Pioneers provide Paint and Supplies to complete Eagle Scout Project – Pioneers recently assisted Matt Crone, a Troop 21 Scout, with his Eagle Scout Project. Matt, with the assistance of other scouts, painted three Pioneer Playground MAPS at three elementary schools in Framingham, Ma. The Verizon Pioneers Framingham Club provided the paint and supplies needed for the scouts to complete the project. Diane Rodger, the Pioneer Playground MAP coordinator for the chapter, was there to assist where needed. Matt’s dad made a 6 minute video of the procedure from start to finish. Click here to go to YouTube to view the video.
Camp Fuller project a success – Pioneers were hard at work “answering the call of those in need” May 18th-20that Camp Fuller in Wakefield RI.Over 80 volunteers from as far away as Maryland and West Virginia came together to help get the camp in shape for the 2012 season.
This year’s Vice presidents project was awarded to the Denver Chapter and Vice President Ann Cove picked up the ball and ran with it. From the initial conversation with the camp Director to the wrap up at the end, Ann and her team were there to make sure the project was a success.
Even before the weekend began, Chapter Volunteers Jim Crosbie and Bruce Broadard went to the camp and disassembled the old performance stage and stripped the shingles from the bath house in preparation for the work which lay ahead the following weekend.
Pioneers, Partners, Friends and Families began to arrive on Friday and were immediately put to work on the Bath House project. After a hearty breakfast on Saturday, provided by Pioneer Accounting Center Associates Diane Nelson, Cathy-ann Dow and her husband Merrill, everyone went to work.
By lunch time 3 cabins had been roofed (5 total), all the gardens had been cleaned out with new bushes, plants and vegetables planted, brush cleaned out and wood chips spread, significant work completed on the Bath House, fences painted, picnic tables and soccer benches painted, numerous cabin screens repaired and cabin windows washed.
To say the Director and resident maintenance manager were more than thrilled with the progress would be an understatement. After lunch Ann redirected the volunteers to other tasks needing to be completed and everyone went back to work.
Volunteers stuffed and sewed over 20 heart Pillows and Hug a Bears and put together 24 Camp Packs for children needing supplies during their stay at camp. Saturday evening was all about Fellowship and feeling great about what we had accomplished.
Baskets donated by various chapter board members and a “Head & Tails 50/50 Raffle contributed to the fun. The evening wrapped up with a bonfire, s’mores, great conversation and overall feeling of accomplishment. All projects undertaken were completed by Sunday afternoon when everyone left the camp in much better condition.
Follow up comments by first time volunteers that they had a great time and felt welcomed is a testament to the wonderful people Pioneers are. Coming together as a group in this manner shows the power of teamwork, fellowship and dedication in support of our mission to “help those in need”. Congratulations Pioneers, Friends and Families who participated in the Camp Fuller Vice Presidents Project and for all Pioneers contributing in their communities. You are the Best!
Chapters represented at the project were: WJ Denver, Alexander Graham Bell, Fort Pitt, Thomas Sherwin, McCully Upstate, McCully Downstate, Nova 5, Excelsior, West Virginia, Paumanok, Verizon External Affairs Mass & RI and VFFT Vice President Steve Kohn.
Telling Amy’s Story – On Feb 14th, the WJ Denver Chapter hosted a “train the trainer” session using the Telling Amy’s Story video as the lead in to a discussion period afterwards. Thirty five staff of New Hope, Inc., a domestic violence prevention agency covering seventy five cities and towns in the southeastern and central areas of Massachusetts attended the breakfast event held at the DoubleTree hotel in Milford, Mass. Each attendee received a folder containing New Hope and Pioneer project information, a Thinkfinity bookmark and a copy of the Telling Amy’s Story video.The morning was kicked off by Laura Martins of New Hope who introduced Pioneers Deb Foley and Diane Rodger and thanked the Pioneers for hosting the session. Deb then said a few words on the Verizon Foundation’s funding and collaboration to make the video and the Pioneers mission to get it out to as many organizations as possible. Deb thanked New Hope for their continued partnership and Diane for providing the laptop and projector for the morning. After watching the 57 minute compelling story of Amy Holman McGee, Ruth Zakarin of New Hope led the group discussion. There were many who had never seen the video before and were moved by the video’s candid message. They all noted that there were so many similarities to what they experience working with victims of domestic violence every day. The attendees were encouraged to show the video to family, friends and co-workers. The morning ended on an up note with drawings for some special door prizes provided by the Pioneers.
