On Friday, December 31, 2010, the city of Port Chester lost a great man and even better friend when former Fire Chief Harry Hayes passed away at age 84 following a brief illness. The following is from the Port Chester Fire Department website.

It is with deep regret that the Port Chester Fire Department announces the passing of Harry Hayes, past Chief of the Port Chester Fire Department. He is a 56 year member of Washington Engine and Hose Company #4. Harry was elected Second Assistant Chief in 1979 and spent his next 6 years working very hard serving the Communities of Port Chester & Rye Brook as Chief, he continued until recently as the Department’s representative to the PC/RB Fire advisory board. He was a very dedicated member of the Village of Port Chester FD,and will be truly missed by all.

May he rest in peace…

Westchester filmmaker Holly Sugrue visited with his friends and colleagues to put together this touching tribute.

Chief Haye’s Obituary from the Port Chester Westmore News

Visit Holly Sugrue’s website

Follow Holly on Twitter

Holly is also the founder of the Westchester Film Industry Meetup Group. I recommend this group to any Westchester filmmakers looking for a place to network and share their knowledge.

On more than one occasion I have set out thinking that I was shooting a story about an inspiring place only to find that the real story is not in the place, but in the people. Fred’s Pantry is built on a foundation of inspiring people.

Fred’s Pantry is Peekskill, New York’s first ‘choice’ food pantry which provides groceries to families and individuals in need. Located at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, it’s shelves are stocked with canned goods and other non-perishable items as well as frozen meats and vegetables. Since opening in February 2010,  Fred’s Pantry has served more than 5000 hungry families. None of this would be possible without the hard work and dedication of the pantry’s staff and volunteers.

When I contacted Jeanne Blum, Executive Director of Caring for the Homeless Of Peekskill (the organization that runs the Fred’s Pantry program), and explained that I wanted to do a story on Fred’s Pantry, she was adamant that we maintain the privacy of their clients. We agreed that the best day to shoot would be on a day that the pantry was not distributing food. Fortunately for me, Fred’s Pantry was holding it’s first volunteer training day that coming Saturday. A perfect time to meet the people behind the pantry’s success without getting in the way.

A few pieces of information stood out while putting together this film. First, almost anyone can wind up needing the services of a food pantry. The people I interviewed made it clear that their clients represent a broad spectrum of the community. They are not homeless, they are just people who have hit a temporary set-back in their lives and could use a little help making ends meet. Second, if you have ever thought of volunteering at a food pantry but thought you did not have the time,  the staff at Fred’s Pantry want you to know that any amount of time you can give is valued. You can do wonders by donating just a few hours a month. You can also help by organizing food drives or simply making a donation. It was amazing to learn how far, with the help of the Westchester Food Bank, they can stretch a dollar.

The program operates every Saturday from 9:30am – 11am out of St. Peter’s Episcopal Church located on 137 N Division Street in Peekskill.

Caring for the Homeless of Peekskill on Facebook
Follow Jeanne Blum on Twitter

The Westchester Arts Project was developed from the desire of host David Morrison to introduce Westchester to some of it’s local artistic talent. In this 30 minute episode, the first of what is hoped to be many, David introduces us to artist Gun Orachantara, who gives an introductory course in the art of sketching.

New Rochelle native, Artie Tobia with his band performing “$50 Bill” at the Palace Theatre in Danbury, CT.

The Artie Tobia Band

The Palace Theatre

Footage provided by Evan Dalcher & Peter Barossi

One day my father and a few friends were sitting at the bar at a Manhattan restaurant they would frequent for lunch. The topic of conversation came around to all the things that were wrong with the world. Everyone had their own complaint to add to the exchange. After a while, one of my fathers friends, an Italian waiter who wasn’t part of, but happened to be listening to the conversation, decided to contribute his own observation, “Non è il mondo, è le gente.” (It’s not the world, it’s the people.) Considering that few other professions allow you to observe people more closely than waiting and bartending, they all quickly agreed. The world is fine, the problem is with the people in it.

Okay, you’re asking where I am going with this. What does this have to do with the The Yorktown Teen Center? Well, if you want to see how the actions of a few individuals can affect a little corner of the world, you’ll want to view this story.

I consider myself an optimist. Sure, we all have our problems, and there are plenty of evil, rude and selfish people crawling around, but I believe the world is in as good a shape as it has ever been in and that most of the people out there have good hearts and intentions. Unfortunately, the bad news and jackasses seem to get all the press.

When I mentioned to a friend that I was looking for a subject to cover for my next Westchester Project video, he immediately told me of the good work done by his friend, Yorktown resident Helena Rodriguez.

For years The Boys & Girls Club of Northern Westchester operated the Yorktown Teen Center. It provided a vital service to the community, giving the working parents of Yorktown a safe place to send their kids for the few hours between school dismissal and the time the parents got home from work. In early 2009, due to extreme budget cuts, The Boys & Girls Club was forced to close their satellite units in Yorktown and Tarrytown. Fortunately for Yorktown, Helena Rodriguez recognized that losing the Teen Center was not an option. Although her children are both of college age, and the closing of the Teen Center had no impact on her personally, Helena took on the challenge of keeping the Yorktown Teen Center open. It became her “mission”.

I envisioned a short video with Helena as the interview subject and a little b-roll of the Teen Center cut in around her. It wasn’t until I drove up to Yorktown to meet with Helena that I realized there was so much more. I found that one of Helena’s many great qualities is her ability to draw from the unique talents and passions of the people around her. I interviewed board members, supporters and volunteers. Each one has made a significant contribution to furthering the successful rebirth of the Yorktown Teen Center. Each one stated that they have gained as much as they have given from the experience of working with the Teen Center and with Helena.

For now my optimism has been bolstered. It’s not the world, it’s the people.

I hope you have time to visit the websites listed below to learn a little more about some of the people interviewed for this story.

Yorktown Teen Center

The Justin Veatch Fund

The Harrison Apar Field of Dreams Foundation

Esteban Rivera