Do you want to make a difference?

You may have heard on the news or read in the paper today that United Way and the City of Rochester have teamed up on a new volunteer initiative called OneCity Connection. We officially launched it yesterday at a media event with Mayor Duffy and Peter Carpino – the president of United Way of Gr. Rochester.

This collaboration is about linking people with volunteer projects. OneCityConnection.org is basically a virtual “hub” that people can go to learn more about what volunteer opportunities are available in the Rochester area. I just checked out the site and saw there are about 400 projects - so you won’t have a problem finding something you would like to do!

If you or someone you know is interested in volunteering, click here to check out the site. It’s a great way to feel better about yourself -- and help make a difference in our city at the same time!

Beating the Odds

Whether or not I like to admit it, AIDS has been a taboo subject for many.
This week, I made a stop to visit AIDS Rochester, as part of my agency tour.
I had a chance to learn about some of the programs and even sit down with several clients to hear their courageous stories.
Curtis has been living with HIV since 1985. He has the biggest smile and personality of anyone I have ever met. He holds his head high and never wants anyone to treat him differently because of his disease. Curtis loves telling his story, so that people can learn more about HIV and AIDS, and not be so afraid. That’s his picture to the left.
He is actually doing very well these days. He is down to taking only 5 pills a day compared to the 10 he used to take. For the past three years, Curtis has felt so good that he says he feels like he doesn’t even have the disease anymore.
Treatments have come a long way. The medications that are available in the United States are amazing these days and are really helping people live longer, normal lives.
I learned, on my visit, that poverty and mental illness still plays a huge factor in battling this disease- which leads to more obstacles like homelessness, drug addiction, and criminal activity.
Many people used to assume that it was only gay men who carried HIV. Now, the trend that doctors see is heterosexual white men are the carriers, and they are passing it along to their women partners.
In the 8 counties that AIDS Rochester reaches out to, they have about 650 people they serve.
One of the main programs at AIDS Rochester, which United Way funds, is a wellness program. It supports clients with case workers, and offers classes/lectures on the disease. Clients are able to learn a little bit more about what is happening to their bodies and about how important it is to take their medications.
There is hope for those with this terminal disease. A cure may not be here for some time—but until that day comes, I’m so thankful to know that AIDS Rochester is here to help clients live their lives as fully as possible.

The shelters are close to full

I'm really not a 'snow' lover. Well, maybe it's just the cold - that's probably more the case. But, when my three-year old looked up at me with those big brown eyes, and pleaded with me to go outside into the winter wonderland with him... how could I refuse?

Sure, it was 6:30 at night, and dark outside. But, maybe... I thought... this might make for one of those golden moments he'd cherish forever, as we made a snowman who glistened in the light of the nearby garage?

It didn't really work out like that, but he had a blast, and we headed inside to warm up.

Sadly, it's not that simple for everyone. In fact, every night in our community, it's estimated 600 people are homeless. Many of them are children... because they (and their moms) have escaped the perils of domestic abuse.

I thought about this, over and over again, as my son ran around the backyard. For him, the snow was a fun - and temporary - experience. Knowing you could run inside to escape the frost was never doubted.

It broke my heart, imagining what it must be like to not have that option.

We checked in with our funded shelters today... most are close to being filled at capacity.

I'm so thankful United Way focuses on helping families in crisis. Over the past year, our funding has helped more than 2,200 people with emergency food, shelter, and counseling. Even more, our network of providers follow up with people to make sure they stay on their feet.

There are a lot of reasons for homelessness, and it scares me... knowing it can happen to any one of us at any time. It's comforting, though, to also know our partners are running shelters to help those in need... turning homelessness into hope.

Give Thanks

As we gather around the Thanksgiving table, on this classic American holiday, families and friends celebrate with a bounty of food and laughter, and give thanks for all they have.

But as we celebrate in our homes, know that an estimated 600 people, nearly half of them children, are homeless in our community tonight. Can you imagine?

Can you imagine a small child crying as she leaves her neighborhood community center on a Friday evening because she knows she will not have anything to eat until she returns to the center on Monday?

Can you imagine a senior, who is struggling to remain independent, faced with the choice of which one of his lifesaving prescriptions to refill when there is only enough money for one of them?

Can you imagine not feeling safe enough in your own neighborhood to let your child walk three blocks to school?

Sadly, these are all realities for so many of our neighbors. They’re just a few of the stories I heard about recently when United Way met with human service professionals to explore issues which deeply affect and challenge our community.

When you hear about stories like these and know that there are so many more like them happening, it’s hard at times to feel hopeful, yet alone thankful.

And, yet, I am. Our community is one of the most generous in the nation. We have a remarkable legacy of giving which remains strong despite large economic shifts. As tragic as it is that hundreds of children here are homeless, there is a glimmer of hope.

I’m thankful there are tremendously dedicated human service providers in our community who are listening intently to those who they serve and advocating on their behalf to ensure a brighter future for them. The men and women who work every day on the “frontlines,” tirelessly working to address some of our community’s toughest challenges, are nothing short of amazing.

Their continued commitment to our community, and the people they serve, is remarkable – and something to be truly thankful for. But their message is clear – we have some deep and complex challenges to deal with. We need to do more. They can’t do it alone.

As you gather around the Thanksgiving table today, when you turn your thoughts to those who are in need, know that there are so many simple ways to help. Whether it is the gift of time by volunteering, or a charitable gift of support, every bit will make a tremendous difference to ensure happier Thanksgivings—for all—down the road.

Celebrating 25 Years of Leadership

On November 8th the Latino Leadership Development Program celebrated its 25th anniversary. This is the second year I have coordinated the program so planning this event seemed like a daunting task. With only a year and a few months of experience, I kept thinking, “how was I to capture in a meaningful way the 25 years of this program?”

What at first seemed like an overwhelming project, I can honestly say has ended up being such an enriching experience, one that has allowed me to see how important my role is beyond being simply LLDP Coordinator. I had the opportunity to really gain a better understanding of what the community looked liked for Latinos 25 years ago and how a program like LLDP has been one of the forces that has brought and continues to foster leadership among our diverse Latino population in Rochester, so that participants become effective members of boards and committees.

Being out in the community, it’s not surprising when I meet graduates of LLDP; maybe this is because in the past 25 years we have had over 500 graduates. When people now tell me stories how this program has also helped them to not only sit on boards and committees in the community, but have also grown personally, professionally and academically, it makes me feel really good that I am involved in carrying out a program rich in history and significance in the community.

If you would like to know more about the Latino Leadership Development Program, our website is www.uwrochester.org/lldp.

A Place of Hope for People with Addictions

One out of every eighteen people has been affected by an addiction in Monroe County. Chances are that you know at least one person who has faced an addiction at some point in their life. I personally have known several people that have faced an addiction.
DePaul is a place of hope for these people. Not only do they deal with drug addiction, but they also have programs for alcoholism, gambling addiction, eating disorders, and their addiction treatment center. DePaul offers an array of services including a medically supervised detoxification program, inpatient rehabilitation, a comprehensive outpatient clinic, community residences, and a supportive living program. Just last year alone, over 40,000 people went thru their drug treatment program. United Way funds DePaul’s addiction services. Check out their web site to learn more about the other programs.
In the last couple of years, gambling addiction has raised tremendously. There are several casinos in our surrounding areas and the poker tournaments are huge, especially on college campuses. Staff decided to take action, so they are going into the high schools to make students aware of this addiction. Prevention is really important.
I have seen several of my friends struggle with an addiction and I am thankful that they had a place to turn to. Addiction services are saving people’s lives. They work with the addict and their families to get them back on their feet.

2-1-1 Suicide Hotline

Did you happen to catch the news features on recently, soldiers who are returning home—only to sadly end up committing suicide? It’s a problem so many communities are facing. Here, at home, 2-1-1 has added a suicide hotline designated for soldiers who are in need of counseling. The Strong Health Medical Center Dept. of Psychiatry and the national Veteran’s Administration joined forces with 2-1-1 to create this suicide hotline. Our soldiers have given so much for our country. I’m thankful 2-1-1 is here around the clock to help them when they need it most.

If you haven’t already checked it out- read my other blog about a visit I made to the
2-1-1 Call Center to learn more about the other services they offer.

