COOPERATIVE EDUCATIONAL SERVICES AGENCY #10 FOSTER GRANDPARENT PROGRAM

The Cooperative Educational Services Agency (CESA) #10 Foster Grandparent Program is a group of senior citizens who volunteer to work on a consistent basis in the school setting, four hours a day, five days a week with children who have special educational needs or are academically challenged.

In 1969, the federal government enacted the Older American Act, which changed the Foster Grandparents from wage earners to recipients of an hourly, tax-free stipend to defray the cost of their volunteer work. The Chippewa Falls Foster Grandparent project began as a pilot project on August 23, 1985. The initial appropriation was sufficient to hire five Foster Grandparents to serve at Northern Center. The sponsorship changed to CESA #10 in 1987. This also changed the focus of the services provided by the Foster Grandparents to public education.

The CESA #10 Foster Grandparent program impacts three separate and distinct communities. They affect the schools, students, and the foster grandparents. In the school, the result of having Foster Grandparents is being able to manage class sizes more effectively. The school delegates to the Foster Grandparents those students who need one-on-one attention because of special needs. The students in all areas today need one-on-one attention more than ever. Educational reports indicate that special attention given by the Foster Grandparents enhances the individual student’s success rate, critical thinking and problem solving skills.

The Foster Grandparents are impacted, also. They come to the program with social, personal, and financial needs. Monthly in-services provide social opportunities and training to enhance their existing communication and observation skills in the classroom. Daily student contact and respect from professional staff members plus the love and attention from students, strengthens emotional well-being of the Foster Grandparent. The importance placed on their volunteer assignment gives the Foster Grandparent a feeling of being needed and useful to society.

This program builds bridges that link several communities that would otherwise be isolated. The intergenerational contact benefits both the children and the adults. The low-income senior, by age, income, and physical limitations, are usually insulated from contact with today’s youth. Many of the students and some adults accept those students with special educational needs with skepticism. The presence of the Foster Grandparent in the classroom and their relationship with these special needs students help dissolve these historic barriers. Also some families of the Foster Grandparents are not actively involved in their lives and do not understand their loneliness and exclusion.

The CESA #10 Foster Grandparent program has served the schools for 12 years. During this time, they have volunteered over 519,840 hours. These hours represent quality time with children who may otherwise “fall through the cracks.”

NORTHERN NEW JERSEY BUSINESS VOLUNTEER COUNCIL

The Northern New Jersey Business Volunteer Council (BVC) was officially launched on January 20, 2000, following a year of planning which included representatives from the business community, nonprofit organizations, the Volunteer Center of Bergen County and Bergen County’s United Way. The mission of the organization is to provide leadership in meeting community needs through mobilization of employee volunteers.

Members of the BVC chose to target the group’s efforts on meeting the needs of children and families for a number of reasons: to address very serious social needs in the local community, to leverage the visibility that America’s Promise was providing for children’s needs, and to capitalize on the repeated requests from corporate groups to ‘work for and/or with children.’ The needs of children and families were further categorized as health, hunger and education, based on input from the BVC’s non-profit “consultants” that were an integral part of the planning process.

The BVC Strategic Plan includes specific objectives and strategies associated with each area of need. The plan gave rise to a series of Strategic Initiatives, which are implemented through member companies for the benefit of children and families. The initiatives include Books in a Bag, a children’s book drive to promote family literacy; Just My Bag, a collection of backpacks filled with personal care items for children in foster care; Brown Bag Buddies, a summer food drive for children who normally receive breakfast and lunch at school; and Klothe$ 4 Kid$, a fundraiser to enable needy families to purchase back-to-school clothing. In 2000, more than 9,200 employee volunteers helped to gather and direct in excess of $80,000 in resources toward the needs of children and families in New Jersey.

In 2001, the BVC has expanded to include 29 members*. The success of the strategic initiatives has grown accordingly, with increases ranging from 20% (Just My Bag, Klothe$ 4 Kid$) to an amazing 75% (Books in a Bag,Brown Bag Buddies) over last year. A new initiative, Tools for School, was added; as a result, 1,100 children from pre-K through grade 12 went to school properly outfitted with supplies. By year’s end, the BVC will have generated more than $150,000 in resources for New Jersey’s families in need and mobilized 31,000 employee volunteers!

