunteers and staff have time to spend with their families.

People in need of assistance come to the pantry once a month, where they are given their choice of healthy foods to last about three days. It is disbursed based on a point system designed to provide a proper balance among the different food groups.

A chef nutritionist, Mark D’Alessandro, runs a 12-week cooking course to teach those interested how to prepare meals, who in turn help others who come to the pantry in need.

Stewart Desmond, the program’s development director, said despite perceptions that the economy has taken a turn for the better, the need for food among low-income people continues to grow, even on the generally well-off Upper West Side.

He predicted that next week would be “overwhelming” but that staff and volunteers would be prepared.

The pantry, one of the city’s largest emergency food programs, relies on city, state and federal funding as well as cash and in-kind donations from community members and religious organizations. Still, Wohl said the demand for food has overwhelmed the program’s budget.

Shirley Brevard, a 15-year volunteer with the program, said she expects to see lines stretching a block away to Broadway next week as eager families hope to receive Thanksgiving turkeys.

“You’re going to hear them asking tomorrow,” said Carrie Fair, who has volunteered at the pantry for the past 12 years.

Although Wohl said the resources do not exist to provide everyone a turkey, she said staff and volunteers are working to ensure that healthy meals will be available next week for those in need.

Said Brevard, who is used to seeing wall-to-wall lines even on typical days, “We don’t really disappoint them.”

“Next week is going to be crazy, but we love it,” she said.

Wohl said the pantry is typically busier around Thanksgiving than Christmas because more places tend to provide food assistance for the latter holiday.

For more information, visit www.wscah.org.

By Kara Bloomgarden-Smoke

Doreen Wohl was surprised to discover another side to the United States when she came here from England in 1953 with the American Friends Service Committee to work with migrant farm workers in Pennsylvania.

“I grew up during the war and the idea of America was that it was the land of milk and honey,” said Wohl, 77. “It came as a real shock but also a very important introduction to the United States to realize that you could exist without realizing there was such poverty.”

Doreen Wohl, director of the West Side Campaign Against Hunger, said she didn’t expect to find poverty in the U.S. when she moved here in 1953.

In 1993, Wohl took over as director of West Side Campaign Against Hunger, an emergency food pantry that started in 1979 in the basement of the Church of St. Paul and St. Andrew on 86th Street and Broadway. Soon after, Wohl instituted fundamental changes to the system.

Instead of distributing pre-packed bags of food to the needy customers, Wohl began setting the food up as in a supermarket and using a point system so that customers could choose what they needed based on household size. Eligible people, those whose salaries fall below the poverty line, are able to come once a month and get enough food for each member of their household for three days.

One day shortly after Wohl started, she found herself shorthanded. She went upstairs to the line of people waiting to receive emergency provisions and asked if anyone was available to help. From then on, the food pantry has used customer volunteers. Wohl sees this as an integral aspect of the West Side Campaign Against Hunger.

“When people first come here, they never expected to have to come to a church for emergency food. They are not feeling good about it,” said Wohl. “But when you invite people to help, they leave and get thanked for helping out. It really changes the dynamic. “

“It’s good to help other people, you know, one hand washes the other. When you walk out, you can hold your head up high,” Sherri Mitchell, 32, said after her first time volunteering.

Most customers volunteer when they come to pick up food, and some come almost every day to help out.

In 2000, Wohl was able to add social services. The campaign now works with about 10 different agencies to provide services in addition to food.

“When people come for emergency food, it’s really the tip of the iceberg,” said Wohl. “People may be eligible for more social services but not know that they are.”

New customers are given appointments with social services and advice on the options available to them. Depending on their needs, they may be given follow-up appointments and attention. In addition to social workers, there are also organizations on hand to provide services such as legal aid, advice on health care, budget counseling and nutrition information.

Chef Mark D’Alessandro teaches a 12-week culinary and nutrition class as part of the Wellness program. D’Alessandro studied at the French Culinary Institute and taught at Le Cordon Bleu before coming to work at the hunger campaign three years ago.

