Park Slope
It’s a big stand up and cheer for the Park Slope Soup Kitchen and Women’s Residence, (otherwise know as CHiPS, for “Christians Helping in Park Slope). The do-gooding group kicked off its annual fund-raising event on Oct. 29 to a whopping Standing O success. More than 25 participating restaurants donated 15 percent of their evening’s proceeds to the worthy cause.
CHiPS is open six days a week and serves more than 93,000 nutritious meals a year. That is one heck of a cooking schedule! The upstairs shelter, the Frances Residence, houses and counsels young women in their last trimester of pregnancy, as well as women who have just given birth, providing a stable environment for them to adjust to motherhood. And we all know how hard that is!
CHiPs also hosts a clothing drive that keeps hundreds of disadvantaged men and women warm in the New York winter.
Standing O says, “Thank you, CHiPS. You’re so good, we can’t have just one.” So go out there and donate. The charitable organization helps out the poor, the needy, and the homeless, and you can too!
Park Slope Soup Kitchen and CHiPS [200 Fourth Ave. between Sackett and Degraw streets in Park Slope, (718) 237–2962; www.chipsonline.org].
Clinton Hill
You go, Girl Scout!
Cheers to Lesego Pearl Nkosi, a four-year Girl Scout and active member of Troop 2665, based in Clinton Hill. She has been chosen as a “Future Women of Distinction” in part for the project she completed for the Gold Award, Scouting’s highest honor, that helped girls in Pretoria, South Africa, by teaching them math, science, English, and volleyball, while incorporating self-esteem-building activities. Lesego is originally from Pretoria.
Standing O hopes to give her a Standing O when she is awarded that Women of Distinction award.
Crown Heights
Panera of life
Panera Bread that is. The giant of all things yeast is again in the spotlight for donating to the breast cancer cause. Not only does Panera host a pink bagel event every year to raise funds, but this year the Brooklyn bakery also teamed up with a quartet from the Brooklyn Symphony Orchestra and treated patients at Gilda’s Club at Kings County Hospital to a surprise breakfast and concert. The musicians added a relaxing atmosphere to the delicious breakfast that was served up.
“The musicians helped us add a relaxing cafe ambience to our breakfast. If we can make their lives a little bit better, we’re delighted,” said Greg George, veep of operations at the Brooklyn corporation.
Keep on giving out the karma.
Gilda’s Club at Kings County Hospital [451 Clarkson Ave. at Winthrop Street in Crown Heights, (718) 245–3131],
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Three cheers
Congratulations to Medgar Evers College, which was just awarded a $2.7-million contract to provide community services including workforce development, parenting skills, cultural activities, homework help, and much more. Various centers will provide a “tremendous boost to the community. Many of the students come in need of academic enrichments. Providing services that will help better prepare them before they even leave elementary school will provide their chances for success in their later academic life,” said college president Rudolph Crew. He added, “The supports that will be available to parents and other adults in these centers will help create a positive atmosphere for everyone in the community.”
Medgar Evers College [1650 Bedford Ave. at Montgomery Street in Crown Heights, (718) 270–4900].
