October 7, 2015 -- Westchester County Executive Robert P. Astorino congratulated winners at the 24th annual Golden Harvest Awards on October 8 at Tappan Hill.
"Each year the Golden Harvest Awards recognize the outstanding contributions of those people and organizations that make Westchester such a smart place for seniors," Astorino said. "This year's honorees have dedicated themselves to serving seniors and have enhanced the quality of life for all Westchester residents."
The Westchester Public/Private Partnership for Aging Services (WPPP) sponsored the event, which recognized the following winners:
Visiting Nurse Association of the Hudson Valley (VNAHV) will receive the Golden Harvest Corporate Award. Michele Quirolo, President and CEO of VNAHV since 1994, will accept the award.
Founded in 1898 to provide nursing care for local residents, VNAHV has a long history of providing innovative healthcare services to the community. Today, VNAHV is a family of organizations that share a mission to provide the best quality healthcare to all people – from newborns to the elderly. VNAHV's services include skilled nursing, certified home health aides, hospice, physical, occupational and speech therapies, palliative care, social work, nutritional counseling and healing arts programs.
Barbara Finkelstein, CEO of Legal Services of the Hudson Valley (LSHV), will receive the Jim Curran Leadership Award.
Finkelstein oversees all aspects of LSHV, the largest provider of free civil legal services to more than 600,000 poor and low-income individuals. Under her leadership, LSHV has increased its budget sevenfold and has grown to be a 125-person staff with a $14 million budget and eight offices. Finkelstein is the first woman to lead the organization and is a national leader on civil legal services.
Rev. W. Franklyn Richardson, Senior Pastor of Grace Baptist Church in Mount Vernon, will receive the Golden Harvest Humanitarian Award.
Richardson has been head of the historic Grace Baptist Church since April 1975. Under his leadership, the congregation has continually thrived, growing to include more than 4,000 members as well as a second church in Port St. Lucie, Florida. A longtime community builder and organizer, Rev. Richardson has played a pivotal role in the grassroots efforts of creating affordable housing and expanding educational and employment opportunities, especially in Mount Vernon.
Mae Carpenter, Commissioner of Westchester County's Department of Senior Programs and Services, said that the contributions of this year's honorees have been outstanding, collectively helping tens of thousands of seniors and their families over the years.
"These are exceptional people doing terrific work," Carpenter said. "On behalf of the seniors of Westchester County, I applaud and thank them for all they do."
Mary Beth Morrissey is chair of the Westchester Public/Private Partnership, whose members are from government, businesses and social service agencies. The partnership develops resources for services that enable senior citizens to remain independent and active members of the community.