Tuesday, April 21, President Obama signed the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act into law. The quick passage and broad support for this legislation are testaments to the power of service to meet pressing national challenges and the wide spread recognition that service is a solution. President Obama called for passage of national service legislation in his joint address to Congress on February 25, and the House and Senate responded with remarkable speed, sending the bill to the President's desk a month later. The fast action on the bill resulted from years of work on a bipartisan basis in Congress, strong leadership from President Obama, and support from America's nonprofit and service sector.
This legislation comes at a moment of need and opportunity for our nation. The economic downturn is causing hardship for millions of Americans putting more people at risk for unemployment, foreclosure, abuse, addiction, and other challenges. National service helps by providing nonprofits with an infusion of people willing to serve to recruit volunteers and manage programs.
Seventy-five years to the day after President Roosevelt signed the Civilian Conservation Corps into law, the House sent President Obama this new sweeping expansion of national service that will engage millions of Americans in solving local problems through volunteering.
Courtesy of AARP Bulletin Today
To read more, click on any of the links below:
NY Times
CNN.com
April 23, 2009
April 14, 2009
CT Mission of Mercy Free Dental Services & The Importance of Oral Health
Oral Health Crisis
Maintaining good oral health is important for overall general health. In Connecticut, approximately 1 million people lack access to dental care, putting their oral health, and overall health, at risk. Nationally, for every adult without medical insurance, there are three without dental insurance. Unfortunately, for many individuals living on small incomes or without dental insurance, dental care is a luxury that they cannot afford.
Why Oral Health Matters
Children and adults with poor oral health not only face extreme pain, discomfort, and embarrassment, but are more likely to get sick and miss school or work. Periodontal disease is associated with increased risk of low-birth-weight, premature births, diabetes, heart and lung diseases, and stroke. The Surgeon General found that oral diseases and their treatment place a burden on society in the form of lost days and years of productive work.
Tooth decay is the most prevalent chronic condition among children in the United States. More than one-quarter of US preschoolers (28%) have experienced visible cavities well before entering school.
Meeting the Need
As a way of addressing this significant health crisis, the Connecticut Mission of Mercy is opening a multi-day dental clinic to the public. Dental services will be provided to anyone (children, adults and the elderly) who is without dental insurance and in a low-income situation. Patients will be screened and treated based on their most urgent dental needs. Most importantly, all treatments and services are completely free. Services will be provided by volunteer dentists, UConn dental students, dental hygienists and dental assistants. All services will be on a first come, first serve basis.
Additional Information
You can learn more about the Mission of Mercy event as well as the importance of oral health by visiting the following links:
http://uwgnhnews.blogspot.com/2009/03/connecticut-mission-of-mercy-volunteer.html
http://www.courant.com/news/health/hc-mission-of-mercy-dental-0326.artmar26,0,3270131.story
http://www2.nidcr.nih.gov/sgr/execsumm.htm
http://www.cdhp.org/
http://www.cdc.gov/ORALHEALTH/publications/factsheets/adult.htm
Maintaining good oral health is important for overall general health. In Connecticut, approximately 1 million people lack access to dental care, putting their oral health, and overall health, at risk. Nationally, for every adult without medical insurance, there are three without dental insurance. Unfortunately, for many individuals living on small incomes or without dental insurance, dental care is a luxury that they cannot afford.
Why Oral Health Matters
Children and adults with poor oral health not only face extreme pain, discomfort, and embarrassment, but are more likely to get sick and miss school or work. Periodontal disease is associated with increased risk of low-birth-weight, premature births, diabetes, heart and lung diseases, and stroke. The Surgeon General found that oral diseases and their treatment place a burden on society in the form of lost days and years of productive work.
Tooth decay is the most prevalent chronic condition among children in the United States. More than one-quarter of US preschoolers (28%) have experienced visible cavities well before entering school.
Meeting the Need
As a way of addressing this significant health crisis, the Connecticut Mission of Mercy is opening a multi-day dental clinic to the public. Dental services will be provided to anyone (children, adults and the elderly) who is without dental insurance and in a low-income situation. Patients will be screened and treated based on their most urgent dental needs. Most importantly, all treatments and services are completely free. Services will be provided by volunteer dentists, UConn dental students, dental hygienists and dental assistants. All services will be on a first come, first serve basis.
