Gaton Foundation gives back to families in need

Give & Go Delivery Project supplies food, necessities

By Jessica Meditz

jmeditz@queensledger.com

The Gaton Foundation delivers fresh groceries to students and families in need.

Following her own personal humanitarian mission, Angela Gaton-Wiltshire dedicates much of her life to assisting those in need any way she can.

After a massive fire tore through various homes on Jamaica Avenue in Richmond Hill during 2020, Gaton-Wiltshire, 61, promptly started The Gaton Foundation and the Give & Go Delivery Project with her daughter, Kristen Wiltshire.

An employee of Richmond Hill High School for over 25 years, Gaton-Wiltshire works directly with students as a bilingual teacher of speech and hearing, special educator, general educator, deaf educator and developmental education evaluator.

Hosted with the support of Richmond Hill High School, the Give & Go Delivery Project strives to provide hand-delivered groceries and other essentials to students and their families in need in a stigma-free environment.

Flyers are posted throughout the school with a QR code that leads to the sign-up sheet for the service, so students can privately send their information.

After the fire, she knew that many of the students and their families would be impacted, and felt that she had to step in to help.

“I know the other side of what can happen when children are displaced. Part of the problem is going to be getting food…because if you’ve been displaced to a family member or relative, but you’re an extra mouth to feed, it becomes a challenge,” Gaton-Wiltshire said.

“To lessen the burden…I said, ‘Let’s deliver groceries,’” she continued. “It’s been a labor of love completely, because I have to buy everything and there’s so many resources, donations, everything.”

Gaton-Wiltshire said that the entire first floor of her St. Albans home has been designated for The Gaton Foundation and its operations.

She added that she and her daughter try their best to sort all the goods appropriately, sanitize everything and pack all the groceries appropriately in bags, as presentation is of utmost importance to her.

“The presentation is good so they know that we want to give this to them, and we would give it to them in the same way we would want to receive it,” Gaton-Wiltshire said.

Being Caribbean-American, the women behind The Gaton Foundation strive to be culturally aware, as they can relate with immigrants and children of immigrants.

The groceries provided by The Gaton Foundation take into account Halal, Kosher and other dietary restrictions, and the sign-up form is available in multiple languages.

“We are thrilled and proud that the work of the foundation and its projects, Give & Go Grocery specifically, is being recognized in this way. For nearly three years, this project has been organized to serve students, and their families across Queens, with our sight fixed devotedly on the impact we can have beyond the borough,” Wiltshire said.

“I’m genuinely in awe of what my mother began, and I’m entirely honored to represent my family foundation.”

Utilizing the skills gained from her culinary arts and nutrition education, Wiltshire also makes herself available to the families if they are unsure how to prepare or make a dish out of a certain item or ingredient.

Deliveries for the Give & Go Delivery Project go out on the first Friday of every month, to every applicant’s door — rain or shine. Gaton-Wiltshire said since its inception in 2020, they have not missed a month.

The Gaton Foundation always accepts donations and new volunteers.

Members of The Gaton Foundation along with its volunteers from Richmond Hill High School and beyond execute these deliveries in the neighborhoods of Richmond Hill, Woodhaven, Whitestone, Jamaica, Ozone Park, Glendale and communities in Brooklyn where students have been displaced.

“It’s completely anonymous. We call and tell them the ETA, we get there, put the delivery on their doorstep and move onto the next person,” she said. “It’s to eliminate the stigma and embarrassment.”

At the time of publication, nearly 140 families have requested grocery delivery services from The Gaton Foundation.

“People won’t accept the help knowing full well that they need it, because they don’t want anybody to know,” Gaton-Wiltshire said. “Especially because this is an adolescent population, there’s nothing worse than kids being bullied.”

Gaton-Wiltshire attributes much of her humanitarian spirit and awareness to her father, who passed his values down to her.

She shared that her father marched with Martin Luther King Jr. during the Civil Rights Movement and studied psychology and social work for his PhD — however, he knows how it feels to grow up poor and need help.

“I always remember him telling me the story about when he was going to school, when he had to walk miles and the soles of his shoes were separated and he had to use rubber bands to keep them together. But because his parents were poor, they couldn’t afford new shoes,” she said. “I can understand that because it’s my dad’s experience, so it’s not generations away.”

The Gaton Foundation seeks to expand beyond Queens in the future, and is always accepting donations and additional volunteers.

To donate or get involved with The Gaton Foundation, visit their website thegatonfoundation.org to contact them as well as their Instagram, @thegatonfoundation.

Richmond Hill High School: A public school worth looking into

Richmond Hill High School held “Kicking it with Van-Ess.”

The Richmond Hill High School (RHHS) community gathered last week to celebrate its success and to spread school spirit.

