Riverdale Y gets $150k grant

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Four community stalwarts received recognition at the Riverdale Jewish Community Relations Council’s annual legislative breakfast on Sunday. So did the glass bricks that greet visitors to the site of the forum, The Riverdale Y.

Bronx State Sen. Jeff Klein announced a $150,000 grant to replace the bricks that have formed a wall above The Y’s entrance, among other parts of the facility, since it opened in the early 1980s.

The Y’s Chief Executive Officer Deann Forman explained that improper initial installation of the bricks has led many of them to crack and let in cold air over the years. She said they will be replaced with windows by May.

“It will be a much more energy efficient and much safer situation afterwards,” Ms. Forman said. She added that part of the state grant will go to new air conditioning at The Y if her organization can raise funds to help meet all the expenses for such a system.

Mr. Klein was among a number of elected officials, including the city’s Comptroller Scott Stringer, who honored small business owner John Evans for his support of local organizations; Yael Levy for her work with Riverdale RiverFest; Brad Silver for his dedication to the Bronx Jewish Community Council (BJCC); and the anti-poverty group Part of the Solution (POTS).

After the breakfast, which drew about 200 people, Mr. Silver reflected on his 30 years so far with BJCC, which runs one of the borough’s largest food pantries, among other programs for the poor.

“Services that were available change. Approaches change. Everything changes all the time,” he said in a phone interview. “We just have to keep up and make sure in this confusing and changing world… that we are able to direct people and help them get what they need.”

Honoring Yael Levy

RJCC honored Ms. Levy for founding RiverFest, the annual community party that shows local support for building a path on the Riverdale stretch of the Hudson River’s shore.

Riverdale Jewish Community Relations Council, Jeff Klein, Deann Forman, Yael Levy, RiverFest, John Evans, Brad Silver
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