Archive | January, 2024

WCSD staff to play the Harlem Wizards

12 Jan

Just a quick notice today about a community event coming up this Sunday Jan. 14 at Webster Schroeder High School. It’s a basketball game — of sorts — between our One Webster School District staff vs. the Harlem Wizards.

I say “of sorts,” because a competition with the Wizards is as much a performance as an actual basketball game. But don’t get me wrong; the Wizards are without a doubt extremely skilled athletes. Matter of fact, over the years, more than 25 ex-NBA players have been on the roster. So those who know and appreciate basketball will be treated to slick dribbling, impressive teamwork, alley-oops and crazy slams. Non-hoop fans will enjoy the rest of the show, which, according to the Wizards website, is “funny, theatrical, exciting and spectacular,” causing the gym to “reverberate with ooh and aahs, laughter and enthusiasm.”

The game will be played on Sunday Jan. at Webster Schroeder High School, 875 Ridge Rd. It begins at 1 p.m. with doors opening at noon. Advance-sale tickets are $12 for students and $15 for general admission. At the door they’ll be $15/$18. (Children 3 and under are free.)

Reserved seating tickets are also available for $22, “courtside plus” seats for $40 and “courtside player” seats — which include a jersey and opportunity play in halftime games) are $115.

Click here to buy advance sale tickets.

This event is brought to you by the Webster Central PTSA, which collaborates with district administrators to bring fun, educational and enriching programs, events, and assemblies to Webster students, faculty, parents, and community members throughout the school year.

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email me  at missyblog@gmail.com. “Like” this blog on Facebook and follow me on Instagram and Threads (@missyblog)

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(posted 1/12/2024)

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An update from 2 West Main

10 Jan

If you haven’t been through the Village of Webster’s four-corners recently, you may not have seen all the changes happening at 2 West Main St., the former Barry’s Irish Pub.

It’s been cleared out and opened up so much that Barry’s regulars might not even recognize it. The bar is gone and the wall between the bar and the old bakery area has been removed. The sliding door separating the kitchen from the dining area and all of the kitchen equipment are also history. The whole space looks twice the size of the old Barry’s.

The building’s owner, Greg Chambery (who also owns Maplewood Nursing Home) reports he’s had a lot of interest in the corner, but there’s nothing signed yet. Rest assured, though, he loves this village as much as we all do, and knows full well that everyone is anxiously awaiting to hear good news about what will follow in Barry’s footsteps. “I’ve got a heart for the village,” he said, “and want to make that corner something that people are proud of.”

As for Danny and Jessica Barry and their plans for opening a new pub? I haven’t heard anything about that yet, either. For now, they’ve been having great success marketing their Barry’s Irish Cream, but may very well be working in the background on securing a new pub location.

When I hear anything, I’ll let you know.

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email me  at missyblog@gmail.com. “Like” this blog on Facebook and follow me on Instagram and Threads (@missyblog)

You can also get email notifications every time I post a new blog by using the “Follow Me” link on the right side of this page.

(posted 1/10/2024)

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January History Bit: Webster carriage blocks

9 Jan

If you’ve ever walked or driven down Corning Park in the Village of Webster, you’ve passed by a little piece of history which you might not have noticed. It’s a carriage block, and it sits in front of the home at 34 Corning Park.

In the time when horses and buggies were the main forms of transportation, anyone other than very athletic riders and passengers faced some difficulty dismounting horses, stagecoaches or buggies, which rode several feet off the ground. The solution: a carriage block, also known as a horse block. Basically, they were step stools, bridging the large gap between ground and vehicles, making mounting and dismounting much easier.  

These helpful steps were commonly found in front of homes, churches, train depots and businesses. They were made from a variety of materials, including cast iron, wood, even marble. Many, however, like the one on Corning Park, were fashioned from simple concrete.

You won’t see many of these around town – in fact, there are only three that we know of – because once they became obsolete, most of these vestiges of 19th century history were removed. The two others that have survived the passage of time are in front of 394 Phillips Rd. and the Holt Homestead at 757 Holt Rd.

Discover more fascinating bits of local history at the Webster Museum, 18 Lapham Park in the Village of Webster. It’s open Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays from 2 to 4:30 p.m. Visit the website at webstermuseum.org.

