Scarsdale Foundation President Evelyn Stock Shares Her Passion for Volunteerism

Longtime Scarsdale resident and volunteer Evelyn Stock has been named president of the Scarsdale Foundation, a community trust that since 1923 has provided support for individuals and institutions in Scarsdale. Stock, who has been on the Foundation board since 2007, succeeds Richard Toder, who has served as the Foundation president since 2012.

Stock, who moved to Scarsdale in 1970, received the Scarsdale Bowl in 1997 and was named Westchester Woman of the Year in 1996. During her long and distinguished volunteer career in Scarsdale, Westchester County, and New York State, her leadership roles have included Scarsdale League of Women Voters (as its president in 1982-84), followed by presidency of the Westchester and New York State Leagues; the Scarsdale Board of Education (as its president in 1991-1992); Scarsdale Planning Board; Southern Westchester BOCES, Westchester Reform Temple; and Scarsdale Adult School. Stock is currently chair of the Scarsdale Board of Ethics, a member of the Westchester County Fair Campaign Practices Committee, the Board of the Scarsdale Adult School, and the Salon Committee for Westchester Community College, and an officer of the Women's Research and Education Fund. She was inducted into the Westchester Hall of Fame in 2001.

Stock took a moment out of her jam-packed schedule to discuss her volunteerism and to reflect on her current role at the helm of the Scarsdale Foundation.

What initially attracted you to Scarsdale and when did you move here?
I moved to Scarsdale in 1970 with my late husband Howard and then- two year old daughter, Elisabeth [her second daughter, Andrea, was born three years later.] I had a friend who told me that there was no better community in which to live...and I haven't regretted that decision for a day!

How did you first become involved in the volunteer sector?
I "picked up" a friend (Toby Nussbaum) in the Golden Horseshoe and we started a playgroup together. She offered to watch Elisabeth so I could attend a membership coffee of the League of Women Voters. It was an instant fit. I soon joined their board, and as soon as Elisabeth entered school, I got involved in the Heathcote PTA. I often say I climbed onto a conveyor belt in 1970 which has taken me from one volunteer to the next and I was smart enough not to get off.

You have served on some of the most significant and time-consuming boards in town, often concurrently. How have you been able to balance these responsibilities, all while raising your family?
I always felt that there was a lot of work to be done...and I had a lot of energy. Almost everything interests me so it was and continues to be hard to pick and choose! And most importantly, I was blessed to have a family who valued what I did. Howard's mother had been a volunteer and he supported me in this work.

As the new president of the Scarsdale Foundation, what do you hope to accomplish in your term of office?
I am both humbled and proud to lead an institution which for more than 90 years has been the essence of what it means to be a community. If there is need, the Foundation is there. I would like the community to know more about more of what we do. For instance, our scholarship program provides need-based funding for Scarsdale students entering their sophomore, junior and senior years of college. Many people in town donate to the SHS PTA Scholarship Fund, a wonderful organization that helps to support financially needy students entering their freshman year of college. But the community is not aware that the Foundation provides funding for these same students, and others, for their next three years of college! For the 2014-2015 academic year, we awarded $105,000 for 21 students! One of my goals will be to get that word out. I am confident that when our community learns more about what we do, they will be supportive of our charitable programs.

Many people believe that all Scarsdale residents are well-to-do and don't need financial assistance. Is that a myth?
Yes! We have learned from our [confidential] scholarship applications that the needs are great here in Scarsdale. There are people who struggle to live here. They moved here for the education and stretch to afford their children's education. And terrible things happen to our families – death, divorce, illness, job loss. Just because people live in Scarsdale, they are not immune from these challenges. Working with our scholarship applicants has been one of the most uplifting things I have done in Scarsdale and one of the most frustrating. The cost of a college education has been skyrocketing and what we are able to give is just not enough. My greatest passion is making education available to everyone!

What is a typical profile of a scholarship recipient (recognizing that this is a confidential process)?
Our students are ambitious. They are hard working. And they are appreciative of our support.

Though it hardly seems possible, your life is NOT all work, no play. You are a consummate baker (to which most of your colleagues can attest), and you are an avid theater and opera buff. Tell us about your favorite pastimes:
I taught two baking classes at the Scarsdale Adult School. (And, yes, I share my recipes.) I love theater, movies, opera and bridge. I am a lifelong learner; I take classes on all subjects. I am in three book groups. There are not enough hours in the day to do what I want to do!

What would you tell new parents moving into Scarsdale about getting involved?
Volunteerism is important work! Being such an active volunteer has provided me with a great source of friends – of all ages, from all neighborhoods. Each committee brought me in contact with people with different interests. I have been able to lead a very enriched life because of these wonderful friends. So I would tell young parents that they will not reap the benefits of this unique and wonderful community without getting involved. They will get back at least ten times more than they give; they will be enriched by a meaningful life and they will make lifelong friends. Plus they will be setting a wonderful example for their children!

To learn more about the Scarsdale Foundation, you may log on to their website at www.scarsdalefoundation.org or you may contact Evelyn Stock at [email protected].