Literacy Council gives adults chance to read, write

By Shea Anderson

Mike was told he would never learn to read or write when he was younger, so he coasted through school. He secured a job as a mechanic, and worked without much hassle for four years. But, the field began evolving. And he couldn’t read blueprints or understand computers. He didn’t have the skills to keep up.

Mike learned to read and write at the Tri-State Literacy Council and went on to have a letter published in the newspaper. His tutor, Marie Willis, said she found his progress rewarding. Willis has been a volunteer at the council for more than four years, and recently began working as an administrative assistant.

“I’ve worked with students who have not only learned to read, but make better decisions with life in general,” Willis said. “The reward comes in when you know the student is progressing and knowing they are going in the right direction.”

The council has 34 students, and over the past 10 years has helped about 600 people improve their literacy skills. Lynn Ormiston, director of the council, said she estimates it has helped more than 800 in its 30-year existence.

“We have some students who are starting at the very basic level,” she said. “They may know some of an alphabet, or maybe not. With those individuals, it’s starting from square one.”

According to a study by the National Assessment of Adult Literacy in 2003, 11 percent of adults in Cabell County lack basic prose literacy skills. When the study was conducted in 1992, it was 13 percent.

“Lacking reading skills keeps them from helping themselves and their families more,” Ormiston said. “Every time they go to the grocery store, they may have trouble finding the item they want. Some people shop with pictures. Insurance forms, voting, driving. Just imagine if all those signs you look at every day didn’t have any meaning for you. It can be a huge barrier to personal growth and finance.”

Tutors for the council undergo 12 hours of training before the council pairs them with a student. Students are tested and placed at a grade level. Ormiston said many come in with a purpose, such as learning to read enough to pass the GED exam.

Students stay involved as long as they are motivated to keep learning. Ormiston said on average, it takes about 100 hours of tutoring to move up a grade level.

The council receives partial funding from the United Way of the River Cities. It was awarded $18,750 this year. Ormiston said the Cabell County Public Library and West Virginia Adult Basic Education are the council’s other major sources of funding, but they also apply for smaller grants.

In the tax year ending June 2008, the council received $51,038.02 from gifts and grants.

The largest expense was employee salaries, which was $49,485.11. Additional expenses included $300 for rent, utilities and maintenance and $170.55 for printing, publications, postage and shipping. Other expenses reached $3,082.22.

Fundraising events are being implemented this year. A Walk for Independence last July brought in more than $3,000 in sponsorships and grants. Ormiston said she is trying to organize more fundraisers.

In addition to raising money through events, Ormiston said she hopes to see other changes this year. Family literacy is a new option Ormiston wants to offer to students.

“It would be embedded in the family and create a literacy rich environment of family activities to reinforce reading to children,” Ormiston said.

To introduce the council to more people in the community, Ormiston also wants to host a series of classes in financial, computer, political, environmental and health literacy.

“Hopefully, if we can do different things like that in the community, people will have a relationship with us that they will want to build on,” she said.

The classes also would serve as a tool to recruit new students. Ormiston said one of the main obstacles of the council is many people who can’t read do not know about the services.

“It makes it difficult when the medium you’re accustomed to using is the medium that is creating problems for people who cannot read,” Ormiston said. “Most students come to us by word of mouth, because they know someone who has done it and likes it and thinks it’s really positive for their lives.”

*Mike’s name is changed to protect his privacy.

United Way fundraising brings in quarter of its goal

By Shea Anderson

The United Way of the River Cities has raised $364,000 this year, which is 26 percent of its $1.4 million goal.

The campaign began Jan. 1 and will continue until Dec. 31.

“The thing we are really focusing on being at 26 percent of our goal is that people remember these funds go to useful programs that will make lasting changes in the community,” said Casey Bowden, marketing director. “We’re trying to make a lasting impact instead of just Band-Aid fixes.”

The United Way has created four focus areas: learning and earning, families and children, health and wellness and basic need/ unforeseen hardship. The programs that receive funding are evaluated based on their outcomes and lasting effect on the community.

Bowden said the amount raised do far was lower than in previous years, but it was unfair to compare, because the United Way is in a transition period, focusing on more sustainable changes in the community than it has is the past.

Last year, the United Way only reached 89 percent of its $1.5 million goal, but took money from a reserve fund to make up the difference. Executive director Laura Gilliam said some of that money was still available, but the United Way was still optimistic about reaching its goal this year.

The majority of the funding for the United Way comes from donations, given through pledges and payroll deductions.

“A lot of the work contributions are pledges,” Gilliam said. “As we go through the year, we try to track how much of that money actually comes in. This year, collections are down but they still look good.”

