Holiday Open House at the Governor’s Residence
Collecting Toys for Joy of Sharing

13th Annual Joy of Sharing Toy Drive Kicks Off

“I have always believed that being a good citizen meant giving back to your community. And one of the most effective ways to do that is through the United Way Community Campaign,” Mrs. Young told the crowd of more than 150 campaign volunteers, agency representatives and community leaders. “This goal was set with the economic reality of our region in mind, however, what it does not reflect is the increased demand for services from an already stressed human service delivery system,” said Mrs. Young.

The morning also kicked off the twelfth annual Day of Caring. A record number of more than 3,800 employees representing 76 local companies were expected to lend a hand at more than 300 project sites throughout the 40-town Capital Region.

The United Way Community Campaign is an opportunity for individuals to support programs and services that meet critical needs in the Greater Hartford area, including the New Britain and Windham communities. Last year the Community Campaign touched the lives of more than 300,000 people (one in three people) in the Capital Region.

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2003 United Way Community Campaign Kicks Off Sept. 5
with Day of Caring XII and Goal Announcement
 

The United Way Community Campaign presented the tenth annual Courage Award to Jose Gonzalez of Hartford on June 13. The award presentation was held during the lunchtime program of Jumpstart 2003, a training conference for local campaign volunteers, held at Capital Community College in downtown Hartford. Dona D. Young, chairman of the 2003 United Way Community Campaign and chairman, president and chief executive officer of The Phoenix Companies, Inc., presented the award.

Jose Gonzalez is a longtime resident of Hartford’s Dutch Point housing development. As a child, he watched as his two older brothers became involved in gangs. Tragically, one of his brothers died as a result of that involvement, and Gonzalez resolved, at age 11, that his mother would not have to see the same thing happen to another of her children. After he graduated from Bulkeley High School, Gonzalez worked with the Hartford Youth Peace Initiative program to help steer children away from gangs. He became involved as a Boys & Girls Club volunteer as soon as a club opened in his Dutch Point neighborhood last year.

Gonzalez’ nominator, Jackie Bethea, wrote: “Fifty-six percent of Dutch Point residents are age seventeen or younger and sadly these youths are exposed to crime on a daily basis. Jose has taken it upon himself to try and protect and nurture these young people and help them to rise above their current conditions.”
At age twenty-one, Gonzalez is like a big brother to the children served by the Boys & Girls Club. After helping out as a volunteer, he is now employed at the club full-time. Bethea wrote, “He has discovered that his natural inclination to care about and nurture others, in particular children, is a viable and rewarding career choice. His self-esteem has risen dramatically and he eagerly undertakes training opportunities.

The best part of this story is that Jose’s hope is contagious; the children who live on an urban battlefield now hope they can be like Jose.”
The Boys & Girls Clubs of Hartford has been serving the city’s youth since the founding of the first Boys Club in the nation in Hartford in 1860. Today, the organization serves more than 3,500 Hartford children at seven locations. The Boys & Girls Clubs of Hartford seeks to enable children from distressed communities to become responsible, productive and caring citizens, by way of programs that focus on character and leadership development, education and career development, health and life skills, the arts, and sports fitness and recreation.

United Way created the Courage Award in 1994 to recognize those who have triumphed over adversity through the assistance of a United Way Community Campaign-funded agency. Four judges selected this year’s recipient: Edna Berastain from Latinos/Latinas Contra SIDA; Venton Forbes of the Aetna Foundation; Liz Gagne from Lincoln Financial and a member of the board of directors of United Way of the Capital Area; and Doby Hall from the National Organization for Rare Disorders and a member of the board of directors of Community Health Charities of Connecticut.

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Pictured above left: Father Val Peter, executive director of Girls & Boys Town speaks to community leaders, teachers and school administrators and other friends of the community at a breakfast reception hosted by United Way.
Pictured above right: Fourth and fifth grade students from Martin Luther King, Jr. Elementary School in Hartford perform a "skit" demonstrating one of the social skills they've learned through the Girls and Boys Town's Classroom Management Program--following directions.

United Way of the Capital Area hosted a breakfast reception for Father Val Peter, executive director of Girls and Boys Town on Friday, June 6. The event was an opportunity for community leaders, corporate partners, participating schools and administrators and other friends of the community to meet Father Peter and learn more about the remarkable partnership between United Way of the Capital Area, Hartford Public Schools, the Hartford Federation of Teachers, and Girls and Boys Town.

The event included remarks from: Robert Henry, superintendent of Hartford Public Schools; Ron Copes, United Way volunteer and chair of United Way's Every Child Succeeds Committee; George Bahamonde, president and CEO of United Way of the Capital Area; Amador Mojica, principal of Quirk Middle School in Hartford; Shirley Paddyfote, teacher at Martin Luther King, Jr. Elementary School; and Father Val Peter.