At Thursday’s event, “Kicking It With Van-Ess,” students, faculty and other guests engaged in a community walk with Dr. Josephine Van-Ess, superintendent of Queens South high schools, and Neil Ganesh, principal of RHHS.

The first-of-its-kind event highlighted the school’s best of the best, in terms of courses, programs and some star students and alumni.

The most notable recent achievements of RHHS include the fact that there is now a waiting list for admission into the school, and that last year’s senior class broke historic records for graduation rate and college persistency rate — accumulating over $6 million in scholarships and financial aid.

“This means not only getting into college, but succeeding in college…We’re going to continue to strive for excellence for our students and for our community and our families here,” Ganesh said.

“It’s great to see the growth that has raised the progress of not only our community, but Richmond Hill High School. And that’s all a testament to students, faculty, staff, district office, power partners and empowering our families,” he continued. “The Chancellor has stated his four pillars, reimagining student learning…and that’s what we see here today, we’re going to see how we reimagine student learning, and we continue to build on the momentum.”

The early portion of the day involved a visit to P.S. 56 – The Harry Eichler School, where RHHS partners to make reading and mentorship programs available to students.

The school community gathered in front of P.S. 56 in Richmond Hill, where RHHS students serve as mentors to fourth and fifth graders.

The program, My Brother’s Keeper, has been an exciting opportunity for both students and faculty alike, as students of RHHS mentor fourth and fifth graders in reading and literacy.

Local elected officials and community leaders joined in on the event, including State Senator Joseph Addabbo, Assemblyman Andrew Hevesi and Community Board 9 Chair Sherry Algredo.

“The goal is K-12 continuum…that our high schools start to work with our middle schools and our elementary schools so that we create those strong pipelines across our schools so that in an authentic way, our children know their options within our very community,” Van-Ess said.

Van-Ess went on to emphasize the quality education, leadership and skill-building opportunities that schools such as RHHS, located right in the backyard of so many young people in the community, have to offer.

“It’s really a time for us to just be together to lift our communities. One of the things that I’ve noticed since I’ve been in this seat is that there’s a connotation that follows Queens South high schools that is not necessarily true,” she said.

“We have amazing things happening within our schools, programs and opportunities for our students that our community might not know about,” Van-Ess continued. “We have rigorous instruction happening right here in our schools.”

The event continued into the newly redone RHHS auditorium, where students and alumni opened up about their involvement in school activities and goals for the future.

Daniel Latchana, a sophomore at RHHS, shared his experience with the school’s technology and robotics club, and how he quickly went from having no experience in technology, to having experience using various technologies and advanced power tools.

“My problem-solving and strategizing skills have improved since working with the Robotics Team and collaborating with others. I was able to use the skills learned in the classroom in the real world,” Latchana said.

“Students in this program learn about leadership and how to work together and build as a team. This program has taught me a lot, and has improved my experiences to learn and grow,” he continued. “I couldn’t have done it without the support and encouragement from our principal, Mr. Ganesh and my teacher, Mr. Kistoo, who has always pushed us to be the best version of ourselves.”

Adriana Betancur, who graduated from RHHS in 2022 as class salutatorian, studies at John Jay College and is working toward a career of becoming an NYPD cadet.

Because of the AP credit courses she’s taken in high school to get ahead, she is now considered a sophomore in college.

RHHS offers AP Calculus AB, AP Calculus BC, AP Computer Science Principles, AP English Language and Composition, AP English Literature and Composition, AP Environmental Science, AP Spanish Language and Culture, AP Spanish Literature and Culture, AP United States Government and Politics, AP United States History and AP World History: Modern to its students.

Betancur attributes much of her success to the programs and support offered during her four years at RHHS, including serving as a youth leader, NYPD Explorer and part of the Criminalistics and Forensics Institute.

“I was able to gain real world experience and a number of college credits. Additionally, through the initiatives here at RHHS, I am now the youngest pharmacy technician and was able to apply the customer service skills and public speaking skills I learned here,” she said.

“There are many opportunities provided here to intern, volunteer and make a difference in the community. Also, as a minority and a young female, it’s a great way to step into real-world life,” she added. “Having this experience will definitely benefit me in the long run, as I work toward a career in the NYPD.”

RHHS proudly offers activities such as South Asian Youth Action (SAYA) Leadership, Cheer and Dance Team, College Now courses and SAT/Regents preparation.

Sports include basketball, baseball/softball, cricket, golf, swimming, bowling, track, soccer, tennis and volleyball.

RHHS’s motto tells students: “Diversity is our strength,” and the school community is proud to say they’ve stayed true to that mission.

“The work will continue as a community and as a family, and we’re very thankful for the relationships that we have and the trust that we have built over the last 10 years,” Ganesh said.

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