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email me  at missyblog@gmail.com. “Like” this blog on Facebook and follow me on Instagram and Threads (@missyblog)

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(posted 1/9/2024)

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Thank you from the Man in the Yellow Truck

7 Jan

You may have missed it in the most recent Webster Today town publication — which arrived in the mail this week — but tucked towards the back was a thank-you letter from The Man in the Yellow Truck.

You may recall I posted a blog about this incredible community helper who can be seen regularly picking up garbage along the Rt. 104 on- and off-ramps. In that blog (which was originally an article written by Katie Kovar at the Webster Rec Center), there was a plea for donations of garbage bags. The community responded enthusiastically, which led in part to the letter. In case you missed it, it reads:

During the height of COVID, I was diagnosed with diabetes. I had very little knowledge of the disease, but was eager to learn and feel better. My doctor was very clear: I had to change my eating habits and I had to stay active.

On a beautiful afternoon, while running errands, the litter along the Webster expressway was a concern. So I took it upon myself to start cleaning. First, I needed bags. It didn’t take long to realize that I needed a LOT of bags. The Town of Webster was very cooperative, but they can only spare so much. I complained to anyone that would listen that I needed more garbage bags. My step-daughter, Tiffany, wanted to help, so she expressed my need on the Webster Village Facebook page.

I was then approached by Katie Kovar, Recreation Director from Webster Parks and Recreation. She asked if she could write an article about the work I was doing along the expressway. Honestly, I was a bit puzzled but also grateful. Since the article I have received thousands of garbage bags of all shapes and sizes. My diabetes is under control and the Webster roads are much cleaner.

Thank you to my step-daughter, Tiffany Diamond, for putting my need request on Facebook. Thank you to Katie Kovar for your beautiful and inspiring article. Thank you to EVERYONE who generously donated SO many garbage bags.

Lastly, please continue beeping your horn! It does not startle me, I hear it and it makes me feel appreciated.

It took a village.

Stephen Anderson, the Man in the Yellow Truck with the American flag

Thanks to the generosity of the Webster community, Steve has plenty of garbage bags for now, but stay tuned, because if the call goes out for more donations, I’ll let you know!

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email me  at missyblog@gmail.com. “Like” this blog on Facebook and follow me on Instagram and Threads (@missyblog)

You can also get email notifications every time I post a new blog by using the “Follow Me” link on the right side of this page.

(posted 1/6/2024)

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Fun stuff at the library

6 Jan

I give up.

There are so many neat things happening at the Webster Public Library ALL THE TIME that I’ve decided it’s too difficult staying on top of all of them. The best way to do that, if you’d really like to stay informed, is to frequent the Webster Public Library website, and “like” their Facebook page. They post on both regularly.

However, having said that, a few things in their emails always strike me as particularly interesting.

  • Topping off the list, the library has gone FINE FREE. The library’s Board of Trustees voted to eliminate daily late fines on all materials effective January 1, 2024. (They’ll still bill for the cost of lost and/or damaged items.) Additionally, there will no longer be a .50 cent charge for placing items on hold. If you still have unused WPL Hold Punch Cards, please speak to a staff member at the Check Out Desk to learn about our hold card redemption plan.
  • On January 11 beginning at 6:30 p.m., the next installment of “Tending to Life”, a series co-sponsored by the Webster Public Library and the Webster Comfort Care Home, will take place. Information on the Comfort Care house and what it provides for patients and families will be provided. All are welcome. Registration is requested.
  • The community table this month will have a Calendar Swap. Have a surplus of supplies and looking to share? Drop off your gently used, unwanted items or pick up something new.
  • Looking for more information about area preschools? On Monday, Jan. 8 from 6:30 to 7:45 p.m., the library will host a Webster Area Preschools Open House. Representatives from preschools and nursery schools in the Webster area will be available to chat with parents and provide information about their programs. So far, the participants include Little Learners, Rochester Christian School, Webster Central Schools pre-K, Woodside Nursery School, Positive Preschool, St. Rita’s and St. Joseph’s. Registration is not required.
  • The next Webster Business Spotlight shines on Chef Mike, the Pastaio of M.O. Pasta, as he demonstrates techniques and skills on how to make fresh pasta. Learn all about Chef Mike’s culinary journey and pro tips on how to make the best pasta at home! It takes place Monday Jan. 29 from 1 to 2 p.m. and registration is requested. Mike, by the way, is one of my favorite people. Here’s the blog I wrote when he opened up his East Main St. shop last April.
  • You like jigsaw puzzles? Need some new ones? Check out the National Puzzle Day Jigsaw Exchange, all day Monday Jan. 29. Bring your gently used puzzles to exchange for something new to you. Bring in as many as you want There are no guarantees that all the pieces are there, so swap at your own risk.
  • The Monday afternoon Sit & Stitch program is celebrating its 20th anniversary. Twenty years of fellowship, sharing and teaching folks to knit, crochet and do other fiber arts. Join them for refreshments and reminiscing, on Monday Jan. 29 at 3 p.m. No registration is necessary, and you can even bring your needles and yarn and stay a while.

