2015 ANNUAL REPORT
We’re growing a community of
healthy eaters — and it starts with
teaching young people how to cook.
Cooks for Health family class at Williamsburg Community Center, Brooklyn.
The Mission of
The Sylvia Center
is to inspire young people and their families to eat well through
hands-on learning experiences on the farm and in the kitchen.
Through our programs, participants learn what fresh food is,
how delicious it tastes, and how to prepare healthy meals on a
daily basis. We teach skills that inspire our students to establish
independent healthy eating habits — so that they may lead
healthy and productive lives.
ExpandED students at WHEDco Kitchen, Bronx. / BOTTOM Questar student and TSC chef
instructor in a Skills for Life class in Hudson, New York. Photo by John Dolan, Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation.
ON THE COVER: TOP
2
MISSION
May 2016
Dear Friends,
The Sylvia Center was founded in 2007 to address issues in children’s health by providing
hands-on experiences with growing and cooking healthy food. Now in our ninth year of programs,
TSC has developed and codified an innovative and forward-thinking model that teaches
cooking as a life skill to fight the obesity epidemic and create new generations of healthier
New Yorkers. In 2015, our programs served over 2,000 students in New York City and nearly
1,500 students in Columbia County, helping young people and their families learn to cook.
We focus on teaching cooking in low-income communities. Why? Because for young
people and families who are on a budget and want to eat healthy food in a regular
way, there’s only one way to do it: learn to cook. Our programs are designed as joyful,
hands-on experiences with fresh, delicious, and whole foods that inspire students to establish
independent healthy cooking and eating habits that will last a lifetime.
We have long envisioned that our students would emerge from our programs as
community advocates for healthy eating. In 2015, we had an opportunity to test that
model. In collaboration with ExpandED Schools, we piloted a Teen Culinary Apprenticeship
in which 25 Bronx high school students completed an intensive, 60-hour culinary and food
systems course, and learned how to teach a simplified version of TSC’s curriculum. Over the
summer, the teens taught over 800 youth in city summer camps in their own communities
how to cook healthy, delicious food.
With simple tools, hard work, training, and support, this first group of our new program has
proven that they can and do take charge of their own diets. In so doing, they inspire their
families and the children they have worked with to try new things, eat more vegetables, and
learn to cook simple, healthy meals on a regular basis.
We are proud of our students’ achievements and the progress we’ve made together to build
healthier communities. We are committed to continuing and deepening our programs in 2016
and beyond so that we can begin to meet more of the tremendous demand for our work.
We could not do all of this without the generosity, commitment, and enthusiasm of our
donors, Board of Directors, volunteers, and staff. Thank you so much for your support!
Liz Neumark
Anna Hammond
Founder and Board Chair
Executive Director
WELCOME
3
Young chefs practice whisking at Manhattanville Community Center, Harlem.
The Need
Obesity is one of the most severe health crises facing our nation and the communities where we work.
• In Columbia County, 37% of school children are overweight or obese.1
• In New York City, 33% of youth (ages 10 to 17)2 and 24% of adults3 are overweight or obese.
• In New York City, the obesity epidemic strikes hardest in communities already suffering from
health and economic disparities, particularly low-income communities where the rate of
overweight and obesity reaches over 70%.4
The Opportunity
Obesity rates are inversely correlated to the amount of time spent cooking food. A survey of nations
across the world shows that the more time people spend cooking food at home, the lower
the rate of obesity of that country.5
The Columbia County Department of Health’s Community Health Assessment, conducted from 2010 to 2013.
Ellis JA, Metzger KB, Maulsby C, Volle SJ, Wan Vye G, Kerker B, Perl SB. Smoking Among New York City Public High School Students. NYC Vital Signs 2006, 5(1):1-4.
3
Reversing the Epidemic: The New York City Obesity Task Force Plan to Prevent and Control Obesity. May 2012. http://www.nyc.gov/html/om/pdf/2012/otf_report.pdf
4
Ibid.
5
Cutler, David, et al. “Why Have Americans Become More Obese?”, The National Bureau of Economic Research. January, 2003.
1
2
4
ABOUT US
What We Do
In low-income communities where processed, high-calorie foods are prevalent and healthy whole
foods are often scarce, The Sylvia Center provides essential programs that work to counteract the rise
of diet-related health problems later in life.
The Sylvia Center conducts its cooking and food literacy programs primarily in New York City Housing
Authority community centers and at Katchkie Farm in Kinderhook (Columbia County), New York.
Programs focus on building competency in five key areas:
• Willingness to try new foods
• Ability to identify components of a healthy meal
• Knowledge of how and where food is grown
• Definition of seasonality
• Self-efficacy in food preparation
Since 2007, we have served over 15,000 participants—youth, teens, and family members—in New York
City and Columbia County.
Fresh ingredients prepared by students for vegetable maki at Drew Hamilton Community Center, Harlem.
ABOUT US
5
Our History
2007
• The Sylvia Center (TSC) at Katchkie Farm is founded by Liz Neumark and Chaim
Wachsberger in memory of their daughter Sylvia. 200 children visit.
2008
• Childrens’ Learning Kitchen built at Great
Performances.
IMPACT
2009
73
Farm
590
Total
663
• TSC begins offering youth programs at 2 NYC public schools.
• TSC offers 2 full-time seasonal farm education internships.
IMPACT
2010
City
One-time afterschool
classes begin in NYC.
