Giving Back with Dan’s Taste of Summer and AFTEE
Dan’s Taste of Summer is all about celebrating the best of the East End, and among the best aspects of life on the North and South Forks are the myriad charitable groups that dedicate themselves to improving life for countless local residents.
For the fifth year in a row, proceeds from both Dan’s GrillHampton on July 17 and Dan’s Taste of Two Forks on July 18 will go to support All for the East End (AFTEE), a local 501 (c)(3) charitable organization that aids the efforts of other not-for-profit organizations (NPOs) in the five East End towns.
AFTEE unites and supports NPOs of Riverhead, Southampton, Southold, Shelter Island and East Hampton, raising awareness of their role in making the East End of Long Island one of the most desirable places to live in the world. It was created by Myron Levine in 2012 with the vision of showcasing and supporting the charity, culture and service that not-for-profit organizations provide to the East End community, inspiring fellowship among those organizations around a common purpose.
Through an annual grant process overseen by the Long Island Community Foundation (which has made more than $145 million in grants from hundreds of funds established by individuals, families and businesses), AFTEE has distributed funds to groups ranging from East Hampton’s Eleanor Whitmore Early Childhood Center to the Shelter Island Historical Society to the North Fork Animal Welfare League to the Sag Harbor Community Food Pantry.
In June, the Long Island Community Foundation and the board of AFTEE announced that The Retreat was among the winners of a second round of grants through its Building Stronger Neighborhoods Program.
“Once again, we received an overwhelming number of proposals and it really validates the extent of the needs out on the Island’s east end,” said David M. Okorn, the executive director of the Long Island Community Foundation. “We are proud to support this collection of organizations and feel it addresses this diverse and important set of needs within these communities.”
The Retreat has received a grant of $2,500 to provide financial literacy tools and education to victims of domestic violence in order to help them become more financially self-reliant, and to reduce their risk of experiencing further abuse.
“The Retreat is grateful to the board of All For The East End for their efforts to support local nonprofits,” said Loretta K. Davis, the executive director of The Retreat. “We are proud of the work we do in the community helping survivors of domestic violence transition from crisis to self-sufficiency.”
With input from the AFTEE Advisory Committee, which included representation from each of the five East End towns, 20 proposals were approved to support projects and programs in the fields of health and welfare, the environment, arts and culture, education, youth development, and animal welfare. The committee members are Laura Anker, Greg Blass, Debra Halpert, Ken Pysher, Diane Radigan and Vince Taldone.
“I’m honored to have been a part of this program and grateful for the invaluable experience to participate with leaders and activists from these East End communities,” says Anker, a distinguished service professor at SUNY Old Westbury. “AFTEE’s Building Stronger Neighborhoods Program provides an important mechanism for sharing knowledge and resources and creates the possibilities for positive change in these underserved communities.”
To learn more about AFTEE, visit AFTEE.org. To learn more about the Long Island Community Foundation, visit licf.org. For more on Dan’s Taste of Two Forks and GrillHampton food & wine events, visit DansTaste.com.