Remember, these are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to all of the great events and programs at your very own Webster Public Library. Remember, you can find out more at the Webster Public Library website, and Facebook page.

The Webster Public Library is located at 980 Ridge Rd., at the rear of Webster Plaza.

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email me  at missyblog@gmail.com. “Like” this blog on Facebook and follow me on Instagram and Threads (@missyblog)

You can also get email notifications every time I post a new blog by using the “Follow Me” link on the right side of this page.

(posted 1/6/2024)

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Webster community mailbag

5 Jan

With the beginning of the new year, my email box is beginning to fill up again. Here’s the latest from my mailbag:

Woodside Nursery School will host a Prospective Family Open House on Thursday January 11 from 5 to 7 p.m. at the school, located at the back of the United Church of Christ, 570 Klem Rd. Meet the teachers, tour the classrooms and find out more.

Woodside will also be represented at the Webster Public Library’s Preschool Open House event on Jan. 8 from 6:30 to 7:45 p.m., in case you can’t make it to the school.

If you’re one of my many readers who were interested in finding out where to volunteer in Webster, here’s an event just for you.

The Webster Community Chest Volunteer Appreciation Event will take place on Tuesday Jan. 23 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. in the Webster Public Library community room, 980 Ridge Rd.

If you’ve volunteered at one of their events or for the Meal Center this year, or perhaps haven’t volunteered yet but have been wanting to start, this event is for you. Stop by, have some refreshments, meet the faces of the Webster Community Chest and learn more about your perfect volunteer opportunity with the organization. Please let them know you’ll be coming at webcommchest@gmail.com. (Or if you forget, just stop by anyway.)

The Women’s Club of Webster’s January meeting will be a pizza party at Proietti’s Restaurant, 980 Ridge Rd., on Thursday Jan. 18.

Festivities begin at 11:15 with a social mix-and-mingle, followed by a brief meeting at noon and lunch at 12:30 p.m. This month’s speaker will be First Vice-President Jean Loughridge, who will talk about the club and the charities it supports. Enjoy pizza, salad, a cannoli and camaraderie for $18. New members are always WELCOME!

Send your check made out to WCW by January 11 to Carolyn Rittenhouse, 405 County Line Road, Ontario, NY 14519. Questions? Phone Carolyn at 585-265-1303.

The Webster Chamber of Commerce has two events coming up this month, and business owners are all welcome, whether you’re a member of the Chamber or not.

On Thursday Jan. 11, the next Webster Chamber Eat Drink & Connect will be hosted by Chamber member Wireless Zone, 2157 Penfield Road (Wegmans Plaza).

Tour the new store, enjoy refreshments, Hear the story of more than doubling foot traffic and have fun working toward being a game winner. Chamber members and visitors are encouraged to attend. Please register here.

Then, coming up on Friday Jan. 26 is the next Monthly Breakfast Program meeting. Network with an many as 90 business and organizational leaders during the monthly Webster Chamber breakfasts. In addition to networking before and during the breakfast, an informative program is always planned, along with a time to “pass-the-mic” so everyone has an opportunity to be visible. Visitors and members are welcome.

These meetings are always held at 7 a.m. at the Webster Recreation Center. Please register here.

Also from the Chamber, news from the last breakfast meeting, when Marina Auto Group was recognized as Business of the Month.

Located on Ridge Road in Webster, Marina Auto Group president John B. Gabriele has led his business growth to become a significant employer in Webster, currently employing 85 people.  

Over the years, Gabriele has added to the auto industry manufacturers they represent: Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Mitsubishi, and Ram. Early in his dealership career, he was located in West Irondequoit as Weller Motors. In May of 2001 the State acquired their property for the construction of the O’Rourke Bridge. At that point, Gabriele made the decision to locate his business to Webster. Twenty two years later, Marina Auto is fully entwined within our Webster community.

One member business is chosen every month to be honored as Business of the Month, chosen by a volunteer committee comprised of Chamber members. The award is presented at the monthly breakfast meeting.

