64 THE QUEENS COURIER • BUZZ • APRIL 5, 2018 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
buzz
Howard Beach woman’s Easter drive
delivers baskets of love to borough’s kids
BY SUZANNE MONTEVERDI
smonteverdi@qns.com / @smont76
A Howard Beach woman led a community effort
to help the borough’s children smile this past holiday
weekend.
In February, 24-year-old Queens native Brianna
Ferranti kicked off a spring drive to create holiday baskets
for children in need. After issuing a call for donations
to her local community, she received enough
donations to put together around 160 Easter baskets.
On March 31, the day before Easter, Ferranti and her
brother took the baskets to the River Fund’s food assistance
center in south Ozone Park, where they handed
them out to children from homeless or low-income
families.
Her second altruistic undertaking, Ferranti led an
“Acts of Kindness Toy Drive” in her community late
last year. After getting the word out to local businesses
and on social media, more than 300 toys for kids of all
ages were sent her way. Ferranti then delivered the toys
to the Cohen Children’s Medical Center in New Hyde
Park and St. Mary’s Hospital for Children in Bayside.
“I did the drive right out of my basement again,”
Ferranti said. “I sat there for hours wra pping. I wanted
each basket to be absolutely perfect. My whole entire
basement was filled up with toys and gifts.”
One of Ferranti’s goals for the spring drive was to get
more of the local community involved. A preschool teacher
Our Lady of Grace Catholic Academy, Ferranti asked
the director of her program for help getting the word out.
The pair sent out a newsletter to the school community
calling for donations. Ferranti also brought the experience
into the classroom and after-school program,
where she worked with students to put together the baskets
while explaining the initiative.
A number of neighborhood children and Ferranti’s
family and friends also stopped by her house to drop
off donations and help wrap. Contributions included
games, Lego toys, coloring books, crayons, stuffed animals,
egg coloring kits and candy.
The experience handing out Easter baskets at the River
Fund center is not one Ferranti will soon forget.
“There were about 900 families lined up outside the
door with grocery carts waiting for groceries: vegetables,
proteins, water, cleaning supplies,” she said. “And at the
end of the line, there I am, standing at the stoop with
the Easter Bunny … Most of the kids there were really
young — two or three — getting these huge baskets.
They were all so happy. It made me emotional.”
For her next initiative, Ferranti is thinking of organizing
a community yard sale, where locals can donate
unneeded household items and families in need can stop
by and take them home for free. She’s also looking into
Photos courtesy of Brianna Ferranti
Ferranti (right) builds Easter baskets with a helper
organizing craft or musical events at the borough’s children’s
hospitals and community centers.
“I have some pretty kooky ideas,” she said. “I might
branch out.”
World-famous Douglaston chef Lidia Bastianich cooks with Jamaica students
BY EMILY DAVENPORT
edavenport@qns.com / @QNS
An internationally renowned chef
stopped by a Jamaica high school to
collaborate with culinary students to
decide which appetizer will be served at
an upcoming gala.
Lidia Bastianich, who is a restaurateur,
author, Emmy Award-winning
television host of “Lidia’s Kitchen” and
a Douglaston resident, visited with the
culinary students and faculty at August
Martin High School (AMHS). She led
the young chefs and their instructors
in making two recipes – a beef bruschetta
with arugula and homemade
spicy giardiniera, and a cheesy zucchini
crostata.
“Lidia’s Bastianich’s visit evoked a
range of emotions for our students: they
were moved, motivated and validated
by her genuine interest in their career
goals and words of advice,” said Saran
Shields, program director for The Child
Center at AMHS. “Being around someone
so famous and accomplished may
have intimidated them at first, but in the
end, they shone with pride in their two
successful dishes.”
After enjoying their delectable creations,
the students voted on which of
the two would be featured at The Child
Center’s annual gala, which will be held
on May 14 at The Lighthouse at Chelsea
Photo courtesy of Eugénie Bisulco
Piers. The bruschetta ended up winning
by one single vote.
“I loved visiting August Martin High
School,” Bastianich said. “When you
start to see children come out of their
shells, take the reins (or the chef’s
knives) and really go for it, it gives you
a great feeling – you really are helping
them to find their voices. There is
vast potential in these young chefs.”
The Child Center gala will celebrate
the organization’s 65 years
of service to thousands of children
and families of New York.
Lidia Bastianich will serve as an
honoree at this milestone occasion.
In December, Chef Lidia
visited one of The Child
Center’s Head Start programs
in Woodside, reading
from her children’s books and
engaging the young children
in a lively demonstration on
fresh herbs.
“As a Queens resident, immigrant,
woman and mother, Lidia
Bastianich really embodies what The
Child Center is all about,” said Traci
Donnelly, CEO of the Child Center.
“The culinary – and life – lessons she
shared at August Martin this week are
inspirational to me personally, but they
also greatly honor our mission as an
agency.”
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