Awards Ceremony Planned for Unique Set of Volunteers

From The Afya Foundation:

Although volunteering and altruism are recognized factors in healing people with a range of disabilities, these individuals are not typically welcomed into community service environments. Under the leadership of Danielle Butin, MPH, OTR, Afya’s founder and executive director, teams of graduate-level occupational therapists have developed a strong program to help. People with psychiatric, developmental and physical disabilities are wholeheartedly welcomed at Afya’s warehouse, where they have the opportunity to heal through volunteerism and can learn vocational skills to use as they enter the work world. This program is financially supported by a charitable grant from the Thomas and Agnes Carvel Foundation.

On July 27, Afya will be honoring volunteers from Westchester School for Special Children, Special Citizen, Arc of Westchester, Devereux School & Adult Program, YAI, Cerebral Palsy of Westchester, Special Citizen Spectrum Space, Another Step, Riverdale Mental Health, Community Based Services, SAIL at Ferncliff Manor and Abilis at our warehouse, located at 140 Saw Mill River Rd. in Yonkers. This special, heart-filled group of volunteers are normally not included in community-based volunteer work, but their commitment and hard work at Afya is invaluable. Special awards will be given to key volunteers, and family and friends are invited to attend as well.

All recipients will receive a proclamation from the state from the Mayor’s Office of Yonkers.

The Afya Foundation collects surplus medical supplies, hospital equipment and humanitarian provisions from the New York healthcare, corporate and private communities and sends them abroad to support ongoing health initiatives in Africa and the Caribbean. Danielle Butin founded the not-for-profit organization in 2007 after a life-changing trip to Africa, during which she witnessed a lack of the most basic medical supplies and spoke to healthcare providers who felt unequipped to deliver adequate care. Since then, Afya has shipped over seven million pounds of desperately needed supplies to 68 countries. By keeping these tons of perfectly usable goods from reaching the landfill and waste incineration facilities for which they were destined, Afya creates a unique win-win situation – creating meaningful opportunities that promote healing for volunteers, positively impacting our local environment and delivering medical supplies to the most underserved populations across the globe.

Further information is available through the Afya Foundation website.

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