Meet Peekskill's Newest Rotarians

Jeanne Blum

Jeanne Blum grew up in Orange and Sullivan counties in New York.  She graduated from Jeffersonville High School with honors, immediately left the area and never looked back!

Jeanne attended Sarah Lawrence College in Bronxville, where she became a Joan Harrison scholar and a Mazon graduate intern.  (Mazon is a national not-for-profit organization whose mission is to prevent and alleviate hunger worldwide.)

Active in the non-profit sector for more than 15 years, Jeanne developed grants for Mercy College, and, as a partner with A.K.A. Marketing and Communications based in Manhattan, planned outreach and fundraising strategies for a number of social service, human rights, environmental and faith-based organizations.

In her current incarnation, Jeanne is Executive Director of Caring for the Homeless of Peekskill, Inc., also known as CHOP, a not-for-profit agency that seeks to alleviate hunger and homelessness in our community.  She runs the Jan Peek House shelter for the homeless; the Sunny Donut breakfast program; and is developing Fred’s Pantry, a ‘choice’ food pantry. 

Jeanne has a long history with CHOP.  Her father, Lee Beach, was one of the original founding members of CHOP in 1988 and would bring home colorful stories of the residents and staff of the Jan Peek House.  Through the years, Jeanne maintained her connection with Jan Peek.  While at A.K.A., Jeanne created the name and logo for the Sunny Donut breakfast program as a pro bono project.  In 2003, Jeanne joined CHOP as a volunteer, quickly moving into the role of Director of Finance and Development, where she built a Development Committee on CHOP’s Board of Directors and promptly organized CHOP’s first-ever fundraising efforts commencing with an annual gala dinner. CHOP’s gala is now in its sixth year.

Jeanne became Executive Director in 2007 and continues to build the organization and its programs, with the goal of interfacing with the community and erasing the stigma of homelessness.

In addition to working with the homeless, Jeanne is an established Peekskill artist and a member of the Peekskill Arts Council.  Her media is collage, three-dimensional assemblages and artist’s books. 

Jeanne is the founder of “Young Women in Action,” a program designed to build the self-esteem of young girls by developing their leadership capabilities through philanthropic pursuits.  She is a member of the Association for Development Officers, the Association of Fundraising Professionals, the National Association of Women Business Owners and the Hudson Valley Gateway Chamber of Commerce.  She serves on the Recovery Housing Network of Westchester and the Caring and Sharing Committee of the Peekskill School District.