City
817
Farm
855
• In partnership with Rachael Ray’s Yum-o!
Organization and The Mayor’s Fund to
Advance New York City, our youth program
is piloted in New York City Housing Authority
(NYCHA) community centers.
Total
1,680
One-time classes
become a 6-week
course for every
student.
• At the farm, TSC pilots service-learning
program with teens enrolled in Questar III’s vocational culinary arts program.
IMPACT
2011
629
Farm
669
Total
1,305
• Programs shift completely to serve children in the communities where they live,
based in NYCHA community centers in Harlem, Brooklyn, Manhattan, and the
Bronx. Two teen programs are piloted: NYCHA teen program at Drew Hamilton
Community Center and a program for pregnant teens at Inwood House.
IMPACT
6 OUR HISTORY
City
City
758
Farm
630
Total
1,388
2012
• In the city, TSC successfully pilots Cooking Together family program and
partners with GrowNYC for Seed to Plate program.
IMPACT
2013
City
865
Farm
842
Total
1,707
• As NYCHA transitions community center management, TSC establishes new
partnerships with Grand Street Settlement, Harlem Children’s Zone, St. Nick’s
Alliance, Graham Wyndham, and Green City Force.
• At the farm, in-school Seed to Plate program is piloted in Columbia County.
IMPACT
2014
City
1,170
Farm
1,089
Total
2,259
• In the city, youth, teen, and family classes are offered at 6 NYCHA sites,
5 days a week.
• At the farm, in-school Seed to Plate program expands from 1 to 3 sites.
IMPACT
2015
City
1,100
Farm
1,400
Total
2,500
• In the city, TSC programs expand to 10 sites, serving all 5 boroughs.
TSC partners with ExpandED Schools to train 25 high school students to
teach healthy cooking to day campers in the Bronx.
• At the farm, Seed to Plate expands to 6 program cycles, and the farm hosts
48 full-day Fresh Food programs.
IMPACT
City
2,040
Farm
1,494
Total
3,534
TOTAL CUMULATIVE IMPACT SINCE 2007
15,036
OUR HISTORY
7
ExpandED students set up for vegetable curry and apple galette at WHEDco Kitchen, Bronx.
New York City Programs
In 2015, TSC’s city programs taught over 2,000 students to cook through the following initiatives:
Cooks for Health in NYCHA community centers, the ExpandED Teen Culinary Apprenticeship, and
Train the Trainer. We also continued long-standing partnership programs with Green City Force,
GrowNYC, and NYU Langone Medical Center.
I’ll take some [extra food] home and I’ll let my mom
taste it and then she’ll ask me, ‘How did you make
this?’ and ‘Why does it taste so good?’
JOELLE, AGE 11
GRAND STREET COMMUNITY CENTER, LOWER EAST SIDE
8
NEW YORK CITY PROGRAMS
The Cooks for Health program provides 6-week series cooking classes in New York City Housing
Authority (NYCHA) community centers. The majority of participants are residents of NYCHA housing
developments and qualify for free or reduced cost school lunch. Classes are for Youth (ages 7-13),
Teens (ages 13-19), and Families (child and parent); are led by trained chef instructors; and have a
student to teacher ratio of 4:1. The Youth, Teen, and Family classes teach basic cooking and baking
skills and the importance of eating a variety of vegetables, fruits, and whole grains. The Teen classes
also provide a culinary primer on knife skills, setting up a workstation, and other principles of
working in a professional kitchen. The Family classes emphasize time-effective, practical and healthy
recipes, cost-saving techniques, and ways to use more vegetables in family-friendly meals. Each class
culminates with students and instructors sitting together to enjoy the meal they have created.
IMPACT OF THE Cooks
80%
of students graduate
for Health PROGRAM SINCE 2010
100%
of graduates increase their
vegetable consumption and
improve diet
COOKS FOR HEALTH 2015 HIGHLIGHTS
• 960 students completed the Cooks for Health (CFH) course for
a cumulative total of 3,300 students since 2010.
66%
achieve significant
improvement in self-efficacy
in the kitchen
COOKS FOR HEALTH 2015
PROGRAM SITE PARTNERS
New York Mission Society at Drew Hamilton Community Center, West Harlem
• CFH expanded to all 5 boroughs of NYC, with 2 new residencies
established in Queens and Staten Island—both made possible
by a grant from Newman’s Own Foundation.
Graham Windham at the Manhattanville Community Center, West Harlem
• The Teen Program expanded to include Drew Hamilton, Grand
Street, Throgg’s Neck, Riis Settlement, and Mitchel.
Eastside Settlement at the Mitchel
Community Center, Mott Haven, Bronx
• The Family Program expanded to include Red Hook,
Williamsburg, and Manhattanville. Thanks to a grant from
Ample Table for Everyone, we expanded the Family Program
from 6 to 8 weeks and introduced new units on Shopping
Literacy and Food Access.
Good Shepherd at the Red Hook Miccio
Community Center, Red Hook, Brooklyn
Grand Street Settlement at the Grand
Street Community Center, Lower East Side
Kipp’s Bay Boys & Girls Club at the
Throgg’s Neck Community Center,
Throgg’s Neck, Bronx
St. Nick’s Alliance at the Williamsburg
Community Center, Bushwick, Brooklyn
Italian American Civil Rights League at
the Pink Houses Community Center,
East New York, Brooklyn
Riis Settlement at Riis Settlement Community Center, Long Island City, Queens
United Activities Unlimited at West
Brighton Community Center, West
Brighton, Staten Island
Families preparing dough
for empanadas at Red Hook
Community Center, Brooklyn.