Additional Information
You can learn more about the Mission of Mercy event as well as the importance of oral health by visiting the following links:
http://uwgnhnews.blogspot.com/2009/03/connecticut-mission-of-mercy-volunteer.html
http://www.courant.com/news/health/hc-mission-of-mercy-dental-0326.artmar26,0,3270131.story
http://www2.nidcr.nih.gov/sgr/execsumm.htm
http://www.cdhp.org/
http://www.cdc.gov/ORALHEALTH/publications/factsheets/adult.htm
Success By Six Advisory Council Urges Legislators to Protect Early Childhood Services
United Way of Greater New Haven would like to share a letter from Co-Chairs John Leventhal and Stephanie Redding on behalf of the Success By Six Advisory Council that was recently mailed to area state representatives and senators from the following towns UWGNH serves:
Bethany, Branford, East Haven, Guilford, Hamden, Madison, New Haven, North Branford, North Haven, Orange,West Haven, and Woodbridge
Connecticut State Senate
The State Capitol
Legislative Office Building
Dear Senator,
Not only are quality early childhood programs good for children, research shows that investing in such programs can generate government savings that more than repay their costs and produce returns to society that outpace most public and private investments. To that end, we urge you to at least maintain funding levels for Care4Kids, state funded child care centers, quality enhancement, school readiness and health services. In addition, your efforts to effectively advocate for early care and education federal funding opportunities around the Child Care and Development Block Grant, Head Start, IDEA and No Child Left Behind will enable area agencies to provide more families with quality early care and education services.
We also encourage you to support interagency coordination, partnerships and accountability so that the state can continue to build an early care and education system across government agencies system. Such a system would make it easier for families with young children to navigate the different programs with their different requirements and would ensure that the state’s resources are being well-used. The Early Childhood Education Cabinet was an important entity in promoting coordination and accountability, and we encourage you to keep this structure in place.
Respectfully,
Bethany, Branford, East Haven, Guilford, Hamden, Madison, New Haven, North Branford, North Haven, Orange,West Haven, and Woodbridge
April 8, 2009
Connecticut State Senate
The State Capitol
Legislative Office Building
Hartford, CT 06106-1591
Dear Senator,
As Co-Chairs of United Way of Greater New Haven’s Success By Six Advisory Council, we are writing to urge you to protect critical early childhood services from the Governor’s proposed budget cuts as well as act upon early care and education funding opportunities through the American Economic Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. It is our hope that as leaders who care about early education, you will continue to work with us toward our goal of ensuring that all children in our region are healthy, nurtured, supported and have the tools and skills they need to learn and succeed when they enter kindergarten by improving access to quality early childhood programs.
Not only are quality early childhood programs good for children, research shows that investing in such programs can generate government savings that more than repay their costs and produce returns to society that outpace most public and private investments. To that end, we urge you to at least maintain funding levels for Care4Kids, state funded child care centers, quality enhancement, school readiness and health services. In addition, your efforts to effectively advocate for early care and education federal funding opportunities around the Child Care and Development Block Grant, Head Start, IDEA and No Child Left Behind will enable area agencies to provide more families with quality early care and education services.
We also encourage you to support interagency coordination, partnerships and accountability so that the state can continue to build an early care and education system across government agencies system. Such a system would make it easier for families with young children to navigate the different programs with their different requirements and would ensure that the state’s resources are being well-used. The Early Childhood Education Cabinet was an important entity in promoting coordination and accountability, and we encourage you to keep this structure in place.
Similarly, the Governor’s recommended elimination of the Commission on Children as well as Children’s Trust Fund will take the state several steps back in its early care and education efforts. The recommendation that core grant programs for the prevention of child abuse and neglect be consolidated into the Department of Children and Families (DCF) is concerning because the success of the Children’s Trust Fund is the result of its singular focus on the prevention of abuse and neglect. In addition, a distrust of DCF by many families would create a barrier to important preventative services.
Thank you for working to meet the needs of our children now in order to avoid costly remedial strategies.
