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PANTRIES Continued from page 1 something that is going to go away over the weekend,” Neve said. “This is going to be a while.” Despite the increase in demand, both organizations have not had to turn away any families due to lack of supplies, something both Neve and Samuels said has taken extraordinary effort on the behalf of their volunteers and staff. Donations from businesses and the surrounding community have also helped fuel the continuing operation of the food services, the directors said. Still, both food pantries are experiencing a rise in operational costs as food shortages require more purchases and the the infl ux of families necessitates more staff. “We have hired for the mass production, which is something we did not plan for,” Samuels said. To compensate for the increased spending at Reaching Out, Neve said he has had to dip into his organization’s reserves . Yet, through it all, Samuels and Neve said the support they receive from their community in times of crisis pushes them to continue their hard work. “Even though they are not with us, they are encouraging us with our donations,” Samuels said. “It makes me feel like you are not alone in this, like we are not taking this on by ourselves. ” �� COURIER L 18 IFE, APRIL 17-23, 2020 BRENNAN teachers and students, forming a sort of family that spanned generations. “There were a lot of staff members that had her as her principal,” said Ciulla, who studied under Brennan as a middle schooler before returning to become a teacher. “We present it as a family. And that’s what she made us. When Brennan became principal of I.S. 201, John F. Kennedy was president, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was named Time Magazine’s Man of the Year, and gas cost 29 cents per gallon. At the time of her appointment, not many other women held administrative roles in the New York City school system — particularly not in District 20, where IS 20 is located.” “When she came in, there may have been one other woman who was a principal of a middle school in the district,” said Joseph LaCascia, who worked with Brennan at I.S. 201 from 1969 to 2013. “She was a trailblazer.” For 50 years, Brennan would lead the school with a steady hand, winning over students and staff for generations “She was one of a kind,” said Elaine Safran, who headed the parent teacher association for six years under Brennan. “She always showed off like she was very stern and strict, but she had a heart of gold.” During her decades at the helm, Brennan steered the school through a series of transitions — fi rst as I.S. 201 switched from being a K-8 school to a middle school, and later, when budget cuts threatened to slash art programs in the 1970s. “After the 1970s, when many schools had cut their band programs, she insisted on keeping the music and arts programs going,” said LaCascia. “Other schools would often cut music programs, gym programs in favor of math or science or reading. She managed to cover it all.” Brennan instilled in her students and staff a love for discipline. She would arrive to her offi ce between 5:30 and 6 am every morning, and would dedicate much of her free time to connecting with other educators. Brennan, who never had any children of her own, was so devoted to the school that she viewed the students as her children, educators said. “She was extremely dedicated to that school,” said Laurie Windsor, the former president of the District 20 Community Education Council. “That school was her baby. She looked out for that school.” Brennan’s death was related to old age, not coronavirus, Ciulla said, adding that the school will host a large memorial service in her honor when the COVID-19 outbreak passes. “She deserves it,” he said of the tribute. LaCascia said he thinks the school should be named in Brennan’s honor because of her tremendous impact. “It would be appropriate for NYC to recognize her extraordinary career by naming I.S. 201 after her,” he said. Madeleine Brennan is remembered as a trailblazer. Joseph LaCascia Continued from page 1 ��