‘It really is a great feeling to be able to help other parents.’

Merrick

“In sixth grade, for my yearbook, they asked, ‘What do you want to be when you’re older?’ and I said I wanted to be a chef. I loved watching my grandmother and grandfather cook. I wanted to go to culinary school, but I ended up going to a four-year college. I was looking for a creative outlet, but when I became a stay-at-home mom, everything stopped, and it was a big life change. It was just diapers and feeding, and you get wrapped up in it; you kind of lose yourself.

“I started my recipe blog in 2017. I share nutritious family-friendly recipes, mom hacks, tips to get your kids to eat veggies and fruits, and ways to incorporate your kids in the meal-prep process. When I started the blog, my daughter was 18 months old, and I was newly pregnant with my son. She loved being involved. Her name is Liv, and that’s where I got the name of the blog, LivLaughCook. It started just as an Instagram page, and one year, for Mother’s Day, my husband created a website for me. I get messages and questions from other parents, and it motivates me to keep creating. It really is a great feeling to be able to help other parents.

“I want to see kids eating nutritious meals, especially because I had a really unhealthy relationship with food. I spiraled with yo-yo dieting, and I got caught up in the diet-culture world as a teenager. Just drinking coffee for breakfast was a type of diet for my generation. I had no idea what the proper way to eat was, and it only got worse throughout college. When I met my husband, he said my eating habits weren’t healthy. I didn’t want my children to follow what I did. I wanted to break the mold. It’s really important that they learn healthy eating habits from the start so they don’t fall into that diet culture. I don’t even want those words mentioned in my house. I don’t want my kids to ever think about being skinny or wanting to diet. I want them to eat healthy foods because it makes them strong. I tell them certain foods will make them fast in gym class or will help their brain function so they can figure out math problems.”

I don’t want my kids to ever think about being skinny or wanting to diet. I want them to eat healthy foods because it makes them strong.

“Kids can be picky, so I had to get creative. We shredded carrots and put them in cookies, and since Liv was involved in the process and helped make them, she ate them. My son wanted to get involved immediately. We started slow. When they’re younger, it’s basically just mixing, pouring and measuring out ingredients. When they got a bit older, I started teaching them more skills, like cracking eggs and using kid-friendly knives for chopping. A big part of it for them is this sense of accomplishment of being able to do it on their own. It’s also a bonding experience for all of us when we’re spending time together in the kitchen.

“My daughter’s only 6, but I see that she actually enjoys spinach in her smoothies. I find that if you start early on, their taste buds follow. My son is very into sweets, so we make muffins, pancakes and cookies. We always incorporate healthy ingredients like spinach or apples. For some recipes, they double both as a great snack and a fun activity. When we go to the supermarket, I show them ingredients, so they understand which foods have chemicals, and explain why we don’t buy them.

“They are kids, though, and I believe in balance. My husband eats Oreos and Doritos, and when we go to the pool, they all have ice cream or Popsicles with food dye. We don’t want to be too restrictive because at one point, they might rebel when they’re older. When they’re out, they’re allowed to have whatever they want with their friends, but in our house, we eat clean and we look at ingredients. We want them to enjoy food.”

Interviewed by Melanie Gulbas

‘Every one of these bottles can tell a story. You could just imagine what people discussed and talked about.’

Manorville

“My dad would take me dumpster diving in the mid- to late-’70s. He had a body shop, and we would pull old car wrecks out of the side of a hill and scrap ’em.

“There was a dump in Bay Shore — a late 1930s, early 1940s dump, from what I can remember — and we would go around there every once in a while, especially after a rainstorm. You could find Mercury dimes, painted-label soda bottles and stuff like that from the ’40s.

“One day, I happened to be walking through the woods with one of my close friends, and we noticed a depression in the ground and some shards of glass, and right away, I’m like, ‘Hmm, this looks like a dump.’ We started digging and found a lot of milk bottles. I found a beverage bottle, which my whole collection is basically beverage bottles now. I just got fascinated by it.

I’m only 56 years old. I’ve got a lot of collecting to still do!

“And that brings me to where I am today, with probably one of the biggest beverage collections under one roof on Long Island at 430. About six and a half years ago, I had the good fortune of meeting somebody by the name of George Fisher. He was actually working, I believe at that point, on the fourth edition of ‘A Historical Guide to Long Island Soda, Beer & Mineral Water Bottles & Bottling Companies.’ He really taught me the value of research.

“I would do a little research here and there, but after meeting George and seeing his enthusiasm, he showed me just how inspiring it is. Because sometimes the research is harder than finding the bottle. Every one of these bottles can tell a story. You could just imagine what people discussed and talked about. A lot of them were taken into the woods on hunting trips.

“You find out how some guys would sell beer on Sundays and then get locked up for the day. The oldest bottle I have is cobalt blue, pre-Civil War. I actually have probably close to two or three dozen bottles that are the only ones known to exist. I just happen to be the caretaker of these bottles at this point in time.