SWAN

The Southwest Area Neighborhood Association, or SWAN, has been an anchor in our community for the last 25 years. It was started by Willie Lightfoot, and his legacy is carried out in everything that SWAN does. United Way funds two programs, the Emergency Assistance Program and the Youth Development Program.
The Emergency Assistance program helps those in a time of crisis get the food they need can temporarily help out with utility bills, until they can get back on their feet again. Many of their neighborhood residents are working poor. They are single mothers who work several jobs to support their families. Many of them have to choose which bills to pay each month. They’re working hard to rebuild their lives, but like any of us would, they need some help along the way.
The Youth Development Program serves kids ages 6-16 who live in SWAN’s neighborhood. Basically, youth development is another term for an after-school program. SWAN hosts all sorts of activities to keep kids off the street, and help them find academic success. They even have things going on during Saturdays. SWAN encourages kids to seek a better way of life outside of the gangs.
SWAN works hand-in-hand with the entire neighborhood to really improve the environment they live in. It just goes to show that when people get together with a vision, they can move mountains. Congrats to SWAN on 25 years of incredible service to our community.

Halloween, United Way Style

Growing up, each Halloween promised a night of trick-or-treating and a bounty of candy. The reality, though, for a number of kids in our community isn’t the same. Not every neighborhood is safe to trick-or-treat in. Although we’re working hard to ensure neighborhood stability and change, it takes time.

So, if some kids can’t go out trick-or-treating… we’ll find another way to have them still enjoy Halloween. This week, we were thrilled to host 40 preschoolers from the Maplewood and Southwest YMCAs. The kids were able to enjoy some goodies and trick or treat around the different offices. Not only was it fun for the kids, but our staff gets really into it (that’s me in the picture above!)

Click here to watch local news coverage of our day, on Channel 13 and Channel 8.

Wildfires in California

Imagine all of your material possessions – gone in a matter of minutes. Imagine being forced to leave your home – not knowing when you’ll return – or if you’ll have a home to return to. Fire, tragically, puts many families in that position in our community each year. And right now, that’s the sobering reality for so many Californians this week– as wildfires tore through hundreds of thousands of acres of land - reducing thousands of homes to rubble.

It’s times like this when we all count our blessings. We’re lucky in the fact that – in Rochester- we’ll hopefully not have to face the threat of wildfires to that extent. But we do have a terrific Red Cross chapter, which we help fund, that is there for people in times of crisis. And in times of need, United Way and its programs are there. Thanks to you.

Because of your support of United Way, people in our community have access to critical emergency services - like those provided through The Emergency Service Providers Collaborative (a group of eight agencies that includes the Salvation Army, Baden Street Settlement, the Ibero-American Action League, and the Community Place of Greater Rochester).

Rest assured that United Way’s in California are helping the people in their communities during this time of crisis. If you are interested in making a donation to the Southern California Wildfires Recovery fund, please click on the highlighted text.

(link to https://volunteer.united-e-way.org/united-way-ca-wildfires-fund/donate/)

The Mural Unveiled

Everyone who attended the unveiling commented on how perfect the day was. It was perfect because it was 75 and sunny in late September, but it was also perfect because we were there to celebrate the unveiling of a mural that a determined team of neighborhood kids (& a few adults) completed over the course of the summer. I was there because we were able to support the project with a grant through our United Way - Bank of America Neighborhood Mini Grant Fund.

Located in the Upper Monroe neighborhood, the mural pays homage to the neighborhood’s history (original home to Crosman Brothers Seeds), as well as to its future, the kids ages 2 ½ to 17 growing up in that neighborhood. According to Joseph Sorrentino, neighborhood leader & artist, the kids haven’t always seen eye-to-eye and the mural was a great way to get them to work with one another. They all had a hand in its development – it’s colorful and busy and each of the elements contributes something positive to the overall composition – a great analogy for a vital neighborhood.

If you have a chance, you really should swing by to check it out. It’s comprised of three panels, carefully spaced along the curve of Laburnum Terrace where it meets the 490 sound-wall. If you’re walking west on Monroe, look to the right, just before you get to Wilson Farms – it will put a smile on your face.

Developing the Youth

Puerto Rican Youth Development has been developing Rochester’s youth for 37 years. Just a little background, it was started by students who weren’t happy with what they were getting out of the schools. They wanted to have an impact within the community so they started several clubs within the school and it developed into Puerto Rican Youth Development.
PRYD has programs at Edison, Monroe, Franklin, Jefferson, and East High Schools. These programs vary from preventing substance abuse to after school programs where tutors come in. United Way actually funds two of their tutoring programs; the PODER-Bry Achievement Mentoring Program and the Hispanic Youth Tutorial Program. Both of these programs help students that are at risk of falling behind. Last year was Bry’s first year in the city. It helped 200 students in the 6 schools and it improved attendance and performance.
One of the stand out students was Essence Coleman. She was a student at Edison who was doomed for failure until her English teacher took her under her wing and told her about the Bry program. To learn more about Essence’s story check out www.youpreventviolence.com

Cleaning up the streets

Last Friday a group of United Way staffers hit the streets to clean up our neighborhood. We teamed up with 450 other fellow Clean Sweepers to join the first Corporate Clean Sweep. Maybe you drove by some of us – wearing our day-glow t-shirts! Mayor Bob Duffy kicked the event off in front of all the volunteers and then we dispersed to our different assignments around the city. Here is Mayor Duffy with some of our staffers at the kickoff.

The United Way team worked together to clean up the neighborhood surrounding our building on College Avenue. I was shocked to see just how much garbage we picked up.

It feels pretty good to do something so simple for our community. So if you’re interested in having the same feeling, visit the city’s web site to learn about getting involved in the next clean sweep – www.cityofrochester.gov. You don’t have to live in the neighborhood to help out. If the City decides to have another Corporate Clean Sweep, I would definitely sign up….and not just for the awesome shirt!

The panels are up! Well, mostly.

Saturday was a big day for us. We began putting the mural panels up. There will be, when it's finished, three panels but Shawn was having trouble envisioning the third panel. He knows what he wants, just couldn't get it formulated. But I spoke with him today (Tuesday) and he's got it figured out. And to think we have four days to spare.

The panels look great and the comments have all been positive. Shika called it, "Mad hot" which I believe means she likes it. Two parents said they love it. It's cool to drive by and see people going up to the panels and pointing out stuff. It's been a lot of work but worth it.

After the panels were installed on Saturday, lunch was provided by Monroe Avenue Subway owner Andrew Hannan, which delighted everyone. Then, on Monday evening, after the kids put some finishing touches on the second panel, we retired to Corky's Craving Parlor where owner Mike Marrone gave everyone (about a dozen of us) free ice cream. He had promised ice cream when the mural was finished and came through in big way.

Now we're gearing up for Saturday. We're expecting a big crowd and are getting decorations, cookies, cake and soft drinks. Predictions are for near-perfect weather and I'm counting on the weatherman to be right this time.

A special gift to start the school year...

500 students at Rochester City School #22 are more prepared for school this week thanks to the generous support of our local labor unions. Last Friday, every student in the whole school received new backpacks full of school supplies.

I was among the staff members from United Way who went to the school to make the special delivery to the unsuspecting students. (Check out all the pictures!). Last year we had delivered backpacks to 200 kindergartners and first graders at Rochester City School #6 and #30. Again, this year’s backpack event wouldn’t have been made possible without generous donations from the Rochester Building Trades, Tops, and Wegmans.

It was so cool being a part of something so big. Just think about it: we gave 500 students the tools they need for a successful school year. For many of these kids, it was like Christmas came early – they were so excited! The event was even captured on camera, and ran on Channel 13 as the Bright Spot (click here to watch).

This really is one of my favorite events – it’s amazing how something that seems so simple can make such a difference.

Back to College

Last Thursday I got to go back to college. You may remember that I am not that far out of college, but it was still awesome to go back. My sidekick and I made an appearance at Roberts Weslyean College’s Volunteer Fair – to represent Campus Connection. (Check out the picture of our table... we gave away Frisbees and candy to students who stopped by – pretty cool!).

