Bobbysue's Nuts Helps Rebuild Briarcliff Shelter

CHAPPAQUA, N.Y.—Two years ago, Barbara Kobren and two of her fellow SPCA of Westchester board members were faced with a daunting task. The Briarcliff shelter was run down and debilitated, much like the animals they found coming through their doors. That’s when Kobren, with the help of Debra Mehne and Denise Santamaro, decided to start something to raise money for the shelter and the SPCA of Westchester.

“We were looking for something to sell to many people that was an affordable, “do good” kind of product,” Kobren said. “We thought, 'It’s nuts with a mission’.”

The trio launched Bobbysue’s Nuts! in April 2009 and opened their storefront on Bedford Road in Chappaqua in the late fall of 2009.

“We’re three women who started this during the Great Recession,” Kobren said. “We have tremendous tenacity to ask anyone and distribute our product.”

Santamaro contributed in her own way, donating Kobren her storefront on Bedford Road.

 “It was sort of like Obama’s campaign,” Kobren said. “We only ask for $10, the price of one jar, from everyone and we’ve gotten millions to give to the SPCA. A lot of people give a little and it makes such a difference.”

Bobbysue’s Nuts got a significant boost when her three flavors of delicious nuts hit the campaign trail in 2008.

 “My youngest son worked as Hillary Clinton’s press secretary for six years so when Hillary ran her presidential campaign, Bobbysue’s Nuts was on the campaign trail,” Kobren said.

Their future goal is to rebuild shelters and build shelters in communities across America, just like they did the SPCA in Briarcliff.

“In the future, we want to move the product across the nation,” Kobren said. “We’ve never paid for ads. It’s been all self-distributed, self-funded. We work seven days a week to make this happen.”

This holiday season, Bobbysue’s Nuts will hit the shelves in gift packages at all Lord and Taylor’s locations.

“That will be wonderful,” Kobren said. “That will give us expose and the ability to reach more supporters and fans.”

Have you ever had Bobbysue’s Nuts? Do like to help a good cause? Tell us about how much you love Bobbysue’s Nuts on our Facebook page.

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