Youth Philanthropy Council gives out $10,000
NORWICH – Three local agencies received grant allocations Tuesday night from a group of high school students committed to making positive changes in their community.
Norwich High School’s Youth Philanthropy Council distributed a total of $10,000 during its second annual awards presentation, held at the Canasawacta Country Club. This year’s recipients were Roots and Wings ($4,500), Literacy Volunteers of Chenango County ($3,500) and Opportunities for Chenango’s Quaranta Housing Program ($2,000).
“Our mission was ... focused on education, and breaking the cycle of poverty,” explained Norwich Senior Alison Brown, who is one of the ten 11th and 12th graders involved with the YPC.
Now in its second year, the program is a collaboration between Norwich High School, the Upstate Institute at Colgate University, Chenango United Way and The Community Foundation for South Central New York.
Since September, the students have met after school to learn more about non-profit organizations, philanthropy and the needs of the community through a series of seminars. These after-school meetings featured guest speakers from Colgate University, The Community Foundation and United Way. They then began to put that knowledge to use developing a mission statement, establishing award criteria and issuing a Request for Proposal (RFP) to the local non-profit community.
According to Senior Nathan Biviano, the group received a total of six proposals, all of which fit their mission.
“They were all very good applications. ... It was a very difficult decision,” added Senior Colleen Monday, who is in her second year with the program.
But with only a finite amount of money to distribute, the students knew they couldn’t help every program which submitted a proposal.
“These three we felt matched it best,” he said.
How have these three non-profit agencies proposed to use the funds they have been allocated?
At Roots and Wings, the money will be used to purchase a computer system to allow the organization to better track how clients are utilizing the services they provide, explained Senior Andrew Austin. Currently those records are kept only on paper, and stored in large filing cabinets.
Computerizing those records will enable the non-profit to better identify additional resources those families and individuals could benefit from, reported Roots and Wings Director Melinda Mandeville.
“We’ll be able to see what impact we’re already making and what we’re missing,” she said.
According to student Carlie Thompson, YPC chose to support this initiative because of Roots and Wing’s focus.
“It’s a self sufficiency program with three steps,” she said, explaining that the agency first helps people through their food pantry and clothing bank, then by identifying other community resources to help them. The third step is pushing for independence, stability and self-sufficiency.
At Literacy Volunteers of Chenango County, the $3,500 grant from the Youth Philanthropy Council will be used to fund a new program, which combines the organization’s successful one-on-one tutoring model with a classroom component to add a social aspect. The program is aimed specifically at improving the literacy skills of young adults in the community so that they can achieve personal goals, like getting their GED, helping their children with their homework or getting a driver’s license.
According to Biviano, he and his fellow students were impressed with how the organization was geared toward working with people with different learning styles.
The Quaranta Housing Program, which, like LVCC, is administered through Opportunities for Chenango, similarly met the group’s mission statement. Brown said the agency helps educate low and moderate-income families about how to use their money more wisely, encourages financial awareness and helps people get “control of their lives again.”
For her and the other students involved with the Youth Philanthropy Council, the experience has been an eye opening one.
“You start to look at the community differently,” Brown explained.
Monday agreed, adding that for her, one of the most profound parts of the program was seeing the harsh statistics about poverty and homelessness in Chenango County.
“To see all of that really puts our community in a different perspective,” she said.
Diane Brown of the Community Foundation for South Central New York was on hand for the awards presentation. Brown said her organization was very happy to partner with the Norwich City School District, United Way and the Upstate Institute on the initiative, explaining that there was a “wonderful synergy” within the group.
“It’s a little bit of an experiment for us,” reported Brown, and one which has been a win-win for all those involved.
Norwich High School’s Youth Philanthropy Council distributed a total of $10,000 during its second annual awards presentation, held at the Canasawacta Country Club. This year’s recipients were Roots and Wings ($4,500), Literacy Volunteers of Chenango County ($3,500) and Opportunities for Chenango’s Quaranta Housing Program ($2,000).
“Our mission was ... focused on education, and breaking the cycle of poverty,” explained Norwich Senior Alison Brown, who is one of the ten 11th and 12th graders involved with the YPC.
Now in its second year, the program is a collaboration between Norwich High School, the Upstate Institute at Colgate University, Chenango United Way and The Community Foundation for South Central New York.
Since September, the students have met after school to learn more about non-profit organizations, philanthropy and the needs of the community through a series of seminars. These after-school meetings featured guest speakers from Colgate University, The Community Foundation and United Way. They then began to put that knowledge to use developing a mission statement, establishing award criteria and issuing a Request for Proposal (RFP) to the local non-profit community.
According to Senior Nathan Biviano, the group received a total of six proposals, all of which fit their mission.
“They were all very good applications. ... It was a very difficult decision,” added Senior Colleen Monday, who is in her second year with the program.
But with only a finite amount of money to distribute, the students knew they couldn’t help every program which submitted a proposal.
“These three we felt matched it best,” he said.
How have these three non-profit agencies proposed to use the funds they have been allocated?
At Roots and Wings, the money will be used to purchase a computer system to allow the organization to better track how clients are utilizing the services they provide, explained Senior Andrew Austin. Currently those records are kept only on paper, and stored in large filing cabinets.
Computerizing those records will enable the non-profit to better identify additional resources those families and individuals could benefit from, reported Roots and Wings Director Melinda Mandeville.
“We’ll be able to see what impact we’re already making and what we’re missing,” she said.
According to student Carlie Thompson, YPC chose to support this initiative because of Roots and Wing’s focus.
“It’s a self sufficiency program with three steps,” she said, explaining that the agency first helps people through their food pantry and clothing bank, then by identifying other community resources to help them. The third step is pushing for independence, stability and self-sufficiency.
At Literacy Volunteers of Chenango County, the $3,500 grant from the Youth Philanthropy Council will be used to fund a new program, which combines the organization’s successful one-on-one tutoring model with a classroom component to add a social aspect. The program is aimed specifically at improving the literacy skills of young adults in the community so that they can achieve personal goals, like getting their GED, helping their children with their homework or getting a driver’s license.
According to Biviano, he and his fellow students were impressed with how the organization was geared toward working with people with different learning styles.
The Quaranta Housing Program, which, like LVCC, is administered through Opportunities for Chenango, similarly met the group’s mission statement. Brown said the agency helps educate low and moderate-income families about how to use their money more wisely, encourages financial awareness and helps people get “control of their lives again.”
For her and the other students involved with the Youth Philanthropy Council, the experience has been an eye opening one.
“You start to look at the community differently,” Brown explained.
Monday agreed, adding that for her, one of the most profound parts of the program was seeing the harsh statistics about poverty and homelessness in Chenango County.
“To see all of that really puts our community in a different perspective,” she said.
Diane Brown of the Community Foundation for South Central New York was on hand for the awards presentation. Brown said her organization was very happy to partner with the Norwich City School District, United Way and the Upstate Institute on the initiative, explaining that there was a “wonderful synergy” within the group.
“It’s a little bit of an experiment for us,” reported Brown, and one which has been a win-win for all those involved.
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