One of the factors contributing to decreased collections is people pledging to donate money from their paycheck, then leaving or losing the job.

Gilliam said though collection rates were down, they were still much higher than they were in the early 2000s.

“We’ve seen some years past where we have struggled to collect on pledges. Over the last few years, it’s gotten much better.”

In addition to donations, the United Way hosts two or three fundraising events each year. A putt-putt tournament raised about $5,000.

As they are trying to raise money for next year’s grants, the committee that allocates the funds is determining how much to give each organization.

“Basically, we’re going through the process of determining funding awards and raising the money at the same time,” Gilliam said. “The committee will do that based on an idea of what we have. If we don’t’ reach our goal, we’ll have to see how close we did get to it before we decide how to handle it.”

Special Olympics gives local boy confidence

By Jerrod Laber

Jonathan Simpson’s favorite time of the year is not the summer, when he does not have to go to school.  It is not the winter, with its numerous of holidays.  His favorite time of the year involves an annual May event – usually of no more than a day’s duration.

Simpson, 18, a student at Open Door School in Ironton, suffers from cerebral palsy and competing in the Special Olympics simply makes his year.

The Lawrence County Special Olympics is a series of sporting events that takes place three times a year at Fairland High School in Proctorville, Simpson’s hometown.  It serves as an opportunity for cognitively-delayed children and young adults to compete and take part in athletics.  The Special Olympics also serves as therapy for participants.

The LCSO is a non-profit organization based out of the home of Sharon Blankenship, the program’s coordinator.  It receives most of its funding from the United Way of the River Cities, $2,600 for 2009.

“We are strictly not-for-profit,” Blankenship said.  “Every penny that we receive goes back into the program.  And once you volunteer, you are basically stuck.  It becomes very hard to walk away.”

Special Olympics events include volleyball and basketball in November and January, and Simpson’s favorite, the track & field games in May.

“The Special Olympics is his favorite thing,” Joyce Swann, Simpson’s grandmother, said.  “He gets so excited.  He truly loves it.”

His love for it is fueled by the sense of self and equality he receives from participating.

“I get to be me,” he said.  “I feel equal, and I get to be me.”

Simpson has been actively involved since the third grade.  Among his favorite events are the 50-yard dash and the long jump. He won second place in those events this year.  He placed first in the softball.

“It’s very exciting to watch him compete.  Seeing the smile on his face, it’s just very special to me,” Swann said.

Blankenship, coordinator since 1972, said, “Watching them gives me a great deal of satisfaction.  It helps them develop a sense of self-assurance and confidence.  They really enjoy it."

The LCSO involves eight different school districts with different levels of competition based on age and grade levels of participants.  Winners compete on a regional level at the Area 7 games at University of Rio Grande, in Gallia County.  Area 7 consists of Adams, Gallia, Highland, Jackson, Lawrence, Pike, Ross, Scioto and Vinton counties in Ohio.

Further success can mean a trip to the statewide games at the Ohio State University, in Columbus.

None of this matters much to Simpson though, his grandmother says.

“Whether he places or not, that smile is always the same size.”

He just loves to compete, because he is able to be himself.

Local center offers therapy home for children in state custody

By Caleb Whisenant

When he was 8 years old, James’ mother sent him to Charleston, S.C., on a Greyhound bus to meet the aunt she said he would live with for the summer. However, there was no aunt waiting.

He lived on the streets for two months before he was picked up by City of Charleston police officers when they discovered him sleeping in an abandoned building. A week later, he was sent back to Huntington and placed in state custody when his mother could not be located. The state admitted him at Cammack Children’s Center.

Hazel Jacob, coordinator of direct care services and recreation, has worked at the center for 24 years and said she remembers the day James was admitted.

That was more than 20 years ago. James, 36, is now a former army captain who resides in Beckley, W.Va., Jacob has kept in regular contact with James throughout the years. She said she thinks his success is proof that the center is a valuable resource for children. (His name is being withheld by the newspaper because of privacy concerns.)

“For almost 25 years I have seen this place turn around the lives of children,” Jacob said. “Granted, every child’s story doesn’t turn out as well as James’ story did, but it does happen, and it’s those times that make the job worth it. When he came here, James was broken, emotionally. It was a tough rebuilding process, and there were many struggles for him all along the way, even after he left Cammack. But, he did it, and now he’s going strong.”

Cammack is a nonprofit organization founded in 1914. Executive director Anthony Warnick said the center houses 32 emotionally disturbed and delinquent youth ages 12 to 18. The center is licensed by the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources’ Office of Behavioral Health and Social Services and is an affiliate of the United Way of the River Cities.

The center operates as a level II therapeutic group home. Warnick said the center is for children who require intensive services over an extended period of time and who require these services to be provided within a centralized therapeutic setting for maximum benefit.