Ok, I should back up and tell you what Campus Connection is. We officially kicked it off Wednesday at East High School – where about 50 students and staff from nine area colleges teamed up to help clean up the Peace Garden and paint the boys locker room. (You can click here to see all the media coverage we received and to see more pictures).

Campus Connection is a new program that we’ve teamed up with Time Warner to make possible. Essentially, it’s a website that local college students visit to find volunteer projects. The coolest part of this program is that if students have a project that costs money to complete, they can apply for a grant to cover all costs (thanks to Time Warner!). We’re hoping that helps encourage more students to get involved in the community that they go to school in – and maybe it will encourage them to stay here after they graduate.

Tomorrow we’re heading to RIT’s volunteer fair – where we’ll hand out more candy, and more Frisbees, and continue to spread the word about Campus Connection. If you know a college student who should get connected, forward them the link to the site! Meanwhile, I think I could get used to this lifestyle all over again…. so look for me at a college near you soon!

Mural posts are in

It took a lot more work than we anticipated but we finally did get the posts in on Sunday. The NET Office coordinated with the Department of Special Services to dig the six holes we needed, which was great. Unfortunately, one day after those holes were dug we finally got the water line in (for the garden) and that eliminated three of the holes. That meant we had to re-dig them. Each hole had to be about four feet deep and there were some serious rocks in the soil. The kids were really enthusiastic but I'm not sure how much help they were in the end. Mostly they climbed on the dirt piles, sending cascades of dirt back into the holes. But, eventually, we got the poles in and the cement poured. The next step is this Saturday, when we attach the panels. We're really looking forward to that. And, of course, the official unveiling.

Charles Settlement House

In the middle of a neighborhood overwhelmed by gangs, the Charles Settlement House is a popular, safe place that neighborhood kids can go to escape the rough streets outside.

At the Charles Settlement House – located at 445 Jay Street, I found that the most important thing to these children is just a little recognition. In the offices hang beautiful murals that the children have created. It really brightens up the whole atmosphere. I posted a picture of one of the murals to the left.

The staff at Charles Settlement told me that many of the kids really grow up within the walls of the center. They usually start in the Ready Set Grow program, move onto the After School Program, and then onto Teen Club which is a right of passage for most of these kids. Not only does Charles Settlement help these kids with school work and getting them involved in activities like the Photography club or Step Team it also helps make their families stronger. That’s because most of the parents are pretty involved with the activities that their kids are taking a part in. The center actually requires the parents to either attend an art show or a game that their child is involved in.

Right before school started this year, there were eight lucky kids from the After School Program, Teen Club, and students from Jefferson who went on a trip to Lake George. It was an all expense trip that rewarded them for doing such a great job during the last school year. The students visited the Capital, received some valuable history lessons, and then got to let loose at Great Escape, an amusement park, the next day.

This year celebrates the 90th anniversary of the Charles Settlement House in our community. They have touched the lives of thousands of people who live here, and I know they will continue to work our neighborhoods a better place.

Mural post holes dug

OK, so "Mural post holes dug" isn't the most compelling title but it's concise and tells what's been going on. The city's Department of Special Services dug the six holes on Monday, Sept. 10th. Each hole is four feet deep and about a foot wide. This was a crucial step for us and I'm really glad it's done. If they hadn't done it, we'd be out there for hours digging. As it is, we do have to do some digging in two of the holes and that's enough to keep us busy. Shawn and I--and we hope--several of the older teens will be out there on Sunday finishing the holes and cementing the poles in place. If all goes well, we'll actually attach the mural panels the following week in preparation for the unveiling. Speaking of the unveiling, we've gotten conformation from State Senator Joseph Robach that he'll be there. The Mayor can't make it (he was at last year's garden dedication) but is sending two commissioners. We're hoping for a good crowd and some good weather.

She has a choice

In the Center for Youth, staff are often exposed to the many forms violence can take in a young person’s life. Whether violence comes in the forms of bruises, cuts, burns or even emotional scarring; we aim to help those young people who may be helpless and even hopeless reach some level of stability, reassurance and support. It is not easy from any perspective to handle trauma, abandonment, abuse or neglect on a daily basis. However, as prevention providers we understand that this difficult task is necessary in order to help those young people who are disenfranchised, disengaged and disregarded by so many.

Not too long ago a young girl came in need of emergency housing due to many of the most common issues we see in our adolescents today. Abuse, neglect, family dysfunction and rage surrounded this young girl day in and day out. She told me stories about her childhood that would bring tears to anyone’s eyes; yet she sat there as though she didn’t realize the significance of these events. In the midst of her stories, she told me that she was recently jumped by a group of girls near downtown as she was walking home. At this point I asked her: Why did they hurt you? Did you know them? What did you do? With a grin on her face she said she had no choice but to fight back. “I wasn’t gonna let those girls beat me down without a fight. Can’t go home looking like no punk” she answered.

Her answers exemplify how violence encompasses and consumes many aspects of our young adolescents. Aspects such as self-image, peer relations and decision-making were all involved in her decision to fight back. Much like this young girl, many adolescents may perceive they do not have choice in the prevention of violence. In addition, the manner in which adolescents think their peers may perceive them if they choose to walk away also acts as a heavy influence in whether young people choose to prevent or engage in violent acts. Our role as prevention providers must be holistic in our approach to violence prevention. For this young girl, no single intervention will prevent her from fighting repeatedly. However, consistent support found in counselors, case managers, healthcare providers, family or friends may assist this young girl in realizing she does have a choice. She has a choice in preventing violence. She has a choice in walking away without feeling like a punk. She has a choice…

We're getting closer

Closer to getting the mural installed, that is.

The kids involved with the project have all completed their "petals", metal cut-outs which will be attached to the panels. There were a variety of images, from Andrew's father's favorite football jersey to rainbows to smiling faces. The kids are anxious to see them on the panels and to see the panels in place.

Last week, Shawn and I marked where the posts that will hold the panels are to be placed. We were fortunate that not too many plants have to be moved and Shalese, one of the neighborhood muralists, took care of moving the ones that had to go. The next step is to dig the holes which, we hope, will be taken care of the the City. We really hope that because the holes have to be four feet deep. It's quite a job. Once the posts are in place, cement will be poured and we'll let them set for a few days before mounting the panels. We plan on cleaning and weeding the garden on September 22nd, another chance for neighbors to work together.

Joseph

Our New Billboard

Have you ever watched a billboard go up? Well I can now officially say that I have. I was there last week in the rain to watch our new billboard go up on 490 West behind World Gym. If you haven’t checked it out yet, click here.

We kicked off our new campaign last week. This year’s campaign is a year round effort that is addressing the issues that our community is currently facing. The first issue that we are addressing is violence. Since kids are heading back to school, it’s a perfect time to address the issue of violence.

The billboard states: “Doesn’t carry a gun.” It may be shocking but we are hoping that it will grab your attention and really make you think. You can also check out the website that ties in with this campaign www.youpreventviolence.com.

There is no single reason, and no one solution to the issues we face. We just have to act as one to effect the change and make a difference. Act as one and make violence an issue of the past in our community.

The Mural Project

I've been asked to talk a bit about a mural we're doing in our Upper Monroe Neighborhood and how it's affected our block. In order to do that, I think it's best to give a little background on how it all came to be. This is gonna be a little long bu here goes:

My wife, Nori, and I moved to Suter Terrace in May, 2005. Suter Terrace is a one-block long one-way street off Monroe Ave. We were happy to find the house, really liked it as soon as we saw it and liked what we saw of the neighborhood. To be honest, we didn't see much since we bought the house in February and the snow and cold kept people inside. Once we moved in, we learned the block had about 30 kids on it, most of them under 10 years old. We also learned there were some tensions simmering not too far below the surface. By August of 2005, those tensions had stopped simmering had boiled over. By that September, Nori and I were seriously talking about moving. We're glad we stayed. Most of the time, anyway.

Most of the problems really revolved around kids being, well, kids. There are no backyards in our neighborhood. I often marvel at the size of yards on other streets in Upper Monroe; it's like the builders ran out of room and crammed in as many houses as possible on Suter, Luzerne and Laburnam. Anyway, without any backyards, the kids are really forced to play in the street. The nearest playground is a few blocks away and Cobb's Hill even further. Most parents don't want their kids to go that far by themselves. So we have a lot of kids on the block, there's no place for them to play except for the sidewalk or street. This is a recipe for noise. Differences about what is an acceptable level of noise, about cursing, about playing football in the street and about other things led to some serious shouting matches between neighbors. This led to worse feelings and by mid-summer, regular police visits and some arrests.

