Facilitated by NJPHK-Camden Program Coordinator, Valeria Galarza, UWCC Account Manager and NJPHK- Camden Advisory Board member Elena Quattrone, and Kim Fortunato, Director of the Childhood Obesity and Hunger Program at Campbell Soup Company, the summit yielded productive discussions on bringing healthy food alternatives to the sites in North Camden and ways to restructure thinking among children and their families about healthy eating and improved physical activity.

The target neighborhood of Parkside will have their first summit on April 19 at Forest Hill Elementary, where they will have a similar opportunity to brainstorm their next steps. Both neighborhoods will then meet in May to continue what will become a series of summits between the two groups into the summer and fall. The groups are engaged and excited to begin implementing positive, healthy change in their communities.

Wednesday, Jack was eating an 8-pack of Oreos from the vending machine at Rainbow Gymnastics. I asked him for a bite and was flat-out ignored. I repeated the ask. Again I was met with busy lips busily crunching and covered in crumbs. No verbal response. I asked a third time.

Finally his eyes met mine, filled with pure annoyance. In a very disgusted tone, he spat out the following question.

“Why can’t you just let me eat me and my for to you your own snack?”

(Go ahead. Read it out loud. It’s worth it.)

I tried not to laugh and told him to wipe his face. He shot his little tongue out in quick circle around his lips and chin and walked off to lead some toddler friends in a Matchbox race.

I marveled at the hilarity of the moment. Sitting in crowded bleachers with groups full of children and parents, I was repeatedly asking my kid for a bite of his Oreo. Not really to get one, but to try to get him to look in my eye and offer me a meaningful response.

The professional parents of the skilled and toned gymnasts probably saw a speech-delayed four-year old too stingy to share. Little did they know this seven-point-five-year old warrior has earned more gold medals and vaulted more hurdles than their princesses would in ten lifetimes.

He learned how to love.

He learned how to kiss.

He learned how to speak.

He learned how to touch.

He learned how to cope.

He learned how to wait.

He learned how to negotiate.

He learned how to be a friend.

And most importantly, he learned how to be happy.

Today is Autism Awareness Day. At the KellyGood house, everyday is Autism Awareness day because we are all painfully aware that Jack has to LEARN how to do things that come naturally to other kids.

For littles like Jack, the intensity of human interaction is like a raging fire threatening to remove their skin. To remain safe and burn-free, they STOP DROP AND ROLL away, avoiding the deadly blaze at all costs. It’s only if they are coached, coaxed, taught, sought, pushed and pulled towards the danger can they learn that it’s anything but. The warmth of human love and interaction can reach even the most remote little victim of Autism. Eventually.

He learned how to be funny too.

We are aware of Autism everyday. But thankfully, it has made us aware of the wonder and the joy created by overcoming adversity, of the appreciation we have in ordinary achievements that for Jack are extraordinary and of how much sweeter success is when it is truly earned. I’m also aware that first-grader attitude (albeit a little awkward) is a rite of passage my boy is entitled to.

Besides, I really don’t like Oreos that much anyway.

Boom.

Boom.

Boom.

I’ve already given myself over to this exercise – in the spirit of listening to those wiser than myself lately when it comes to all things physical, why not absorb the wisdom of someone who is clearly very spiritual? I walked in to this nondescript building in the heart of downtown Camden (teetered would be a better word) into this big, comfortable open space and saw a blanket laid out in front of me covered with stones, some flutes, a drum, some feathers and a bowl filled with something quite suspicious looking that was smoking away. Uh, okay. What the heck am I doing here? Renee Pinardo, the Executive Director of The Bridge, kept telling me that I should be “so excited because I’m in for a very special treat.”

I’m supposed to be visualizing a cave inside a tree.

Boom.

Boom.

Boom.

I don’t think I’ve ever ACTUALLY done guided meditation. Breathe. OK, at the very least it’s relaxing. But my mind won’t quiet. We’re in a field surrounded by a forest, and an animal makes its way out of the forest. What kind of animal is it? What does it look like? What does it say? My brain leaps rapidly from image to image. Nothing is definitive. I see my dad’s face, and he’s laughing. I’m angry at myself for not finding my spirit animal in twenty minutes of meditation. Are my eyes burning? Then we’re out of the field, out of the cave, out of the tree, and sitting up.

The teenagers around me are describing tigers with blue stripes, owls, wolves and snakes. They are drawing and scribbling eagerly. Is this real, my first foray into the actual city of Camden? What kind of bratty kids did I grow up with that I expected this group to be cynical and sarcastic? Vince talked about burning sage to cleanse our spiritual aura, which is what surrounds us and makes others like or dislike us, trust or distrust us. These kids know instinct. They didn’t roll their eyes, ever, even at the beginning when I brushed it all off in my mind as hippie stuff.

But then he said it and I understood, when one girl asked “so plants can heal you? What are those rocks for then?” and he answered:

ANYTHING CAN HEAL YOU.