Urban Worm Farming – Reduce – Reuse – Recycle – On February 22, 2012, the children at Markman Children’s Programs in Attleboro, Mass. took their first steps in implementing the Environmental Protection Agency’s Reduce->Reuse->Recycle to produce less trash.
The William J. Denver Chapter donated a “worm bin”. Pioneer Deb Foley and Markman’s board President Lynne Mendes met with the children and helped the kindergarten children in Ms. Carrero’s class learn about worms.
Lynne was formerly a science teacher in the Attleboro schools and has been worm farming herself for over 20 years. Lynne started off by asking the children some questions about worms and worm farming which she will address each week when she comes to check on the worms. Lynne brought along about 1,000 of her “red wigglers” to start the process. Each child had an opportunity to assemble the bin, tearing newspaper and mixing it with the compost Lynne brought from her bin. Lynne also brought used coffee grounds to give the worms their first meal. The children also got a chance to hold one of the worms before putting them into the bin. Lynne talked about what the worms can eat or cannot eat and provided a metal bucket for the children to put their snack scraps into. Lynne will be coming back to the classroom each week to discuss the children’s questions and make sure the feeding process is on track. As the food is eaten, the bin will eventually fill up with “compost” and a second, 3rd and 4th level will be added on. The Denver chapter will also donate some vegetable seedlings. Compost and Worm juice will be used to fertilize the plants. The vegetables produced will be eaten at snack time, the peels and inedible parts given back to the worms, and thus the cycle goes on.
As the worms reproduce the worm bin will fill up eventually. Another bin can be started or excess worms can be put out in the gardens on the school’s property.
If you would like to start your own worm bin and do your part to Reduce->Reuse->Recycle there are many sights on-line. We used this local company.
http://urbanwormcomposting.com/default.aspx Check out our Urban Worm Farming video on facebook. http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Verizon-Pioneers-William-J-Denver-Chapter/102386402695
Hospitalized Veterans Week – Pioneer volunteers started at the Soldier’s Home in Holyoke and visited with Beverly Blanchard, the Volunteer Director and donated various items from their wish list.We then went to the VMC (Veterans Medical Center) in Northampton for their annual ceremony and activities. Pioneers met with Anne Murray, the Volunteer Director and gave her a donation of items requested from their wish list. We then volunteered with other veteran’ groups to help with the program. The Mayor of Northampton gave a proclamation and members of the Umass football team arrived and visited the veterans. There was also a girls dance group that performed for the veterans. A great time was had by all. story submitted by Jim Crosbie pictured: Pioneer Jim Crosbie, Anne Murray, Pioneer Bruce Broadard
Providence Club members attended the Trudeau Center breakfast and made a $500 donation towards their programs. The Trudeau Center has been a Warwick landmark since the early 1960’s. Born out of a necessity and belief that people with disabilities should be allowed full citizenship within their own communities. Arthur & Evelyn Trudeau along with a legion of supporters tirelessly sought to create services such as special education, recreation, and vocational training. The Providence Club has been supporting their programs for over 10 years. pictured left to right: Dick Therrien, Judy Wayss, Carol Baker, Marjorie Maietta, Sam Howells, Elaine Dame, George Russell and Jane Therrien.
To the left: Providence Club President Carol Baker and Pioneer Jeannine Jackson provided the students at Woodlawn School with Scholastic Books. The children are holding up their Thinkfinity bookmarks. To the right: Pioneers George and Rosellen Russell handed out Scholastic Books to Fogarty School students in Chepatchett, RI.