Pictured above: (L-R) Marina Sales Manager Tony Gabriele, Jr., Webster Chamber President & CEO Barry Howard, Marina President John B. Gabriele, General Manager John Gabriele Jr., and Office Manager Vittorio Romantini.

Finally, some notes from the Webster Central School District:

Willink Lego Robotics Team Wins Engineering Excellence Award

Congratulations to Willink Middle School’s Lego robotics team for taking first place for Engineering Excellence at the First Lego League qualifier at McQuaid Jesuit High School, held Dec. 16.

The Engineering Excellence Award celebrates a team with an efficiently designed robot, an innovative project solution that effectively addresses the season’s challenge, and CORE values evident in all they do. At the competition, Titans Traigh Schroeder, Sai Abhiram Pathaneni, Kyle Hughes, Artem Leskiv, and Andrii Kravtsiv presented an innovation project, explained their robot design, and ran the robot game three times.

This is the first time since 2019 that Willink Middle School has competed in the First Lego League qualifier. The Titans put in more than 35 hours after school to prepare for the event where they faced off against 16 teams from the Rochester area.

Community Input Sought on School District Budget

Webster CSD welcomes feedback from all district community members when planning a budget for a school district that serves 8,100 students and 1,600+ staff members. Knowing the feedback of the school district community will help the district develop a budget that reflects community input for its students. 

As some may remember, Webster CSD uses ThoughtExchange as one of its many communication tools. Thought Exchange is a collaborative, online discussion platform that is used to gain insights and feedback from the community to make decisions that impact everyone, including a proposed budget for next year. Participation is voluntary and thoughts are shared but identities are kept confidential. Participants may view and objectively rate others’ feedback. 

The community is asked to please consider participating in the district’s latest ThoughtExchange by going online to www.websterschools.org and clicking on the link for the news story “Community Input Sought on District Budget” to answer the question: What are the most important things to consider as we begin to plan for our upcoming budget? This ThoughtExchange closes on Wednesday, January 31, so please visit the website soon.

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email me  at missyblog@gmail.com. “Like” this blog on Facebook and follow me on Instagram and Threads (@missyblog)

You can also get email notifications every time I post a new blog by using the “Follow Me” link on the right side of this page.

(posted 1/5/2024)

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Announcing the Festival of Trees winner, and more museum news

4 Jan

One of the best things about volunteering for the Webster Museum is the über-informative “News You Can Use” newsletter sent out each month to volunteers. It has so many neat little history tidbits gleaned from the recesses of the Webster Museum, some of which you’ll be seeing some day in my History Bits feature.

So I’ll save those for future use, but here are some other newsy items of interest:

  • The museum’s recent Kittelberger Florist fundraiser was reportedly a “huge success.” More than 180 tickets were sold, meaning $1800 was raised for the museum. Thank you to everyone who sold, and bought, the tickets. If you missed it, I have a feeling it’ll be back again next year, so watch for it.
  • Now on display in the museum’s exhibit space at the Webster Public Library, “Quirky Cameras,” featuring cameras that look like anything but a traditional camera. The collection is courtesy Frank Calandra.
  • A new exhibit on the Webster Grange is taking shape at the museum. Formerly known as the National Order of the Patrons of Husbandry, the Grange was a secret society founded in 1867 to protect and advance agricultural interests. In the early 1900s, the Webster Grange was the largest in the country. It brought Rural Free Delivery of mail to town, and was instrumental in establishing telephone service. The exhibit will be completed soon, so stop by the museum to check it out.

Finally, what you’ve all been waiting for: the results from the 2023 Festival of Trees.

This year’s contest included 15 beautifully decorated mini-trees, from these organizations:

  • Webster Firemen’s Ladies Auxiliary
  • Webster Citizens Action League
  • Webster Republican Committee
  • Jack’s Foundation
  • Lala of Webster
  • Webster American Legion Auxiliary
  • Well Field Preservation
  • Webster Arboretum
  • Webster Community Chest
  • Webster Quilt Guild
  • Webster Garlic Fest (Wreaths Across America)
  • Webster Comfort Care Home
  • Country Gardeners
  • Webster Grange
  • Museum Volunteers.

More than 300 museum visitors took the time to vote, and I can tell you from personal experience, it was a difficult choice.