I don't remember exactly how it happened but we got in touch with the NET Office on Clinton Ave. Pete Saxe, the director there, and Lt. Frank Churnetski were invaluable in setting up community meetings and bringing in other people to try and help diffuse the situation here. My feeling from the beginning was that most of the problems on the block were relatively minor-league and that the majority of people on the block wanted the same simple thing--a block that was safe, quiet (relatively) and clean. I really thought we could bring the block together. And through the meetings, we did for the most part. There were, and are, a couple of families on both sides of the issue that want nothing to do with the things we're doing to solve the conflicts. You can't please everyone. But most of us are working together to make this block and the surrounding block better places to live.

Those initial meetings led to weekly block clean-ups, participation in Clean Sweep, three block parties and planting a Children's Garden on a narrow strip of land adjacent to the sound wall on Laburnam Crescent. That garden started as a mix of flowers and vegetables and this year is being transformed in a Butterfly Garden that will be part of the Seneca Park Zoo's Butterfly Beltway next year.

So what about this mural? Well, I was walking past the garden last winter and suddently realized it'd be a great place for a mural. I contacted Shawn Dunwoody, a muralist, and applied for the United Way's Neighborhood Mini-grant and we got it. We had kids get together in April for a discussion about what they wanted the mural to be and also to talk about the neighborhood. They decided on the overall design and, over the course of the summer, painted their own little sections of the mural. We had about 20 kids participate with 11 0r 12 coming regularly. The United Way named this project the "Conflict Resolution Mural" and we've left it at that. I don't know if the kids will figure out a different name but that one's fine with me. And it's fitting. Toward the end of the project, we were meeting in New Life Church and one day only two kids showed up and none of them were from Suter Terrace. Turns out there had been a fight the night before and there were some bad feelings on the block. I didn't learn about it until I went knocking on doors to find kids. There were now two angry groups of kids and no one was much interested in the mural. I was really down and thought not only that the mural was sunk but that I was being unrealistic about the neighborhood getting much better.

I talked with the two groups individually and they agreed to talk to each other. Sitting for awhile on a front porch, the kids talked (I mostly stayed out of the way) and realized they weren't really angry at each other but at someone else who'd caused trouble. I thought that things had been patched up and went away feeling better. That night, there was another fight and I brought in my friend and neighbor, Johnny (who's a lot younger than me and great with the kids) to talk with them. Over the course of a couple of days we both talked with the groups individually and things really settled down. I don't know if the garden, the mural or block parties helped with this but I do know that without those things, there's no way I would have felt comfortable talking with the kids. And I do think all of these things helped because all of them got kids and adults together. It gave people a chance to get to know each other and work together in different ways.

The mural has been great for the neighborhood. We had excellent participation, the parents are completely supportive and we're all excited about putting it in. One of my favorite stories is from Karen, one of the parents here. We were talking about the mural and she said, "I don't know what's going on but Shika and Zay just looked at each other, said something about the mural and gave each other high fives." There's a sense of pride and accomplishment.

Shawn's putting the finishing touches on the mural and it will be installed in a couple of weeks. The unveiling is September 29 at 2:00. We're expecting a pretty big crowd. It's a chance for us to show off our work and our neighborhood, a chance to bring even more people together. I'll post some more blogs over the next few weeks but I don't want to leave anyone with the idea that we're now this perfect block that's all nice and quiet and clean and where everyone gets along. We still have work to do. The block can be neglected for periods of time and trash builds up. The noise sometimes gets to be a bit too much and there is still the occasional argument between neighbors. But, you know what? For the most part, we can talk to each other now. As imperfect as it is, it's a real neighborhood where you know everyone. I love walking down the street and saying hello to everyone, hearing kids from half a block away yelling out my name or when Angel comes running after me to say hello. As Johnny told me last week, he drives down the street and the kids are all calling out to him. "I never been in a neighborhood like that before." If that's not cool, I don't know what is.

Joseph

Tommy, can you hear me?

Fellow blogger Yamalis and I went on a site visit to Rochester Hearing and Speech Center (RHSC). United Way currently funds three of their programs, including Audiology, which provides a plethora of services, ranging from prevention of hearing loss to helping those that already have hearing problems deal with it through adaptive devices such as hearing aids.

During the visit, our host, Dr. Larry Medwetsky, gave us the chance to try an innovative hearing test. This service is free and you don’t need an appointment- you can just go the agency and either enter the hearing screening room (immediately to the right upon entering the Door # 1 entrance of the Golisano Building at the corner of Elmwood and South Avenue) or go to RHSC front desk and let the receptionist know that you want to do the free computerized screening. You sit in a sound proof booth in front of a computer and put on headphones. A series of tones are played in each ear of the headphones, and you indicate to the computer if you hear them. RHSC's software is set up to go into secondary screening if the initial test indicates potential problems.

Now, let me let you in on a couple of secrets. When Super United Way Girl was much younger, she played guitar (poorly) and sang (even worse) in a few rock bands. AND she waitressed (even worse yet!) at a couple of live music clubs. AND she wasn't always that great about protecting her hearing. She's also noticed that recently, she is having trouble hearing in certain situations. For example, at the Rochester Children Zone's Implementation Conference, the whole group was often broken up into small groups that met in different parts of the same room. She had difficulty hearing others in her group against the background noise of the other groups. So she was really interested to see if the test indicated any problems.

Yama went first and passed with flying colors. Then it was my turn- right ear was fine. Left ear, however... a different story. So the computer program went into further testing of the left ear and identified some mild hearing loss in the higher frequencies. (You can see the results in the graphic- I scored a 35 in the 3000Hz and 4000Hz frequencies, which is in the range between slight hearing loss and moderate hearing loss). Dr. Medwetsky gave me some very practical advice on how to cope with some of my hearing issues and to prevent future hearing loss.

To learn more about this and other services provided by RHSC, call 585-271-0680 [tel]585-442-2985 [tty] or check out the website at http://www.rhsc.org/.

Of safety and violence...

My daughter starts kindergarten in a couple of weeks. Like many kids her age, she’s nervous about a new school. New friends. Riding the bus. All the things that should be scary, I guess, when you’re five years old.

But, for so many kids today, riding the bus isn’t scary. It’s a relief.

There are multitudes of parents in the city school district who request their kids be enrolled in a school that's not in their neighborhood—just so kids can ride the bus for safety reasons.

Scary, actually, is walking to school when you are six—and in fear of the violence that can erupt around you.

Scary is going to the playground, and sitting on swings that have been gnawed down by pit bulls that were being trained to fight. I’ve seen the swings. It’s like seeing shattered glass on a favored childhood blanket.

There’s no one cause to this… and there’s no one solution. But, when we act as one—we’ll continue to cut down on what’s really scary, and prevent violence.

When I think about the school year ahead… I think, optimistically, of all the kids who won’t carry guns… because you’ve given them the tools they need to stay the course in school and graduate.

I think of the kids who won’t be abused… because their parents got critical help, and the cycle will be broken.

I think of the after-school programs that will be energetically beaming with kids, mentors, libraries—all the stuff that makes for good solutions.

Stick around. We’ll have some inspiring blog postings soon on how you help prevent violence.

Food for Thought

If you have children, you know how important it is that they eat healthy, well balanced meals – all year round. But in the summer – when school is out and school meal programs aren’t available - it’s sad to think that there some kids in our community who go hungry. But the Summer Meal Program - run by the YWCA - is there to make a difference.

I recently had a chance to see how this program works first-hand. Basically, it provides lunches to local children, 18 and under, during the summer. There are 70 sites that the City of Rochester funds and then an additional 30 sites that Foodlink funds.

Have you had a chance to read my blog on Stamp Out Hunger yet? United Way teams up with the Post Office to help collect canned goods for the local food shelters. During the summer months- the food shelters are drained do to more people needing their services. The summer meal programs help elevate some of the stress the food shelters feel.

