Community Service Fair Shares Connection and Powerful Message

On Saturday, April 5, school community members and more than a dozen organizations, including The Sharing Shelf, Grassroots Grocery and Paws for a Cause, came together at the Masters Community Service Fair hosted by MISH. 

The Fonseca Center was abuzz with activities: volunteers fixed broken household items at the Masters Repair Cafe, and attendees participated in meditation circles, nature walks and upcycling greeting cards for families who face food insecurity. Those in attendance learned how they can best support the nonprofit groups that play a vital role in addressing the needs of underserved communities. Five student-run clubs also participated: GALS, PolitiConnect, Herspective, Crafty Space, and Social Justice and the Arts.

“Hearing students present their organizations with pride and depth was a joy,” said Marie-Louise Miller, associate dean for purposeful engagement. “Our MISH members worked very hard to organize this event. Cathy He ’25 coordinated clubs and their members, Julia Panos ’27 ran the Repair Cafe, Man Dang ’26 worked on environmental issues with the Dobbs Ferry Conservation Commission, and Eunice Wang ’25 created the vision of a nutrition bar.”

Eileen Kang ’26, an international student from Korea and a U.S. citizen, felt passionate about collaborating with Hearts & Homes for Refugees, a group that supports the needs and journeys of recent arrivals. She said, “I think the work they're doing is amazing because it's not only financial sponsorship for those families to relocate to the U.S., but it's also about helping them find a community when it can be hard to not know anyone in this new life you're creating for yourself.”

Kang was assisted by volunteers Isabel Yeon, a Bronxville High School junior, and Lori Kapner Hosp, a Hearts & Homes board member. Together, they informed community members about volunteer opportunities such as tutoring and food and clothing drives.

Kapner Hosp said, “We're just so proud of the things that our young people have the passion to accomplish to welcome their new neighbors with dignity, with hope and with a little fun.” 

Emily Kasoff ’27, one of the co-chairs of the Feeding Westchester club at Masters, and Brendan McCormack from Feeding Westchester hosted a table. McCormack said their goal was “to get the word out that one in three households in Westchester County are at risk of hunger.”

“There are a lot of people who have heard the name Feeding Westchester but don't specifically know what it's about, so telling them more about their programs and getting people engaged was important to me,” Kasoff said.

For Kaela Riley ’26, a MISH member and choreographer with Masters Dance Company, introducing people to My Sisters’ Place, an organization that supports those affected by domestic violence, was important to her.

“Volunteering and helping people is such a big part of my identity, and I, personally, did not like just giving money and not knowing where that money ended up,” Riley said. “By using my voice where we might dedicate a performance to them or explain their work here to the Masters community allows everyone to have a better understanding of what they do and why they should help.”

Riley was moved and motivated by the day’s events: “Seeing so many people here engaged has been so nice because when Masters and MISH come together, it creates something beautiful. I hope we can continue to do this in the future and keep going.”