Fox Lane HS Juniors Channel Suzanne Grant’s Spirit of Service

By Elissa Leka

Before most people had finished their morning coffee, Suzanne Grant was likely already checking off her first task of the day — planning for a school committee meeting, a conservation board discussion, or perhaps a shift at Neighbors Link, a nonprofit supporting immigrants and refugees. 

A former Bedford Board of Education member and co-owner of PORCH Home + Gifts in Mount Kisco, Grant’s death in 2019 at just 56 sent shockwaves through the community.

Her husband, Dave Grant, wasn’t immediately sure how to keep her spirit alive. But he ultimately founded the Suzanne Grant Foundation, a nonprofit created to honor Suzanne’s legacy.

That vision was alive and well on May 21, when more than 300 juniors from Fox Lane High School fanned out across the community, contributing over 1,000 hours of service in a single morning — part of the school’s fourth annual Junior Volunteer Day.

The event paid tribute to Grant’s legacy by immersing students in hands-on projects at 26 local organizations. From food pantries and libraries to farms and firehouses, the initiative aims to cultivate a lasting spirit of service.

Bringing the event to life took months of effort from the foundation and the school district.

“She was involved in a zillion different committees,” Dave Grant said of his late wife, also noting that Fox Lane and the foundation partnered to create this program with the goal to “impact a lot of people and build things that last.”

‘Igniting a Spark’

Before the juniors set off on their day of service, The Examiner spoke with some of the students.

“I’m afraid of not knowing what to do, so I thought that [CPR training] was a way, to in the future, maybe help someone,” junior Claire Dorgan said.

For others, Junior Volunteer Day was a chance to try something new.

“It’s a great day to help out the community and I feel that it would be a good day for me and for my community,” said Ryan Decker, who planned to work with the firehouse.

Meanwhile, some students were already seasoned volunteers.

“I’ve done community service before, so I’m assuming it’s going to be similar to that, but I’m pretty excited,” Milo Colon-Roman shared. “I’m doing the Neighbors Link one. I’ve set up stuff like this before plenty of times, so I felt this would be more in my area of expertise, since I kind of know what I’m doing.”

Fox Lane Principal Dr. Jeniffer Amos expressed excitement about the program, which “provides opportunities to practice giving back to the community,” while Assistant Principal Kristy Emery said, “this is really just to ignite a spark to provide community service to the area around us.”

Last year, Amos volunteered in the school gardens alongside Garden Club advisor David Albano and about 15 juniors. This year, she visited multiple sites with Albano to see the broader impact on students.

Volunteers in Action

The program’s reach has expanded every year, something school leaders say is rewarding to watch.

“We’re starting to feel like we’re picking up on the pace, and we’re really starting to branch out into the community, and we hope to continue that for the years to come,” said Fox Lane High School Dean of Student Activities Melissa Oricchio. 

Among the many local partners, the Community Center of Northern Westchester (CCNW) in Mount Kisco has worked with the Suzanne Grant Foundation for years, helping facilitate donations of food, clothing, and other essentials.

Fox Lane juniors Sebastian Getz, Dylan Brown, Jacob Lerner, and Alex Wolfe eagerly sorted food donations at CCNW, while classmates Celia Stark and Emma Xiong carefully organized shoes by type and size — all showing genuine enthusiasm for giving back.

“I really admire all the work these people have put in and it just seems like such a large scale effort,” Xiong smiled.

CCNW Director of Operations and Community Engagement Nicole Sorgi praised the students’ energy.

“I was so excited actually because [Volunteer Day] gives [the students] exposure to what we do here, and what we can do,” Sorgi said. “I just love to get the kids involved at a younger age. They’ve been great. They are willing to help. They’re really receptive to listening to what we’re all about. They were asking great questions, and they’re working really hard.”

Neighbors Link, a longtime partner, hosted juniors who filled the space with energy, music, and sweet treats while entertaining young children.

“Suzanne was a beloved community member, someone who was a strong supporter of the Neighbors Link. She was a woman of service,” Deputy Director Jeanette Gisbert recalled. “We have over 820 volunteers that support our mission year-round and over half of those are high schoolers, and so the idea of having young people come into our space for a special day like this, there’s a lot of synergy there.”

For the first time, teaching assistant Evelyn Santos participated in Volunteer Day alongside her students.

“This definitely shows them to be better community members,” Santos said. “There’s a push for being a global citizen and really having compassion and care for others.”

At the Boys & Girls Club of Northern Westchester, students worked outdoors, clearing trash and learning to mulch. Juniors Danny Ades and Eden Levine noted the positive impact on children, happy to help maintain the facilities.

“The businesses and organizations that we’re volunteering at are figuring out more and more ways to use the kids, which I think is really great and has been nice for them,” noted Fox Lane English teacher Christina Bekkelund.

Meanwhile, at the Interfaith Food Pantry, students sat outside after packing for the day, surrounded by birdsong and the scent of impending rain. Their chaperone, Inga Garbarino, expressed pride in their efforts organizing and packing donations for the church.

And back at Fox Lane, the volunteers wrapped up the day with pizza, ice cream, and a celebration meant to ignite a lasting spark of volunteerism. 

“I’m really hopeful that they find value in the assignments that they chose,” Oricchio said. “A lot of them will go back after this and choose to volunteer on their own in these organizations, or find internships in these organizations, or find a new interest that they will branch out and explore later in life, so I’m excited to see that growth with them beyond this day.”