NEW YORK CITY PROGRAMS
9
THE EXPANDED TEEN CULINARY APPRENTICESHIP
In 2015, TSC piloted a new apprenticeship program in collaboration with ExpandED Schools (formerly
known as TASC) and funded by the Pinkerton Foundation. 25 teens from 5 high schools in the Bronx
completed an intensive, 60-hour culinary and food systems curriculum in which they learned to cook
and then learned to teach a simplified version of TSC’s Cooks for Health curriculum.
These teens went on to teach healthy cooking to 800 youth in summer camps throughout the Bronx.
They overcame incredible challenges—including their own fears—to make those classes succeed. By
their own account and that of the camp administrators, the campers learned a huge amount about
fresh, seasonal food. They cooked and ate things that were entirely new to them and took home Sylvia
Center recipes to share with their families. And to hear our students tell it, their experiences in the
program have changed their entire approach to eating.
TEEN CULINARY
APPRENTICESHIP
PROGRAM PARTNERS
ExpandED Schools
The Pinkerton Foundation
Bronx Bridges High School
Comprehensive Model School Project,
MS/HS 327
School for Hospitality and Tourism
High School
UA School for Wildlife Conservation
University Heights High School
East Side Settlement House
New Settlement
Good Shepherd Services
ExpandED student practices rolling vegetable sushi.
10 NEW YORK CITY PROGRAMS
Student mentor prepares parsley
garnish for soup.
I think learning how to cook on my own is gonna help
me be on my own.
LUIS, AGE 16
EXPANDED TEEN APPRENTICE FROM BRONX BRIDGES HIGH SCHOOL, BRONX
This year’s Art of Cooking benefit gala on October 27th raised over $400,000, including corporate sponsorship
from FOODMatch, Blue State Digital, and Great Performances, to support TSC’s New York City programs.
Nearly 300 guests gathered at Bohemian National Hall for dinner, a live auction, and to hear from the evening’s
honorees including Sam Sifton, Food Editor of the New York Times, and the Graduates of the ExpandED
Teen Culinary Apprenticeship (pictured together above). Apprenticeship graduates led cooking demonstrations
during the cocktail hour and then showcased their dishes on-stage for a friendly critique with Sam Sifton.
Program graduate Fatou Soumare (pictured above) also spoke from the stage about her transformative
experience in the program.
I love everything about teaching, seeing the kids’
excitement and how motivated they were to eat and
cook. From seeing their faces light up when I taught
them a new word like colander, to seeing them eat
a whole plate of vegetables and licking the bowl —
it was awesome.
JULIEMARIE, AGE 16
EXPANDED TEEN APPRENTICE FROM UNIVERSITY HEIGHTS HIGH SCHOOL, BRONX
NEW YORK CITY PROGRAMS 11
NEW & NOTEWORTHY IN 2015
• With sponsorship from EILEEN FISHER, TSC launched the Young Women’s Culinary Internship
(YWCI), an internship and mentoring program for teen girls and young women who aspire to
careers in food, health, and social justice. In Fall 2015, TSC hosted 2 YWCI interns: Fatoumata
Soumare, a graduate of the ExpandED Teen Culinary Apprenticeship, and Ruchi Shah, a graduate
student in nutrition at Brooklyn College, CUNY.
• In partnership with NYU Langone Medical Center, TSC piloted a new series of cooking classes
for 2 patient groups: pediatric rehabilitation patients at the Hospital for Joint Diseases and
celiac patients.
• 10 Green City Force service members completed an 8-week culinary training program with TSC,
utilizing produce from the Red Hook NYCHA Farm. With a grant from the Brooklyn Community
Foundation’s Healthy Communities Initiative, TSC and GCF produced a free harvest meal for
100 community members as part of GCF’s Harvest Festival in Red Hook, Brooklyn, on October 31st.
• TSC piloted a 2-day Train the Trainer program, which provides in-depth explanations of our
curriculum, program toolkits, and hands-on lessons, so that community-based organizations are
equipped to teach our curriculum on their own. Participants from City as School High School and
NYC Administration for Children’s Services completed a training in January 2015, and City as School
began teaching TSC’s curriculum in the fall.
• In the Cooks for Health program summer cycle, TSC
introduced a new resource for students and their
families: a pocket-sized Shopping Guide in English
and Spanish editions. The Shopping Guide contains
smart shopping tips, pantry stocking advice, and
seasonal recipes with shopping lists for fresh and
pantry ingredients. The Guide is being distributed in all
TSC classes and at Columbia University Medical Center’s
Community Pediatrics program, CHALK (Choosing
Healthy & Active Lifestyles for Kids Center).
Shopping
Guide
Guía de
Compras
1
1
I have had some parents come in and ask about the
cooking class because their children want to do smoothies
and sushi. The parents are very grateful and so am I. The
ExpandED teen teachers have opened the eyes of our
children to cooking and healthy eating.
YVONNE WILLIAMS
SITE DIRECTOR AT PS 15 SUMMER CAMP
UNIVERSITY HEIGHTS, BRONX
12 NEW YORK CITY PROGRAMS
We can make this whole recipe for 4 dollars? Why haven’t
we been doing this all along?