Anything you choose. If it makes you feel better, if it makes you feel whole, if it makes you feel like a human again, it is a healer. Perhaps it comes in the form of a person but more likely that person is merely a channel, funneling your own misdirected energy right back to you. As it seems lately in my life, all roads lead back to the heavy weights and how they saved my sanity last summer. A lift, even when it’s failed, gives you something on which to focus your mind when your spirit is broken. A conditioning workout takes you right back to where it really matters – your breath, in, out, in, out. If you feel like you can’t go on, just breathe deep for 3, 2,1 and get back under the bar.

Lifting is my meditation. It’s for the body, and I do it every day. My physical self is stronger for it. And last night, in this room in downtown Camden where some high school kids got to be quiet with their thoughts for 30 minutes because they never get the luxury of quiet at home, I think I found my spirit.

For more information about The Bridge, visit www.bridge1980.com.

It seems lately that all news is bad news. CNN and NBC are full of stories of unspeakable tragedies, from the earthquakes that killed hundreds of thousands in Haiti and Chile earlier this year to flooding in the Southeast and Tennessee. Now we’re watching and waiting as a massive oil leak threatens a fragile ecosystem and an already-struggling way of life in the Gulf of Mexico.

Not to mention the issues occuring every day in our own backyard. Crime, poverty, childhood obesity – these plague cities throughout the country but it’s no secret that Camden experiences its fair share.

It’s overwhelming, especially for people my age. We don’t make a lot of money and what little we do make goes right to bills and student loans. We’re often stuck pulling long, irregular hours at work (hello, waitressing and freelance jobs on the side!) that prevent us from making it to, say, a school to help kids learn to read or do art. And finally, if you’re anything like me, you’re pretty new to the city you chose to live in after college.

So what can we do? How can we reconcile ourselves with the traditional image of the corporation that can donate hundreds of thousands of dollars every year or the retiree that can give 30 hours of volunteer time every week? It’s hard to look at something like the amazing gift of $8 million just donated to the United Way of Southeastern PA by John C. Haas and think “wow, there’s no way anything that I could do would come even remotely close to being as valuable as that multi-million dollar gift.”

Wrong. You may be only one, but you are ONE. And your time and talent are far more valuable than you may think. The Red Cross’s campaign to assist relief efforts in Haiti (remember? $10 by texting?) raised MILLIONS of dollars overall. United Way’s own Alternative Spring Break gathers thousands of college students who give up one week of vacation to lend their muscle to dozens of service projects all over the country.

YOU CAN DO SOMETHING. And if you’re interested in getting involved, I want to hear from you, so email me at mwaldeck@uwccnj.org. If you’re a brilliant event planner or fantastic artist or graphic designer or project manager, let me know. And keep checking back here for updates and opportunities just for you.

Hope you are ready for a beautiful weekend. We had a busy but great couple of weeks here at United Way.

We are pleased to welcome Meghan Waldeck to our staff as the Public Affairs Manager working with Erin Kelly. Meghan is a 2007 graduate of the College of William and Mary in Virginia. She has spent the last 3 years coordinating marketing and communications in the fitness and digital printing industries in Center City Philadelphia and is excited to learn and grow with us at United Way. Meghan has an extreme passion for nutrition, fitness, writing and traveling.

We are also pleased to announce that we have filled the final Campaign Account Manager position. Elena Quattrone will join us on the weekend of May 16 for the Celebrity Golf Challenge to provide staff support. Elena is a recent graduate from Boston University with a Master’s Degree in Public Health. In addition to her campaign responsibilities, she will also be assisting on the Healthy Kids Initiative. I am pleased to welcome a fellow Bostonian to the team!

Campaign projections are holding steady. We still have six spots at the United Way table for the Walter Rand Institute Scholarship and Awards Dinner hosted by our Board Member Wendell Pritchett. The event is at the Rutgers Student Center on Friday, May 7. Please contact Roberta asap if you are able to attend.

Enjoy the sun!

Mike

Comcast LIVING UNITED

Comcast held their “Comcast Cares Day” all across the tri-state area on Saturday, April 24. There were 4,360 volunteers at 33 sites from Comcast and their community partners. Projects included a park clean up in New Castle County, DE, construction of a playground in Haverford, PA and beach clean-ups a New Jersey shore towns. Christina Wyse AVP, Resource Development, and her 7-year old granddaughter, Sophia packed up their gardening tools, gloves, and wheel barrels and headed into Camden early Saturday morning to assist in landscaping some business areas. Comcast bought a large variety of beautiful, low maintenance plants and a whole lot of mulch to “spruce up” Camden. Christina and Sophia were in front of a convenience store and so many patrons commented on how nice it looked and what a great job the workers were doing. Comcast was on hand to make sure everyone stayed hydrated and provided lunch at 3 local restaurants.

SUMMER CAMP GRANTS

We received 18 applications for funding under the United Way Jaws Youth Fund Summer Camp Program as of our deadline of Monday, April 26, 2010. Grants generally range from $3,000 – $8,000 to high quality programs that help at-risk youth achieve success. Over the course of next couple of weeks, United Way Staff will work together with the Jaworski Family on identifying the strongest recipients for the Summer 2010 with the available funding. 

