Each year, before the holidays, Ancramdale craftsman John Roccanova sets up a pop-up store in the Irondale Schoolhouse along the Harlem Valley Rail Trail in Millerton to sell his handmade salad bowls, platters, cutting boards, candle holders and toys. All proceeds go to education projects in Kenya through the nonprofit organization Grow Against Poverty.
Roccanova, who is retired from a 31-year career as a shop teacher at Webutuck High School, works year-round creating these beautiful, practical products. With his wife, Jean, he has worked helping programs in Kenya for 13 years. The first “Crafts for a Cause” sale was held at the Irondale Schoolhouse in 2016.
The proceeds are donated to projects such as Pedal Power for Kenyan Education, Tech Lit Africa and Fields of Greens. “Pedal Power” gives bicycles to Kenyan high school students who often need to walk over 10 miles to get to school and back home. It has provided a total of 300 heavy-duty Buffalo Bicycles along with helmets, safety vests and tool kits to seven high schools. “Tech Lit Africa” supplies refurbished computers and computer classes in rural Kenyan elementary schools. Its founder, Nelly Cheboi, was named CNN’s Hero of the year in 2022.
“Fields for Greens” supports organic gardens at nine Kenyan schools that provide a nutritional boost to school lunches.
This year’s remaining sale days are Nov. 18-19 and Nov. 24-26 from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. For more information about the sale or to contact Roccanova: growagainstpoverty@gmail.com.