MARIA , PARENT IN FAMILY CLASS
RED HOOK MICCIO COMMUNITY CENTER, BROOKLYN
LOOKING FORWARD TO 2016
• The Sylvia Center will serve over 1,300 students at 10 NYCHA community center sites in all 5
boroughs in the Cooks for Health program.
• TSC will offer 2 editions of the Train the Trainer course to partner organizations that want to
implement TSC’s curriculum at additional sites with their own staff.
• TSC will double the scope of the ExpandED Teen Apprenticeship Program by working with 25 Bronx
high school students and 25 Brooklyn high school students in a 100-hour training program that
prepares them to teach healthy cooking classes to children in NYC summer camps.
• TSC will collaborate with NYU’s McSilver Institute for Poverty Policy and Research on a longitudinal
study of our teen students to better understand the long term impact of TSC’s programs.
Questar and Grand Street students cooking together at Great Performances Kitchen.
FoodMatch, a producer of Mediterranean olives and antipasti, is a multi-year Program Sponsor of the
Teen Chef: Skills for Life program at Grand Street Settlement on the Lower East Side. FoodMatch’s support
underwrites the cost of our teen classes at this site, while also providing ingredients, recipes, and their staff
as class volunteers and special guests.
NEW YORK CITY PROGRAMS 13
The Sylvia Center’s sunflower fence at Katchkie Farm.
Upstate Programs
The Sylvia Center at Katchkie Farm served nearly 1,500 children and their families in 2015, a
19% increase from 2014. 81% of participants came from Columbia County. 19% came from
the NYC metro area.
I am so inspired — and I am going to start a
garden, because I want my kids to have it
better than I did.
LARRY, PARENT OF SEED TO PLATE STUDENT
FROM J.L. EDWARDS PRIMARY SCHOOL, HUDSON
14 UPSTATE PROGRAMS
• TSC’s Fresh Food Comes From the Farm program is a 4-hour
immersive program that introduces youth ages 4-18 to seasonal
cooking and gardening. As participants tour the farm and taste
their way through the Learning Garden (which is home to over
200 different things to eat), we encourage students to try new
foods and to think about how the fruits, vegetables, herbs,
and even flowers they are tasting could serve as an ingredient
to a meal. Youth take part in every step of the story of food
including planting seeds, pulling weeds, harvesting organic
produce, and creating and sharing a meal together. In addition,
youth also have the opportunity to meet our chickens, collect
eggs, pet the sheep, and visit with the pigs. 1,038 children
participated in 48 Fresh Farm programs in 2015.
2015 YOUTH AND
SCHOOL GROUPS SERVED
THROUGH 48 FRESH FOOD
COMES FROM THE FARM
PROGRAMS
Albany ALIGHT, Albany
Albany YMCA, Albany
Annur Islamic School, Schenectady
Bethlehem Preschool, Glenmont
Catskill Central School District, Catskill
Chatham Central School District, Chatham
COARC, Columbia County-wide
Germantown Central School District,
Germantown
Germantown Garden Club, Germantown
Girls Scouts of NY, Columbia County
Grapeville Christian School, Climax
Greenwich Families, Greenwich, CT
Heschel School, NYC, Manhattan
Hudson Bluehawk Afterschool Program, Hudson
Hudson City School District, Hudson
Hudson Library Youth Program, Hudson
Ichabod Crane Central School District,
Valatie
Knickerbacker School, Troy
Martin Van Buren National Historic
Site, Kinderhook
Even the littlest hands can chop tomatoes in a Farm program.
• The Seed to Plate program brings culinary, food literacy,
and nutrition education to local schools and youth centers.
This 6-week series of 2-hour classes takes place in the spring
and fall and is suitable for children ages fourth grade and up.
Each week, students develop and build their culinary skills
and knowledge of healthy food as they prepare simple and
delicious meals using seasonal ingredients. Students also learn
about gardening and farming through small classroom-based
projects such as seeding. Lesson topics include: Seasonal
Eating, Tasty Meat Alternatives, Learning to Bake, and Eating
the Rainbow. In addition to classroom lessons, all students
take one trip to the farm to participate in the Fresh Food
Comes from the Farm Program. 80 students in 8 class cycles
completed the Seed to Plate program in the spring and
fall of 2015. Classes took place at Perfect Ten After School,
Germantown After School, M.C. Smith Intermediate After
School, and Germantown Garden Club.
Northeast Community Center, Millerton
New York Common Pantry, NYC (Including
City Squash & Phillips Community Center)
Olana State Historic Site, Hudson
P.S. 124, NYC, Manhattan
Perfect Ten After-School, Hudson
Questar III, Hudson
Roe Jan Summer Recreation Program,
Hillsdale
Summit School, Nyack
UPSTATE PROGRAMS 15
• The Sylvia Center at Katchkie Farm’s Educational Internship
program provides a 6-month full-time internship to an
individual with beginner’s level interest and experience in
children’s health, organic gardening, food literacy, outdoor
education, and the culinary arts. Interns have the opportunity
to combine these related interests and learn to develop and
lead garden-based food literacy education programs. Interns
gain valuable knowledge and experience in the areas of farmbased education, small-scale organic farming, livestock care,
basic culinary technique, and seasonal meal creation. At the
end of the season, the intern will be prepared to pursue an
entry-level position in the field of farm to table education. TSC
hosted one intern in 2015: Emma Duffany.