I visited the Catholic Family Center site and had a chance to talk to a couple of the kids. They had just come from Baden Street Settlement where they had been swimming. United Way funds the Youth Development program at Baden Street. Without the kids even realizing it, they used 3 agencies that United Way funds and benefited immensely from them. It was nice to hear that the kids are aware of all the services that are available to them.

The coolest part of this specific location is that at the end of the summer, the kid’s get backpacks full of all the school supplies they need to help them jump start another school year. This reminded me of the backpack event that we team up with the Laborers to provide school supplies from RCSD School #22.

After visiting many of our agencies, it still amazes me all the different programs that are out there.

This is for Willy...

Every time I think about Hillside Family Services, I think of a little boy named Willy- who lived at Hillside. When I was growing up I swam on the YMCA swim team with Willy. There was one meet that I will never forget- it was the East Invitational’s. Willy was about 11 years old and he had been burned over 75% of his body. It came time for his race, and the other swimmers finished several laps ahead of him. Willy kept swimming and on his last lap, everyone in the pool area was on their feet cheering for Willy. When he finally finished- he said that it was the biggest accomplishment of his life! It still gives me goose bumps thinking of that day.

Not only did Hillside help Willy, they help about 7,000 families and 12,000 kids a year. They offer many programs to help kids and families stay on track. United Way funds 4 programs at Hillside. There are many programs that Hillside has all over NYS, but the one that stood out the most to me was the Alternative for Independent Youth. Under this program there are drop in centers where police take the kids if they don’t have a safe home. Hillside also offers the curfew center. At these centers they have programs for teens to get their GED’s or an apartment.

Walking thru the Hillside campus it almost reminded me of the University of Rochester campus- with the old beautiful buildings. They have everything a kid could possibly need and more.

If you haven’t already- check out my blog on Creastwood Family Center- it’s a part of the Hillside Family Agency.

I know that Willy impacted my life- has a Hillside child affected yours?

The Vineyard

Last week I visited The Vineyard – an pie-shaped, 2.7-acre parcel of farm land, tucked away in a northeast neighborhood, not far from the public market

The Vineyard is a project of the Northeast Block Club Alliance and the NorthEast Neighborhood Alliance, a group of neighborhood organizations who are intent on making their neighborhood vibrant again. The farm started as a “vacant” parcel of land, littered with garbage, a few dilapidated buildings, and trees downed by the 1991 ice storm. Now it is a wonderful site: tidy rows of vegetables, poking through black landscaping cloth, are all set up, ready for lots of water and cultivation. Shirley Edwards, who is leading the project, showed me the tomatoes, eggplants, peppers, shallots & onions that have already been planted. Carefully trained along wires, grape vines separate some of the vegetable rows. There are also several fruit trees on the property that provide pears & apples.

Shirley & her crew are in the process of developing an urban agriculture education & training center where the volunteers & neighbors who tend and harvest the crops can prepare food products & sell their wares. I was there because UW gave them a neighborhood mini-grant to purchase some of the equipment for the commercial kitchen. They are also selling their produce at the Public Market & to local restaurants – you’ll see their vegetables being sold under the name of GRUB – Greater Rochester Urban Bounty. Because they’re a not-for-profit, all of the funds that are raised go back into the farm & the neighborhood programs they run. In a neighborhood with fairly few grocery options, their hope is to reconnect the neighbors with healthy food choices that they themselves produce.

As you head towards the back of the property, there is a screened-in gazebo and a series of small flower gardens that have been developed by the neighbors. This may sound like a cliché, but its true: while you’re enjoying those gardens, you completely lose sight of the fact that you standing in the middle of a busy urban neighborhood because the only sounds you hear are the birds singing.

Goodbye to Douglass (but they will keep steppin’!)

Have you ever watched a step team perform? You feel the beat deep down inside and you just can’t sit still. At least that’s how I felt watching the Frederick Douglass Step Team perform. (Click here to see them in action!)

You might be wondering why I might be blogging about a high school step team. Community Place of Greater Rochester, which offers several United Way-funded programs, also hosts a Step Off competition each year. The uniforms each team wears are incredible, but they're also expensive. So, we wanted to reward the team that was able to -collectively - increase their GPA the highest over the school year by helping them pay for their uniforms. The Douglass team showed the greatest academic improvement, so we sponsored them.

To be a member of this step team, which is run by Community Place, the students have to fill several requirements. They have to have a GPA of at least a 2.25 and do community service. Most of the team members raised their GPA from a 2.25 up to a 3.75. They practice every day for several hours. Let me tell you- it’s a lot harder than it looks! I tried doing a couple step moves and my feet and hands were numb!

Since the Frederick Douglass school closed at the end of the school year, the members of the team are going on to different schools. They will be starting at School Without Walls, Edison, and Wilson – some will go to MCC in the fall. But all the steppers all agreed that they will stay together as a team - thru the Community Place.

Leaving Douglass was really hard for this 21 person team, but they have become more like a family because of this. As one of the steppers told me, it’s not just a past time- it’s an obsession. I saw this obsession first hand. Once they started steppin - they wanted to go thru all of their favorite routines.

These students have learned a bigger life lesson than they were planning on. They joined the team for fun and they walked away with more than they ever planned on… including better grades and a stronger commitment to our community. And, that’s the big win.

Happy July 4th Lynn

Tomorrow - which is July 4th - marks an important day for Lynn Kouwe... whose snuggling with those adorable kids in this picture.

She's the director of the Patricia Carter Child Care Center at Nazareth.

We got to know her because she's also a United Way Campaign Coordinator.

This Independence Day, Lynn turns 50 years old. An important birthday by any stretch of the imagination.

But, it also marks a decade of Lynn's battle against breast cancer. She was diagnosed shortly after she turned 40. Since then, she has undergone four different hormone therapies, three rounds of chemotherapy, and five sessions of radiation.

All this, and she still manages to work full-time... and she's dedicated to United Way.

Happy Birthday Lynn. We're so proud of who you are, and all you do.

If you want to read more about Lynn's story, click here to read it in our Real Time magazine.

A Breath of Fresh Air

I was burned out. “I swear, if I have to look at this program one more time”.....these were the thoughts running thru my head last week as we prepared for our campaign celebration breakfast this past Friday.

In the middle of the preparations for this event, I scheduled a tour of CP Rochester. I’m glad I did – because it helped me remember why I love working at United Way so much – why we do what we do here. To be able to put a face on the people that we help every day is amazing. Just walking thru the halls of CP Rochester - full of bright murals and smiling faces - gave me an overwhelming “warm and fuzzy” feeling. Let me tell you a little bit about what I learned.

United Way funds a really cool program at CP Rochester - called the Assisted Technology program. It was actually featured in this year’s campaign film with Doug Lemke. CP Rochester helped Doug get the computer that he communicates with. Before he lost the ability to speak, he recorded several things in his own voice so that he could play them back to his family. In this years film- it shows how Doug is able to say “I Love You” to his family. Every time I watch that part it brings tears to my eyes. CP Rochester even has an apartment that they train people with disabilities to live independently and be self sufficient.

No matter how stressed and frustrated I get at work- I just think of all the people I have met at my agency visits, and it calms me right away. That is the lesson learned of the week: how does your job make a difference in the lives of others?

The campaign may be over, but we can't stop now!

Thanks to your support, we made our 2007 campaign goal – and we are standing proud because of what your gift will do to help people in our community who need help the most.

It may seem a little trite, but I feel like I have grown up in this campaign. This is my second campaign with the United Way of Gr. Rochester - but now I feel like have arrived. I have been through it, and I did it. Thanks to wonderful United Way supporters like you.

You helped us accomplish so much – and while this campaign may officially be over, in many ways, we’ve only just begun.

Here’s a glimpse behind the scenes here at United Way:

As I write this, our finance department is working long and hard to get the numbers totaled - making sure every penny is accounted for.

Our Community Impact staffers are working with the agencies and the programs we support, and they’re looking at applications from agencies who would like our help.

Our leadership staff is doing an incredible job giving us direction and insight, and probably most importantly, there is our support staff. Their work is never done and they are truly the cog in all our wheels.

What I am trying to say is, campaign “crunch time” may be over, and while we all are looking forward to returning to a more “normal” pace – we are hard at work, year round, to make sure your donations are making the biggest difference in our community!