EMERGENCY FOOD AND SHELTER PROGRAM

We just received word that the Emergency Food and Shelter Program has awarded an additional $17,923 to Camden County for our emergency feeding programs. This is in addition to the $374,718 that has been awarded to local programs. A process will begin shortly to identify how these new funds will be allocated. Current grantees include: AIDS Coalition of Southern NJ,The Cathedral Soup Kitchen, The Food Bank of South Jersey, The Neighborhood Center, New Visions Community Services, Salvation Army, Camden Corp, Samost Jewish Family and Children’s Services and Senior Citizens United Community Service.

PATCO is funny in the mornings though. The train from Center City Philadelphia to Camden is empty and I mean EMPTY (cue tumbleweeds). I guess it’s kind of odd; most people live in Jersey and commute into Philly to work. I always did like to go against the grain.

It gets me thinking as I walk from the Broadway stop, down Mickle Boulevard, around Cooper Hospital and finally arrive at the offices of the United Way of Camden County on Newton Ave. I’m a stranger in a strange land, even though I’ve lived literally a hop, skip and jump away for the last three years. I’ve logged long runs across the Ben Franklin Bridge (not easy)during my marathon training, but now I’m a temporary resident, every day.

Consider this my meet and greet to everyone who may be reading. My name is Meghan, and I’m the new public affairs manager at UWCC. I come from a marketing background in the digital printing and fitness industries. I’m so excited to immerse myself in the nonprofit world and really work to make a difference in the community around me. I am passionate about many things but I will talk your ear off/research obsessively on anything related to fitness, childhood obesity prevention/getting kids out to play and sustainable nutrition (I love farmer’s markets). I’m so thrilled that I’ll be able to direct my passions through United Way to help advance the common good in Camden County.

 I want to make this blog a resource for all of you who live and work here in Camden, so please, keep in touch with me at mwaldeck@uwccnj.org or check us out on Facebook or Twitter. I want to hear about YOU: who you are, where you work, how you LIVE UNITED today and how United Way can help you in the future. Do you want to begin a workplace campaign at your office? We can help you. Do you want to advertise your 5K for charity? Let me know because I’ve got a personal 5K time I’m looking to beat. If you’re part of a group that needs volunteer opportunities or you want to make a donation to help the community around you, don’t hesitate. I’m just an email or phone call away, and I can’t wait to get to know you.

To be eligible for funding, an agency must meet the following conditions:

Be a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit health and human service organization, registered with the Internal Revenue Service

Provide services to at-risk youth in Camden County ages 7-18

Have a current valid registration with the State of New Jersey as a charitable organization

Have an active volunteer Board of Directors

In order to be eligible to submit a request for funds you must request an electronic copy of the Application and Guidelines from Ib Awoyale via email at iawoyale@uwccnj.org

Deadline for Submission of Proposals:

April 26, 2010 at 5:00 PM

No changes, additions or omissions will be permitted after this date.

We are looking forward to the next round of strategic planning meetings in the upcoming week. Our consultant Gershon Mader will join us to facilitate the sharing, learning and idea generation. I thank everyone who has agreed to serve on the committees. If anyone has interest in joining the groups, shoot me an email. We’d love to have you. The meetings will be held at the UWCC offices, and the schedule is below:

Wednesday, April 14
Resource Development, 8-11am
Community Impact, 1-4pm

Thursday April 15
Regional Consolidation, 8-11am
Emerging Leaders, 1-4pm

We are wrapping up the 2009 campaign clean up while feverishly planning for the upcoming campaign. Our Resource Development team is on the phones, investigating outstanding card value. Our new campaigner Abby Hickerson and our AVP of Resource Development Christina Wyse have proven quickly to be a very energetic and compatible duo. Christina and Abby are interacting with early running campaigns especially in the retail unit. Target Stores are preparing to kick off on June 1st.

Our accounting team is also hard at work ensuring our data is accurate as we enter the new season. This week alone we have processed nearly $100K. The majority of these pledges are for companies that have locations here but are reported to us from their corporate headquarters, another United Way or United Way Worldwide. They also represent large corporate contributions from companies that traditionally report during the 2nd quarter of the calendar year such as Comcast, PSE&G, J&J Snack Foods, etc. We have 100% confidence that we will gain the appropriate documentation necessary from these generous supporters well in advance of our budgeting deadline. Currently we have processed $3.8 million towards our projected final amount of $4.4 million. And we are climbing each day.

Work continues to proceed on the 2010 Campaign. We are nearly completed with the recruitment of the Campaign Cabinet. Thank you to all who have joined the team and thanks to Mindy Holman for assisting with the recruitment of ARI executive Bill Kwelty to serve as Unit Chair of Business Services. Once fully recruited, we will publish a full listing of what is shaping up to be a standout cabinet.

We are also in development stages of all campaign collateral, including our CEO Case Statement, Campaign Coordinator Manual, Annual Report, Leadership Giving Recognition Brochure and all the necessary pledge forms we need to run a successful campaign.

Enjoy the awesome weather this weekend!
Mike