“Some of the children here are in and out of the program fairly quickly, be it because they have successfully completed it or have proven to be disturbed beyond the capacity of the center to offer effective therapy to them,” Warnick said. “But, the average is six months. Sometimes you get kids who are lifers of the system, and there’s not really much we’re able to do to help them. We can offer job skills training, something we hope will help them once they leave us, but there’s never a guarantee.”

Funding for the center comes from multiple sources. Of the organization’s $2.1 million budget for 2009, $35,000 was contributed by the United Way of the River Cities. The rest of the center’s funding came from the state and federal governments and private donors.

Warnick said privacy is one of the administration’s biggest concerns. He said every child in the center’s care is there because of sensitive personal issues and that confidentiality helps to ensure successful completion of the program. 

Girl Scouts give back to community

By Ashton Marra

Skye Taylor has earned multiple badges, attended many summer camps, and sold more than 15,000 boxes of cookies during her 12 years as a Girl Scout, but, in her opinion, she’s gained something more valuable than all of the acclaim.

“I know now that one person can make a difference,” Taylor said. “They say it so often that it’s become cliché, but they say it for a reason. One person can make a big difference.”

Taylor, a 17-year-old Senior at the Covenant School in Huntington, made her difference while completing her Gold Award. A Gold Award is the highest honor in Girls Scouts, and, to be earned, a girl must commit 65 hours of community service to one project.

 “Keep Your Chin Up,” Taylor’s project, placed painted ceiling tiles in the pediatric units and their waiting areas at Cabell-Huntington Hospital.

Taylor is just one of the more than 20,000 girls in the 61 counties in West Virginia, Virginia, Maryland and Ohio under the jurisdiction of the Girl Scouts of Black Diamond Council.

Established in 1974, the Black Diamond Council formed from the merging of four existing councils, and in the past year has undergone realignment, adding counties in Ohio to its jurisdiction.

 Troops are divided by grade level into Daisies, Brownies, Juniors, Cadettes, Seniors, and Ambassadors. According to Emily Tucker, director of marketing and public relations for the Black Diamond Council, girls can become a scout at any age as long as they take the Girl Scout Promise, follow the Girl Scout Law, and pay annual dues of $12.

 Tucker said any girl who is unable to pay dues is eligible for financial assistance through the Opportunity Fund. A portion of the money for this program comes from the annual funding given to the council by the United Way of the River Cities.

About eight percent of the Black Diamond Council’s annual budget comes from United Way donations, Tucker said. The bulk of the organization’s funding comes from cookie sales, donations, and national grants.  Insert the number of dollars given by UW and total dollar amount of the council’s budget.

Amanda Fellure, membership development coordinator, said the Girl Scouts’ ultimate goal is to benefit the girls and help them benefit the community.

“Girl Scouts isn’t just about the cookies and the crafts and the campfires, but it’s about building our leaders of tomorrow,” Fellure said.

The Black Diamond Council is a volunteer-driven organization. It’s run by mothers, grandmothers, and former scouts, Tucker said, but volunteering with the Girl Scouts doesn’t have to be a huge commitment.

“Most people think you have to be a troop leader to volunteer, but that’s just not true,” Tucker said. “Volunteers do anything from recruiting to accounting to public relations. We can even set them up with a one-time event.”

Taylor took advantage of the volunteerism promoted by the Girls Scouts to fulfill her goal and complete her Gold Award.

With the help of volunteers from the community, Taylor painted and hanged more than 500 ceiling tiles in the pediatric and pediatric intensive care units at Cabell-Huntington. Taylor said it was rewarding to see how her project had changed the atmosphere of an entire floor at the hospital.

“It was so great to see that the kids could forget about their tests or being sick and be happy. They didn’t have to think about being afraid,” Taylor said.

MU player gives back through United Way

By Caleb Whisenant

Ryan Tillman, offensive lineman for the Marshall University football team, decided to give back to the community off the football field.

Tillman, 21, volunteered for Big Brothers Big Sisters, an affiliated partner of the United Way of the River Cities, as part of a class assignment. He told United Way of the River Cities he wanted to get involved because his father was always supportive and he wanted to be a male role model for a boy without one. He said the class assignment offered him the perfect opportunity for this.

Tillman, of Centreville, Va., was matched with Corey, 9, a fourth grade student at Peyton Elementary School.

Tillman said being a big brother to Corey has taught him many things about himself and has allowed him to establish a bond with a child that he thinks will last a long time.

“Corey and I developed a great relationship,” Tillman said. “Being a big brother to Corey became a natural fit, and I too was learning from him and having a lot of fun.”

