helping kids succeed - United Way of Greater Rochester

This publication was made
possible by George Eastman’s
original gift to the Greater
Rochester community, and
all of the people who have
supported United Way’s
endowment fund to improve
local lives for decades to come.
ROCHESTER, NY
PERMIT NO. 992
PAID
NONPROFIT ORG.
U.S. POSTAGE
These four kids graduated
this past spring and recently
headed off to college.
Clockwise from left: Chantal,
Devren, Julissa and Sheldon
UNITED
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United Way of Greater Rochester
75 College Avenue
Rochester, NY 14607
A PUBLICATION OF UNITED WAY OF GREATER ROCHESTER
Focus On:
Preparing Students for Success
On behalf of the kids featured in this LIVING UNITED, thank
you. When you give to the Community Fund, you’re giving
local students opportunities to build successful futures.
Find out how inside.
THE LITTLE ENGINE THAT COULD
by Watty Piper
Dave Fiedler, ESL Federal Credit Union
United Way Board of Directors
STREGA NONA
by Tomie dePaola (Caldecott Honor)
Anthony Cuchiarale,
United Food and Commercial Workers, Union Local 1
United Way Board of Directors
GOODNIGHT MOON
THE GIVING TREE
OH, THE PLACES YOU’LL GO!
by Margaret Wise Brown
by Shel Silverstein
by Dr. Seuss
Courtney Rapp Cornell, Dixon Schwabl
United Way Women’s Leadership Council
Dr. Kevin McGowan, Brighton Central Schools
United Way Community Investment Cabinet
Martha Facer, Wegmans
United Way Young Leaders Club
What’s Your Favorite
CHILDREN’S BOOK?
Your Community Fund gift keeps kids reading all year-round.
We asked a few of our friends and Community Fund supporters about their favorite
children’s books and received some fantastic recommendations for kids.
JAMBO MEANS HELLO
by Muriel Feelings
Kayla Jenkins, Charles Settlement House
United Way Women’s Leadership Council,
African American Leadership Society and
Young Leaders Club
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by P.D. Eastman
Dan Burns, M&T Bank
United Way 2014 Campaign Chair
GREEN EGGS AND HAM
by Dr. Seuss
Mike Armbruster, ESL Federal Credit Union (retired)
United Way Loyal Contributor
THERE WAS AN OLD LADY WHO SWALLOWED A FLY
by Simms Taback
Kris Santillo, Lifespan at the Maplewood YMCA
United Way Loyal Contributor
“I GOT IN!”
These three little words are what high school seniors can’t wait to say when
they open a letter from college. This past spring, Devren, Sheldon, Julissa,
Chantal and thousands of other students were anxiously checking their mailboxes for college acceptance letters. Congrats to all who got to say, “I got in!”
However, for the thousands of kids in our community who are at risk of
dropping out of school, those words may never be a reality. The four
students featured here could have gone down that path, but because they
each had a mentor, they got the support and encouragement they needed
to build self-confidence, miss fewer days of school and ultimately move on
to college or a career.
See what Devron, Sheldon, Julissa and Chantal tell LIVING UNITED what
they are up to this fall—because they all got to say “I got in!”
Sheldon Tucker
St. John Fisher College, Class of 2017,
Physician’s Assistant
Devren Purdie
RIT, Class of 2017, Accounting
“I was accepted into the accounting program at RIT and was awarded several
scholarships thanks to Hillside Work-Scholarship Connection (HW-SC). The program
gave me much more than just the academic support in school and the relationship I
built with my Youth Advocate. It has given me the opportunity to truly reach my goals
and secure a bright future where I know I will be successful. Because of my good
grades, attendance and positive attitude I was able to participate in HW-SC’s Youth
Employment Training Academy, which helped me get my current job at Wegmans.”
“I recently graduated from All City High
School and plan to become a physician’s
assistant. I participated in the Hillside
Work-Scholarship Connection, which
has helped inspire and support me.
I was lucky to have a Youth Advocate
who helped me stay on track with
school, a college coordinator and a
youth employment trainer to help me
find job opportunities. Because of these
great support systems, I was awarded
a full scholarship to St. John Fisher
College through HW-SC and also got
a job at the University of Rochester.”
Julissa Bermudez
Chantal Alcantara
“I wanted to go to college after high school.
I was accepted at Monroe Community College
where I studied one year of fine arts. I am
continuing my studies toward graphic design.
When I first started thinking about college it
was overwhelming, but having a mentor at
Ibero-American Action League really helped.
I knew I could talk to her and she wouldn’t
laugh if I said something that I wasn’t sure
about. She helped me learn a lot of valuable
life lessons. Having a mentor supporting me
felt really good in high school, and looking
back, it’s helping me now as I continue to
study and figure out my future.”
“I plan to start my college career
at MCC and then transfer to RIT to
complete my degree in interior
design. The Ibero mentoring program
has helped me in many different ways.
Emotionally, they’ve helped me to
become a stronger person. Socially I
have become more open to speaking
in public. Their advice has helped me
to graduate and achieve many things
academically. My achievements are
dedicated to the program and especially my mentor, my best friend, my
second mother. She helped me so
much! I will forever appreciate their
help and support.”
MCC, Class of 2014, Graphic Design
How your
gift helps
MCC, Class of 2015, Interior Design
The Community Fund gives more than 3,000 kids, including these four fantastic students, mentors who believe in them.
Visit www.uwrochester.org/behindthescenes for more stories about local kids getting the help they need to graduate.
BACK-TO-SCHOOL SNACKS
Special Equipment
for Special Needs
Healthy food fuels healthy minds and bodies . . . especially for kids.
That’s why we work with Community Fund-supported after-school
programs to provide healthy snacks for more than 3,000 kids each
day. Here is a back-to-school snack recipe we love.
Peanut butter granola balls
¹⁄³ cup honey
¼ cup natural peanut butter
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup crisp rice cereal
1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
¼ cup dried fruit
In a small saucepan, heat honey, peanut
butter and butter over medium heat.
Stir until loosened and smooth, 1 to 2
minutes. Remove from heat; stir in cereal,
oats, and dried fruit. Drop mixture by the
tablespoon into mini paper cupcake or
candy liners. Place on a rimmed baking
sheet, and refrigerate until set, about
15 minutes. Enjoy!
Check out other back-to-school snack ideas on our Pinterest page at Pinterest.com/UnitedWayROC
Swings. Climbing wall. Scooters. Foam pit.
Compression vests. Tennis balls. What do all
of these items have in common? They help kids
with special needs focus better, grow stronger
and learn in their own ways. And so can you.
Visit GatheringtoGive.org to help students
with special needs—and thousands of other
kids in our community—grow and succeed.