Spence News
The Spence School Receives NYCP’s Estée Lauder Volunteer Award
At this year’s annual Fill the Bag Benefit on March 1, New York Common Pantry honored The Spence School with its Estée Lauder Volunteer Recognition Award. One organization is chosen annually as the winning recipient based on its history of volunteering, and Spence is the second school to ever receive the honor.
According to Director of Outreach and Public Purpose Danielle Passno, Spence has partnered with New York Common Pantry for more than a decade.
“From taking students to pack bags of food to serving dinners on Friday evenings, Spence has been able to help NYCP meet their mission, and in turn, they've helped us meet ours,” she said.
At Spence, the importance of service to the community comes from the School’s founder, Clara Spence, who believed that building both character and a sense of responsibility are crucial to a child’s education. Spence’s program is grounded in the development of strong partnerships with dynamic nonprofit organizations like NYCP.
“This partnership is successful because the pantry has real work we can do, from 5-year-olds on up, and because they are as invested in our education as we are in being of use to them,” said Passno. “They always take time to give tours when we visit and teach our students about hunger and the history of their organization.”
Lower School teacher Erica McGovern was instrumental in helping to set up a stronger relationship for Grades K-4 by suggesting each class commit to volunteering at least once or twice a year. From there, the partnership has extended to the Grade 7 class, as well as food and toiletry drives and faculty and alumnae volunteer evenings serving hot meals to NYCP patrons.
Estée Lauder’s Associate Counsel Sarah Moss, who presented Spence with the award, explained that since 2015, the School has given over 1,200 working hours to NYCP.
“These are special hours because they’re not just getting food to those who need it, they’re opening young eyes to a more compassionate civic life,” she said.
In her acceptance speech, Passno said that Spence has taken away several important lessons from its partnership with NYCP.
“Regardless of your age, you have the ability and power to create change in your society and to help yourself and others have a better experience,” she explained. “NYCP has given us just as much, if not more than, we have given to them. It’s been a reciprocal partnership through and through.”
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A K-12 independent school in New York City, The Spence School prepares a diverse community of girls and young women for the demands of academic excellence and responsible citizenship.
212-289-5940
© 2025 Spence School
212-289-5940
© 2025 Spence School