Webster Comfort Care Home
Webster Quilt Guild

This year’s winners were Webster Comfort Care Home and the Webster Quilt Guild. Thank you to everyone who participated in any way to make this event a great success. And special thanks to The Saxophone Therapy Project and The Goodwin Family Performers who provided entertainment during the Webster’s Winter Wonderland festivities.

The Webster Museum is located at 18 Lapham Park in the Village of Webster. It’s open every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday from 2 to 4:30 p.m.

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email me  at missyblog@gmail.com. “Like” this blog on Facebook and follow me on Instagram and Threads (@missyblog)

You can also get email notifications every time I post a new blog by using the “Follow Me” link on the right side of this page.

(posted 1/4/2024)

Where can I volunteer in Webster?

3 Jan

Thank you to everyone who responded so enthusiastically to my recent Facebook post about my plans to research and blog about volunteer opportunities in Webster. I got several suggestions (most of which were already on my list), and a few ideas about some great organizations to blog about in the future.

But I was especially pleased by the large number of people who said they were looking forward to seeing the list. I’ve always known that Webster is a giving community, but the response to that one post has been heartwarming.

I give 100% credit for this idea to Tom Traub, who himself volunteers for the Friends of Webster Trails and other initiatives. In his email, he wrote,

The strength of a community is not only what  businesses we see, but all of the volunteering going on behind the scenes that is mostly invisible except for a few really involved … the pay will be terrible, but the benefits will be priceless to those who find their passion or niche.

I couldn’t agree more.

So, what follows is what I’ve pulled together so far about the many ways you and your family can volunteer in Webster. I’ve chosen at this point NOT to include service organizations like the Kiwanis or American Legion which do great things for the community, but generally require membership. Plus, while all of these organizations will gladly accept monetary donations to support their causes, I’ve tried to focus on hand-on volunteering opportunities. Click through to the website/Facebook hyperlink to find out more.

This is NOT an exhaustive list. If you see that I’ve missed something, please let me know.

Bellas Bumbas
1170 Ridge Rd. #208

Bella’s Bumbas, run by Webster residents Marty Parzynski and Rebecca Orr, is dedicated to building miniature wheelchairs for children with a wide variety of mobility issues. To date, they’ve shipped 2,650 chairs to children in 66 countries, often adapting the chairs for each child’s individual needs, and charging the parents only for shipping.

How you can help: Volunteers help pack chairs; write “kids cards” (every child gets a handwritten card); help clean, vacuum, and dust the workshop once a week; transport chairs within the U.S. and internationally and stateside; and other tasks.

FoodWEBster

The goals of FoodWEBster are to promote food security, minimize food waste, support small scale food production, increase self-reliance, and help protect the local environment by nourishing a healthy ecosystem.

How you can help: share educational resources, facilitate peer-to-peer food gifting and mutual aid, and promoting and organizing pro-environmental conversations and events.

Friends of Webster Trails (FWT)
1350 Chiyoda Dr.

FWT focuses on building and maintaining recreational trails and protecting the natural character of the Town’s open-space lands through sensible management, education, and low-impact access. Assists in planning, maintaining, and promoting recreational trails in the Town of Webster.

How you can help: FWT is always looking for trail workers, especially for their monthly trail clearing and building work parties. New board members are also welcome.

Gathering Place Webster

Offers a wide range of community programs with “that serve the community with “a unique twist.” It exists in part to serve as an on-ramp to volunteering for those who aren’t sure where to start.

How you can help: Some recent Gathering Place Webster projects have included a pet food pantry, outdoor pantries, community garden outreach programs, filling grocery bags, packing Easter baskets, stuffing back to school backpacks, bag lunch outreach for the chronically homeless, free community Sunday suppers and sorting toy donations. Check the website for more.

Heritage Christian Stables
1103 Salt Rd.

Offers equine-assisted horseback riding and non-riding horsemanship lessons, inclusive to people of all abilities, designed to enrich a person’s physical, emotional, spiritual, and mental well-being, while also building confidence and self-esteem.

How you can help: The continued success of the therapeutic horsemanship program relies heavily on volunteers, which help to run lessons year-round. Riders may require as many as three people to assist them – one “side walker” on each side of the horse and one “horse leader” responsible for guiding the equine. Experience is not required. All necessary training is provided.

Home Start Hope

Home Start Hope provides brand new, essential household items to women and their children transitioning to independent living from emergency shelters in Rochester, NY.

How you can help: Stock their shelves by shopping their Target registry or by donating gift cards; get involved as a volunteer or board member; organize a donation drive; attend, sponsor or donate items for their fundraisers.

