Connie Milstein

Archive for the ‘Philanthropy’ Category

In early December hundreds of guests gathered together at the Newseum to salute the scientific work of CURE. They also came to increase awareness and to give honor to Tammy Haddad as the recipient of the 2010 Friend of CURE Award.

Susan Axelrod is the Chairwoman and founder of CURE, Citizens United For Research in Epilepsy. Together with Connie Milstein, long-time CURE supporter, they co-hosted the event.

Blue Star Families is an association working to support military families throughout the United States. Connie Milstein serves as their president. The members of the organization include military parents, spouses, children and families of all outlets of service.

Last year, Blue Star Families started a program called Books on Bases, Smiles on Faces. Over 10,000 books have been distributed to military base libraries, DOD Schools and military impacted public schools. Children with parents serving in all branches of the military were supported by these book donations. The program was launched in partnership with the Kids in Distressed Situations organization.

The recent groundbreaking ceremony at the future site of NYU’s new campus in Washington, D.C., attracted some impressive guests including  top donors, construction crew heads, DC campus planners, Chair of the Board of Trustees and the full university leadership team, who assembled to mark the start of the founding of  NYU’s newest study-away site, the Constance Milstein and Family Academic Center (NYUDC).  This is situated just blocks from the White House in the heart of the city.   One topic addressed by speakers was the global network university.  Said Chairman of the Board of Trustees Marty Lipton, “[NYUDC] fits in with this concept that John Sexton has brought to fruition,” said Lipton. “But we have a great deal more to go.”  Another insisted there should be “no barriers” within the school’s network and that the establishment of NYUDC would assist in destroying more of them.   This construction will definitely add to the prestige of the Washington campus.

Connie Milstein and her family have “long been dedicated to philanthropy in the United States and abroad.”  Connie  founded Connie’s Bakery and General Store which gives 100% of its proceeds to charity, she is a board member of Blue Star Families which supports military families, and is on the Board of Directors of CURE (Citizens United for Research in Epilepsy).  The Milstein Awards “recognize achievements by biomedical research scientists who have made outstanding contributions to interferon and cytokine research, either in a basic or applied field.”  It was established in 1988, following the 1986 approval of interferon for treating hairy cell leukemia.  Research has gone on to show how interferons and cykotines are crucial in the advancement of many major life-threatening diseases such as cancer, hepatitis, as well as autoimmune disorders like lupus and multiple sclerosis.  This year’s award ceremony will take place on October 3rd at the ISICR Annual Meeting and will be the 22nd of its kind.

Connie Milstein represented her family at the ceremony celebrating the opening of the state-of-art Vivian and Seymour Milstein Family Heart Center. As part of the already medically outstanding New York Presbyterian Hospital, the latest cardiac facility should prove to take cardiac care to new levels of excellence.

One of the cutting-edge high-tech machines the Milstein Center will have at its service is the Zeego 3-Dimensional Circular X-ray device. The Zeego, of which the Milstein Center will have three of the country’s eleven in total, is capable of giving doctors an unprecedented view of the internal structure and functioning of their patients with none of the invasiveness of previous procedures to obtain similar information.

“The Milstein Heart Center will allow New York-Presbyterian to continue on its path of advancing new treatments, a road that saw this Hospital perform the first successful pediatric heart transplant operation, the country’s first robotically assisted open-heart procedure to be completed with a totally closed chest, and the country’s first robotically assisted, totally endoscopic coronary artery bypass surgery, along with many other breakthroughs in cardiovascular research and patient care,” says Dr. Craig R. Smith, surgeon-in-chief at the Vivian and Seymour Milstein Family Heart Center.

The Milstein Family Heart Center, with the help of Connie Milstein, will lead the country into the future of excellent health care for healthier, more productive lives.

