The first collection of the Courage Cart program was delivered to the pediatric patients at Memorial Sloan Kettering cancer center.
The collaboration was formed between Eliza Liebowitz, a 16 year-old Roslyn junior and Go With Courage, a local cancer charity on Long Island.
Liebowitz has been collecting toys for Memorial Sloan Kettering cancer center for over a year now. While the cart is not fully operational yet, it has begun distributing a collection of unwrapped tows as well as arts and crafts to the patients at Memorial Sloan Kettering.
The eventual goal of the cart is to be able to provide toys, arts supplies, crafts and other comforting items to cancer hospitals and organizations throughout the country.
Liebowitz has been doing community service since she was five years old. After her brother started a lemonade stand at 5 years old, she was inspired to try community service herself. According to Liebowitz, community service and journalism are two of her passions.
In 2022 she started Clean Your Closest Out for Children and began requesting gently worn or new winter clothing for children affected by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
In 2023, after a year of collaboration with other community members, Liebowitz and her team shipped a container full of supplies over to representatives from a nonprofit Ukrainian aid organization in Dnipro, Ukraine.
“I looked at my own closet and saw how much I had to give and how fortunate the Roslyn community is,” she said in an interview with the Roslyn News.
Other efforts initiated by Liebowitz include collecting medical relief supplies for victims of the 2023 earthquakes in Turkey and Syria; with supplies being dropped off at either Temple Sinai of Roslyn or the East Hills Village Hall.
Last year, after the Israel-Hamas War broke out, Liebowitz ran a toy drive designed to give stuffed animals to newly released hostages. One of Liebowitz’s proudest moments was getting a photo of two twin hostages who were released and had the stuffed animals she sent. “Seeing the impact that it had is so perfect for me.”
Liebowitz also has been a part of the Village of East Hills blood drive for a number of years. 2 years ago she became co-chair of the drive.
The majority of Liebowitz’s work is done on her own time outside of school. While Liebowitz does her work outside of school, she does not do it alone, receiving help from community members and working in collaboration with other groups when the opportunity presents itself.
“I could not do this entirely alone, it takes a village to do all of this” she said.
While the work is demanding, Liebowitz made it clear that she has no plans to slow down anytime soon. For her, the feeling of accomplishment that she gets after being able to see her work in action is worth all the long hours.
“This is something that I truly find fulfillment out of, turning in grades and getting 100s can be fulfilling at times, but it is just not to the same degree as my charity work. Seeing the tangible impact that I have on my community is really what keeps me going.” Liebowitz said.
