The annual Community Foundation of Oyster Bay-East Norwich Garden Party was held on a perfect day this year. The sun shone, the breezes blew, the food delighted and the drinks cooled as guests enjoyed the George and Abby O'Neill garden views at their home in Oyster Bay Cove. Conversation as always was bright, friendly and on target as community residents began the summer season by helping the group that helps so many needy people in the community.

Community Foundation Board President, George O'Neill welcomed guests with the news that, "Again this year we are indebted to Charles and Helen Dolan for their generosity in underwriting this event which means that all of your contributions are used to support the programs of the Community Foundation.

"There is an old saying that many of you have probably seen embroidered, framed and hung in kitchens and dens across America. It says, 'It takes a lot of living to make a house a home.' It's a familiar and old-fashioned statement, and it's true. It's true about our homes and it's true about our town.

"In its more than 350 years of existence, the hamlet of Oyster Bay is a home shaped and fashioned by all those who've lived here. From a British soldier's initials scratched into the glass window pane at Raynham Hall [something old] to the Spanish Mass offered at St. Dominic's, [something new] this village reflects the care and concern we have for our town and for the people who live in it.

"Each May, we gather here at this Garden Party to thank you for your generous support of the Community Foundation of Oyster Bay-East Norwich and to tell you about the important work that your support makes possible. The Community Foundation was the first backer of the Main Street Association, a grass roots organization based on the program developed by the National Trust for Historic Preservation to promote economic growth, urban revitalization and the creation of new jobs. As it has established itself in the community, we have been able to reduce that support. Today, other organizations and individuals are giving the majority of the support for the important work of planning the future of a better and more vital hamlet of Oyster Bay.

"This year, for the first time, we are making a grant of $10,000 in matching funds to the After School Program at Vernon School for Spanish speaking students in grades three to six so that the children will be able to work at grade level."

Rosemary Colvin, retired OB-EN school teacher has been working with the After School Program at the Roosevelt School. She said in a telephone interview on the new program, "We were able to extend the After School enrichment program for children of immigrants, whatever their language, to grades three to six, partially supported by a grant from the Community Foundation and other grant sources like the Long Island Foundation. This was very important - to follow the children into the crucial middle school years. The program has been very successful from grades K to 2 and now in three to six it's even more important because the children have a lot more choices and a lot more free time that they need to make use of. It is also important to get them really ready for high school because their skills are so important at this age. If they go out of the middle school without those skills they are just never ever going to catch up," she said.

Ms. Colvin said, "The program isn't babysitting, it's enrichment. The children go through vocabulary development. They have homework help, which is really crucial because very often they can't get the help they need in non-English-speaking homes. We are really excited about it.

"We got additional funds from other grant sources but the Community Foundation funds were very crucial to keeping the program going," she concluded.

Mr. O'Neill also talked about the early intervention program. "Our Parent-Child Home Program, fully funded by the Community Foundation, continues to be an important outreach program that helps mothers and fathers handle the challenges of parenthood," she said.

Lynn Cryer, director of the Parent-Child Home Program said later, "The Parent-Child Home Program has been running for 34 years in Oyster Bay and East Norwich. Trained home visitors work with the parents and their 2 and 3-year-old children to encourage parent-child bonding and to develop the gift of language. The program creates a solid foundation and an excitement about learning. We are seeking people interested in becoming home visitors for the 2004-2005 program year."

Mr. O'Neill continued to inform guests saying, "Your contributions also go to sustaining the important professional counseling, food distribution and client support work of the Youth & Family Counseling Agency." That work is guided by YFCA Executive Director Peter Thompson and Administrative Assistant Shirlee Gerstein. The Community Foundation reaches into many areas of the hamlet, making the connection between needs and resources to improve the quality of life of people going through various life crises.

In closing Mr. O'Neill offered a quote, "Mahatma Gandhi once said, 'The future depends on what we do in the present.' Your present support of the Community Foundation is helping to make a future Oyster Bay a place we can all be proud to call home."