Brownsville
Cheers galore to 91-year-young Sarah Simpkins for being an independent lady — and to GuildNet Managed Long Term Care for making it possible. Our pal Sarah is able to live at home and stay involved in her community, and she says it’s all due to the service organization.
“GuildNet adds quality to my life, by providing a network of services, which saves me a great deal of anxiety and stress,” said the spry senior, also the senior delegate for her housing and senior center. “Thank the Lord that my brain is still together.” Not even Standing O can say that!
Sarah is a young whippersnapper compared to her some of her GuildNet peers, who are 100 years young and older, and still living at home and enjoying an independent life.
Standing O wishes Sarah many more years of independent happiness, and thanks GuildNet for making it happen.
Kensington
‘Super’ blood drive
Give the gift of life this holiday season, when the Knights of Columbus Cardinal Stritch Council and the New York Blood Center co-present the “super bowl” of blood drives.
Both groups want to increase blood donations leading up to Super Bowl XLVIII (that’s 48 to you non-Roman numeral types), which will be held right here in the Big Apple — well not quite, but close enough. All donors through Jan. 17 will be entered into a sweepstakes to win a pair of prized Super Bowl tickets. We all know how expensive those tix can be, but so is blood, so be a mensch and make an appointment to donate today. Don’t forget to eat a nutritious meal before rolling up your sleeve, and bring along your photo ID.
Call (800) 688–0900 for an appointment or walk in on Jan. 11 between 10 am and 2:30 pm.
Knights of Columbus Cardinal Stritch Council [349 Quentin Rd. between Dahill Road and McDonald Avenue in Kensington, (800) 932–2566]
Borough Wide
Big-buck scholarships
Municipal Credit Union is accepting applications for its $66,000 scholarship program from college-bound, graduating, high school seniors.
Eight memorial grants of $5,000 and 13 endowments of $2,000 are up for grabs. Applications are open to union members, or a child or grandchild of a member in good standing. Selection is based on academic performance, extracurricular and community activities, letters of recommendation, and an essay expressing personal goals. Student applicants who are also credit union members will be automatically entered for another $500 statewide scholarship.
The deadline is Jan. 31. Applications are available at www.nymcu.org or at the following locations: MCU, 1904 Surf Ave.; 2142 Ralph Ave.; 1560 Flatbush Ave.; and 350 Jay St.
Bensonhurst
Reason for the season
Blessings to selfless Bishop Kearney High School students for adopting local charities and fulfilling the holiday wish lists of underprivileged neighbors.
Sister Virginia Lake, director of Institutional Advancement, let Standing O know just how giving her students really are.
“Early on the morning of Dec. 1, the tree was bare, but by the time the students piled into school at 8:30 am, the gifts were piled high,” she said.
St. John the Baptist Parish, St. John’s Bread for Life, St. Francis of Assisi, St. Francis Breadline, and Sisters for Life were among this year’s beneficiaries.
Bishop Kearney High School [2202 60th St. at Bay Parkway in Bensonhurst, (718) 236–6363].
Bay Ridge
Honor and relief
Cheers to the members of the Xaverian High School Honor Society for organizing a relief drive for the people of the Philippines. The group collected hundreds of items for those who were affected by Cyclone Haiyan, which hit the islands in November.
Nina Santos-Becker from the Philippine American Chamber of Commerce picked up the supplies on Dec. 13, which are slated for delivery to the Visayas Islands.
Members of the class of 2015 — Harrison Jamin, Dylan Gittins, Anthony John Scotto, Brandon Smith, Anthony Scotti, Peter Mosconi, Christopher Nierva, Christopher Carroll, Joseph Tadros, Antonio Mannino, and Joseph Gatto — helped load the items into the van for delivery.
Xaverian High School [7100 Shore Rd. at 71st Street in Bay Ridge; (718) 759–5728].