“Hopefully I have a grandchild that might be interested, and I can pass it on to them. Or some young collector might get lucky, or I’ll donate to a historical society. Time will tell. I’m only 56 years old. I’ve got a lot of collecting to still do!”

Interviewed by Jay Max

‘I didn’t think I would be starting a job so late in my life, but, you know, here I am.’

Rockville Centre

“I didn’t think I would be starting a job so late in my life, but, you know, here I am. I started Love, Nana about a year and a half ago in my house. We weren’t called Love, Nana back then, but I was making bundles of clothing and giving them to charities from my house. It changed my life because my husband died about a year and a half ago, right when I made my first bundle. After I made about 1,000, it got too much in the house. I have 28 grandchildren, so I’m a very busy grandmother. I’ve always written cards for them all these years and always wrote ‘Love, Nana’ on the card. So it was just a very easy drop to make it Love, Nana. I think that it’s really like home.

The clothes that I don’t use I can give to the thrift shop.

“My daughters said, ‘Mom, maybe we better put it into a bigger space so that you could have room to go around, and then maybe the Backyard Players & Friends could come and help you.’ They’re an inclusive, arts-based Long Island nonprofit for those with special needs. All the participants are Backyard Players. They get paid. They work for a two-hour shift, and that works out great.

“But there’s a lot that maybe can’t work just yet in the field. What we do is teach them life skills. I have washing machines and dryers. We fold. We iron. We do everything possible and help them prepare for being on their own — and at the same time prepare them for a job. And there’s always plenty of work to do because I’ve been getting an unbelievable amount of donations. I get clothing for 0-24 months, but sometimes I do start to collect little for toddlers because some of the babies have siblings and people ask me for toddlers.

“It’s filled my days. It doesn’t make me tired. The clothes that I don’t use I can give to the thrift shop. I don’t want any strings hanging off. I don’t want any zippers [unzipped]. I don’t want any stains or anything.

“But if it’s really got any marks or anything on it, I give rags to Sister Barbara over at Our Lady of Peace. She sells the rags and puts the money into the food pantry. So, it’s like everybody’s helping everybody else. We’ve only been here [the storefront] a couple of months, but we’re moving along so fast. It really came out of nowhere all at once, but I’m very happy to do it.”

Interviewed by Victoria Bell

‘It’s a nice escape when you can create your own little worlds and color them the way you want them.’

Massapequa

“It started with watching early pop cartoons and Disney when I was a kid. I loved the way they looked, so I started doodling. I was drawn to pop art because of the bright colors. I realized how much I liked it, and people said I was good at it, so I developed it.

“When I got into high school in the mid-’70s, I was in a BOCES program for commercial art. My teacher opened my eyes to painting and how to draw properly, things I wasn’t aware of as a kid. He was doing professional illustration and watercolors, and I’d never seen anybody do anything like that. He would always correct me when I was doing something wrong. That helped me expand to taking art seriously.

A lot of people told me that art is a nice hobby, but you can never make a living doing it. I said, ‘I have to try. It makes me happy.’

“Later, I went to the School of Visual Arts and began doing freelance work. I always wanted to get into animation and ended up working for MTV in the ’90s on a show called ‘Daria.’ I was doing animated commercials for them too. From there I went to Fox to work on ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,’ and then PBS, where I worked on ‘Clifford’s Puppy Days.’ I’d hand-draw the backgrounds, and then I’d ink them. They’d scan and color them digitally. I did some hand-drawn character design, too. My inspiration was from early cartoons and animated films, and later became poster artists working on old rock and roll posters; they’d use wonderful colors and airbrush. Illustrators in magazines would inspire me, and I’d collect books that people made of their artwork. I’d be all over the place, with artists like Peter Max, Rembrandt, H.R. Giger and Picasso. It’s a nice escape when you can create your own little worlds and color them the way you want them. A lot of people told me that art is a nice hobby, but you can never make a living doing it. I said, ‘I have to try. It makes me happy.’

“When you wake up in the morning, you don’t want to mind going to work. If you can like what you’re doing, that’s a beautiful thing. I also opened my art studio, Creation Art Center, in Massapequa, and I have been teaching at it for about 20 years. It has been very rewarding. I have no training to teach, but I learned that I can do it. It is never too late to pursue your passion. If it’s really in your heart, believe in yourself and go for it.”

‘It’s never too late to follow your dreams and pay it forward.’

Plainview

“After retiring from teaching in Corona, I became a poppy for my grandchildren. My son and daughter each have two. I figured if I could teach a class of 30, I can manage first one, then two, followed by three and four. Then came COVID-19 and the months of quarantine. Now what? I decided to fulfill an early goal and write a children’s book. Finding an illustrator who was willing to partner with me fell into my lap through the Plainview Moms Facebook group.

