About Carver Center
Transform Lives and Strengthen Our Community
At the Port Chester Carver Center, our commitment to dignity, opportunity, and empowerment isn't just something we believe in — it's something we put into action every day. This guiding principle is more than an idea; it’s a promise that informs and drives every program we create.
Carver Center
Adapting to Community Needs and Empowering Families
Our Mission
To help our community thrive through programs that nourish, educate, and empower.
Our Vision
To create opportunity for all to learn, work, and thrive.
Our Core Values
Dignity
We welcome everyone with kindness and care.
Integrity
We are trustworthy and honor the commitments to those we serve.
Inclusion
We respect each other and embrace equity, justice, and belonging.
Growth
We embrace opportunities to learn, improve, and make an impact.
Leadership
We provide expertise and pursue excellence in all we do.
Collaboration
We employ teamwork to build strong and lasting partnerships.
Carver's Impact
Your Support Makes Our Work Possible
How We Nourish
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Households Served in the Past Year in Our Carver Market
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Market Visits in the Past Year
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Pounds of Food Distributed in the Past Year
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Households registered for our Dinner at Noon program
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Daily Meals for children in our Afterschool Programs
How We Educate
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Elementary school students enrolled in our afterschool program
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Teens enrolled in our Teen Center
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Of Teen Center participants are first-generation students
How We Empower
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Students enrolled in our US Citizenship Program
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Clients receiving support through our Case Management Program
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Emerging young adults receiving one-on-one support through our Teen Center
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Low-income youth receiving employment and workforce training
Strategic Plan
A Roadmap to Increase Our Impact
In 2024, Port Chester Carver Center launched a Strategic Plan following a year-long process that included a community needs assessment.
Carver's History
Creating Opportunity for All
The Port Chester Carver Center was founded to meet a simple but powerful need: to ensure families in Port Chester have access to support, opportunity, and a place where they belong.
What began as a neighborhood effort has grown into a multi-service community center serving thousands of residents each year. While our programs have expanded, our purpose has remained constant. We exist to help all learn, work, and thrive.
Today, the Carver Center provides access to food, early childhood education, youth development, workforce readiness, aquatics, and family support. These services are intentionally connected because families do not experience challenges in isolation, and Carver Center stands committed to working alongside our families to find pathways to thrive.
Our work is grounded in long-standing relationships, cultural respect, and a deep understanding of the community we serve. Many families come to the Carver Center through generations, reinforcing the trust that defines our role in Port Chester.
We believe meaningful change happens through consistency and care. By showing up day after day. By listening first. By building pathways forward alongside our neighbors.
Timeline
Serving Port Chester Since 1943
Since 1943, Port Chester Carver Center has been a trusted community resource, providing food assistance, youth development programs, educational opportunities, and family support services. Explore the milestones that have shaped our impact and strengthened our commitment to serving the Port Chester community.
1943
A Community Legacy Begins
Port Chester Carver Center was founded at 51 Pearl Street with a simple but powerful mission: to provide opportunities, support, and hope for local families. What began as a small community organization would grow into one of Port Chester’s most trusted nonprofit institutions, serving generations of children, adults, and seniors.
1950
Honoring Community Leadership
Under the leadership of Executive Director Arnold C. Baker, Carver’s Men’s Leadership Club hosted its first Annual Dinner, recognizing the volunteers whose dedication helped strengthen the organization’s impact throughout the community. This tradition reflected Carver’s long-standing belief that community change begins with people who care.
1956
A Night with Count Basie
Legendary jazz musician Count Basie and his 16-piece orchestra performed at Carver Center’s Annual Benefit, bringing the community together in support of programs that were already making a difference in the lives of local families.
1961
A New Home for a Growing Mission
As community needs continued to grow, Carver Center purchased and relocated to 68 Traverse Avenue, transforming the former Congregation KTI synagogue into a vibrant hub for education, recreation, and family services.
1979
Building Summer Memories
Carver’s Summer Day Camp welcomed 47 children for six weeks of enrichment, recreation, and friendship. The program laid the foundation for decades of youth development opportunities that continue to help children learn, grow, and thrive.
1980
A Champion for Healthy Kids
Mildred Jones began a remarkable 20-year tenure at Carver Center, helping shape nutrition programs that ensured children received healthy meals and the support they needed to succeed both in and out of the classroom.
1981
Expanding Opportunities Through Partnership
Carver established a partnership with Greenwich Country Day School, providing summer campers access to an outdoor swimming pool. Known affectionately as the “Betty Brown Pool,” the partnership honored the dedicated board member whose advocacy helped make the opportunity possible.
1990
New Leadership, Continued Growth
John Reavis was named Executive Director, ushering in a new chapter of organizational growth and expanding Carver’s ability to meet the evolving needs of the Port Chester community.
1998
A Transformational Move
Carver Center relocated from its 6,000-square-foot facility on Traverse Avenue to its current home at 400 Westchester Avenue. The new 50,000-square-foot community center—with a full gymnasium and swimming pool—dramatically expanded opportunities for youth programs, recreation, education, and family support services.
2013
Creating Space to Play and Grow
Carver broke ground on a long-awaited playground, creating a safe and welcoming outdoor space where children could learn, play, and build lasting friendships.
2018
A Brand for Every Stage of Life
Carver unveiled a new logo that reflected its mission to serve, educate, and empower the Port Chester community. The redesigned brand celebrated the many stages of life touched by Carver’s programs and services.
2020
Meeting the Moment During COVID-19
When the COVID-19 pandemic brought daily life to a halt, Carver Center remained open to those who needed it most. Through adapted operations and emergency food distribution, the organization continued providing essential support to families facing unprecedented challenges.
2021
Innovation Through Crisis
As the pandemic disrupted education and social connections, Carver launched a Virtual After-School Program in partnership with STEM Alliance of Larchmont and Interns4Good. Students received engaging educational experiences, teens benefited from one-on-one mentoring and academic support, and citizenship students continued preparing for their naturalization exams.
2022
Investing in the Next Generation
Carver launched its scholarship program, awarding $17,000 in college scholarships to six Port Chester students and helping remove financial barriers to higher education.
2023
Expanding Food Access and Nutrition
Carver Market expanded its footprint, creating a more dignified shopping experience while increasing access to healthy and nutritious food. Through the launch of the Retail Recovery Program, Carver provided 40% more food to families in need. At the same time, the Food Services Team prepared approximately 900 meals daily for area childcare centers, after-school programs, and Carver participants.
2024
Planning for the Future
Following a year-long community needs assessment, Port Chester Carver Center launched a new Strategic Plan designed to guide the organization’s future growth. Rooted in community feedback, the plan focuses on expanding impact, strengthening programs, and ensuring long-term sustainability.
2025
Investing in Youth and Community Spaces
Carver completed significant renovations to its parking lot and Teen Center, enhancing safety, accessibility, and programming space for the young people and families who rely on Carver every day.