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Warwick firm offers creative idea to help support schools

| 23 Apr 2013 | 11:16
    On April 17, Scott Rothamel, a partner with Mechelle Casciotta in Kitchen & Bath Works, presented a check for $500 to Mary Ellen Gallagher, an occupational therapist at Sanfordville Elementary School. From left, Dr. Raymond Bryant, superintendent of schools; David Tilton, 9, Mechelle Casciotta, of Kitchen & Bath Works; Mary Ellen Gallagher, occupational therapist at Sanfordville Elementary School; Scott Rothamel, of Kitchen & Bath Works; Tricia and Rusty Tilton, Sanfordville teacher Rachael Sullivan, Principal Roger Longfield and teacher Christine Mahon.
    On April 17, Scott Rothamel, a partner with Mechelle Casciotta in Kitchen & Bath Works, presented a check for $500 to Mary Ellen Gallagher, an occupational therapist at Sanfordville Elementary School. From left, Dr. Raymond Bryant, superintendent of schools; David Tilton, 9, Mechelle Casciotta, of Kitchen & Bath Works; Mary Ellen Gallagher, occupational therapist at Sanfordville Elementary School; Scott Rothamel, of Kitchen & Bath Works; Tricia and Rusty Tilton, Sanfordville teacher Rachael Sullivan, Principal Roger Longfield and teacher Christine Mahon.

WARWICK — On April 17, Scott Rothamel, a partner with Mechelle Casciotta in Kitchen & Bath Works, presented a $500 check to Mary Ellen Gallagher, occupational therapist at Sanfordville Elementary School.

The check, another in a series of contributions to help support worthy programs at local schools, was the result of an ongoing program initiated by Kitchen & Bath Works of Warwick that has given back to the community by donating $2,000 to local schools in just the past six months.

The program allows residents and businesses of Warwick to collaboratively tap into local commerce and target specific needs within the schools. Casciotta is a vice president of the Warwick Valley Chamber of Commerce and active in the Warwick Valley Rotary.

At Kitchen & Bath Works, for example, the program simply allows $500 to be set aside from the total price of a complete kitchen renovation, which can then go directly to fund a specific need within the schools. Casciotta and Rothamel said they feel it’s a win-win notion since it promotes doing business locally while also giving back to the community.

“This type of program and thinking supports our town and our kids as well as our businesses,” said Casciotta. “The Warwick Valley can certainly be proud of its public school system, teachers, students and the many years of continued success in educating our children.

“However, the recent negative economic situation at both the state and federal level has challenged the district as well as its citizens in maintaining the high level of education the people of Warwick are used to,” Casciotta added. “There are many factors involved that have led to this, but perhaps there are other ways to support our schools financially, while also supporting local business in Warwick.”

$2,000 in donations
The very first total kitchen renovation under this program resulted in $500 being given to a very appreciative High School Orchestra department.

In another renovation, Trish Chelsen, whose husband, Roy, was a firefighter who perished due to causes from the 9/11 terrorist attack on the World Trade Center, matched the $500 contribution. As a result, $1,000 was donated to the High School Science Lab.

“Trish was quite happy to be able to give something back to the school which had allowed her husband’s funeral to be held in its facilities,” Casciotta said.

The most recent new kitchen, installed for Rusty and Tricia Tilton, resulted in $500 being donated to the Sanfordville Elementary School Occupational Therapy program In this case, the specifically targeted donation had an even greater impact on the Tilton family.

“Occupational therapy has changed both my sons’ lives tremendously,” said Tricia Tilton. “The work they do is life changing“.

Realizing the gravity of the current budget situation within the Warwick school district, the owners of Kitchen & Bath Works decided to take a proactive role in promoting this kind of community-minded thinking among local businesses. The challenge, they suggest, is for other businesses to do the same, and they ask: “Why can’t it take a village to help raise a child?”