46 THE QUEENS COURIER • BUZZ • AUGUST 10, 2017 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
Farming for a good cause
vschneps@gmail.com
Matilda Cuomo and my friend Janet Elias, technology director at Wagner Middle School, with her leadership team
meeting to discuss creating Mentoring NY.
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With the sun shining
down on us, I
was privileged to
be present as the ribbon was
cut, officially opening the
unique 10-acre ELIJA Farm in
my old neighborhood, South
Huntington in Suff olk County.
It is the culmination of a dream
project of the organization of
the same name that serves people
in the autism spectrum and
whose motto is, “To make a difference
championing hope, one
child a time.”
My dear friends Lynn and
Michael Koufakis sent one of
their sons to the ELIJA School
for years and heard about the
opportunity to obtain a farm
that could become part of the
school’s services and help fi nd
meaningful work for children
like their son.
Th e farm is a nonprofi t that
uses environmentally sustainable
methods to raise high quality
produce. It utilizes organic
materials, certifi ed fertilizers
and pesticides, and exclusively
certifi ed organic plants.
Th e farm off ers the community
an opportunity to buy
shares of its produce through
a CSA (Community Supported
Agriculture) during the 16-week
farming season from June to
mid October.
Produce is available in bulk at
ELIJA Farm’s farm stand, where
each member who has bought a
share can select from a variety of
vegetables. For the lucky shareholders,
there are approximately
10-15 diff erent vegetables available
every week based on what is
ripe for picking.
What I love about the project
is that the ELIJA Farm partners
with an agency that provides
vocational and program opportunities
to young adults with
autism who are working on the
farm and learning a skill to support
themselves.
Th e land had been owned and
farmed by the Foglia family for
more than 50 fruitful years. As
farmers and educators, they
were in search of new stewards
for their fi elds. Th rough a collaboration
with the ELIJA group,
the newly reorganized farm
became a reality.
Th eir success is so great that
there is a waiting list for buying
a share, but you could “buy”
(donate) a barn, farmhouse or
tractor to be part of this innovative
group.
To continued great harvests --
of the land and the special people
they serve!
VICTORIA’S
SECRETS
Victoria
SCHNEPSYUNIS
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Councilwoman Tracey Edwards, Mr. and Mrs. Foglia, Mike and Lynne Koufakis
(rear), with Suff olk County Executive Steve Bellone, Suff olk County Legislator
Steve Stern and members of the ELIJA “family.”
Toni: To health and happiness
Having come to me as a
with a shower of love and caring
college student intern from
Queens College, Toni Cimino
is now about to become the
mother of a baby Victoria, and
our Queens offi ce sent her off
at one of our favorite fun
restaurants, Tequilla Sunrise
in Bayside. May her journey
be gentle and her life be one of
joy, happiness and health.
Mentoring to Build a Child’s Future
It’s been my treat to help
New York’s former First Lady
Matilda Cuomo — whose
goal for decades has been to
change the lives of children —
expand into new schools her
beloved program, Mentoring
New York.
Last week, we visited my
friend, master teacher Janet
Elias, at her new school in
Manhattan, the
Wagner Middle School, to
meet with the principal and the
school’s leadership.
Th e program will identify
a group of eighth-graders
who will mentor the same
number of sixth graders. Mrs.
Cuomo sends a trainer into the
school to work with the teachers
and students with extraordinary
results literally around
the world.
I heard the story of a child
who Mrs. Cuomo mentored
while her husband was governor.
She had a tough time
breaking through to the unhappy
child. But, through her perseverance
and caring, the young
lady who had been a step away
from a life of crime and drugs
turned her life around. She is
now a proud mother.
A life saved!
If anyone reading this is
interested in getting involved
as a mentor or has a school
that would like to participate in
the fall, contact Mrs. Cuomo at
844-337-6304