*BVC members as of 10/16/01: Addecco; Alpharma, Inc.; AMS; AT&T Wireless Services; Back Bay Restaurant Group (Papa Razzi and Joe’s American Bar & Grill); Borders Group, Inc.; Citibank; Commerce Bank; Enterprise Rent-a-Car; Footstar, Inc.; J.B. Williams Company, Inc.; KPMG LLP, Montvale; KPMG LLP, Short Hills; Manpower; Mellon Investor Services; P&O Nedlloyd; Pearson Education; The Plaza Regency at Park Ridge; PNC Bank; PSE&G; Reader’s Digest Association; Reckitt Benckiser NA; The Record, Herald News; Rockland Electric Company; Tiffany & Co., Riverside Square; Toys ‘R Us; UPS Information Services; Volvo Cars of North America; and Westfield Shoppingtown Garden State Plaza.

DR. DONALD ALLCORN

Dr. Donald Allcorn has served Sedalia area families for many years as a family practice physician and religious leader. Since his retirement from the medical field, he has chosen to give of himself through the Community Free Clinic by providing his services on a volunteer basis and by providing the space to house the clinic.

The population of Pettis County was stable until the mid 1990;s when a large poultry processing plant was established. The population then soared, and that put a strain on the infrastructure of Sedalia. The health care system was particularly affected by the growth. There was a high percentage of persons in the county living below the poverty level and in need of health and human services. The Community Free Clinic was established due to this need.

The Clinic was established two years ago and has seen tremendous growth since its creation. Solely volunteers who fill both professional and paraprofessional roles staff it. Currently, Dr. Allcorn provides his former clinic building free of charge to the Community Free Clinic. This gives a fully equipped setting for its operation. Before this, they were operating in one room at the Salvation Army building.

Dr. Allcorn serves as medical director for the Free Clinic. He also secures the staffing for the facility and oversees all other medical aspects including arranging referrals to other local physicians for specialized care. Dr. Allcorn also staffs the clinic himself on a regular basis. He works two days a week in Sedalia and twice a month in the Knob Noster satellite facility. He is there long after the scheduled hours for the clinic because Dr. Allcorn usually sees thirty to forty patients in a session.

Dr. Allcorn’s contributions to the community through his medical practice and pastorate of Lakeside Chapel have been substantial. He not only provides for the spiritual, physical, and mental well being of his patients and families, but he also educates to improve the community’s overall public health. His strong religious beliefs are the foundation for his continuous giving and interest in serving the community.

FCI RAY BROOK’S INMATE VOLUNTEER CORPS

FCI Ray Brook’s Inmate Volunteer Corps began in 1997. The concept of the Corps is to provide inmates with an opportunity to commit them to perform community projects for various organizations. The Corps also wants the inmates to gain a keen awareness of community needs and their ability to positively affect those needs.

Initially, the inmates were canvassed to determine how many of them would be interested in participating in community service projects. About 60 of the inmates responded positively, and then letters went to 50 community organizations informing them of the Inmate Volunteer Corps. These letters were invitations asking for responses if there was a project the Corps could complete for the various organizations.

Next, a four-week class on volunteerism was presented to the interested inmates. At the conclusion of the class, the first community service project began. Shortly after the first project was started, there were others in line to be completed. To date, the Corps has completed eight community projects. Their projects include the High Peaks Dove Project. Ceramic dove ornaments were used as fundraisers by the local Hospice organization for two years. Another project entailed the inmates creating United Way posters for their yearly kick-off campaigns held in September. For two years, the inmates restored the Village of Lake Placid and St. Alphonsus Church Nativity Scenes and read kindergarten level books on tapes so they could be shared with the children at St. Agnes to improve literacy. The Corps also participated with St. Bernard’s Church and created ceramic angel ornaments to use as fundraisers for the elementary school gym equipment. Certificates for participation in community service projects are distributed to the Corps members upon completion.

Currently there are 65 members of the FCI Ray Brook’s Inmate Volunteer Corps, and collectively, the men involved in the program have contributed 1755 hours of community service within the perimeter of the institution. This can be equated to a $22,536.80 donation of volunteer work.

The Inmate Volunteer Corps concept is presented at each Admission and Orientation class at the institution for new arrivals with the hopes of having the Corps continue to grow. The Volunteer Coordinator at Ray Brook’s also makes contacts searching out new opportunities, and the staff members are able to give suggestions.

