By Amanda Khalil
After that second piece of pecan pie on Thanksgiving, stacking all those shopping bags from Black Friday and then seeing an inbox jammed with invoices from Cyber Monday, here is something that will make you feel better. It’s a thing called Giving Tuesday, an idea that started at the 92nd Street Y in New York three years ago and quickly spread via social media.
On Tuesday, Dec. 1, many gave to and volunteered the causes that matter to them and make a difference in their own backyard. Port Washington has over 200 nonprofit organizations and your contribution of money, talent, or time can make a difference. Here is a spotlight of just a few of the local nonprofits that help the Port Washington Community.
Parent Resource Center (PRC)
The Parent Resource Center is a parent-led coop that offers classes for kids ages birth to 5, social events, vacation workshops, open play, parent university, and an outreach program for low income families. In celebration of it’s 35th year, the PRC underwent a massive facilities renovation and programming updates and offerings.
Interested in helping continue to grow and make a difference for young families in our community? For details, visit www.parentresource.org or call 516-767-3808.
Since its start, Residents has been committed to creating a strong, unified and sustainable community in Port Washington and surrounding areas. Residents’ initiatives include the water play area at Blumenfeld Family Park, the Shoreline Trail, the Keep Main Street Clean campaign, and the Main Street Revitalization project. The organization has many more initiatives including a longterm sustainable plan for parking and traffic.
For details, visit www.pwresidents.org or call 516-767-9151.
Friends of the Port Washington Library (FOL)
FOL aims on strengthening the ties between library and community and creating a center for lifelong learning, information and culture. FOL is currently renovating the Children’s Room at the library—new design, new furnishings, new technology, and more space for kids and tweens to learn, explore and create.
For details, visit www.pwpl.org or call 516-883-4400.
North Shore Animal League
North Shore Animal League is the world’s largest no-kill animal rescue and adoption organization. For more details, visit www.animalleague.org or call 516-883-7575.
Save Hempstead House Campaign
Friends of Sands Point Preserve
This organization is dedicated to preserving and protecting the historic homes, vast green open spaces, beachfront, indigenous wildlife and miles of extraordinary trails at the Sands Point Preserve. Curently there is a campaign to save the Hempstead House, which is in urgent need of refurbishing and updating so that future generations can enjoy this historic building.
For details, visit www.thesandspointpreserve.com or call 516-571-7900.
The Ed. Foundation (formerly PWEF)
The Ed. Foundation raises private contributions to fund educational grants to all of Port’s public schools touching students from pre-K to grade 12. Ed. Foundation grants have funded such projects as a highly successful weekly afterschool tutoring program, math literacy workshops, SMART technology, a robotics competition, college tours and more.
For details, visit www.pwef.org
Landmark on Main Street
The Jeanne Rimsky Theater at Landmark on Main Street brings world-class performing artists and children’s theater in our community.
For details, visit www.landmarkonmainstreet.org or call 516-767-1384.
HEARTS
HEARTS aims to add meaningful value to children’s lives and our community by supporting, promoting and enriching the arts in Port Washington and its public schools. HEARTS is well-known for its annual fundraiser, PortFest, a family festival featuring local artists, musicians, and performers of all ages.
For details, visit www.heartspw.org.
Cow Neck Peninsula Historical Society
CNPHS maintains the Sands-Willets House, which dates from the early 1700s, as a museum and educational center. The Dodge Homestead is also maintained by the society. Both houses are typical of the Long Island farmhouses that grew to fit the need of the families who lived in them. The Sands-Willets House currently is featuring The Costumes and Culture, Our Heritage Our Fashion Exhibit sponsored by Brook Brothers through Feb 6.
For donations, ticket information, or more information, visit www.cowneck.org
The Community Chest
The Community Chest of Port Washington awards grants to 25 local charities whose funded programs serve close to 10,000 people, or one in three Port residents.
These Community Chest grants deliver a range of needed services to our community, including social and nutritional programs for seniors, leadership programs and scholarships for children, youth and veterans, job training, college scholarships, food distribution, childcare and parenting education, cultural enrichment scholarships and more.
For more information, visit www.portchest.org or email jmharnick@portchest.org
The Art Guild
The Art Guild of Port Washington, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization providing encouragement, education and a forum for the appreciation of the visual Arts. The Guild seeks to offer residents from local and neighboring communities an avenue to broaden their creative pursuits.
For more information, visit www.theartguild.org or call 516-304-5797.
Twin Pines Co-op
The Twin Pines of Port Washington Charitable Thrift & Food Pantry goals are to redistribute food, clothing and other household goods to children, seniors and others in need, plus provide training and work experience for the challenged. This wonderful charitable thrift store is open Sundays thru Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
For details, visit their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/pwtwinpines.
Buy local and support local nonprofits in Port Washington. Visit the new #GivingTuesday Facebook page to see more spotlights of local organization that give back to Port Washington at www.facebook.com/PORTGivingTuesday.
