Spring 2016
Transcription
Spring 2016
United Community Ministries Community Connections At the Heart of Community UCMAGENCY.ORG MISSION UCM mobilizes the power of community to equip, educate, and empower people to measurably improve their lives. VISION No member of the UCM community will ever be hungry, homeless, helpless or hopeless. Janet Heddesheimer Vice Chair Joseph Conti Treasurer David Barbour Secretary Abigail Arms Diane Brooks Suzy Coffey Claudia Creo Kenneth Disselkoen Moira Flanders Zeyad Mady Andrew Reinsdorf Martin Schaefermeier James F. Seeley Leah Tenorio Nichelle A. Mitchem Executive Director 2 01 6 “Thank You for Believing in Me” "Coming to the UCM Center every day after school has taught me to have a better outlook on things, on my self respect, and most important, to believe in myself, to be my own star in the story of my life. I am now on the right track, with a new appreciation for my teachers and for my peers.” - Sophomore Deneisha, UCM Creekside Village Community Center participant and honor student at West Potomac High School. The success of Deneisha and so many teens like her starts with you. With the support of caring community members like you, UCM brings opportunity, hope, and a brighter future to children and youth in our Volunteer mentor Kathy Mount Vernon community. From birth through high school Lehner and teen Deneisha shared her inspiring story graduation, our programs provide youth with enrichment experiat the UCM Spring Gala. ences and opportunities for them to reach new heights. Your support gives our next generation a fighting chance to create a better life for themselves, through these programs. BOARD OF DIRECTORS Charles O’Connor Chair S p r i ng UCM Youth Tutor Annette Thompson (left) with Deborah Finley, Creekside Community Center Supervisor. Healthy Families Fairfax: Guiding and supporting new parents. UCM Early Learning Center: Ages 6 weeks to 5 years for early. care and learning, and kindergarten readiness. Forward Steps: Teaching leadership skills for a diverse world. Computer Learning Center Partnership: Ensuring computer access and digital literacy. We have many ways you can help our children, including organizing book or healthy snack collection drives; volunteering in our after-school programs; and making financial donations for enrichment activies. We invite you to join us at a UCM Coffee for Children, for a community conversation to learn about our kids' programs directly from our program staff and see the impact of your support. For upcoming dates or to host a session at your location, contact Susan Johnson at [email protected] or 571.255.8992. Glitz, Glamour & Giving at Viva Las Vegas Gala Thanks to our hosts The Friends of UCM, hundreds of community members enjoyed a glamorous evening at the UCM Spring Gala on April 2, raising more than $188,000. Director. “We are grateful for all their enthusiasm, energy, and creativity. They inspire us with their compassion and ‘can do’ spirit. Special thanks go to Suzy Coffey, Friends Guests enjoyed live Casino table President, and to the games, live and silent auctions, “The Friends of UCM are all and gourmet dinner at the US PTO. gala co-chairs for their volunteers with amazing amazing success.” dedication and such tireless on page 4. A full list of all energy,” says Nichelle We especially appreciate sponsors and event photos Mitchem, UCM Executive our event sponsors, listed are at our website. (story continues on page 2) PAGE 2 Parents As Teachers Thank you to Weichert Realtors / Alexandria Old Town for the 363 pounds and more than $900 collected at their spring UCM Food Drive to help stock our Pantry. Realtors are the heart of our community! Most weeks, our Family Support Workers make home visits to parents enrolled in our UCM Healthy Families Fairfax program. But once a quarter, the families meet together for an educational “Parents As Teachers” session. The recent topic was healthy eating, where families and children could make and eat fun snacks like fruit faces on pancakes. Last fiscal year, there were no reports of child abuse or neglect in any of the 123 families enrolled in our program. Legacy Gift Establishes Arleen B. Richman Fund Arleen Richman volunteered for many years at UCM, as a counselor assisting clients with emergency assistance in our Basic Needs program. After her death in 2014 and to honor her legacy of service, her estate established the Arleen B. Richman Fund at UCM, which that will provide financial assistance to help lowincome adults, families, and children gain access to physical and behavioral health-related services. Waynewood Elementary School has raised more than $7,000 this year for UCM, including $1,400 as proceeds from the Staff Basketball Game with Stratford Landing. Waynewood Principal James Meier accepted our certificate of appreciation on behalf of the school. “All of us at UCM appreciate the care, counseling, and support Arleen selflessly provided to hundreds of UCM clients over more than 15 years of volunteer service,” says Richard Dobber, UCM Director of Social Services. “Her efforts improved the quality of life for so many of our most vulnerable residents. Her impact will be felt for generations.” UCM has provided vital services to vulnerable children, youth, and families for more than 47 years. Just as important is planning for the work that still needs to be done. Including UCM in your will or estate planning leaves a legacy that transforms lives for generations . Friends of UCM Events Raise $278K+ in FY16 (cont. from page 1) We extend a huge thank you to Spring Gala Co-Chairs (l to r) Colleen Haddow, Meg Galanty, and Donna Jarvis-Miller. Sheldon Richman accepts a plaque at UCM Gala, in honor of his wife’s legacy. “This year, UCM is putting a special emphasis on our programs that help adults obtain gainful employment for their families,” said UCM Board Chair Charles O’Connor. “Support for UCM is a sound social and financial investment that helps people become selfreliant members of our community.” The other annual signature event hosted by The Friends of UCM is our Capitol Steps Benefit Performance, now held in November at the US Patent & Trademark Office in Old Town. Thanks to many generous sponsors and guests, the Nov. 8, 2015, event raised more than $90,000+ to ensure that people have UCM as a caring place to turn in their time of need. The next Capitol Steps Benefit COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS-SPRING 2016 is set for Nov. 13, 2016. Would you like to learn more about The Friends of UCM and how you