United Way celebrates a successful year
CHENANGO COUNTY – Chenango United Way’s 2007 campaign came to a close last week as board members, business representatives, volunteers and community members gathered at the American Legion in Norwich to celebrate those who donated their time and money to the organization and those who were helped as a result.
The campaign raised $450,009 in donations for the community, exceeding last year’s amount by $20,000.
Jane Coddington, the executive director of Catholic Charities, was the first to talk about how her organization uses funding received by the United Way.
Roots and Wings, a program addressing the poverty issues of housing and hunger, provides necessity items such as diapers, food and detergent to people unable to afford them. The necessity items, Coddington explained, represent “the roots” of the program and the organization itself strives to help individuals achieve self sufficiency, which they see as “the wings.”
“The sheer number of people we see is the only barrier to helping individuals achieve self-sufficiency,” Coddington said.
In 2007 the organization provided 3,852 households with 203,940 meals and helped 8,328 households find household goods.
“Our goal for 2007 was to build capacity. We needed to be able to serve the high numbers of people we see more efficiently. United Way funding helped us to do that,” Coddington explained. In addition, 187 out of the organization’s 350 new consumers had intake referrals to other community services, and those who received referrals came less frequently than those who did not, a sign that they were becoming more self sufficient.
Linda Campbell, of the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program, explained that the program helps seniors to be more active and helps other organizations by providing active volunteers. “RSVP is a conduit between people 55 and over and volunteer organizations,” Campbell said. Thanks to United Way funding, Campbell said the organization had over 350 volunteers working in over 50 organizations throughout Chenango County.
“We had a record number of volunteers last year working with many new organizations and exceeding the previous year’s total hours,” Campbell said.
In the CUW’s access to healthcare focus area, Deborah Marcus of Planned Parenthood addressed the group. Marcus thanked CUW Executive Director Elizabeth Monaco and the volunteers for their continued support and confidence in Planned Parenthood. “With your help, 1,300 Chenango County patients have had 2,600 visits, for annual exams, cancer screenings, contraceptives, [sexually transmitted disease] testing and treatment, rapid HIV testing and prenatal care,” Marcus said. The CUW funding helps Planned Parenthood to provide service on a sliding scale rate, and to serve 345 patients who are unable to pay anything.
The last organization to talk about utilizing CUW funding was the Parents as Leaders Center. In the focus area of Children and Youth, the Parents as Leaders Center offers a comfortable place for parents to bring their children to interact. Sharon Chesna of the Mothers and Babies Perinatal Network explained the idea behind the PAL center is to provide a setting where parents and children can interact with each other as well as others who are going through what they are experiencing.
In 2007, Chesna said 145 families were served by the center, including 186 children. In addition, the organization provided 85 various programs including 30 health and safety programs.
The PAL Center also serves as a comfortable environment for therapy visits. Chesna said 124 therapy visits were made available through the site. Of the families registered, 87 percent of parents participating demonstrated improved parenting skills, a number which exceeded initial goals.
The CUW has not yet released the list of agencies that will receive funding in the 2008 year, however Monaco has said only 18 of the 32 programs that requested funds will receive them this year. Monaco thanked all of the businesses and individuals who helped raise money this year, including the 16 that were able to exceed their campaign goals.
For more information about the CUW, visit the organization’s web site at www.chenangouw.org or call 334-8815.
The campaign raised $450,009 in donations for the community, exceeding last year’s amount by $20,000.
Jane Coddington, the executive director of Catholic Charities, was the first to talk about how her organization uses funding received by the United Way.
Roots and Wings, a program addressing the poverty issues of housing and hunger, provides necessity items such as diapers, food and detergent to people unable to afford them. The necessity items, Coddington explained, represent “the roots” of the program and the organization itself strives to help individuals achieve self sufficiency, which they see as “the wings.”
“The sheer number of people we see is the only barrier to helping individuals achieve self-sufficiency,” Coddington said.
In 2007 the organization provided 3,852 households with 203,940 meals and helped 8,328 households find household goods.
“Our goal for 2007 was to build capacity. We needed to be able to serve the high numbers of people we see more efficiently. United Way funding helped us to do that,” Coddington explained. In addition, 187 out of the organization’s 350 new consumers had intake referrals to other community services, and those who received referrals came less frequently than those who did not, a sign that they were becoming more self sufficient.
Linda Campbell, of the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program, explained that the program helps seniors to be more active and helps other organizations by providing active volunteers. “RSVP is a conduit between people 55 and over and volunteer organizations,” Campbell said. Thanks to United Way funding, Campbell said the organization had over 350 volunteers working in over 50 organizations throughout Chenango County.
“We had a record number of volunteers last year working with many new organizations and exceeding the previous year’s total hours,” Campbell said.
In the CUW’s access to healthcare focus area, Deborah Marcus of Planned Parenthood addressed the group. Marcus thanked CUW Executive Director Elizabeth Monaco and the volunteers for their continued support and confidence in Planned Parenthood. “With your help, 1,300 Chenango County patients have had 2,600 visits, for annual exams, cancer screenings, contraceptives, [sexually transmitted disease] testing and treatment, rapid HIV testing and prenatal care,” Marcus said. The CUW funding helps Planned Parenthood to provide service on a sliding scale rate, and to serve 345 patients who are unable to pay anything.
The last organization to talk about utilizing CUW funding was the Parents as Leaders Center. In the focus area of Children and Youth, the Parents as Leaders Center offers a comfortable place for parents to bring their children to interact. Sharon Chesna of the Mothers and Babies Perinatal Network explained the idea behind the PAL center is to provide a setting where parents and children can interact with each other as well as others who are going through what they are experiencing.
In 2007, Chesna said 145 families were served by the center, including 186 children. In addition, the organization provided 85 various programs including 30 health and safety programs.
The PAL Center also serves as a comfortable environment for therapy visits. Chesna said 124 therapy visits were made available through the site. Of the families registered, 87 percent of parents participating demonstrated improved parenting skills, a number which exceeded initial goals.
The CUW has not yet released the list of agencies that will receive funding in the 2008 year, however Monaco has said only 18 of the 32 programs that requested funds will receive them this year. Monaco thanked all of the businesses and individuals who helped raise money this year, including the 16 that were able to exceed their campaign goals.
For more information about the CUW, visit the organization’s web site at www.chenangouw.org or call 334-8815.
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