Suffolk Y JCC Wins Support From "KIND"

Suffolk Y JCC won $5,000 from the New York City-based KIND Healthy Snacks company for their participation in the company's "Do The KIND Thing" program. According to the maker of fruit and nut bars, the community center ranked third in the number of KINDINGS - their term for good deeds - it inspired from March through June.

Suffolk Y JCC will use the grant money to expand its programs, said Kelly Alpert-Vest, Suffolk Y JCC's director of community and international relations.

"We have so many educational programs. We'll use it to fund those. We have an international program with the Jewish-Arab Israeli students who come to Long Island to work with our students here," Alpert-Vest said.

Alpert-Vest said the JCC's international family helped with the voting, posting comments and supporting the cause. Alpert-Vest said it was truly a global effort.

To take part in KIND's contest, members of the Suffolk Y JCC recorded their good deeds and activities on the food company's Facebook page daily.

KIND said 42,000 deeds had been recorded in support of over 150 charities in the March through June contest period.

The next round for the movement will begin in the fall.