Respectfully,
Dr. John Leventhal
Medical Director, Child Abuse Programs
Yale-New Haven Children’s Hospital
Success By Six Advisory Council Co-Chair
Professor of Pediatrics, Yale University School of Medicine
Stephanie Redding
Assistant Chief of Police, City of New Haven
Professor of Pediatrics, Yale University School of Medicine
Stephanie Redding
Assistant Chief of Police, City of New Haven
Success By Six Advisory Council Co-Chair
April 2, 2009
Chris Alexander United Way of America’s 2009 Community All-Star
United Way of America has named Chris Alexander, founder of the New Haven Book Bank, the national 2008 Community All Star. Through United Way’s partnership with the NFL, Chris and her husband Bruce, recipients of UWGNH 2008 Alexis de Tocqueville Society award, were invited to attend Super Bowl XLIII. "It was truly a once in a lifetime experience. Thank you!, said Alexander.To read the full story about Chris and the Community All Star Program click here
What Nonprofits Need to Know About The Federal Recovery Act
The Connecticut Council for Philanthropy invites staff and trustees of grantmaking organizations and their nonprofit grantees to:
What Nonprofits Need to Know About The Federal Recovery Act
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 will bring close to $3 billion to Connecticut, and additional funds will be available on a competitive basis nationally. There will be opportunities for nonprofit organizations and groups of organizations to compete for this national money as well as money that will flow through the state and municipalities.
At this forum, nonprofit and philanthropic leaders will exchange information about three
key issues:
- What opportunities are there for nonprofits to access stimulus funding?
- How will state and local governments direct the funds from the Recovery Act?
- Are there areas where nonprofit organizations should advocate for policies and practices that would be needed for the stimulus package to succeed?
An overview of the Recovery Act will be followed by breakout sessions with experts focused on early childhood, education, transportation, housing, environment/energy, health, workforce/job training, and the arts.
Presenters:
Shelley Geballe, Distinguished Senior Fellow, Connecticut Voices for Children
Stewart J. Hudson, President, Emily Hall Tremaine Foundation
The forum will be offered on the following three dates in three locations. Register for the forum using the registration on the date you intend to participate.
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Hosted by the Community Foundation for Greater New Haven and the Connecticut Council for Philanthropy.
Monday, April 13, 20098:30 am – 12:00 pm (registration begins at 8:30 am; program promptly at 9:00 am)
Adanti Student Center, Southern Connecticut State University , New Haven, CT(Directions: http://www.southernct.edu/aboutscsu/map/ )
Register for the New Haven area forum: send an email to: events@cfgnh.org
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Hosted by the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving and the Connecticut Council for Philanthropy.
Tuesday, April 14, 20098:30 am – 12:00 pm (registration begins at 8:30 am; program promptly at 9:00 am)
Bruyette Athenaeum, Saint Joseph College, West Hartford, CT(Directions: www.sjc.edu/content.cfm/pageid/264)
Register for the Hartford area forum at: http://www.hfpg.org/events/EventReg/default.asp code: ARRA414
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Hosted by the Fairfield County Community Foundation and the Connecticut Council for Philanthropy.
Friday, April 17, 20091:00 – 4:30 pm (registration begins at 1:00 pm; program promptly at 1:30 pm)
PepsiCo Theater, Norwalk Community College, Norwalk, CT(Directions: http://www.ncc.commnet.edu/directions.asp)
Register for the Fairfield County forum at: http://www.fccfoundation.org/Join/WorkshopRegistration.php
Additional presenters and information will be available at www.ctphilanthropy.org
or by calling the Council at 860-525-5585.
Space is limited, and reservations are required.
The following foundations worked with the Connecticut Council for Philanthropy to design this program: Emily Hall Tremaine Foundation, William Caspar Graustein Memorial Fund, Hartford Foundation for Public Giving, Fairfield County Community Foundation, Community Foundation for Greater New Haven and Universal Health Care Foundation of Connecticut.
March 31, 2009
Orange Seniors Join N2N Effort
The members of the Orange Senior Center have been most enthusiastic about supporting the Neighbor to Neighbor Program of United Way of Greater New Haven and the Jewish Federation of Greater New Haven. We have been collecting monetary donations throughout the month of March in our little houses built especially for this project and placed around the senior center. The members are impressed by the program because 100% of the donations go to help local organizations who serve the homeless and the poor. Our senior members, though affected themselves by the downward turn of our economy, are most generous when asked directly to give to a good cause. It has been our pleasure to help in this very small way to be Good Neighbors.”
