Archive: Around Town

The United Way of Tompkins County (UWTC) Board of Directors recently unanimously approved funding recommendations totaling more than $100,000 to support local health and human services and programs.  Sarah Manasse, UWTC Community Investment Co-Chair and Board Member, presented funding recommendations to the Board of Directors for the $43,000 T. Merrell Shipherd Flexible Fund, $27,742 for the Fall Hunger & Food Security Fund, and $5,000 in Emergency Funding for ten local food pantries.  In addition, the 2012 Youth and Philanthropy Council presented their $25,000 in one-time grant funding recommendations.

UWTC works to support programming that is making an impact to improve the quality of life of area residents.

Funded programs and services meet UWTC’s funding criteria by addressing identified community conditions, populations to be served, having clear administrative and financial management, identifying goals and objectives, showing evidence of formal partnerships or collaborations with other organizations, and demonstrating community impact.  James Brown, president of UWTC added, “From the high school students through the ad hoc and standing Community Investment Committees, UWTC volunteers have worked hard to make decisions that will help improve the lives of local residents. While these processes are never easy, we are fortunate to have such strong, caring and innovative service providers as partners. As we see demand across food and programs grow, I must commend Sarah and her teams, and the UWTC Board for making unsolicited funds available for the local food pantries.”

The T. Merrell Shipherd Flexible Fund was established to honor T. Merrell Shipherd, former Director of United Way of Tompkins County, who, throughout his life, worked to bring people together to find effective solutions to community challenges. The purpose of this funding is to provide financial support for quality programming and services, to address current, new or emerging needs in the community, to support efforts to improve organizational efficiency, and to encourage collaborations such as mergers and service delivery joint ventures.

Eleven UWTC nonprofit organizations receiving a total of $43,000 for programs and services through the T. Merrell Shipherd Flexible Fund are:

• Alcohol & Drug Council of Tompkins County, Inc.: $7,000, Electronic Medical Records to Enhance Efficiency and Document Client Outcomes
• Brooktondale Community Center: $600, Caroline Chicken Coop Project
• Child Development Council: $2,523, Family Services Program
• Drop-In Children’s Center: $2,430, Continuing Program Improvement
• Family and Children’s Services of Ithaca: $2,947, Children’s Comprehensive Care Fund
• Finger Lakes Independence Center: $2,500, Senior Outreach
• Franziska Racker Centers: $8,000, Making Room Capital Campaign for The Learning Center and Preschool Renovations
• Human Services Coalition: $4,000, 2-1-1 Information & Referral Services
• Ithaca Community Childcare Center (IC3): $5,000, Playground Safety
• Opportunities, Alternatives and Resources: $7,000, Transition Two
• Women’s Opportunity Center: $1,000, Non-Traditional Scholarship Program

UWTC continues to work with community partners to eliminate hunger and food security barriers in Tompkins County.  Due to an increase in demand for funding, since 2009 UWTC has both a Spring and Fall Hunger & Food Security Grant Cycle.  Any Tompkins County non-profit health & human services organization can apply for Hunger & Food Security funding.

The ten local nonprofit organizations receiving a total of $27,742 for Hunger and Food Security Programs and Services are:

• American Red Cross of Tompkins County Chapter: $2,000, Emergency Shelter Food Pantry
• Challenge Industries: $1,200, Job Club – Transition to Employment
• Community Dinner at Dryden United Methodist Church: $800, Community Dinner
• Food Bank of the Southern Tier: $10,692, Mobile Food Pantry Program
• Groton Food Providers: $1,500, Food Pantry
• Ithaca Kitchen Cupboard: $1,250, Food Pantry
• Loaves and Fishes: $3,500, Free Meal Program
• The Learning Web: $3,000, Youth Outreach (Hunger & Food Security)
• Tompkins Community Action: $2,000, Emergency Food Pantry
• Trumansburg Food Pantry: $1,800, Trumansburg Food Pantry

Ongoing assessment of area food pantry health and usage revealed that all local pantries have little or no funds on account at the Food Bank of the Southern Tier. The Community Investment Committee recommended an unsolicited award of $5000 to the Food Bank of the Southern Tier to support the following pantries:

• Baptized Church of Jesus Christ
• Caroline Food Pantry
• Danby Food Pantry
• Dryden Kitchen Cupboard
• Enfield Food Distribution
• Freeville Food Pantry
• Immaculate Conception Food Pantry
• Lansing Food Pantry
• Newfield Kitchen Cupboard
• Southside Community Center

Youth and Philanthropy is an initiative designed to inspire youth to take an active role in their communities and think about philanthropy as an important part of their lives.  The program is intended to provide youth with a greater understanding of current community conditions, explore individual leadership abilities, participate in team-building activities, learn about charitable giving, develop a grant application, receive and review grants, and lastly to distribute the awards to area nonprofit organizations.  Since 2000, the Park Foundation has been funding the Youth & Philanthropy Initiative.

Cindy Noble, UWTC Board Member, worked with the eleven YAP Council Members this year, along with Karlem Sivira, a recent Ithaca College graduate, former member of the Ithaca College Student United Way, and current UWTC Marketing & Communications Committee Member.

At the December 11th YAP Grant Awards Ceremony held at the UWTC Livermore Building, local high school students presented ten, one-time grants totaling $25,000 to the following non-profit organizations:

• Alcohol & Drug Council: $3,000, Electronic Medical Record Technology
• Alternatives Impact: $5,000, Volunteer Income Tax Program
• Catholic Charities of Tompkins/Tioga: $3,000, Blankets and Clothing
• Family & Children’s Service of Ithaca: $1,000, Dispositional Alternatives Program, Summer Internship Stipend
• Finger Lakes ReUse, Inc.: $1,500, Job-Skills Training
• Golden Opportunities: $1,000, Tutoring Support
• Ithaca Health Alliance: $5,000, Ithaca Free Clinic Without Walls
• Men of Color Council Inc.: $1,000, The Men of Color Council Conference 2013
• Planned Parenthood: $4,000, Being There for Your LGBT Teen
• Trumansburg Food Pantry: $500, Weekend Backpack Food Program

2012 Youth and Philanthropy Council Members:

Eleanor Bayles, Ithaca City School District
Leighann Bennett, Dryden Central School District
Violet Briggs, Lehman Alternative Community School
Aiden Hodges, New Roots Charter School
Josie Kinzie, Russell I. Doig High School
Joshua Miller, Dryden Central School District, New Visions
Caleb Rohrssen-Church, Lehman Alternative Community School
Jessica Rynders, Ithaca City School District, NewVisions
David Tian, Ithaca City School District
Conor Utter, Lehman Alternative Community School
Hannah Wildenstein, Dryden Central School District

v8i47