The Vivian and Seymour Milstein Family Heart Center, which celebrated its opening this past February 1st, will continue the tradition of excellence which the New York Presbyterian/Columbia Medical Center is world renown for. Rated as one of the ten best hospitals in the country by “U.S. News and World Report” and the best in New York, NY Presbyterian will add three of only eleven cutting-edge Zeego 3-D circular X-ray machines found in the United States to its already excellent inventory of equipment.  These machines will offer improved, non-invasive evaluation, diagnosis and treatment of heart problems and other related ailments.

Connie Milstein represented the Milstein Family at the inaugural ceremony held on January 20th. Her family donated $50 million of the $260 million spent to create and appoint this amazing new facility.

Dr. Herbert Pardes, the CEO and president of the New York Presbyterian Hospital explained at the opening ceremony the importance of and hope for the new Milstein Family Heart Center:

“As we open the doors to the Vivian and Seymour Milstein Family Heart Center, we look at the future of heart care, with advanced inpatient and outpatient care, including new minimally invasive treatment options, available together under one roof. This building honors the longstanding vision and support of the Vivian and Seymour Milstein family and signals a unique hospital setting where heart patients have access to the very best care, delivered with compassion in a comfortable and family-friendly environment.”

In late November, 2009 the Humpty Dumpty Institute helped to relieve some of the suffering of the Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) of Sri Lanka. Connie Milstein, who is chairwoman of the board of directors of the HDI and is also a co-founder, was pleased to note that over $300,000 worth of humanitarian aid was distributed, consisting of, supplies for schools, orphanages and hygienic kits.

The funding for this aid was generously supplied by LDS Charities in the wake of the recent violent conflicts in Sri Lanka. The variety of supplies distributed included 1,855 hygiene kits to the women’s detention camp where about 2,000 IDPs are located. On the same day, November 25th, school kits and orphanage kits were distributed at another camp.
The leading role in which Connie Milstein played in the betterment if the IDPs in Sri Lanka speaks volumes about her caring and concern for the many people in need around the world.

Connie Milstein, along with the other co-founders of the Humpty Dumpty Institute is interested in creating innovative partnerships between the public and private sectors in order to solve some of the world’s more daunting problems. Using unique and creative programming, HDI is now concerned with improving communications between the United States Congress and the United Nations.  Some of the more specific tasks the HDI is striving to accomplish are removal of mines from vast areas around the world to free up the land for agriculture and other uses and to keep civilians safe; and reducing and/or eliminating hunger domestically and internationally.

One of many organizations that Connie Milstein participates as a board member is Refugees International. This organization sees as its goal the advocacy of bringing life saving help and protection to displaced people around the world while at the same time exploring and promoting solutions to the crisis which is causing the displacement.

Refugees International believes it is crucial to solve the problem of refugees, because if ignored refugees and displaced people have a serious destabilizing effect on international structures. Today there are over 41.9 million refugees, (including internally displaced people) and 12 million stateless people living around the world without citizenship rights.
Connie Milstein, as a board member and Director Emeritus, believes that through the work of Refugees International people in dire need will be helped in addition to having a positive impact on the increased stability of the international community.

There is no longer any reason to feel guilty about indulging in delicious baked goods, pastries, pies, cakes cookies or other treats. If you come to Mt. Kisco, New York or Northern Westchester Hospital, just stop by Connie’s Bakery and General Store and by yourself some guilt-free treats. How? Because every dollar spent at Connie’s contributes to the charities that 100% of the profits earned there go to.

Connie’s Bakery is an innovative idea whose time has come. Connie Milstein is the moving force behind this extraordinary endeavor whose mission is multi-faceted. To begin with, at Connie’s only the finest, most wholesome ingredients are used to make baked goods like Grandma used to make. Secondly, whenever possible, local businesses, craftsmen and farmers are supported through Connie’s insistence that these businesses get priority when purchasing decisions are made. Lastly, Connie Milstein believes in leading by example, and therefore employees are paid a living wage, including complete medical coverage and benefits for all full-time employees.

Stop by Connie’s bakery and get some guilt-free baked goods and gifts, too.