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Vol. 28 No. 6
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Student chefs cook to aid Island Harvest By JoSEPH D’AlESSANDRo jdalessandro@liherald.com
Holden Leeds/Herald
The Bellmores celebrate the Year of the Snake The North Bellmore Public Library celebrated Lunar New Year last week, with a story time and fun craft that welcomed in the Year of the Snake. Alex Whyms, 6, with Sofia Coled, 5, worked on their snakes together. Story, more photos, Page 3.
Women’s alliance features discussion on gender and future initiatives By JoRDAN VAlloNE jvallone@liherald.com
The South Shore Women’s Alliance, which reconvened last fall ahead of the 2024 election, has been meeting regularly over the last few months, forming committees and discussing important topics that affect a wide variety of people. Originally founded as a democratic women’s caucus, the group has transitioned to what it is today — a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that advocates for issues important to not only women, but also to all voters in general. The alliance’s work is done through partnerships and activities with students, informative panels, and fundraisers for causes that the group supports. Over its history, the alliance organized a response to the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in Parkland, Florida in
2018; hosted a speaker to discuss health care initiatives in New York; organized rallies against abortion bans; and held fundraisers for groups like Planned Parenthood. During the group’s Jan. 15 meeting, held in the Merrick Golf Course Clubhouse, the alliance, led by president Claudia Borecky, updated attendees on some initiatives the group is currently working on. Members of the alliance come from Levittown, Wantagh, Seaford, East Meadow, Bellmore, Merrick, Baldwin, Freeport, as well as other communities along the South Shore. Through its immigration committee, the alliance is involved with a diverse array of immigrant organizations, and is seeking to assist with the immediate needs of community members. In a report distributed to attendees, the group said it is “addressing the need to change the narraContinued on page 4
“We decided to start doing it out of school, just for fun, and we thought, why don’t we invite people and cook for them? We decided that the money we collect from it, we would donate.” “We love doing what we’re doing,” Klein added of their thinking. “It would be so amazing if we could give back to the community in a way. “We’re fortunate enough to have everything we need in life to succeed, and some people aren’t as fortunate. So we want to have the opportunity to help people who really need help.”
Three juniors from John F. Kennedy High School prepared a four-course meal for donors as part of the Cooking for a Cause 2025 Fundraiser, collecting over $750 for Island Harvest on Feb. 1. Merrick residents Matthew Klein, Alyssa Beznicki and Oriana Merzlyak are students enrolled in JFK’s Culinary Hospitality and Applied Management Program, also known as CHAMP, which teaches students about cookMAO’s fundraising and running businesses. They oRiANA MERzlYAk e r s b e g a n l a s t August, and have met in the program MAO member become a monthly last year, and now tradition for their share a vision of keeping the community well families, usually held at one of their homes. For each meal, the fed. T h e M AO t e a m , n a m e d team thoroughly vets new reciusing each student’s first ini- pes that will test their skills tial, comes together once a and practices until the day of month to create a four-course the fundraiser. Their love of cooking, they tasting menu. The meal is made from scratch, and highlights said, came from their families. each chef ’s specialties, from “It started as my grandfather was a chef,” Beznicki said. “He dinners to desserts. “We do it because we all was in the culinary industry enjoy cooking, but even for us, for years. When I was younger, it’s not enough,” Merzlyak said. Continued on page 20
W
e do it because we all enjoy cooking.