Lap Robes for Veterans

Cut and sew lap robes, which are then distributed at Honor Flights, area hospice homes, hospitals, and veterans outreach centers as a small gesture of warmth and comfort for the men and women who have served our country. Coordinated by two Webster women, the group meets once a week in Irondequoit to cut fabric and sew it around the edges. Then a “thank you for your service” label is hand-sewn in the corner.

How you can help: Anyone who loves to sew is invited to join the group. Click the link above to contact the organizers for more information.

Lasagna Love
https://lasagnalove.org/

Neighbors helping neighbors by preparing and delivering home-cooked lasagnas for families who are struggling due to lost income, lost childcare or other life difficulties. There’s no cost to the families.

How you can help: Join the cooking team and make some lasagna!

Making Spirits Bright

A referral-based adopt-a-family organization providing gifts every holiday season for families in need. The organization works with area school counselors and social workers to identify families that need assistance, get wish lists from each of the family members and begin collecting items.

How you can help: “Adopt” an individual, or adopt a whole family, and fill a wish list. Volunteer wrappers are also needed once all of the gifts are collected. Bookmark the website and stay tuned to my blog next Christmas season for your next opportunities.

Maplewood Nursing Home
100 Daniel Dr.

Long-term care nursing facility in the Village of Webster.

How you can help: Volunteers are needed to transport residents to meals and activities, spend time visiting, assist with games and events, help on outings, bring in fun crafts, run our book club, offer cooking demonstrations (with tastings, of course), share their musical talents and more!

Meals on Wheels
2180 Empire Blvd.

Meal delivery service to support our senior neighbors to extend their independence and health.

How you can help: Become a driver! Your visits provide more then just meals; they provide socialization and safety checks. Become a regular delivery person, adopt a route with your club or business, or become a seasonal sub. Kitchen help is also needed.

Never Say Never Stables
906 Maple Dr.

The Never Say Never Foundation is a not-for-profit equine-assisted program that provides life-enriching, horse related experiences to children and teens living with long term illness, special needs and/or other serious life challenges.

How you can help: Volunteers are trained to act as support staff, helping children be safe in and around the barn and animal enclosures. Volunteers monitor activity and offer encouragement to the participants. They may care for the horses and animals and take on many chores around the barn.

Rochester Challenger Miracle Field
Ridge Park, 1000 Ridge Rd. (P.O. Box 826)

Provides people with developmental, physical or intellectual disabilities a barrier-free, safe, accessible place to experience the health benefits and joy of play through baseball, other team sports, and adaptive recreational equipment.

How you can help:

Volunteer positions are available for all of Miracle Field’s sport leagues for anyone who can commit to coming every week as coaches, or even on a fill-in basis. No experience is necessary in any sport, just the desire to help players take turns and have fun.

Miracle Field also hosts special events for the special needs community such as a Halloween Party, Holiday Kickball with Santa, and a Valentine’s Dance. Volunteers for those events can help with planning, decorating, and generally facilitating the event for players and families. Volunteers with experience in fundraising, grant writing, creating programming, managing social media, and other areas are also needed.

Webster Health Education Network (WHEN)
119 South Ave.

WHEN Works with the Webster School District, Town of Webster and community resources to promote healthy, substance-free behaviors and lifestyles in the Webster community by supporting drug education and awareness initiatives.

How you can help: WHEN could use some project-specific volunteers to help Webster kids grow up strong and substance free. You don’t have to be a member to lend a hand; help design a youth coalition, join the information table team, or join the welcome wagon. Community members are always encouraged to join the coalition. Meetings are held monthly.

Webster Arboretum
1700 Schlegel Rd.

The goal of the Webster Arboretum Association, Inc. is to create and maintain a park-like setting dedicated to quiet reflection and passive recreation through the beauty found within the sights, smells and sounds of nature through educational, conservational and recreational opportunities for all ages.

How you can help: Weeding, mulching, landscaping, general maintenance and park improvement projects.

Webster Assoc. of Senior Program Services (WSPS)
1350 Chiyoda Dr.

A group of volunteers who provide transportation for retirees and disabled residents who live within the Webster School District.

How you can help: Drive residents to and from medical and dental appointments, other health-related trips such as pharmacies, as well as banks, barbers, hairdressers and tax preparation services.