• The Fresh Tasting programs are one-time educational
programs, such as cooking demos and veggie taste tests, that
we offer at schools, local farmers markets and events, and
other educational organizations off the farm. The program
reached 313 participants in 2015.
Questar student chefs at Farm to Table Dinner.
16 UPSTATE PROGRAMS
TSC AT KATCHKIE FARM
ALSO PARTNERS WITH
MANY ORGANIZATIONS
THROUGHOUT
COLUMBIA COUNTY
Eat Smart NY, Statewide Initiative
Field Goods, Athens (Greene County)
Germantown Wellness Committee,
Germantown
HOST (Hudson Out of School Time),
Hudson
Hudson Book Festival, Hudson
Ichabod Crane Welcome Back Picnic
Kinderhook Farmers Market,
Kinderhook
Chef Bob Turner, Omega Institute,
Rhinebeck (Dutchess County)
Sage Graduate Schools - School of
Health Sciences, Troy (Rensselaer
County)
In the learning garden, Sylvia Center at Katchkie Farm.
NEW & NOTEWORTHY IN 2015
• Expanded the Seed to Plate after-school program in Columbia County from 6 to 8 cycles.
• Raised enough funds at the Farm to Table dinner to offer need-based transportation
scholarships in 2016 to 10 Columbia County organizations who want to spend a day at the farm
learning how to grow and cook healthy food.
• Partnered with Questar on the Skills for Life program, in which 10 teens studying the culinary arts
participated in a farm and food literacy program that prepares them to become culinary leaders
and healthy food advocates in Columbia County.
• The 8th annual Farm to Table Benefit Dinner, hosted by Great Performances on July 25th at
Katchkie Farm, raised almost $130,000 to support TSC’s upstate programs in Columbia County.
Over 300 guests gathered in the fields of Katchkie Farm in Kinderhook, New York, for cocktails,
tours of TSC’s Learning Garden, dinner, and live auction.
OK, it’s official, you have made me
love vegetables!
OLIVIA , AGE 9
NEW YORK COMMON PANTRY, NYC
UPSTATE PROGRAMS 17
Clockwise from top right: seeding, mixing, and chopping — a day at the farm program.
LOOKING FORWARD TO 2016
• To support increased demand for Fresh Food programs and uphold our commitment to provide
programs to any group in Columbia County that would like to participate, The Sylvia Center at
Katchkie Farm will grow our capacity to offer 55 farm programs to 1,250 individuals in 2016,
and continue to provide need-based scholarships to groups from Columbia County that would
otherwise be unable to participate.
• We will continue to offer the Seed to Plate program at 4 sites in the spring and fall, and are
exploring additional sites to expand to in the fall.
• We will continue the Skills for Life at Katchkie Farm program for teens studying culinary arts at
Questar, a vocational program for high school students from Columbia County.
The Fresh Food program is wonderful for the children.
My granddaughter, Payge, loved the trip and the potato/
leek soup. I’ve made it for her twice already. The whole
family loves it!
NANCI, GRANDPARENT OF FIRST GRADER
AT ICHABOD CRANE PRIMARY SCHOOL IN VALATIE, NY
18 UPSTATE PROGRAMS
INTERNS & VOLUNTEERS
In an effort to train advocates, teachers, and future leaders, TSC hosts a robust internship program
to complement our city and upstate programs. In NYC, TSC’s Young Women’s Culinary Internship
provides paid part-time positions each semester to one high school student and one college student.
At Katchkie Farm, TSC provides a full-time 6-month paid garden internship to one young adult. In
addition, we are proud to collaborate with and host interns from the Andrew Goodman Foundation,
the Roosevelt Institute Summer Academy, the Partners for Change Fellowship of the Colin Powell
School for Civic and Global Leadership at City College CUNY, and Sage College. TSC interns in NYC and
upstate learn about every facet of a growing nonprofit, gain experience teaching and working at the
community level, and develop mentoring relationships with our senior staff.
TSC is also fortunate to have developed a team of devoted volunteers, who in 2015 contributed over
300 hours to the farm programs and 80 hours to the city programs.
Sylvia Center interns and volunteers at Katchkie Farm.
UPSTATE PROGRAMS 19
Our Supporters in 2015
The Sylvia Center gratefully acknowledges the following
individuals, foundations, corporations, and organizations
for their generous support in 2015. Thank you!
This roster was prepared with great care, but if any errors or
omissions have occurred, please accept our apologies and
contact Erika Lesser, Development Director, at (212) 337-6066 or
[email protected].
