A Message From Les Lombardi, UCIAF President

Board Meeting - Wednesday, December 9th at 5:30pm has been changed to a ZOOM MEETING. If interested in attending as a guest Email:lombardiles@gmail.com for the link.

Little Christmas – Tentatively scheduled at Diamond Mills for Wednesday, January 6th at 6pm. Also we will collect non-perishable food items for the local Salvation Army.

Membership – Please find below our Membership Letter that is going out in the mail. Please read and realize we are doing our best during the Pandemic. Now more than ever we need to keep ALL our members.

Dear UCIAF Members,

I hope this letter finds you healthy and coping with these unpredictable times. Despite the Coronavirus, UCIAF has been very active in fulfilling our mission to preserve, promote and celebrate our rich Italian culture and to support our local community.

In August, we hosted out annual Scholarship and Community Grants Dinner. We gave out 8-$750 scholarships and 5-$500 Community Grants to local non-profits. In September, we hosted a special showing of the documentary “Il Signore Jackson.” Both Cav. Edward Jackson and award-winning producer Anton Evangelista shared their insights into Ed’s love of Italian culture and making the video.

Unable to host out popular October Italian Festival on the Strand, we presented a Drive-In Mini Festival featuring some entertainment, awards to Signora Linda Saccoman and Signore John Ioia and the film “My Cousin Vinny.” In November, we coordinated two virtual “Return to Ravello” sessions and learned how to make Limoncello and Mozzarella from Antonio and Biaggio. In December Deb Tampone will present a virtual Cookie Making Class. A special THANK YOU to all our volunteers that made all these events possible!

We have tentatively scheduled our Annual “Little Christmas” celebration for Wednesday, January 6th at Diamond Mills. We plan on incorporating a Food Drive for nonperishable items to benefit the Salvation Army. We will be getting out more information as this special event draws closer.

Our weekly radio show “Tutto Italiano” on Radio Kingston/WKNY 1490 AM on Sundays from 1-2 PM continues to inform and entertain us. Recent celebrity guests like Deana Martin and Connie Francis, guests from Italy, and other interesting personalities are interviewed weekly. Please keep informed by visiting our improved website at www.uciaf.org. We have added a new printable Membership Form for new members and a Donate Now option. Our Community Care Project continues to meet the growing needs of our community on a weekly basis through gift cards for food, clothing, and other needs. Mary Tuma (845-430-0497) heads up this project.

In addition to paying your 2021 Dues, we are also asking for your support through purchasing UCIAF merchandise and car washes. Our 2021 “Tradizioni” Calendar captures the UCIAF spirit with recipes, pictures, and greetings. In addition to wanting one for yourself, these make excellent gifts at $5.00. We are always looking for volunteers for our Committees and activities.

In the spirit of the upcoming Christmas holidays and with the hope of some return to normalcy, I want to extend my sincerest wishes for “Buono Natale and Capodanno.” We are family “La Famiglia” and UCIAF is the glue that keeps us together. Hopefully, we will resume our enjoyable in person social events in 2021. Thank you for your participation and continued support!

Sincerely,

Les Lombardi
UCIAF President
914-388-9652