Giving the Spotlight
In honor of Giving Tuesday, we’re spotlighting some amazing members of our WFUV family who are doing good, inspiring humanity and generosity every day. Together, we’re creating a world filled with music, kindness, and community. You can make a difference, too. This #GivingTuesday, learn how you can connect with a cause through WFUV’s Strike a Chord, and help WFUV deliver more music that provides comfort and inspiration to everyone at wfuv.org/tuesday.
Delphine Blue
When Delphine Blue isn’t spinning new music on “The Whole Wide World,” she’s helping animals in need at the Animal Care Centers of NYC. That’s where lost and surrendered dogs end up, through no fault of their own, when families lose homes, jobs, or have a serious illness. “People have the misconception that shelter dogs are ‘bad’ dogs, but they’re really just down on their luck,” says Delphine. One of the easiest ways to help NYCACC is to donate old, clean sheets and towels, which are always needed. “There's a drop-off center directly across the street from WFUV on Fordham Road in the Bronx.” Delphine also works to support a unique and special organization called PAWS NY, where volunteers temporarily foster pets when an owner is hospitalized. “It’s an invaluable service.”
Mandi Susman
WFUV Sustaining member Mandi Susman from Riverdale gives back as a volunteer coach at the Van Cortlandt Track Club in the Bronx. As a lifelong runner, it’s Mandi’s goal to develop more lifelong runners. By coaching for the kids’ club, she’s helping children develop their physical fitness and create a new generation of passionate runners. The club also races to raise money with their annual “Lettuce Run Turkey Trot” on Thanksgiving to benefit the Friendly Fridge BX. As Mandi tells us, this grassroots organization “serves local people who may not have access to healthy food, and helps redirect food out of landfills so that we’re not increasing the carbon footprint.” You can join the cause, or head over to Van Cortlandt Park on Thanksgiving morning at 9 a.m. to join in the fun run where everyone's a winner!
Kevin Horbatiuk
WFUV Marquee Member Kevin Horbatiuk from the Bronx volunteers with others as part of the City Island Oyster Reef, working in the Long Island Sound. “This work is important to me because we need to do something about making sure that we nurture the environment.” The City Island Oyster Reef is interested in building and creating oyster reefs off of the shore of City Island in order to increase the biodiversity in the water, and improve the water quality. “Did you know that just one oyster can clean 50 gallons of water in a day? The reefs also supplement the shoreline's resiliency.”
Kara Manning
WFUV’s “UKNY” host Kara Manning cares passionately about music, and about people. "I was a caregiver for my mother for seven years following her Alzheimer's disease diagnosis, until her death in August 2020. Bearing witness to the devastating depth of her suffering and the inadequate care for those with Alzheimer's was traumatic.” After her mother passed, Kara became a volunteer advocate with the Alzheimer's Association in NY state, striving for better legislation, treatment, options, and empathy for those stricken with this terminal disease and their families. Traveling to Washington D.C. or Albany — and meeting with fellow advocates each month — Kara works to make progress for this bipartisan issue that impacts families everywhere, every day. “My grandmother and great-grandmother also suffered from the disease, and my aunt struggled with cognitive decline in the last year of her life. I wish I could tell my mom about the organization's activism and my fellow advocates; she spent much of her professional life as the executive director of a senior center advocating for older Americans. I miss her every day ... and she would have been proud that I was July advocate of the month last year."
Janet Bardini
Science says music can make us feel better, and WFUV’s Janet Bardini takes your good health even further in her role as Doctor of Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine, by participating annually in the American Cancer Society’s Great American Smokeout. “I really want to help people get healthy. The acupuncture method I use was developed right here in the Bronx at Lincoln Hospital in the 1970s by Dr. Michael Smith and his colleagues. It helps reduce cravings, eases stress, and supports people who want to quit smoking naturally, without pharmaceuticals." You can learn more about the Great American Smokeout and the many ways the American Cancer Society is working to end cancer as we know, online at cancer.org.
Bob Kauffman
Longtime member Bob Kauffman of East Meadow, Long Island is an avid hiker. He’s also one of many incredible volunteers at the Long Island Greenbelt Trail Conference, which helps create and maintain more than 200 miles of wooded trails. These dedicated volunteers help maintain these scenic routes by keeping the paths clear of briars, plants, and fallen trees. They also do work repairing boardwalks and bridges, and building steps along the trails. It’s a passion for Bob and a labor of love.“It's very satisfying to me when I see people enjoying walking these beautiful trails we have,” he says.
Rona Wasserman
Sustaining Member Rona Wasserman from Long Island has been volunteering with WFUV for decades, but has taken her talents to another level by volunteering at The Garden at Temple B’nai Torah in Wantagh, New York. “We grow all of our produce at that garden to donate to local food pantries.This is important because there are so many people struggling with food insecurity.” Rona and the fantastic team of green thumbs at the garden are also doing important work for the local environment, having transformed a barren, unused space into a productive green space. As Rona explains, “It’s been great for our community to have a beautiful, serene meditative space in which to work and be with others.”