Quote from Joanne Byrne, Town of Orange
March 19, 2009
United Way of Greater New Haven Sponsors Bill Harley Event in Madison
United Way of Greater New Haven is hosting a family concert with two-time Grammy Award Winner Bill Harley. The event will take place Sunday, April 5th at 2pm at the Polson Middle School in Madison, Ct. Ticket proceeds will benefit the Shoreline Arts Alliance and the Women and Family Life Center.
Bill Harley uses song and story to paint a vibrant picture of growing up, parenting and family life. Bill is also a regular commentator for NPR's All Things Considered and featured on PBS. Harley joined the National Storytelling Network's Circle of Excellence in 2001 and recieved the Magic Penny award in 2008 from the Children's Music Network. Creator of "Monsters in the Bathroom", "You're in Trouble", "Dad Threw the TV Out the Window" and "50 Ways to fool Your Mother".
Bill is from Seekonk, Massachusetts , and tours nationwide as an author and performing artist.
Please join us for this special family event! Tickets may be purchased on line at http://www.shorelinearts.org/. For more information, call SAA at 453-3890 or WFLC at 458-6699.
Bill Harley uses song and story to paint a vibrant picture of growing up, parenting and family life. Bill is also a regular commentator for NPR's All Things Considered and featured on PBS. Harley joined the National Storytelling Network's Circle of Excellence in 2001 and recieved the Magic Penny award in 2008 from the Children's Music Network. Creator of "Monsters in the Bathroom", "You're in Trouble", "Dad Threw the TV Out the Window" and "50 Ways to fool Your Mother".
Bill is from Seekonk, Massachusetts , and tours nationwide as an author and performing artist.
Please join us for this special family event! Tickets may be purchased on line at http://www.shorelinearts.org/. For more information, call SAA at 453-3890 or WFLC at 458-6699.
March 17, 2009
Increasing Access to Quality Food for Children in New Haven
The Connecticut Food Bank and United Way of Greater New Haven are partnering to increase the number of children in New Haven receiving nutritious meals on weekends and during school holidays.
United Way of Greater New Haven worked with a group of community volunteers to discuss the needs in our community around emergency food and food insecurity and to identify possible strategies to address those needs. The Kids BackPack Program was selected for funding because it addresses food insecurity among low-income children in New Haven by working with schools to provide food to children who may not have enough to eat at home on the weekends. Bags are packed with nutritious food such as fresh or canned fruit, cereal bars, peanut butter, and juice.
As an increasing number of families are experiencing economic difficulties, more children face inadequate access to food on the weekends. This partnership has enabled the Connecticut Food Bank to respond to this need by expanding the Kids BackPack Program by 29% in New Haven from the previous year.
Since September, over 2,000 backpacks of food have been distributed to children attending the Wexler Grant School, Katherine Brennan School, Hill Central School, Troup Magnet Academy of Science and Vincent E. Mauro Elementary School in New Haven. In January, The Connecticut Food Bank also implemented this critical service in the West Haven Public School system.
United Way of Greater New Haven worked with a group of community volunteers to discuss the needs in our community around emergency food and food insecurity and to identify possible strategies to address those needs. The Kids BackPack Program was selected for funding because it addresses food insecurity among low-income children in New Haven by working with schools to provide food to children who may not have enough to eat at home on the weekends. Bags are packed with nutritious food such as fresh or canned fruit, cereal bars, peanut butter, and juice.
As an increasing number of families are experiencing economic difficulties, more children face inadequate access to food on the weekends. This partnership has enabled the Connecticut Food Bank to respond to this need by expanding the Kids BackPack Program by 29% in New Haven from the previous year.
Since September, over 2,000 backpacks of food have been distributed to children attending the Wexler Grant School, Katherine Brennan School, Hill Central School, Troup Magnet Academy of Science and Vincent E. Mauro Elementary School in New Haven. In January, The Connecticut Food Bank also implemented this critical service in the West Haven Public School system.
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