What about prom, Blane? ... WHAT ABOUT PROM?!?

So this friend of mine who is a tenth grader at Jefferson High School went to the prom recently. I'll be honest- when she called me, all excited: "Guess what! I'm going to the prom!" Super United Way Girl's first reaction was to THINK: Hoo boy, who's paying for this. I know- I am. My friend- let's call her D for Drama- has a boyfriend who has been locked up in Industry for several months, so I asked her (somewhat grumpily, I'm sure) who was taking her. When she told me it was a friend who was a senior, graduating, and going to Syracuse University in the fall, I cooed, "Ohhhhhhhhhh! When do we go shopping?"

It's a bit tough for me to easily (or at least succinctly) describe my relationship with D. When I used to work at a human services agency (this was BEFORE I became Super United Way Girl), there was a family who lived a couple doors down, and their kids used to play in our parking lot. Some of them lived with grandma; others were dropped off for grandma to watch during the day. I remember having some random thoughts about signing up for Big Brothers Big Sisters. I was 31, no kids of my own, no nieces or nephews even. I'm sure my biological clock was somehow involved: "must... get... mommy/auntie...fix."

So anyway, D was 6 and decided that I was her best friend. To the best of my memory, she asked me one day whether I had any candy, I went to the drug store across the street to get her and the other kids some, and she told me I was her best friend ever. (This is how clueless I was about kids- I didn't even think about nut allergies or anything like that).

D's grandma had custody of her and some of her cousins. D's mom has struggled with drug addiction, and D was born with drugs in her system. The family doesn't have a lot of money for "extras", so I started to take her (usually with her sister and/or a cousin... or two) to different places (the Strong Museum was a huge favorite) and hook them up with activities such as Baden Street's summer camp. And D's and my relationship evolved so that I became her informal mentor. Now, I'll be honest- if I could do this all over again, I would DEFINITELY do it- but I would have formalized this relationship through Big Brothers Big Sisters or another mentoring program. Why? Because I was 31 with no kids of my own and really pretty clueless in a lot of ways. I actually had worked as a mentor/advocate for a couple of years, but with older kids, and in some ways, my paid work experience was more of a hindrance than a help. With D, my role was somewhat muddled- sometimes I ended up acting like the typical mentor (let's do this fun thing, let me help you with your homework) and other times I acted more like a social worker (not a very good one, because I didn't have the objectivity I needed to deal effectively with different situations. There probably is truth to that old adage that a doctor should never treat his/her own relatives.)

D was an extremely cute, sweet kid who is now developing into quite the lovely young lady, but she has had different behavioral issues that have been really difficult for me to deal with and understand. It's always a roller coaster ride- we'll have one marking period where she is a high honor roll student where every comment on her report card is "Is a pleasure to have in class", and the next one, she gets a long-term suspension for fighting. So if I could go back in time, I would have signed us up with a mentoring organization for access to training and support. Personally, I think it would have been good for both of us.There are a lot of ways D has had a positive impact on ME. One can (and people often do) look at kids like D in terms of negative categories. She lives in a home where none of her immediate family has graduated with a high school diploma. Many members have struggled with addiction and mental illness, and have lived in many poor, high crime neighborhoods where the issues her family deals with are not the exception, but the rule.

But D is more than a list of problems or "risk factors". She is smart, exasperating, funny, loving, flirty, mature beyond her years one moment and a little girl the next- not that different from my teenage niece-by-marriage in a lot of ways.

The big difference - D's environment has a LOT more negative influences and not as many of the positive ones that my niece can just take for granted. I worry that D's boyfriend from Industry- or the kids who sell drugs in her neighborhood- will pull her toward illegal or unhealthy behavior. And I inwardly cheer every time she makes a friend who is doing well in school (i.e. Mr. Syracuse University prom date!) or a teacher takes a special interest in her. Hopefully, D has enough positive influences going to enable her to "break the curve" and achieve her goal of becoming a teacher. (She certainly has the brains to do so.)

My experience with D, as well as my professional experience in human services, has convinced me that it is not realistic to expect one short-term program to be the silver bullet for life long success for kids like D. But our friendship has also convinced me that it is important NOT to write these kids off, and the combined efforts of different persons in the community can make a big difference in helping underprivileged youth develop their talents and achieve in school. This is one reason why I'm so glad that United Way funds programs like Community Place of Greater Rochester's Beacons Youth Development Program (which is strives to create a "culture of opportunity" for youth like D as an antidote to the streets) and participates in cross sector collaborative efforts like the Rochester Children's Zone.

Prior to the prom, D told me at least three times: "I'm going to be the first in my family to go to the prom and the first to graduate from high school." (I asked her which she thought was more important to ME, and she rolled her eyes and said "graduation"). I plan to be up there in the front row at graduation with enough tissues for me, her mom, and her grandma, and to hopefully, embarrass the hell out of her with cheering and screaming.

(PS - If you want to learn more about becoming a mentor, visit Big Brothers, Big Sisters web site at http://www.bbbsr.org/)

New Job Brings New Experiences

Let me first tell you a little bit about what I do here at United Way. I recently moved from the resource development department to the Community Investment division as Program Officer. So essentially, my job is to work with some of the agencies that fall under the “Strengthening People and Families” area.

As a way to become more familiar with my new responsibilities, I’ve been visiting the different agencies– to get a sense of how the programs we support work. One of the first programs I went to was the ARC of Monroe County, Arc Works Program. This is a sheltered work program - and although I knew what a sheltered work program was - I have never visited one. For those of you who don’t know, a sheltered work program is a place where someone who has a disability who wishes to work can go receive training and employment.

As I pulled into the large parking lot of Arc Works on Lyell Avenue, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I first met with Kathy, the Sr. Administrator of Transition Services to learn more about the program. She explained that the ARC Works Program provides specialized employment for adults with developmental disabilities. People who participate in the program receive paid work opportunities, support, as well as paid holiday and vacation time.

Next I got to tour the facility. I originally thought this program would be done in several office rooms throughout the building – but, to my surprise, it was a huge warehouse filled with people working diligently at their task at hand. At the different work areas, I learned about the jobs people were doing – like sorting, packaging, counting, moving, and testing various objects for different companies.

It was incredible to see how certain machines were adapted so that people with various abilities could use them. For example, one person was using a machine – making a certain part for an automobile - by folding levers over. Another person was making the exact same part by pressing a button. In another area, I saw someone putting 6 objects into a bag, then into a package. I noticed the worker was first placing the objects over a sheet that was taped to the table - with the outline of the object - and then began bagging them. When I asked about this process, Kathy explained that the sheet served as an aid for the person who had difficulty counting - to be sure that they were putting the right amount of objects in the bag.

It was really great to see first hand how the Arc Works Program worked, and to see a United Way supported program in action – helping people who otherwise may have been overlooked, work to their full potential. If you want to learn more about Arc Works, visit http://www.arcmonroe.org.

Stamp Out Hunger

This morning United Way received a very important package – a big envelope full of thank you letters written by the first grade class at School #33. They were thanking us for having them be a part of our Stamp Out Hunger kickoff on Monday.

In case you didn’t know - Stamp Out Hunger is a yearly event put on by our local letter carriers and United Way. This year, we kicked off the week long food drive at Freshlink Farms in Penfield. The first grade class learned about healthy eating choices, and got to see how vegetables are grown using hydroponics (the really cool science of growing plants indoors using nutrient solutions instead of soil). The kids toured the whole farm and even were able to try a fresh cucumber and edible flowers. (Some of the kids didn’t care too much for the flowers!) At the end of the tour, the kids also go to plant their very own basil to bring home.

During the summer there are few subsidized meal programs and the food pantries are stretched to their limits. That’s why Stamp Out Hunger is so important to families in our community, and the food pantries. (By the way, hunger isn’t just a city issue. Some of your friends and neighbors in the suburbs might be having trouble making ends meet too – you never know!). The good news is - you still have time to make a difference. Leave your non perishable foods by your mailbox through Saturday – things like cereal, mac and cheese, peanut butter – that kind of stuff. It’s that simple, and you can feel good about helping our community.

Can I Brag?