Webster Business Improvement District (BID)

Organization of mostly Village of Webster businesses responsible for creating a vibrant, clean and safe business district. Its mission is to “help create a positive and welcoming business atmosphere within our community to enhance the community’s overall perception of the Village and to help foster economic stability and growth.”

How you can help: Community members are welcome at the monthly meetings. Express your opinions, ideas for future events, put in your two cents about how things are being run. You can also sign up to help out with community events like Family Games Night, Trick or Treat Trail, and the Webster Jazz Fest.

Webster Comfort Care Home
700 Holt Rd.

Provides end-of-life comfort care, symptom control and pain management for residents while being a source of respite care for the families.

How you can help: Opportunities include resident care volunteer, house cleaner (2 times a month), social media liaison, maintenance person, party planner (especially if you love fundraising), newsletter designer (Canava expert). Hands-on training is provided for all volunteers.

Webster Community Chest
1000 Ridge Rd.

Provides information and referrals, emergency financial assistance, food assistance, summer camp scholarships, high school senior awards for community service, and financial aid to organizations whose programs benefit Webster residents.

How you can help: Lots of ways! Coordinate a food collection, help stuff envelopes for the annual campaign, join a committee (like marketing/PR or fundraising), help with meal center distribution, become a board member, help plan the next Greater Rochester Marshmallow Peep Show in March, and more.

Need more ideas? Visit the Community Chest’s Volunteer Appreciation night on Tuesday Jan. 23 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the Webster Public Library.

Webster Food Pantries

Webster has four free food pantries, located at Immanuel Lutheran Church (West Main), St. Martin Lutheran Church (Bay Rd.), Webster Baptist Church (South Ave.) and the United Church of Christ (Klem Rd.). The concept is to take what you need, leave what you can.

How you can help: You can drop off non-perishable food items any time at any of the pantries. Look for them in the church parking lots.

Webster Girl Scouts

Girl Scouting aims to empower girls through the development of five essential skills: goal setting, money management, people skills, decision making, and business ethics.

How you can help: Become a troop leader/chaperone, cookie volunteer, service unit volunteer, camp/seasonal volunteer or more.

Webster Public Library
980 Ridge Rd.

Enhances our community’s intellectual and creative pursuits by providing expertise and an eclectic collection of books, periodicals, digital media, and so. much. more.

How you can help: The Friends of the Public Library offers many volunteer opportunities for adults. The all-volunteer organization promotes and supports library, services, facilities and needs through community events, programs, the lobby bookstore and a semi-annual book sale. Additional opportunities for teens include assisting with children’s/teen Programs, dressing as a character for a children’s program, dusting and cleaning tables, cleaning books, clerical support (cutting scrap paper, sharpening pencils etc.), folding brochures, and more.

Webster Museum and Historical Society
18 Lapham Park

Dedicated to educating and introducing Webster’s heritage to our community through research, collection preservation, educational programs and exhibits.

How you can help: Volunteers are needed in many areas, including as greeters and docents, helping with publicity and other writing tasks, setting up exhibits, managing computer files, and others.

Webster NY Hope
1450 Ridge Rd.

Serves the needs of residents in the 14580 zip code, helping to provide food, clothing, household goods, furniture and financial assistance to those in need.

How you can help: Volunteers help restock the food pantry, sort clothes, and meet with clients.

Webster Volunteer Fire Dept./Northeast Joint Fire District
35 South Ave.

Provides fire, rescue and EMS services to the Village of Webster, East Webster and Northeast Penfield.

How you can help: The invitation to become a member and join the volunteer firefighting team is always open. Other opportunities are also available; send along a Facebook message or find an application on the website for more information.

West Webster Fire Department
1051 Gravel Road

Provides fire, rescue and EMS services to the residents of West Webster and northwest Penfield.

How you can help: From Cpt. Tom Woodward: We are always looking to add people who are passionate about serving their community. Send us a message on Facebook or find an application on our website to find more information.

Wreaths Across America

The mission of Wreaths Across America is to place a wreath on the grave of every veteran in the country. The simple act of placing a wreath helps assure that these veterans are never forgotten.

How you can help: The next wreaths Across America Day is Dec. 14, 2024. Community members are encouraged to attend the ceremony that day at Webster Union Cemetery and help lay wreaths in one of three (or more) Webster cemeteries. In the meantime, wreath sponsors are needed to make sure we have enough wreaths for every veteran in those ceremonies. Click on the link to find out how you can sponsor a wreath.

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(posted 1/3/2024)

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