Community + Resilience = Ryesilience

During the early stages of the pandemic, Molly started a campaign known as FundTheFront, to support doctors, nurses, hospital workers, and first responders in Westchester County, New York City, and Connecticut. What started out as an effort to donate hand sanitizer quickly grew to an effort through which Molly raised $66,000 in six weeks from over 600 families. Her living room became a supply room for packaging over 15,000 pieces of PPE, including masks, face shields, goggles, gloves, gowns, hazmat suits and shoe covers. Each package included thank you cards from local children.

When life as we all knew it grew to a standstill and our first responders were working night and day, Erika decided to feed our heroes!   After a single post on Rye Moms, donations flooded in and lunch and dinners were served to hospitals, pharmacies, clinics, police, fire departments, and even the Rye Post Office!  What she thought would be a one-time donation grew to feeding our heroes for eight weeks during the spring of 2020.  Her initiative raised $34,000 that benefited both our local restaurants and our heroes and demonstrates her commitment to the Rye community.  

Through Jared Small’s involvement with Rye Youth Soccer (which serves children from pre K-11th grade), the Rye High School varsity boys soccer team, and his business Peak Performance, he has managed to create programming and make commonplace activities happen in a safe format for youth during a difficult time.  Jared is very focused on giving back to the community, both personally and professionally.  In addition to coaching, he has been active in multiple projects aimed at helping underserved youth achieve in school and sports, including serving as a head of soccer for the New York chapter of Playsmart Academy.