WILLIAM GETZ

William Getz has worked closely to encourage young men in the Boy Scouts of America for the past 19 years. He became involved when his sons became a part of the organization; however, even after he lost one of his sons William stayed committed. William had to deal with a very hard loss, but he considered all of the young men he worked with his surrogate sons.

William has been an integral part of the Boy Scouts and his troops have been involved in seven ongoing projects. The Kinzua Bridge Historic Trail program requires all of its participants to provide four hours of public service and environmental education at the Kinzua Bridge State Park. Last year, his troop was a part of 50 groups from all over the United States who contributed 3,200 hours of service to the park, and they ran more than 3,200 hours of environmental education classes. Troop 495 also worked on Chestnuts Unlimited. They built chestnut nurseries and set up demonstration projects at the Kinzua Bridge State Park.

In addition, they participated in the Living Legacy Program where flowering crab trees were planted to proved cover and food for birds and wildlife and the Fish Attractor Project. Hundreds of discarded Christmas trees were recycled and utilized as fish attractors in the Allegheny Reservoir in cooperation the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, USDA Forest Service, and the Federal Corrections Institution. Pre-drilled trees were strung on donated wire and anchored with concrete blocks along the Allegheny Reservoir shoreline in the winter. When the reservoir rises, the trees provide a habitat for fish.

Troop 495 also completed piping and hookup to a local conservation center from a local municipal supply so approved potable water would be available to participants. This was a portion of their Conservation Education Center. The troop also assisted the Pepsi Family Fun Days Chairmen at the county fir with regards to recycling. They allowed aluminum cans to be redeemed for raffle tickets for donated prizes. The aluminum that was collected was sold, and the proceeds were used to sponsor other conservation programs.

Conservation education of youth has been a major thrust in Bill’s volunteer activities. In addition, the conservation service has provided American Chestnut nurseries and groves on public land. They have also development and enhanced fishery on the Allegheny Reservoir, along with urban forestry projects on Main Street in Bradford and on the Bradford Watershed property. Youth and adults from 40 different surrounding communities have participated in the programs William has initiated.

William’s efforts and programs have had an extremely high value to the region and nation. Because of his work, he was awarded three Gold Medallions in the Hornaday Conservation Awards Program for Distinguished Work in Conservation. This is the Boy Scout’s most prestigious conservation award, and only 15 awards have been granted since the inception of the program in 1915. William’s Troop also won the Three Rivers Environmental Award in Pittsburgh, and one of his adult leaders won the President’s Service Award, which is the most prestigious national award for public service.

VISIONS CAST AND CREW

“Visions” is a powerful play about drug addiction, alcoholism, and recovery. It is a journey through the turmoil of addiction to the light of recovery. It began in 1991 while Bob L., the author, producer, and director, used his breaks at work to pen the images and finally complete the production. The play depicts bottoms from the use and abuse of substances, the realization of the problem, and coming into the rooms of a twelve-step program like Alcoholics Anonymous. This drama has reached over 14,000 people in New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania. The cast and crew are volunteers and do not accept payment. The “Visions” troupe believes the greatest gift you can give is the one that gives without asking in return. Today, the cast and crew have grown to 200 members.

The troupe performs where many actors would not dare. They set up in rehabilitation centers, hospitals, shelters, youth houses, and correction facilities. The cast and crew use the powerful medium of theater to educate their audience about drug and alcohol addiction to show that recovery is possible. There are no professional actors in “Visions”. The cast and crew are volunteers who have either been in an addiction or have been in the orbit of someone addicted. The cast never uses last names, and after each performance they go out into the audience to further educate and encourage those whose lives have been devastated by drug and alcohol abuse.

Because the play is being presented at facilities where men and women are battling addictions, the special performances are usually closed to protect the anonymity of the clients. The performers witness their audience in tears after the play. “Visions” believe they inspire a sense of hope to the clients. The cast and crew serve as examples that recovery is possible; their mission is carrying the message of recovery.

The play has also been presented to churches, schools, and to those at risk. It has been shown to educators and open to communities. There is never a fee to see the play, and any donations received are used to bring the play to those who have nothing. During the “open” showcase, the cast and crew set up large amounts of literature on prevention and treatment of alcoholism, drug addiction, and AIDS. The National Clearinghouse provides the majority of the information for Alcohol and Drug Information (NCADI) in Rockville, Maryland. Additional information is obtained from state, county, and private foundations also.