“Bridget Bick, a mother of three young children, always wanted to be an illustrator, although she had been declared legally blind for the last decade. I am hearing impaired, so this was a natural fit. Months later we published our first book, ‘What Would I Be?’ I decided to donate my share to the Mid-Island Y. They do wonderful things for the community, such as food pantries, Alzheimer’s programs and day care.

Zooming my books into my grandchildren’s classes made them so proud in front of their classmates.

“They also run a great pickleball program, where I volunteer as a coordinator. I met some of the nicest people during these sessions. It isn’t easy meeting people with similar interests as you get older. My wife and I consider our new friends like family.

“I partnered with the Y to help sell our first book and then the second, ‘What Do You Get?’

“It gives me great pleasure on many levels. First, Bridget has been able to achieve her lifelong goal of becoming a successful illustrator. Secondly, the money I have donated to the Y is my way of paying it forward. If it wasn’t for my involvement, I never would have met all these wonderful people, lifelong friends.

“Zooming my books into my grandchildren’s classes made them so proud in front of their classmates. It was a thrill for me as well. They are all looking forward to our next books. It’s my pleasure and honor to donate every penny to the Y’s worthy causes.

“So, what’s next? At 73, I started taking guitar lessons. Maybe one day I’ll perform and donate those proceeds as well. It’s never too late to follow your dreams and pay it forward.”

Interviewed by Faces of Long Island staff

‘It’s all about digging deep and going in emotionally and figuring out what’s working in your life, what’s not working and how to navigate getting where you want to go.’

Babylon

“I was teaching for 10 years at different schools, trying to find that niche, that place for me. But I always ran into the same issue where I was always told, ‘You don’t have enough experience,’ or they would have me sub, and then it was always a promise to lead to something else, but then it never did. I have six certifications, and I’m certified in children’s yoga. I was always trying to figure out what I could do better and change. I just kept hitting a dead end.

“I was at a really low point in my life and really down on myself. Then I went to emotional intelligence leadership training in 2019, and that was the start of everything that changed for me. It’s all about digging deep and going in emotionally and figuring out what’s working in your life, what’s not working and how to navigate getting where you want to go or even figuring out where you want to go. I had wanted to teach for so long, but I realized that maybe my desire to leave a footprint in a child’s life could look different. It could be through creating an experience for them. That training had me do a 180. It was major self-reflection and realizing I’m more than what I’m allowing myself to be. I’m keeping myself small, and I don’t need to listen to the ‘no.’

The doors just started opening, and the opportunities were there.

“I’ve always been a creative person. I have a side business; I sell makeup and skin care. So now I do live videos and show tips and tricks. I made a YouTube channel for children’s yoga and read stories. I really just expanded and brought in my horizons in a way that was true to me, and it felt so good. I thrived being able to finally just slow down and actually see the path. I don’t have to overextend myself. And then, I had my son eight months ago, and that was another lesson to show me that things I thought were important are just not that important.

“My happiness is important so I could be the best version of myself for him and for our little family. Everything shifted completely. Once I opened my eyes to the possibilities and stopped keeping my mind in lack and keeping myself small, was the minute I opened up and realized, I’m capable. And this can happen. And that can happen. The doors just started opening, and the opportunities were there.”

Interviewed by Liza Burby

‘Helping kids from my neighborhood to be contributing members of society, that’s my favorite part of what I do.’

Westbury

“I grew up in this [school] district, and what drew me here to work was luck, faith and blessings. I was the districtwide homeless coordinator when I first started working as a social worker in Westbury in 2004. Around 2011, they deemed the job unnecessary and moved me to the Dryden Street School, even though I’m still dealing with homeless issues to this day. I started coaching basketball when I was in 10th-grade in Westbury, first for boys, then girls’ CYO and PAL teams. Some of those girls now have jobs and kids of their own. I also coach football, the Westbury Little Dragons. I know these families, and there’s so many that would still fit the criteria for homeless, so I help them out. If they need sneakers or glasses, I buy them. If you let the kid play, you really should provide them with everything they need to have a chance to be successful. A few parents won’t do the right thing. Most parents can’t.

Everything I put together is to combat some challenge in the school.

“I had an 11-year-old student who was acting out and cranky. He told me he shares the bed with his little brother, who kicks him in his back, and his feet hurt because his shoes are a size and a half too small. He broke his glasses, so he couldn’t see. So I got him a pair of sneakers and glasses. His mom got another bed that was donated to him. He’s like a whole new kid; he made the high honor roll. I try to find out what’s going on with them individually because my instructions as the homeless coordinator were to help the children to have as comparable an experience as the others. Everything I put together is to combat some challenge in the school. I have folks I can tap into, like my mom, who started teaching special education here in 1968 until 2003. She was doing this when she was a teacher and with some of the same families.

“Doing community service was just always something you were supposed to do. Everybody wants their neighborhood to have a good reputation. I get paid help to further perpetuate that, which allows me to help give kids what they need and make them feel good about themselves. Helping kids from my neighborhood to be contributing members of society, that’s my favorite part of what I do.”

Interviewed by Liza Burby