$50,000+
Blue State Digital
FOODMatch
Great Performances
$25,000 - $49,999
Bloomberg Philanthropies
EILEEN FISHER, Inc
Trudy Elbaum Gottesman
and Robert Gottesman
Michael Holtz
Phil and Chantal Meldrum
Newman’s Own Foundation
The Pinkerton Foundation
Nancy and Fred Poses
$10,000 - $24,999
Ample Table for Everyone
Cindy and David Edelson
Judith R. and Alan H. Fishman
Kinderhook Partners LLC
Network for Good
Liz Neumark and Chaim
Wachsberger
Michael Pollack and
Barbara Marcus
Norman and Bettina Roberts
Tracy Chutorian Semler
and Eric Semler
Silverweed Foundation
Dr. Robert C. and Tina
Sohn Foundation
Lisa Wolfe and Joseph Ravitch
$5,000 - $9,999
Anonymous
Jody and John Arnhold
Alisa and Daniel Doctoroff
Douglas and Susanne Durst
Steven and Judy Elbaum
Dorian Goldman and
Marvin Israelow
Sigrid Gray
Steven Harris and Lucien
Rees-Roberts
Janet Montag
Lori and David Moore
Ronald McDonald House
Charities of the Capital Reg
The Russell Berrie Foundation
Arthur and Rebecca Samberg
The Solomon Wilson
Family Foundation
David J. and Dianne B. Stern
20 OUR SUPPORTERS
$2,500 - $4,999
Anonymous
AT&T External Affairs
Jamie Bernstein
Citrin Cooperman & Company
Convene
Janet and Howard Ginsburg
Eve Goldberg and Neil Wallin
Harriet and Leonard Holtz
Lara and Douglas Holtz
Stacey and Curtis Lane
Matter Unlimited
Elise Meyer and Henry I. Feuerstein
Amy Todd Middleton and
Curt Middleton
Scott Millstein and Jae Lee
Heidi and Richard Rieger
Mindy Schneider and
Michael Lesser
E. Sherrell Andrews and
Robert Kuhbach
Saskia and Stephen Siderow
Alaina Sparks and Yaron Klein
Miriam and Carl Stern
Peggy and David Tanner
John and Leslie Unwin
Teri and Barry Volpert
Frances Winston and Jack Levy
$1,000 - $2,499
Jim and Monica Allen
Anonymous
Claude Arpels and Winsome Brown
Mr. and Mrs. Paul D. Barnett
Didi and David Barrett
Lori and Harley Bassman
Virginia Bayer and Robert Hirt
Constance Beaty
Leanne Bell
Berkshire Taconic
Community Foundation
Betsy Jacobs Berliner
and David Berliner
Brittany Capital Group
Brooklyn Community Foundation
Amy Butte
Joel and Christine Cooperman
Shawn and Bill Crowley
Charles Cummings and
Cynthia Hayes
Linda and Ronald F. Daitz
Margaret Davidson
Ronnie Davis
Howard Ellin
Andrew Farnsworth
Amy and Roger Faxon
Fresh Direct
Budd Goldman
Eric Grimaldi
Steven B. and Elizabeth S. Gruber
Michael Halperin
Jean Hamilton
Wendy Hattler-Dessy
Kathryn and Vincent G. Heintz
Beth Jacobs and Dr. Keith
Gottesdiener
Kasirer Consulting LLC
John Knight
Alexander Kristofcak and
Daniel Bersohn
Aliza and Michael Lesser
Joseph and Valery Levy
Amanda and Marcel Lundberg
Dean and Katherine Martinus
Chris McConnell
The McConnell Group
Seth Merrin
Leanora and Clifford Michel
Laura S. and Michael B. Miller
Barbara A. Miral and
Alberto Gatenio
The Morrison and Foerster
Foundation
Michael Muzyk and Teresa
Chaisson Muzyk
Deborah B. and Melvin Neumark
Rachel Neumark and
Jonathan Herlands
Carol Ostrow and Michael Graff
Annika Pergament
Abigail Pogrebin and David Shapiro
The Purjes Foundation
Rabobank International
Amanda and Michael Salzhauer
Lee Schrager
Kelly Schunk and Elliot Berkowitz
Ami Solomon and Howard Kaplan
Jill and Howard Sharfstein
Nina and Rudd Simmons
SL Green Management LLC
Orna and Geoffrey Stern
Annie Tang
Hans Taparia and Divya Rajaraman
Robert F. and Eugenia
Ulasewicz Labbancz
Vie
Arielle Solow Wein and
Michael Wein
Dina and David Weinstein
Daryl Wickstrom and
Steve Cunningham
Lise and Jeffrey Wilks
Katie Workman and Gary Freilich
Bonnie Yochelson and
Paul Shechtman
Stephanie Young and
James P. Rouhandeh
Vivian and James Zelter
$500 - $999
Courtney Archer-Buckmire
Sharon Avneri and Colin Finkelstein
Andrew and Bernadette Benson
Amy Berlin and Ivan J. Wolpert
Wanda Chin and Michael Danowski
Margaret Crotty
Vanessa Diebold
Marsha Dubrow
Hugh Forward
Debbie and Ralph Gardner
Carol Gellos
Laurie and Jeffrey Goldberger
Goldman Sachs & Co.
Jed David Satow Family Foundation
Jenny Sharfstein Kane
and Andrew Kane
Kang Modern / KHCAD PLLC
Lois Kohn-Claar and Gary Claar
Jay Kriegel
Donna Landa and Anthony Barrett
Sylvia J. Lavietes and
Harri V. Taranto
Kate Lear and Jonathan Lapook
Martha McMaster and
Sheldon Evans
Jacob Merrin
Jeremy Merrin and Linda Blum
Dodi Meyer and Stephen Heim
Donna Moylan
Orentreich Family Foundation
Ian Rosenblum
Laura and Peter Rothschild
Bret Sanford Chung
Melissa Kasper Shapiro
Sarah Shapiro
Shaun and Anna So
Alexa Squillaro
Emily and Steven Steinman
Rabbi David Stern
Debbie and David Stern
Stewart’s Foundation
Mish Tworkowski and Joseph Singer
Ann Vartanian
Wyndham Worldwide
You Order We Serve You Corp.