Have you ever had a job where your mentality was, “I come in. I do my work. I go home.” Maybe you are there now?
I was there. I was there even a year ago! I have been at United Way for over 3 years. I used to think of my finance job as JUST that - A job.

I am not sure what changed for me this past year – But can I brag about what those changes look like? It hit me one day. I love my job. I love who I work with.
I love what United Way stands for. And I LOVE that I am a part of it.

I took a long, hard look around me & came to some realizations. I feel as though I am a part of a family. I am different, yes. My fashion sense may be a little ………unique & I have different views & opinions (everyone does!) & my sense of humor may be a little ……dry – and yet, I feel accepted.
I realized that I respect my co-workers and they respect me. If there is ever a problem or concern, it seems to work itself out. I am given the freedom to be honest & voice those concerns.

I am given opportunities to expand my horizons – to learn & grow.

We are all a part of a very important task. An important goal. I am a part of it.
How can I even blog this into words how proud I am of being right here. Right now?

My last blog, I wrote about our internal campaign & how good it feels to be able to be yourself at your job. Can I say it again? It feels really good.

Would I be considered a nerd if I said that I actually look forward to coming into work and working??

It took me awhile to get to this exact spot of feeling like, “I get it. I get that my role is important.” Trust me, I’ve had my days of where I have SO NOT wanted to come to work. Some mornings, I would even get a pang of anxiety. It was because I didn’t open myself up to realizing things.
Realizing that my role is important & that people respect me just for being me.

So – I challenge you. Today. Right now. If you are in that spot of “just coming in & doing my job” – challenge yourself to change your outlook. It doesn’t matter where you are. Somehow, some way YOU ARE making a difference. Your role DOES matter.
Believe it.

Every Dollar Counts

This week I was able to tag along with a couple of our Campaign staffers to receive a check from kids who go to the Crestwood Children’s Center. The kids had raised $11.13 for the United Way and wanted to present a check to us.

They presented their gift to us at their weekly Success Assembly. Let me tell you - it was the coolest thing to witness! It was a mini-auditorium full of bright colors and murals on the walls. The excitement in the air was awesome!

These kids are part of the PBIS (Positive Behavior Intervention Supports) program. They are anywhere from 3-12 years old, and are enrolled in the day program there. Day Treatment serves kids who are experiencing school-related and/or family problems. Day Treatment provides a stable, consistent environment where emotional and educational needs can be met.

I think that the most amazing thing about this whole experience was that the kids at the school were the ones that decided to raise the money. One of the core ideas behind the PBIS program is helping yourself and others. The UW campaign posters were up around the building for the staff and the kids decided that they could also help others in need.

This is probably my favorite part of my job - dealing with the kids who our donors help through their gifts. Just last week we had a kindergarten class from School #12 enrolled in the Strong Start program come in to help announce how much we raised in this year’s campaign.

We are proudly displaying the check for $11.13 by the employee entrance. Every dollar counts—and is so meaningful.

The 411 on 211

The 211 call center might look like your basic call center, but for those that use its services- it is a life saver. When I walked in the door I was actually surprised at what I saw. For some reason, I always had an idea that a call center was set up like a telethon- just lots of people and phones ringing off the hook. I almost reminded me of when I worked in the Admissions office in college. There were about 6 operators working and they were all dealing with different issues.

211 receives about 300,000 calls a year dealing with a variety of topics ranging from basic needs about food, clothing, shelter, and baby needs to crisis calls about domestic violence and suicide. The agency coordinating 2-1-1 here in our area, ABVI-Goodwill, also has a separate call center that has contracts with federal and state government agencies and deals with even more diverse and complex issues. And many of those call center specialists are blind or visually impaired employees of ABVI-Goodwill - what a great way for them to have a job and also give back to the community!

The trained counselors are certified by the state and are continuously developing their skills. I was able to witness several calls while I was there. It is very interesting to observe what happens in this kind of call center. The counselor took a call on a food pantry, and then on gambling addiction. Personally I don’t know how they can switch gears so well every time they pick up the phone- guess that’s why I’m just blogging about it… They are incredibly talented people.

If there ever is a time that you need non-emergency help, there will always be someone on the other end of the phone.

Working at the United Way, I personally have directed people to 211 for assistance. Every once in a while you get a call from someone who found your number on the website, who really has no idea where to turn - and I transfer them over to 211.

I know that once I hang up the phone, they are in good hands with a trained professional.

A Whole Day Full of Caring

You want me to be at work at what time!! This was my first reaction when I heard that I had to be at work at 6am on the United Way Day of Caring. I mean do they realize that it is an effort to try to get to work at 8am every day for me??

Then I remembered that I got to rock my really cool I keep It Real shirt for the day and witness what a caring community I live in. And if you think about it- this one day a year is pretty awesome! In and around Rochester, more than 11,000 people volunteered their time to help around the community at more than 500 different sites.

It was amazing to drive around that day, because everywhere I looked there were Day of Caring Project site signs and the black t-shirts every where!

This year, Channel 13 broadcasted their morning show from one of the project sites, and I was there to witness it (hence being at work at 6am!). The Swillburg neighborhood built a gazebo thanks to the Bank of America team. I drove by it a couple days later and it really looks great. This summer they will even host an RPO concert from this gazebo. Even our President and CEO Peter Carpino lent a hand (you see him here helping to hold the roof up!).

I personally visited a handful of project sites and it was great to be able to thank the volunteers who gave of their time to give back. Although I was exhausted at the end of the day, it was well worth it to be a part of such a great community effort.

For my grandma...

Last week I visited the Alzheimer’s Association. It was the hardest agency visit that I’ve had to do so far and there were times that I had to hold back tears. My grandmother died two years ago from Alzheimer’s.

Alzheimer’s is an awful disease that I would never wish upon my worst enemy. It is a progressive, irreversible brain disorder with no known cause or cure. Every year, more and more people are being diagnosed. In the US alone, there are 4.5 million people with this disease. The only nice thing is that there is a wonderful agency that will be with you and support the family as they deal with loosing their loved ones.

The Alzheimer’s Association offers many programs that help families deal with the disease. The one that stuck out the most to me was this really interesting project called Memories in the Making. This allows them to express themselves thru art. They will have a patient sit in front of a blank canvas with someone that they tell their story to while painting. The families often discover things about their family member that they never knew. At the end of the year, they have a big art show to display the pieces of art.

My grandma’s canvas was the piano. She played beautifully and always from memory. Whenever we went to see her, we would always ask if she would play us a song. Toward the end, she would always say, “I don’t know how to play the piano” and then break into a beautiful song. I am actually holding back tears remembering that right now.

For those that are affected by Alzheimer’s they often loose the ability to communicate, but with a project like this, it really allows them to express themselves. Check out their website for the complete list of services that they offer- http://www.alz-rochesterny.org/

Having been thru this with my grandmother, it is nice to know that there is an agency that will help you deal with this disease every step of the way. Knowing that this disease runs in my family, hopefully they will have a cure before it affects anyone else in my family. But if not, I know that I can lean on those at the Alzheimer’s Association.

Don't look back!

ME, be the chair of our Internal Campaign????!!! Are you KIDDING me right NOW?! Yeah ….no thanks……..I’ll just stay right here in my comfy swivel chair in front of my computer staring at the clipping of “OUTSTANDING” taped to it. Oh, & don’t forget the furry critters sitting a top the monitor! My cubicle is filled with colorful things. Inspirational sayings about “taking risks” & “loving life”….Funny pictures & about 20 obnoxious magnets stuck to the metal filing cabinet.
I work in finance. “Yes, thank you………….I’ll process your payment!” & just quietly click away at my adding machine. Would I not be a hypocrite to decline this opportunity to be a part of a project that could be so fun? Did I, Amy E. Stern, not hang the card that screams “TAKE RISKS, ENJOY LIFE, BE YOURSELF!!!?”