can get involved? Contact Friend of UCM Judy Cahill at [email protected]. PAGE 3 Volunteers are the Heart of Community! Every April, we celebrate National Volunteer Month to honor our amazing volunteers. We depend on their generosity every month, all year long, to help our clients succeed. UCM volunteers were invited to our 2016 Volunteer Recognition Event on the morning of April 16. All long-term UCM volunteers received certificates of appreciation. “The hard work and donations of time and talent by our hundreds of volunteers make our work possible,” said Nichelle Mitchem, UCM Executive Director. “It’s because of your service that UCM can provide such extensive, quality services that make for positive outcomes for thousands of people.” UCM leadership nominated four UCM volunteers for this year’s Fairfax County Volunteer Service Awards hosted by Volunteer Fairfax. We are thrilled that volunteers Nancy Hegland and her adult son Kenney were named “Family Volunteer” across all of Fairfax County, for their service managing the UCM loading dock at our main Fordson Road At the April 8 Volunteer Fairfax Awards Breakfast are (l to r) UCM nominees Joseph Conti (UCM Board Treasurer), Diane Tollefson (former Board Director), and Nancy Hegland and son Kenny, with UCM leaders Elizabeth McNally and Nichelle Mitchem. location. Together, their volunteer service totaled 2,472 hours. Accenture Interview Workshop with UCM Clients The UCM Workforce Development Center hosts many special hands-on workshops and trainings for job seekers. This spring, a group from Accenture Federal Services (Rosslyn office) partnered with us for a free “Boost your Job Search” workshop. “We are grateful for this collaboration with Accenture Federal’s consultants,” said Tami Hunt, UCM Assistant Director for Literacy and Work. “Mike Manion and his team of consultants were so helpful.” Diagnostic feedback was provided so participants could create and then deliver their “elevator statements. “I got job-related information, given from an interviewer’s perspective,” said one job seeker. Clients were also assisted with developing "smart responses" to interview questions. "My job counselor had said similar things,” said one client with an accounting career. “Today helped me see things more clearly. I have a solid understanding and the confidence to be prepared for my interviews.” “He took a lot of time to work with me and explain ways to make my resume so much more effective. Now I'm excited to apply for jobs with my new resume.” - Workshop participant Helping our Youngest Community Members to Grow and Thrive Children and families at the UCM Early Learning Center enjoyed special activities for learning during Week of the Young Child in April. Sponsored by the National Association for the Education of Young Children, this annual celebration recognizes the early childhood years as the foundation for children’s success in school and life. “Week of the Young Child is intended as a time to plan how all community citizens will better meet the needs of all young children and all their families," explains UCM Center Director Torria Baker. On "Music Monday" children had fun exercising in the Bryant High School gymnasium with the school's PE teacher Mr. Jones. "Taco Tuesday" was about healthy eating at school and home. Children helped prepare lunch, which was served “family style,” as it is every day at the Center. "Work Together Wednesday" included building activities in each classroom, with families invited to take a tour. On "Artsy Thursday" children were encouraged to use their imaginations and make their own choices to design art projects. “Family Friday” featured storytelling and pictures about their families. Volunteer Valerie Ciardi assists a preschooler with a building activity. We appreciate Devotion to Children for its ongoing partnership to ensure quality early care and learning for working families, especially for a recent $4,250 grant to purchase The Creative Curriculum for our infants and toddlers. Designed to maximize academic, social, and physical development for infants to 4-year-olds, this curriculum is already in use in our Pre-K classrooms. Research shows that the longer a young child is exposed to this curriculum, the better the outcomes, especially higher literacy and mathematics scores in Kindergarten. The new grant means that our Center can provide cohesive learning for infants and toddlers as the foundation for Kindergarten and beyond, exceeding the Virginia Preschool Initiative standard. At the Heart of Community ucmagency.org [email protected] Virginia Relay 711 Editor: Diane Hill Join our e-news list at ucmagency.org Volunteer with UCM Volunteers are at the heart of the work we do. We have many opportunities for individuals and groups to donate time and talent From mentoring a child, to stocking the Food Pantry, to serving on an event team you can make a critical impact to change lives! Click on “Support Us” on our website. Join us at the Heart of Community! Thank You to our 2016 Special Event Sponsors! Please join us in gratefully acknowledging our Friends of UCM FY2016 Special Event Sponsors: DIAMOND SPONSOR DIRECTV Doug & Eileen Kennett Elaine Kolish and David FitzGerald PLATINUM SPONSORS Abigail Arms and Paul Dubberly Fairfax County Professional Firefighters & Paramedics IAFF. Local 2068 Good Shepherd Catholic Church Charles & Linda O’Connor Time Warner Cable CFC #37839 United Way #8199 Save These Dates! Back to School 2016 Due Date: Late July/ early August We’re already organizing to outfit 1,000+ students with backpacks and the supplies they‘ll need for the Fall 2016 school year. We need your help with new backpacks and financial donations so we can purchase supplies with our deep discounts. If your family or group would like to donate or organize a Back to School drive this summer or volunteer to help out email Emily Griffin at [email protected]. Capitol Steps Benefit for UCM Sunday, Nov. 13, 2016 GOLD SPONSORS Claudia Creo; Inova Health System; Tom & Kathy Lehner; Zeyad Mady, DDS; Drs. James & Melissa Thiel; Vogelman, Turner & Wright, PC Complete lists of all sponsors and auction donors are on our website. Thank you one and all! Always a sell out crowd! Join us at the US PTO in Old Town on the Sunday after the Presidential Election to enjoy the latest political satire! Tickets will go on sale this Fall at ucmagency.org. For further information or to reserve your event sponsorship, email [email protected]. Your generosity helps community members in need build brighter futures. Thank you!