“It is really a team effort,” said Wohl. “The staff and the volunteers all work together to make everything run smoothly.”

“One day, I cooked pasta with cheese. My wife asked me how I did it,” Ramos said. “She likes the way I cook now.”

Ramos’ new culinary repertoire is the result of a 12-week course he took at the West Side Campaign Against Hunger, a food pantry housed in the Church of St. Paul and St. Andrew, on West 86th Street and Broadway. He started volunteering there at the suggestion of a friend from church.

Ramos, who lives in The Bronx, is one of the program’s 132 graduates, many of whom return to volunteer their time and cook alongside current students. He signed up for the chef training and cooking program and completed the course about six months ago. The course imbued him with a desire to learn more, and he is now taking a class on cakes—in addition to waking up at 6:30 a.m. every day to travel to the Upper West Side and volunteer.

Chef and nutritionist Mark D’Alessandro looks over the work of (from left) Manny Ramos, Julissa Lopez and Matilde Lachapel. Photo by Andrew Schwartz

“I like the way they treat people,” Ramos said of the program, while eating a plate of chicken, rice and salad he helped prepare one day last month.

Now in the middle of its 24th session, the class teaches students and graduates cooking techniques, safety measures and nutrition. Each class begins with taking food straight from the pantry—outside food is banned from the kitchen—and studying the labels, nutritional facts and list of ingredients.

“We take students into the pantry in the morning and say, ‘What are we going to make for lunch?’” said Mark D’Alessandro, the program’s chef and nutritionist.

Part of the lesson includes cooking lunch for volunteers at the grocery store-style food pantry. Many of those volunteers—who can number 20 to 30 people on any given day—are clients of the pantry as well. Pantry use has grown 39 percent in the past two years.

The chef program started in January 2002 with the goal of teaching clients who were using the pantry the skills needed to cook healthy meals at home.

“We saw the need not just to give people food, but to educate them about healthy living,” said Stewart Desmond, development director at the West Side Campaign Against Hunger.

Students, many of whom are Latino, are chosen by the food pantry staff. Successful candidates for the program must demonstrate that they are interested in a food industry career, or may have a health condition that could be alleviated by a balanced diet. For some, finishing the course increases kitchen skills, which may result in better pay.

“There are a lot of jobs you can grow in if you increase your cooking skills. Home health care attendant is a good example of that,” Desmond said.

The program emphasizes nutrition and safe food preparation, and lessons are focused on learning to cook without draining food of essential vitamins. In the kitchen, counters are stringently disinfected with chlorine. Students even get a vial to make sure the level of chlorine used to clean surfaces is satisfactory.

Guest lecturers from New York University and Hunter College also stop by.

“If you’re going to give people food, give them more. Give them a nutrition education,” D’Alessandro said.

D’Alessandro, a 30-year-old “farm boy from northern Kentucky living in New York City,” came to the West Side Campaign Against Hunger a year ago with an extensive background in the food industry. He was a butcher for two-and-a-half years and he studied at a Cordon Bleu program in Miami. For the past four years, he has been teaching at the Center for Kosher Culinary Arts through Kingsborough Community College.

The rewarding part of the program, D’Alessandro said, is when students bring home the lessons they learn.

“We want them to cook a healthy balanced meal for their family in a nutritional and safe way,” he said.

Martina Santos, who was eight weeks in to the chef program, said she was already trying to include vegetables in her family’s diet. She admitted to sneaking chopped broccoli into her 14-year-old granddaughter’s food.

“I tell her why it’s important to eat vegetables because [D’Alessandro] is teaching me about nutrition,” Santos said.

But the program is more than a crash course in food for Santos, who has been diagnosed with depression and bipolar disorder. Classes motivate her to wake up in the morning, and she volunteers at the kitchen every day. After her lesson is over, she works in the pantry.

“I’m supposed to be here only on Monday and Wednesday,” Santos said. “But every day, you learn something new.”