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WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. - When CEO at United Way of Westchester and Putnam Naomi Adler stepped up to the podium Friday afternoon, she was presenting more than framed recognition letters to various county and area service heads. She was expressing sincere gratitude for joining in the United Way's 2-1-1 message.
Adler presented plaques to Westchester County Department of Social Services Commissioner Kevin McGuire and Executive Director of Family Ties of Westchester Carol Hardesty for their work in steering local residents towards the growing 2-1-1 service.
"Today is an amazing testament to the outstanding partnerships that we have created," Adler said. "We're so happy to be working with such dedicated leaders."
The awards were given in the presence of various United Way officials as well as elected officials including Assembly member Robert Castelli (R, C -Goldens Bridge), Deputy County Executive Kevin Pluckett, County Legislator Judy Myers (D-Mamaroneck), and representatives of U.S. Rep. Nita Lowey (D-Mamaroneck) and State Sen. Greg Ball (R-Patterson).
McGuire and Hardesty were two of 10 recipients of honorable plaques Friday afternoon when the United Way hosted a press conference to celebrate its 14th annual "National 2-1-1 Day," which is slated for Saturday. Various local leaders accepted their awards in the company of area elected officials and community service heads.
"This is really a testament to a lot of hard work from a lot of people," McGuire said when he accepted his award. "We're proud to see that a public-private partnership can lead to the best care for kids."
Hardesty works with Family Ties of Westchester, which collaborated with the 2-1-1 service to recruit and pre-screen new foster homes for children in Westchester.
"As a family support organization, we're so pleased to be working with prospective foster parents," Hardesty said. "We thank 2-1-1 for the work they do in helping achieve that."
The Hudson Valley Region 2-1-1 Call Center services more than 3 million people every year. It was created in 2005 to assist Hudson Valley residents with everything from recycling regulations to avoiding home foreclosures. The resource became more popular and recognized during last year's busy hurricane season, in which several hundreds of residents reached out for help.
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