_________________ BALDWIN ________________
HERALD VoL. 33 No. 32
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A library that feeds more than the mind shared commitment to addressing childhood food insecurity. Assistant Library Director As Baldwin students prepare Kaysha Watson-Phillips has to return to school next month, coordinated the program for where free breakfast and lunch the past seven years. “Food insecurity is a big await them each day, another source of meals is wrapping up part of the reason why we conits busiest season. t i nu e t o p a r t n e r Throughout the with Island Harvest summer, the Baldto of fer this prowin Public Library gram,” Watson-Philquietly served as a lips said. “I don’t lunchtime stop for want children going hundreds of chilhungry when school dren whose access is out and they don’t to school cafeterias have regular access paused when classes to meals.” ended in June. During the In par tnership KAYSHA WATSoN- school year, every with Island Harvest, student in the Balda M e l v i l l e - b a s e d PHILLIPS win Union Free hunger relief orga- Baldwin Public School District nization, the library Library assistant receives free breakhas served nearly director fast and lunch 7 0 0 l u n ch e s t h i s through New York summer. The federstate’s Universal ally funded Summer Food Ser- School Meals Program and the vice Program helps bridge the federal Community Eligibility g ap for children who lose Provision. When classes end access to school meals while for the summer, however, famiclasses are out, providing lies who rely on those meals nutritious lunches throughout must find other ways to put the summer. food on the table. The library and Island HarSchool meals provide many vest have partnered for more families with a reliable source than a decade to provide the of nutritious food while helpmeals, a collaboration both ing reduce g rocery costs, organizations say is rooted in a
By ALLYSoN FERRARI
aferrari@liherald.com
I
Courtesy The Village LI
Participants, organizers and Coach Jay Morales of Heavy Hitters Boxing Gym gathered after The Village LI’s Walk Wise, Stand Strong workshop at One Life Christian Church. The program brought together 15 women for an afternoon of practical safety education, self-defense training and discussions of situational awareness.
Learning to trust instincts, one strong punch at a time By ALLYSoN FERRARI aferrari@liherald.com
For 15 women who gathered in Baldwin late last month, learning how to throw a proper punch was only part of the lesson. At Walk Wise, Stand Strong, a women’s safety workshop, participants gained practical selfdefense skills while building confidence, sharpening their situational awareness and learning to trust their instincts. The two-hour session, held at One Life Christian Church, was organized by The Village LI, the church’s nonprofit community outreach organization. Led by Coach Jay Morales, of Heavy Hitters Boxing Gym, the program combined hands-on self-defense instruction with discussions of situational awareness, teaching participants practical
strategies to recognize potentially dangerous situations and respond safely. For Robert Nelson, a member of The Village’s board of directors and a New York City police detective, the workshop was about more than teaching women how to defend themselves. Violence against women, he said, is a reality that extends beyond Baldwin, making education and awareness essential tools for staying safe. Nelson said that recognizing potentially dangerous situations before they escalate is just as important as knowing how to respond if a confrontation occurs. “If something doesn’t feel right,” he said, “remove yourself from the situation and seek help.” Some women arrived with little or no selfdefense experience. Ashanté S., of Jamaica, COnTInued On PaGe 7
don’t want children going hungry when school is out.
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