Tillman said the class assignment is over but his involvement in Corey’s life is not. He said the two of them still get together once a week to play basketball, pass football, read or just talk.

Mark Snyder, head football coach for the Marshall University team, said Tillman’s work with Big Brothers, Big Sisters is commendable.

“I encourage all of our players to give back to the community through service,” Snyder said. “I am very proud of the time our young people put in throughout the year to help others.”

Big Brothers Big Sisters changes lives

By Troy Hemingway

Patti Price, executive director of Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Tri-State, is all about the children.

"It does not take a lot of money or time, because it is the small things that can make an impact," Price said. "It is a wonderful thing to make an impact on a child's life."

Price has worked at Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Tri-State for 31 years and has truly enjoyed her job.

Big Brothers Big Sisters was established nationally in 1910 in Cincinnati by Irvin Westheimer. According to the Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Tri-State's Web site, the local branch of the organization was established in 1974 by a small group of citizens who were concerned about the well-being of children growing up in broken homes.

The mission of the organization is to provide help and structure to youth through a one-to-one relationship with volunteers who assist them in achieving up to their potential.

Big Brothers Big Sisters has two main programs: community-based mentoring and school-based mentoring.

Community-based mentoring is a program in which the "Big" or volunteer is screened and matched with a child who is in need of support and guidance. The Big can then pick up his or her little brother or sister and take them to different places around the community -- such as the park, movies or out to lunch -- as long as there is parental permission. According to the Web site, the main goal of this program is friendship.

School-based mentoring is a program in which the volunteers spend 1 hour a week with their little brother or sister for the entire school year. Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Tri-State reaches out to many schools in the area, including schools in Cabell, Wayne, Boyd, and Greenup Counties.

“One hour a week such as a lunch hour spent reading and helping a child with some homework can go a long way," Price said.

With programs such as these that require the work of volunteers, it is always a priority to recruit new people to volunteer their time and effort. The Tell-a-Guy campaign, for example, is a campaign addressing the shortage of male volunteers.

Like any non-profit organization, fundraising is important at Big Brothers Big Sisters.

United Way of the River Cities provided Big Brothers Big Sisters$25,000 in general funding as well as a $15,000 impact grant.   

One of Big Brothers Big Sisters’ biggest fundraisers each year is the annual Christmas tree sale, which began Nov. 28.

United Way of the River Cities Focused on Building a Better Community

By Justin Prince

The United Way of the River Cities has entered the final days of its annual fundraising campaign, which supports 32 local agencies and the programs they operate on behalf of the Tri-State community.

Laura Gilliam, United Way of the River Cities executive director, said United ‘s goal is $1.4 million by Dec. 31, the same as last year’s.

What happens if United Way of the River Cities falls short of its fundraising goals as an organization, which has occurred more than once over the past several years?

“If a goal isn’t met,” Gilliam said, “we look at what the goal was, how far away we were from meeting it (and) try to establish why it wasn’t met, if there were any aspects that were met, and utilize that information to improve our performance.”

The United Way of the River Cities, one of the Tri-State’s best known organizations, uses the fundraising to help build better and stronger communities.

The 32 agencies focus on a variety of issues, ranging from youth programs like the Boy Scouts, to the problems of domestic violence and homelessness. Each has its own mission but, according to www.unitedwayrivercities.org, they sometimes form coalitions to tackle the tougher issues, such as the local drug problem.

One of these collaborative works involves the Cabell County Substance Abuse Prevention Partnership, whose focus is reducing substance abuse through raising community awareness, and providing and information to educate and promote a reduction in substance abuse.

In a recent interview, Elaine Darling, CCSAPP project coordinator, talked about the importance of the program.

“This program, and others like it, is extremely vital to the area of Cabell County,” Darling said. “People sometimes don’t see the harm drugs can cause, so if we can educate the community on the harm of these substances, then, maybe we can decrease the rate of substance abuse.”

The United Way of the River Cities supports other initiatives, such as “Success by Six.” The initiative helps area children be ready physically, mentally, emotionally, and socially to begin Kindergarten by the age of 6.

Such initiatives and collaborative efforts are instrumental in tackling the most persistent problems within a community. 

“It’s an ongoing process,” Darling said. “These problems never go away, so we are constantly working to make this community the best it can be, and these programs are the foundations for building that community.”

Gilliam agreed, while also stating the importance of the United Way of the River Cities as a whole.

“I believe that a lot of collaborative work that is ongoing in the community would not take place if our organization didn’t exist,” Gilliam said.

 “United Way has done an excellent job of identifying key community issues that need to be resolved and is focusing funding on strategies that will create long-term solutions to those problems, and that will create the greatest impact.  In addition, United Way has been able to bring in outside sources of funding to support local effort.