Koethi Zan
$250 - $499
Anonymous (2)
Rob Arango
William Arango
Peter Aschkenasy
Felice Axelrod
Susan Ball and John Brigham
Norbert Beatty
Michelle and Gary Bettman
Myra Biblowit
Arminee Bowler
Larry S. and Judith Byrnes-Enoch
Susan Cahn and Mario Batali
Dick Cattani
Michele and Marty Cohen
Warren and Lenny Collins
William Darrow
Richard DeHaan
Julia Dobtsis
Linda Donn and John MacMurray
EMPIRE
Anthony Fassio
Nancy Fisher
Paula L. and Philip A. Forman
Dawn Fratangelo
Margaret and Guy Geslin
Benjamin Giardullo
Andrew Goetz and Matthew Malin
Elizabeth Grayer and Aidan Synnott
Elizabeth Griffin
Tiffany Hall and John Rhea
John Hannam
Anne Harrison
Nicholas Haylett and
Timothy Husband
Cas Holloway
Kiera Jekos
Elva and San John
Steven Kabot
Jill Kaplan
Patricia Kennedy
April Klausner
Jeff Krasner
Jeff Kuhn
Despina Leandrou
Lauren Lebowitz and Lee Feldman
Erika Lesser
Laurence Lesser
Sally Lesser
Liaison Unlimited
Beth Linskey and Charlie Brennan
Michelle Lovelace and Lloyd Zimet
Michael Arthur Marriott and
Whitney de Hosson
Camille Massey
Barbara McLaughlin
Robert Mihalik
Claudia and Douglas Morse
Paul Muldoon
National Philanthropic Trust
Judith Nelson
Kevin O’Connor
John O’Shea
Linda and Jack Pelaccio
Steven and Linda Pittleman
Howard Pulchin
Beth Rustin and Lee Stettner
Scenic Hudson Inc.
Larry Schwartz
Betsy and Al Scott
The Seggermeyers
Peter Seidman and
Christine Zaepfel
Birgitta Sherman
Roanna and Dr. Morris Shorofsky
Jonah Simon
Janet and Gilbert Spitzer
Deborah and Mike Stasi
Lise Suino
Steve Ives and Anne Symmes
Miriam Wallerstein
Allison Whiting and Fred Schroeder
Thomas Whitridge
Hallie Ziesmer
$100 - $249
Linda Jean Abbey
Joshua Alexander
Anonymous (8)
Rachel Asher
Analisa Balares
Linda Barnett
Sebastian Beckwith
Mindy Birnbaum and
Barry Rutcofsky
Erin Blondes
Irwin Bloom
Ethan Blum
BNY Mellon Corporation’s
Community Partnership
Anne Bodnar
Cheri Burke
Teresa Casadonte
Judith Choate
Jorge Collazo
Charlotte Coultrap-Bagg
James Colvin
Anne Ebersman and Dan Caligor
Andy Falender and Jackie Lenth
Charles and Carol Francescani
Janet Freed and Jim Nordberg
Judith Fryer
Jan Geniesse
Alison Ghiorse
Maximo Gomez
Karen Grinthal
GrowNYC
Hartofilis Family
Hawthorne Valley Association
Herricks Family
Adam Hignite
Joanne Howard
Elizabeth Keller
George King
Heather Kowalski
Kristin Kraska
Carole and Frank Lalli
Ellen and Richard U. Levine
Brett Lowell
Sunil Mahtani
Monique Marez
Lynnette and Kevin McCollum
Millie Meyers
Meri Naveh
Linda Newman Boughton
Eugene O’Brien
Katie O’Hare
Rajiv Pant
Christopher Panzer
Shanee Person
Andrew Pierce
Suzanne Ponsot
Joel Potter
Krishnendu Ray
Jackie and Tim Reuling
Jackson Reuling
Arthur and Judith Robbins
Howard Rubinstein
Marcy Sander and James Janover
Bette Ann Sacks and James
David Albert, MD
Robert Siegel
Marcy Singer
Robyn Stein
Lauren Tregor
Stathoula Tsambiras and
Paul B. Schroer
Krystle Watler
Anna Weber
Susan Weiss
Anna Winand
Cynthia Yang
Stanley and Judith M. Zabar
Rolf Zach and Hadley Beier-Green
$10 - $99
Anonymous (19)
Linda Asher
Maria Asteinza
Lila and Nora Baird
Pauline Berge
Samantha Blatteis Sam
Bow Bridge Communications
Gwenn Cagann
Mireia Cano Vinas
Julia Capalino
Maria Chutchian
Rita B. Crotty
Charlie Demma
Carl Dennis
Deborah Duke
Joanna Ezinga
Dubowe Family
Andrew Fabozzi
Dick Fassio
Erin Florio
Thanks to the generous pro-bono services of Blue
State Digital, The Sylvia Center has a new website!
Visit us at www.sylviacenter.org to learn more
about our programs, sign up for our monthly
newsletter, and stay connected on social media.
