Nyack Sketch Log’s Guide to Giving

by Bill Batson

Non-profits represent our better selves. These organizations serve the public good while operating with modestly paid staff and volunteers who tirelessly address the unmet material and educational needs of our community. If you are in a position to give at the end of the year, please consider giving generously to one or more the groups that I have profiled in the Nyack Sketch Log.

Amazing Grace Circus!

A video produced on the 12th anniversary of Amazing Grace Circus! in September 2014 chronicles how a program that sends the spirits of young people soaring, sprang from the emotional abyss that followed the attack on Lower Manhattan. Read more.

Originally published September 11, 2014

Edward Hopper House Art Center

This house was saved from destruction in the early 1970s by an ad-hoc coalition that included neighbors, Rotarians, labor unions, students and artists. The family that once lived at this home at the intersection of North Broadway and Second Avenue provided the motivation. This is the childhood home of one of America’s greatest visual artists, Edward Hopper. Read more.

Originally published on August 7, 2012

Elmwood Playhouse

Elmwood Playhouse has staged almost 350 productions over the last 67 seasons to an audience of over 300,000. It is driven by the devotion of over 1,800 people who have stood on the stage of this intimate 99-seat theater since 1947. Read more.

Originally published September 4, 2012

 Historical Society of the Nyack’s

Historic preservation is not an esoteric luxury, but an invaluable tool in helping a community honor past achievement and avoid past mistakes. When we treasure our history, which is arguably eclectic and storied, we are also helping to secure our future. Read more.

Originally published October 9, 2012

John Green Preservation Coalition

After the Lent House in Orangeburg was unceremoniously demolished two months ago, efforts to save the John Green House in Nyack have been renewed. (Since this sketch log was published, the John Green Preservation Coalition has successfully secured ownership of the John Green House and initiated a restoration campaign.)

Originally Published June 2, 2015

Nyack Center

There is a life force emanating from the building that stands at Broadway and Depew Avenue: an aura from almost 200 years of uninterrupted community activity. If it were not for an enlightened congregation and a dynamic woman, this building would have been demolished in 1990. (Consider supporting the Nyack Center this year, during their 25th Anniversary celebration.)  Read more.

Originally published December 6, 2011

Rockland Center for the Arts

RoCA employs 45 instructors who offer 200 arts classes annually for everyone from the advanced practitioner to the hobbyist.  For 53 summers, RoCA has offered a day camp style arts program for children ages 5 – 12. Read more.

Originally published on September 18, 2012

Rockland Farm Alliance

Because of the enlightenment of the property’s owner, incentives from local government and a non-profit now led by John McDowell, instead of a field of 40 private homes, we have productive public farmland. Read more.

Originally published May 28, 2013

Soup Angels

For the hungry, this tower is a beacon of hope. Inside the building an organization called the Soup Angels delivers food and comfort to the needy. I am drawn to the tower, not only because it is an impressive object to sketch, but because I was once homeless. Read more.

Originally published November 29, 2011

 United Hospice of Rockland

The staff that work from this serenely situated suite of offices tucked away on a quiet cul-de-sac in New City have given great comfort to thousands. United Hospice of Rockland, Inc. (UHR) provides a wide range of services to individuals facing serious illness and their families. Read more.

Originally published October 7, 2014

Bill Batson is an activist, artist and writer who lives and sketches in Nyack, NY. “Nyack Sketch Log’s Guide to Giving” © 2015 Bill Batson.