The “Visions” troupe performs under the direction of Recovery Productions, Inc, which was founded in 1993 as a nonprofit organization dedicated to substance abuse prevention and recovery education. The troupe is a powerful intervention group for those who are battling addiction, their families, youth at risk, and various communities, and by their example, they are giving hope to thousands of people throughout the year.

READ-TO-WIN! OUTREACH PROGRAM

Read-to-Win! is an innovative reading enrichment program which promotes reading and literacy among children ages 6-14 in Chicago’s most challenged inner-city areas. Originally planned as a five-year pilot program, Read-to-Win! has been so successful that the One-to-One Learning Center has committed to endowing it as a permanent educational outreach program, serving an ever-expanding list of schools and youth centers. The program builds and rebuilds school libraries, enhances the educational curriculum of partner schools and agencies, and introduces children to the importance of reading and books to their current and future lives.

Dedicated to fostering a culture of reading, the program makes reading fun and rewarding, while also making new, quality books available to children at school and for home. The need for such a program was compelling five years ago and statistics indicate that need continues today. Most students do not view reading as a fun way to spend their time. Poor reading scores reflect this lack of attention to a lifelong skill that not only contributes to academic and career success, but also provides great personal enjoyment. If reading can be positioned as a “fun” activity, then that orientation will carry over to all aspects of reading – including the reading necessary to proceed through the educational system. Simply put, children who read stay in school.

The program was designed as a six-week experience revolving around 20 minutes of daily “fun” reading. Read-to-Win! has become such a success that many partner sites are already extending daily reading time to 30 minutes – at the insistence of the children themselves. Teachers value the program and the relaxed learning atmosphere it fosters. As a result of the program, many parents report reading both with and to their children as new family activities.

As part of the incentive program, children in the program “read to win” books for themselves and their schools. Three of the four new books earmarked for each student are retained in the school or youth center library, and one become the child’s own to take home for his or her personal library and to share with the family. By the end of the five-year adoption cycle, more than 10,000 books are distributed to and through an average school with 500 students.

Read-to-Win! partners are chosen for the program on the basis of need and through recommendations and evaluations from existing partners, educators, staff and civic leaders. During the 2000-2001 school year, the six-week reading program operated at 17 sites: eight Chicago Youth Centers, the Northwestern University Settlement House, seven parochial schools and one public school. Last year, more than 3,500 inner-city children in some of Chicago’s most seriously challenged neighborhoods were involved in this important literacy initiative. It is envisioned that the program will reach more than 5,200 students next year and distribute more than 20,000 new books.

LENA CRAY

A hobby that has stayed with Lena Belle Cray since her younger days is knitting, and that talent is something she uses to serve others. Cray is a volunteer for the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP), a member of Helping Hands Happy People, RSVP’s Stroke Club Support Program, and an active member of her church.

Cray works to share her joy with others in RSVP. She has donated her time and talents with them since 1989. The Helping Hands Happy People knitting program is a part of RSVP. She especially enjoys knitting and spends 50 to 60 hours a week working on afghans, baby hats, gloves, and scarves. These items are then distributed to those in need. In addition to knitting for RSVP, Cray also worked more than 10 years at the Kalamazoo Gospel Mission making quilts along with banana bread for the residents.

She has been a member of the RSVP Stroke Club Support Program since 1987. Because of her work with that program, she became a one-on-one visitor for a stroke patient at a local health facility. There, she helped with exercises, accompanied the patient on walks, and made herself available for whatever the patient wanted or needed to do. In addition to this, Cray has been an active member of her church since 1947. There, she has served on the church Board, sang in the choir, and she still plays the organ and works with the youth fellowships.

Also, she helped with the task force of the Shepherd’s Center. She tutored children with learning disabilities through Senior Services’ Intergenerational Program and currently spends countless hours there. She files records and handles whatever other office duties need to be done. Cray also finds time to give to the RSVP’s Bulk Mail Program that provides free assistance to non-profits to help process mailings.

Lena Belle Cray has a staunch work ethic and is determined. Years ago she had to drop out of high school to get a job, but she went back 35 years later and earned her diploma. She also worked part-time and raised five children. Though her life was not easy, she gives her life now to help make circumstances better for others.