Terry Frishman
Josh Frum
Debbie Gardner
Amanda Gentile
Gary Giberson
Brian Gordon and Naomi Weinstock
Katka Hammond
Ross Hammond
Joe Hannan
Karen Heath
Tom Henry
Marilyn Hochfield
Maria Hodermarska
David Howe
Alice Kamens
Alice Kang
Polly King
Emilie Knight
Amy Koblenzer
Gillian Lane
Murray Lantner
Harry Laughlin
Tricia Lee
Jo Ann and Josef Lesser
Dawn Leuzzi
Karen, Eric and Malin Lin
Laura Margulies
Kevin Masse
Kate Massey
Nick Mcquaid
Colleen Milewski
Judith Miller
Patti Mittelman
Linda Molinari
Ari Naveh
Paula and Scott Nickrenz
Jennifer and Steve Ostlind
Tracy Pierce
Lucy Pollack
Alex Provo
Steven Purhonen
Jeremy and Marni Reuling
Ally Rice
Danielle Samuelson
S&S Farm Brewery
Suzannah Schneider
Adele Schwartz
Mercedes and Matthew Shabdach
Melina Shannon-DiPietro
Howard Shatz
Mohammed Siddique
Ruth Singer
Miriam Solomon
Rosa Spaeth
Susanna Styron
Fred B. and Paulette F. Tedesco
Edyta Teper
Tommy Turbyville
Ashley Turner
Cathie Urushibata
Harry and Karen Walker
Alice Walton
Steven Weinstein
Jessica Weis
Caitlin Winiarski
Hally Wolhandler
Winnie Yang
Stephen Zagor
IN-KIND
SUPPORTERS
IN 2015
Bastille Flowers
Blue State Digital
Brooklyn Roasting Company
Castello di Vicarello
Domenico Valentino Selections
Farrow & Ball
FOODMatch
Fresh Direct
Great Performances
Harlem Jazz Enterprises
Hot Bread Kitchen
In Pursuit of Tea
Patti Jackson
Joto Sake
Katchkie Farm
Kinderhook Farm
Kings County Wines
Jean Hanff Korelitz
Kosta Browne
Skip Lievsay
Beth Linskey
Loews Hotels & Resorts
Chef Albert Lovelace
Lover’s Leap Farm
Maiyet
Momento Mori
Murray’s Cheese
NBC/Universal
Liz Neumark
New York Distilling Company
Party Rental
Realm Cellars
Reuling Vineyard
Lee Salevan
Jill Santopietro
The Simone
Talbott & Arding
Caleb Townsend
Chef Bob Turner, Omega Institute
Valley Variety
Farmer Bob Walker and Kristy King
OUR SUPPORTERS 21
Financials
FISCAL YEAR 2015
2015 REVENUE
72,424
148,593
158,950
24,862
554,508
Individual Contributions
Corporate Contributions
Foundation Grants
Program Fees
Special Events
TOTAL REVENUE & SUPPORT
$959,337
2015 EXPENSE
552,575
52,681
156,017
128,944
Program Services
General & Administrative
Development
Special Events Costs
TOTAL EXPENSES
$890,217
$69,120
CHANGE IN NET ASSETS
Donated Goods, Services, Facilities
$137,535
STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL POSITION
Total Assets
Total Liabilities
Net Assets
Board Designated-Operating Reserve
Unrestricted Net Assets Restricted Net Assets
Total Net Assets
TOTAL LIABILITIES & NET ASSETS
774,494
31,231
350,000
365,263
28,000
743,263
$774,494
Financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2015, have been audited by Adeptus Partners, LLC, Certified Public
Accountants. The annual financial report has been filed with the New York State Charities Bureau. If you would like to receive a
copy of our most recent audited financial statements or Tax Form 990, please email [email protected].
22 FINANCIALS
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Liz Neumark
Founder and Board Chair
Courtney Archer-Buckmire
Cindy Edelson
Nina Freedman
Debbie Gardner
Trudy Elbaum Gottesman
Dodi Meyer, MD
Amy Todd Middleton
Scott Millstein
Michael Pollack
Chaim Wachsberger
STAFF
Anna Hammond
Executive Director
Julie Cerny
Farm Education Director & Garden Manager
Joyce Huang
Finance/HR Director
Erika Lesser
Development Director
Whitney Reuling
City Education Director
Jenn So
Internal Operations & Communications Manager
CHEF
INSTRUCTORS
Natasha Decena
Kelly Faust
Frances Hodges
Amy Kim
Theresa Morelli
Jillian Naveh
Samantha Pagan
Justina Petway
Nina Simmons
CHEF ASSISTANTS
Claire Alsup
Carla Altaras
Amanda Anderson
Laura Bitter
Claire Clift
Derrika Cruickshank
Andrea Francisco
Michelle Hernandez
Eli Mattern
Virginia Meza
Chris Santos
Maya Stansberry
INTERNS
(2015 TEAM)
Lauren Cole
Emma Duffany
Emma Foti
Christelle Jasmin
Josh Kemp
Merelis Ortiz
Stephanie Saintilien
Ruchi Shah
Fatoumata Soumare
Makshya Tolbert
ON THE BACK COVER: TOP Tasting dessert in the Cooks for Health Youth program at
Williamsburg Community Center, Brooklyn. / BOTTOM Meeting a chicken in the Fresh
Food program at Katchkie Farm.
VOLUNTEERS
Joy Clary
Amy Faxon
Lucy Flannery
Mary Fratianni
EJ Fratianni
Anne Hessberg
Sophia Inkles
Babbie Jacobs
Helenka Lepkowski
Ostrum
Anna Simmons
Susan Stratton
Phebe Tanners
Joan Quilty
WHO WE ARE 23
The Sylvia Center
304 Hudson Street, Suite 201
New York, NY 10013
sylviacenter.org
@sylviacenter
#sylviacenter
thesylviacenter