The most touching part of the program was a skit performed by a group of fourth and fifth graders from Martin Luther King School demonstrating one of the social skills they've learned through the Classroom Management Program--following directions. The crowd erupted with applause and the students received a standing ovation. The students presented Father Peter with a "home-made" thank you card. Then Father Peter led the crowd in a thunderous rendition of "You are My Sunshine" to honor the students.

2003 United Way Community Campaign Leaders Announced

Letter Carriers Suggest the Gift of Food this
Mother’s Day Weekend

Last year, more than 300,000 pounds of food was collected during the letter carriers food drive. Foodshare distributes more than 8 million pounds of food each year.

Dr. Frederick G. Adams Award Presented to Nutmeg Big Brothers/Big Sisters' Foster Grandparent Program

Board chairman Louis B. Obermeier, partner with Blum Shapiro & Company P.C., called the meeting to order. Mr. Obermeier was recognized for his service the past two years as chairman of the board before passing the gavel to incoming board chairman, Susan J. Sappington.

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Girls and Boys Town Partnership Receiving High Marks

United Way’s collaboration with Nebraska-based Girls & Boys Town, Hartford Public Schools, and the Hartford Federation of Teachers is receiving high marks as the partnership moves into its second year. Girls & Boys Town’s Classroom Management program enables school staff to spend less time disciplining students and more time teaching social skills that will help students succeed inside and outside of the classroom. In just one year, schools in Hartford have seen a 70 percent reduction in student office referrals. One school even reduced its time for transitions between classes by 75 percent. This partnership has been so successful in its first year that four more public schools in Hartford have been added. The Classroom Management program continues to plant the seeds of success in nine Hartford schools, including: Annie Fisher Elementary School, D.F. Burns Elementary School, F.D. Wish Elementary School, M.D. Fox Middle School, Martin Luther King, Jr. Elementary School, Hartford Transitional Learning Academy, the Learning Corridor’s Magnet Middle School, Quirk Middle School and SAND Elementary School.

Collaboration brings Girls & Boys Town model to Hartford

United Way of the Capital Area has partnered with Hartford Public Schools, the Hartford Federation of Teachers, and Nebraska-based Girls and Boys Town to bring a new educational model to area public schools. Five Hartford public schools and Windsor Locks Middle School are implementing Girls and Boys Town’s Classroom Management program. The model focuses on increasing students’ learning time in the classroom while decreasing inappropriate behavior. As a result, participating schools are seeing a decrease in office referrals, school suspensions, and aggressive behavior among students. In some cases, teachers are rediscovering three hours per week of additional classroom time because behavior among students has improved.

Children at Annie Fisher School in Hartford are learning lessons for life thanks to a partnership with United Way of the Capital Area and Girls and Boys Town.

The program reinforces the Girls and Boys Town philosophy that every moment is a learning moment for a child. All school staff, including teachers, guidance counselors, social workers and security personnel received training in the program that began in August 2001. By coupling social skills with academic learning, the Classroom Management program teaches children how to make positive decisions about their behavior. "I am a strong supporter of the Girls and Boys Town model because it teaches children to hold themselves accountable for their actions," explains Marylou Derocher, a fifth grade teacher at Annie Fisher Elementary School it Hartford. "And it also gives the entire school staff the tools and strategies to maintain consistent behavioral and academic expectations."

Primary funding for the program comes from United Way of the Capital Area’s Every Child Succeeds initiative which seeks to ensure that all children in the greater Hartford region are valued and have the opportunity to be successful in their schools and communities. Support for the program also comes from Hartford Public Schools and the Hartford Federation of Teachers. "The value of this partnership is that it demonstrates how people who work with children in the public schools and the community can come together and focus on a shared objective," George Bahamonde, president and chief executive officer of United Way of the Capital Area recently observed. "And that objective is to help children succeed."

Girls and Boys Town is a leader in the treatment and care of "at-risk" children and the development of programs to help children and their families. As a non-profit, non-sectarian organization, they directly care for more than 35,000 children, directly assist nearly 250,000 children and families through the Boys Town National Hotline and indirectly assist more than one million children and families through other outreach and training programs. Programs, such as Classroom Management, developed by Girls & Boys Town are being implemented across the United States.

The Classroom Management program is being implemented at Windsor Locks Middle School and the following Hartford public schools: Annie E. Fisher School; M.D. Fox Middle School; Martin Luther King, Jr. School; Hartford Transitional Learning Academy; the Learning Corridor’s Magnet Middle School.

United Way of the Capital Area is a nonprofit organization that has been meeting human care needs in the 40 towns throughout the Capital area for over 75 years. With its network of member agencies, volunteers and community leaders, our United Way takes a leadership role in addressing health and human service issues that face the Hartford region.

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