DOTHAN-HOUSTON COUNTY SUBSTANCE ABUSE PARTNERSHIP

In 1991, the City of Dothan and Houston County Commissions, concerned about substance abuse issues and their impact on crime in the area, brought together a panel of community leaders to conduct town-hall meetings that would allow all citizens the opportunity to express their opinions and concerns about substance abuse issues. The ideas and solutions put forth during these meetings became the basis for the formation of the Dothan-Houston county Substance Abuse Partnership in January of 1992.

The mission of the Dothan-Houston County Substance Abuse Partnership is to bring together all segments of the community in an effort to create a climate of intolerance for alcohol, tobacco, and other drug (ATOD) use in Dothan-Houston County. The specific goal of the Partnership is to create a sense of ownership of the problem by the community, and to involve as many citizens, young and old, in the development and implementation of solutions.

The Partnership has an operating budget of $130,000. There are five full-time and three part-time staff members, and more than 70 volunteers that serve on the Executive Board of Directors, Advisory Committee, and Community Coalition. The Partnership has more than 150 community partners who volunteer their services in the fight against substance abuse.

The Partnership serves primarily the Dothan-Houston County area with a population of 85,950. Achievements include: Recognition by the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention and the Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America for its grassroots approach to ATOD, received 2000 National Beacon Award for the Teen Talk Show, a collaboration with Comcast Cable, for its originality and content, and recognition by Mother’s Against Drunk Driving for town hall meetings on drinking and driving.

The Partnership implemented a new initiative to address an unmet need for Hispanic/ Latinos in the community. This initiative began June 2001 with a health fair for Hispanic/ Latino girls, age 9-14. This health fair provided youth with up-to-date information on health, dress, substance abuse, and related cultural issues. The Partnership also offers education and prevention programs to youth and adults in high-risk areas, which is another unmet need in the community. After school and summer programs are held for youth, and parent education is held for adults in the high-risk neighborhoods.

The Partnership has a user-friendly Community Awareness System that is a telephone-based system that can be assessed through a touchtone phone to anonymously obtain up-to-date information on substance abuse and related issues when they need it most. This system also collects data on the issues of concern among the callers, which is utilized in program development.

YOUNG EMERGING LEADERS OF LOUISIANA, INC.

Young Emerging Leaders of Louisiana, Inc. (YELL) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives and plight of under-served youth in East Baton Rouge and surrounding areas. They have a vision to create infinite possibilities so that all children can realize their highest potential.

The mission of YELL is to help young people make a positive impact in local communities. They also work to develop a new generation of professional and civic leaders who will work towards improving equity for at-risk and disadvantaged members in the community. They have various programs that are designed to develop academic goals, career goals, a civic-minded spirit, social goals, and positive self-esteem.

YELL’s curriculum encompasses educational programs, mentor programs, youth leadership development, and cultural enrichment and recreational programs. They provide after-school tutoring and homework assistance for youth in grades six through eight who are at risk of failure in the public school system. With the tutorial sessions, students receive supplementary instruction in math, reading, language arts, and computer-aided instruction.

The standardized test remediation is another aspect of the educational programs offered by YELL. They have test preparation workshops that target students that need help in achieving the highest scores possible on standardized test like the LEAP, IOWA, high school graduate exit exam, and the ACT college entrance exam. YELL also has a summer learning academy that provides youth in elementary and middle school educational workstations as well as cultural enrichment tours outside their neighborhood.

Students in the mentor program are partnered with a professional adult and are able to establish a one-on-one relationship with them. This enables the youth to have a positive role model as well as a source of advice. Teen leaders in East Baton Rouge and the surrounding areas participate in character education activities. These exercises are designed to help teens develop strong values, enhance their education, and gain an appreciation for social and economic entrepreneurship. The youth leadership development program sponsors teen summits, youth retreats, college tours, and much more.

YELL wants to develop all aspects of the young people. In order to do that, they want them to see life outside of what they normally know. YELL sponsors cultural enrichment tours and other activities to show the youth another aspect of the world outside their neighborhoods. This exposure opens the children’s minds to other cultures and aspects of culture and arts itself. The youth are exposed to different options because of this. YELL participants have been able to meet the Governor and visit the Governor’s Mansion.