photo

Our Initiative

The Communities of All Ages Team:

  • Port Chester / Town of Rye Council of Community Services
    www.CommunityCouncil-pcrb.org
  • NAACP of Port Chester
  • Family Services of Westchester
  • Port Chester Council for the Arts
  • Port Chester Carver Center
  • The Clay Art Center
  • Don Bosco Community Center
  • Holy Rosary Catholic Church
  • Open Door Family Medical Center
  • Port Chester Public Schools
  • St. Peter’s Episcopal Church
  • Summerfield United Methodist Church
  • All Souls Parish Presbyterian Church
  • Iglesia Pentecostal El Olivar
  • Port Chester Village Recreation and
  • Mayor of Port Chester
  • Port Chester & Rye Brook Seniors Programs


Our Funders:

  • Helen Andrus Benedict Foundation
  • United Way of Westchester & Putnam

Phase of Development : Implementation

Starting date: 2007


During our assessment phase, our Communities For All Ages team organized “Community Conversations”-- a series of focus groups to create dialogue about our challenges and how to draw on the resources of a multi-generational community to help create solutions. We met with over 115 community members, many of whom discussed the ways in which they felt isolated or not welcomed by the neighborhood. These experiences were attributed to:

  • Racism and lack of respect
  • No process for welcoming or greeting newcomers and immigrants
  • No opportunity for “conversations” that connected different generations
  • No knowledge of existing opportunities to help other people in the neighborhood who are struggling financially or otherwise
  • Lack of opportunities to learn more about the different cultures of neighborhood residents
  • Lack of interaction between the different faith based groups in the neighborhood

Based on these concerns, our Communities for All Ages team has focused on creating a range of opportunities for civic engagement in the community, and places/events that intentionally promote interaction and connection across age and culture. Our work to date has included:

  • Development and coordination of an interfaith, intergenerational Farmers’ market for the poor. We have had more than 50 volunteers from different churches each year and have provided food to more than 4,000 people in the community.
  • Publication of a directory of volunteer opportunities—By deepening local, intergenerational participation in volunteer opportunities we hope to strengthen and develop the supports for individuals and families across the life course
  • Coordination of two multi-cultural festivals in the neighborhood. Both festivals have been very well attended; many residents reported learning something significant about the culture of their neighbors.
  • The development of the “People’s College,” a local work and skill exchange initiative where residents donate time to share their skills with each other.