Ambassador Spotlight #8!

Name: 

Betsy Kirtland

How long have you been an ambassador?

Since... 2015? First class of ambassadors :)

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

Fleur de Lis Circle Week, and the Mystic Learning Center

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

It has been such a privilege to be able to advocate on behalf of the Mystic Learning Center and Fleur de Lis Circle Week over the years. Volunteering with them will always be fun and rewarding on an individual level, but being able to bring in money to these often underfunded programs, and seeing those funds put to use and have real impacts on the kids is really awesome. The MLC and Circle both serve kids in need - the MLC provides after school programming for kids from economically underprivileged families, and Circle is a free, week-long camp for girls who have lost a parent. The AFF funds that both programs have received have gone towards food for the kids, bus transportation for field trips, equipment for fun activities, and so much more. There's something really special about watching as a kid's eyes widen while they try out a science experiment, or hearing them laugh while they play a fun game for the first time, and it makes me proud to know that I, through the AFF, made it happen.

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

I got my Masters Degree from Tufts in 2017, and now I am a Structural Engineer at Stantec working in Boston. I've always been fascinated by bridges, and now I get to design and help construct them! I'm literally living my childhood dream. I also am a lecturer at Tufts, where I teach a class called Bridges for Resilient Cities, which touches on structural engineering as well as the importance of designing our infrastructure to be resilient.

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

Unfortunately, I don't have anything interesting to share... but I hope to get a dog in the next few months!

Betsy was previously featured on our blog here and here! 

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.