Ok, so I accepted to take this project on. I gathered a handful of my friends here at work & said, “Let’s GO!!” Yeah, that “GO” light has been on for the past 2 weeks straight. I’m not creative. I’m not one of those people who come up with brilliant ideas at the snap of a finger. I got overwhelmed quick. Quicker than when I hear there’s a ½ off sale at Macy’s & I run giddily to the sale racks. I am amazed at not only myself, but those on my team. Their support & willingness to step out of their comfort zone makes me glow brighter than my Lancome flash bronzer…
I have learned a whole new level of teamwork along with seeing that working in an organization that seems sooo……low-key – could be such a blast! I mean, the Team Captain of our organization has offered to do a Starbuck’s run as a prize for one of our raffles! How freakin’ cool is THAT? We chose a movie theme for our campaign & Herb (campaign dept) dressed up as The Godfather & made us laugh so hard at the kickoff. The enthusiasm & humor has really shown in the people around me.
Isn’t that what life should be about? Teamwork, a giving heart & making people laugh in a way that makes them proud to know you?
People will never see eye to eye. There will always be disagreements – but something happened here when we all came together for a common goal. I saw people not as co-workers – but as people just like me.
Being able to be yourself at work is a feeling SO good I think it’s better than the feeling of my favorite black warm-up pants. Welllllll….maybe not. But, pretty darn close.

So did we make our $83,000 goal??? Heck yes we did! Exact number is $85, 005.00! AND we have 100% participation – which to be honest, was the most important. I would be lying if I told you it wouldn’t have mattered if we didn’t make goal. I am just so proud to be working with such an awesome group of people. I have seen the dedication among my peers through this campaign that I had never taken the time to see before. I am so glad I had the opportunity to be such a close part of our campaign.

Knowing & feeling that someone has faith in you to do something you thought you would never see yourself doing – makes you feel blessed. It has made ME feel blessed.
I am changed. After our campaign is over, I will still be processing payments and staring at my “Take a risk” card & KNOW – that I did - and loved every minute of it.

Life’s too short to isolate yourself. If we are lucky enough to be given the chance to spread our wings – step out of your comfort zone & JUMP. Don’t look back.

Let's Talk About T.A.A.L.K.

Last week, I brought along a trusty sidekick, our intern Lauren, to visit the Rochester Hearing and Speech Center. We braved the snow and slush to visit the agency. Normally I refuse to drive in the snow or any conditions that are not perfect (do we see a pattern with my driving skills here?) but I made an exception.

T.A.A.L.K. stands for Teaching Age Appropriate Language for Kids and is for 1-3 year old kids who are not speaking or are having difficulties communicating. We were able to observe one of the classrooms in action. If I didn’t know any better, I would have thought it was a preschool class. The kids were running around playing and just having fun being kids. The picture above is of one of the classrooms.

The speech pathologists use a lot of repetition and basic sign language to communicate with the children. The kids were so excited when they knew how to say certain things and they knew that the adults in the room understood them. They had a smile that went from ear to ear. Both of the boys started out very shy, but they soon warmed up and were talking at their different levels by the end of the class.

Not only does T.A.A.L.K. help develop the children’s speech, the teachers also work with the parents on different skills that they can use at home. The parents also are able to get advice from other parents - like a support group - on other things like potty training.

The whole time we were visiting RHSC, I was thinking of my friend’s little boy who has received similar help. I actually saw him over the weekend, and I am amazed at how much he has grown and developed. He is talking up a storm and his disposition has improved tremendously. Before, he used to whine and throw temper tantrums a lot and you could never understand what he was asking for. You could really see how frustrated he would get. Now you can see how excited he is that he can tell you what he wants. His little brother is just starting to speak and he is excited to be able to talk to him now too.

I know that when I have kids someday… if they have developmental delays… it’s great to know agencies like Rochester Hearing and Speech – and so many others – will be there to get us on the right track.

My Intern Adventures

As a student, my life would be empty without e-mail. I need it to ask questions of my professors, to keep in contact with group members, and on some days even ask my mother her favorite question “What’s for dinner tonight?”

Because it’s a staple in my life, I rarely think about people who don’t use it, how new the technology can be to a first time user, or what power it could have when used for doing good deeds.
However, my opinion of e-mail, and those who used it, changed this morning when I met a group of—what I thought would be—unlikely e-mail users who are using their addresses to help the United Way of Greater Rochester.

Let me back up and tell you why I was able to experience this unique point of view. For the last four months, I have been interning at the United Way in order to gain some field experience to complete my Communications degree at the State University of New York at Geneseo.

I am happy to say that unlike some of my fellow students, who have to sit in cubicles all day, my intern experience has not only kept my interest, but it has given me the chance to meet some extraordinary people in the wake.

Not only are my co-workers a ball (seriously, have you met Liz on the Loose?), but they have taken me all over the county (and to parts of Livingston County too) to see firsthand the great things that United Way is doing my own community.

I have seen labor unions working together for United Way, how fundraising money is used to help those in need, and have even decided to do my part by donating with paycheck deductions at my summer place of employment. Prior to this experience, I knew very little about what United Way actually does day to day, but have come to see that it truly is a shining star in Rochester.

When I arrived at United Way this particular Wednesday morning (a little before nine, which is an all-time record for this usually late arriver), I was informed by my good friend Wendy (one of the many talented staff members here at UW) that today we’d be venturing out into the totally unpredictable Rochester weather to visit a group of volunteers at Lifespan.

These volunteers are using their individual e-mail accounts to spread the message about United Way’s annual fundraising campaign. The process is fairly simple – volunteers log on to their accounts and send e-mails to their families and friends asking them to donate to United Way’s annual campaign.

If those who receive the e-mail are unable to donate to the campaign, they are asked to forward the e-mail on, so that more people will learn about United Way and the things they are trying to accomplish in the community. Once the e-mail has been sent, the volunteers’ task is complete.

They have to do little follow-up work and if their friends and family decide to donate to United Way, they will have helped people in their community by using the power of technology.

When we arrived to Lifespan, I was surprised by how many volunteers had donated their time to helping the United Way, and even more surprised to learn that all of the volunteers were senior citizens!

When I typically think of e-mail users, I don't usually stop to think about the volunteers I met that day. While these folks may be eligible for Social Security, they are very in tune with the technology of today, and were a total blast to hang out with! Above you can see just two of the ladies I had the pleasure of meeting. Laura (foreground) and Mary Jane are seen here typing away to friends and family asking for their support.

Although I was only at Lifespan for an hour, I was able to help the volunteers personalize their e-mails, learn each person's name, and I was able to teach them some savvy computer shortcuts. Even with such a short stay, it was great to see United Way volunteers in action, something that is rare when you spend most of your week in the office. But then again, it’s just another day in the life of a cool communications intern…

Family or friends??

When I was first asked to blog on our website, I was so excited. My mind raced with things I wanted to say, things I wanted to share. I found myself feeling quite emotional. My thoughts ran to my feelings. Feelings of gratitude for working for a group of people that supported me through my diagnosis of breast cancer and all that followed. Excited to be part of a great organization that does so much for the community.

It hit me as I was preparing to come back to work for the United Way, that I was one of those people who got services. I thought to myself that I needed to impart my personal message when I was giving my presentations. That would be my touch. But that all changed quickly. I found that in the right atmosphere, that I might mention it to a coordinator, or to a group where that experience might hit home or be of some help.
I can’t remember exactly at which presentation I was but I found myself thinking that I had little to deal with compared to Doug Lemcke and his family. I remember thinking that my illness paled to Lou Gehrig’s disease. And as life happens, this thought took a life of its own.

In a period of a week, I met with an account where Doug Lemcke’s mother actually retired to care for her son. The company expressed immense concern for the family and it hit home to them. She was part of their family. Then, I was asked to make a presentation to a group for one of my colleagues. Before I was introduced, I was told that Doug Lemcke’s wife worked for this company and that about half of the people in the meeting new that the Lemcke family was in the video. In my introductory remarks, I always give a background on the video and of course mentioned that the technology that Doug Lemcke was using to be able to communicate with this family. And, then I looked at this group of people and so many were fighting back emotions and tears. And, well, I found myself choked up too. It has never happened to me before but again, seeing such concern for this woman and this family, it just got to me. Again, she was part of this group’s family.

When the meeting was over, I got in my car and just let the emotions out. But, in my catharsis, I realized how small this community is. I mean Doug Lemcke is one person and one family and there are so many people whose lives have been touched by a turn of events and how each one of them impacts so many other people, personally and professionally. And, how the United Way, softens the impact. So that is my message now and I like it.