Bay Ridge youngsters host virtual performances to feed the hungry
By Jessica Parks
A pair of best friends from
Bay Ridge are taking on the
city’s hunger crisis by hosting
monthly performances that
have already raised enough
money to feed thousands of
needy New Yorkers.
Nine-year-old Scarlett
Diviney and 13-year-old Jolie
Wasserman have each been
performing since they were six
years old — but now, as the
COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated
needs across the city,
the two have taken their talents
to Facebook Live to fund
different initiatives designed to
help other children who are less
fortunate.
“We started ‘Voices to End
Hunger’ because the hunger
problem was so bad,” said Scarlett
of their online performance
series. “COVID increased the
hunger problem by 40 percent.”
Jolie agreed, adding that she
was particularly alarmed by
the high rate of food insecurity
across the city.
“People were desperately in
need for food and other supplies,
so I thought we could do
something to make a change,”
she said.
The girls hosted their first
virtual “cabaret” in August,
during which they showcased
their own singing as well as
the talents of other performing
friends they enlisted for the
bill.
“Scarlett and I are performers
in New York City, so we
made a bunch of connections
and friends over time,” said
Jolie. “All of our friends love to
sing also…and we thought it
would be most efficient to start
cabarets using all of our talents
and friends’ talents.”
Scarlett and Jolie have hosted
four cabarets to date — and
have raised enough funds to
provide 45,000 meals to hungry
New Yorkers, give hundreds of
Thanksgiving meals to patients
at Memorial Sloan Kettering
Cancer Center, and fulfill the
needs of two schools with high
populations of students experiencing
Be on Alert: COVID-19 Vaccine Schemes Emerge
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homelessness.
For their fifth cabaret — a
Valentine’s Day special on Feb.
12 — the duo plans to fundraise
to provide meals for a La
Jornada Food Pantry in Queens,
which they chose based on its
outsized need for support and
because of their plans to benefit
organizations in all of the city’s
five boroughs.
Jolie Wasserman, left and Scarlett Diviney, right, host virtual cabarets each month to raise
money to feed the hungry. Colette Samman
“All the money is going to
a food pantry in Queens, they
feed 10,000 New Yorkers a
week,” Scarlett said.
The young philanthropists
said pitching in at a time of
crisis has been fulfilling — a
feeling they said hits home
whenever they deliver a meal
or donation, and see first-hand
how much their work is appreciated.
“Scarlett and I feel really
good that we are doing this
because it makes us very happy
to know that we are helping
others in need,” said Jolie.
Voices to End Hunger will
stream their Valentine’s Day
Special Cabaret on Feb. 12 at
7 pm here.
Happy New Year to all! I am
grateful for many things, one of
them of course is that this past year
is behind us. I feel hopeful because
2021 is filled with promise. And
we’re beginning the year right –
the COVID-19 vaccine is here.
We went through so much
last year. Living in isolation,
away from friends and family.
I, and as I’m sure, many older
adults across the City felt a
sigh of relief to know that a
vaccine is now available for us.
Since January 11th, older New
Yorkers 65+ have been eligible for
the vaccine. The vaccine is safe and
free. By calling 1-877-VAX4NYC or
visiting nyc.gov/vaccinefinder, you
can schedule an appointment.
I would like to reiterate that the
COVID-19 vaccine is free. And I am
stressing this as scammers are using
the COVID-19 vaccine availability to
defraud New Yorkers.
SPECIAL NOTE: You may receive
a legitimate robocall from Dr. Dave
A. Chokshi, commissioner of the
New York City Department of Health
and Mental Hygiene, alerting you
about vaccine availability and that
you can schedule an appointment
over the phone.
But what scammers are doing
is different. They are calling and
promising older New Yorkers a
spot on the “vaccine reservation
list” in exchange for a deposit, bank
account or credit card information,
or personal information like their
social security number. This is
simply not true.
There has been a surge in
fraud cases since the pandemic
began. Scammers are professional
manipulators who live for
opportunities like this. These
criminals buy subscriber lists of
people that will make good targets,
such as older adults. They know most
of us are at home and that many of
us are lonely given as we have not
seen many friends and family since
COVID-19 began.
One scam in particular is known
as the “grandparent scam.” In this
scam, callers posing as panicked
grandchildren in trouble call or
send messages urging you to wire
money immediately. In 2020,
the Federal Trade Commission
received 24,545 complaints of
individuals impersonating
family members and friends,
a 21% increase from 2019.
New Yorkers alone filed 1,359
complaints in 2020.
But there are steps you can
take to avoid becoming a victim of
a scam. Here are some general tips
to remember:
1. DO NOT give your personal or
financial information in response to
a request that you did not expect.
2. Resist the pressure to act
immediately.
3. Shred documents that contain
personal identity information.
Criminals known as “dumpster
divers” see trash as gold mines and
use this information to commit fraud.
The FBI has also issued tips to
safeguard yourself from COVID-19
scams:
1. You cannot pay to put your
name on a list to get the vaccine, or
get early access to it.
2. No one is authorized to call
you about the vaccine and ask for
your Social Security, bank account
or credit card number
3. If you get a call, text, email –
or even someone knocking on your
door – claiming they can get you
early access to the vaccine, STOP.
That’s a scam.
4. Beware of providers offering
other products, treatments, or
medicines to prevent the virus.
5. Check with your health care
provider before paying for or
receiving any COVID-19-related
treatment.
If you suspect you are a victim of
a scam, contact the Federal Trade
Commission at ReportFraud.ftc.
gov, or call 311 and ask for the
Department for the Aging’s Elderly
Crime Victims Resource Center.
The Department for the Aging has
been at the forefront of helping older
victims of crimes since 1981. We are
in close communication with the
New York City Police Department
about complaints of fraudulent
activity, hold webinars with the
District Attorney’s office and the
Consumer Affairs Department, as
well as conduct public education
campaigns with advocates and our
network of service providers. We are
here for older New Yorkers.
I also want to take the opportunity
to let everyone know that in the
coming year, we plan to continue
advocating and work with partners
to ensure that older New Yorkers
have the support system they need
to age in place. Community care
support and services, such as those
provided through the Department
for the Aging’s network, has been
shown in numerous studies to keep
people healthy longer and to help
them avoid institutional care. We
will speak more about community
care and our ongoing work to ensure
that older New Yorkers receive it in
next month’s column.
We are happy to begin 2021 right,
with new beginnings and having
the vaccine available to older New
Yorkers over 65.
NYC Department for the
Aging Commissioner Lorraine
Cortés-Vázquez
/vaccinefinder
