Event
Cincinnati Volunteer Pete Bushelman Impacts Thousands Through CISE
There are people in this world who generously give of themselves without any want for return. They quietly contribute in ways that touch others in very meaningful ways.
Pete Bushelman is one of those people. Over the past 33 years, he has impacted the lives of thousands of children through is involved with Cincinnati Catholic Inner-City Schools Education Fund (CISE).Single-handedly, he has raised over $2.5 million to give kids from Cincinnati’s urban neighborhoods an excellent education at a CISE school.
Pete has been a member of the CISE Advisory Board since it was formed in 1980 by then Archbishop Joseph Bernardin.
According to Sharon Civitellos, CISE communications coordinator, “Pete is not a figurehead chairperson. On the contrary, he acts as a committee of one and does everything from calling on his raffle ‘customers’ to writing and mailing out thank you cards.”
The first fundraiser undertaken by the CISE Advisory Board was the “Friends of CISE” Raffle. Pete agreed to chair the first Raffle more than 30 years ago and has served in this role ever since.
From late August each year until the day of the Friends of CISE Raffle drawing in December, Pete is on the phone with 800 of his close friends and associates encouraging them to purchase their raffle tickets. Pete’s persistence pays off with more than $120,000 being raised annually for CISE through this one event. Collectively, that amounts to over 1200 raffle tickets sold valued at over $2.5 million!
At over 80 years of age, Pete continues to give his all to making the Friends of CISE Raffle a success. He amazes his colleagues on the CISE Advisory Board with his tenacity and drive to raise funds for the education of children from Cincinnati’s urban neighborhoods. Without Pete’s determined efforts, the future may have been quite different for the young people who received a solid academic and spiritual foundation at the Catholic inner-city schools during the past 33 years and have gone on to college and careers.
Pete’s volunteer work is not limited to CISE. He has dedicated his life to helping others. Any day of the week you might find Pete delivering food to the homeless or a local food pantry, raising funds for one of his other favorite charities, or helping his invalid 
next-door neighbor who has been able to remain in her home thanks to Pete’s care.
Over his lifetime Pete has actively served on over a dozen non-profit boards and continues to look for ways to help those in need.
And Greater Cincinnati is better for all of us because of people like him.
About CISE:
The schools supported by CISE are St. Boniface in Northside, Corryville Catholic, St. Francis Seraph in Over-the-Rhine, St. Francis de Sales in East Walnut Hills, Holy Family in Price Hill, St. Joseph in the West End, St. Lawrence in Price Hill and Resurrection in Price Hill.
To learn more about CISE and how you can help, please visit www.CISEfund.org.
I want to thank Sharon Civitellos for supplying information for this post.
YWCA Of Greater Cincinnati Is Seeking Women Of Achievement
The YWCA of Greater Cincinnati will host the 35th annual Career Women of Achievement Luncheon on May 14, 2014 at the Duke Energy Convention Center. The YWCA is seeking nominations for this esteemed award, which 274 women have won over the last 34 years. The Career Women of Achievement Awards recognize outstanding women at the pinnacle of their careers. Former Career Women of Achievement Honorees Diane Jordan-Grizzard, President & CEO, Thembi Speaks, LLC and Kathy Kelly, President Kroger Personal Finance, The Kroger Co., are the distinguished event co-chairs 
for 2014.
For more information and nomination forms, please visit www.ywcacincinnati.org or contact the YWCA at 513-241-7090. The deadline for receipt of nominations is Monday, January 6, 2014.
The YWCA established the Career Women of Achievement Awards in 1980 to increase awareness and appreciation for the diverse contributions of women in the work force and in the community. An independent panel of community leaders will judge the nominees based on their outstanding career achievements, strong leadership qualities, and ability to serve as role models. “It is an honor to be selected to Co-Chair the 35th Anniversary Career Women of Achievement Luncheon and to celebrate these ‘pearls of our community’”, commented Kathy Kelly. The eight finalists are recognized at the Salute to Career Women of Achievement luncheon. Past honorees have been awarded from all professions, including educators, artists, lawyers, human service executives and government officials. The largest luncheon in the Midwest region, this event is traditionally a sell-out, boasting past keynote speakers such as Alfre Woodard, Anna Quindlen and Maya Angelou. Individual tickets and corporate tables of 10 are available at multiple sponsorship levels.
According to Diane Jordan-Grizzard, “the Salute to Career Women of Achievement luncheon is the single largest fundraiser for the YWCA of Greater Cincinnati and the proceeds from the event directly support critical YWCA programs serving more than 35,000 women and their families community-wide, including domestic violence shelters, job training and literacy, and youth services.”
The mission of the YWCA is to eliminate racism, empower women and promote peace, justice, freedom and dignity for all. For more information on YWCA programs and events, please visit the website at www.ywcacincinnati.org.
Stand Up To Cancer With Your Fifth Third MasterCard
Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C) is a groundbreaking initiative created to accelerate innovative cancer research that will get new therapies to patients quickly and save lives now.
In May 2009, SU2C launched its first five scientific Dream Teams. Today, ten teams of some of the brightest scientists are hard at work, driven by the same principles that laid the foundation of the Stand Up To Cancer model: collaboration, innovation, acceleration, targeted therapy, and translational research. Leaders from across disciplines, institutions, and specialties are competing against cancer instead of each other, as research moves from bench to bedside to benefit patients more quickly. Each team in its own way is changing the face of cancer research and pushing the dream of ending cancer closer to reality.
And now through the end of December, Fifth Third is making a $0.01 donation up to $400,000 to the cause for every qualifying purchase made using any Fifth Third MasterCard.
On #GivingTuesday, Donate To Dress For Success
On Tuesday, December 3, 2013 people across the country will consciously perform acts of kindness. And nonprofits with a huge range of services have signed up to encourage those acts. It is all part of a movement called #GivingTuesday.
What is #GivingTuesday?
Well, it is a simple concept really. Organizers are simply asking that people of all ages and backgrounds, individually or as a group, come together to give something more. Then share how you are giving.
It’s a simple idea. Just find a way for your family, your community, your company or your organization to come together to give something more. Then tell everyone you can about how you are giving. Be a part of a national celebration of our great tradition of generosity.
Locally, Dress for Success is one organization getting involved.
Part of #GivingTuesday, #GivingShoesDay encourages women to donate their professional shoes to Dress for Success Cincinnati. The local nonprofit is asking people to bring their new or gently used shoes to the Dress for Success Cincinnati Donation Center at 208 McFarland (near 4th and Elm) in downtown Cincinnati between 11:00 am – 3:00 pm. The person who donates the most shoes on #GivingShoesDay will have the chance to win a complimentary pair of limited holiday edition Palace heels from Fergie Footwear.
“Dress for Success Cincinnati gives interview appropriate clothing to disadvantaged women and having the right shoes is key to building self-confidence and a great first impression,” said Julie Smith-Morrow, CEO of Dress for Success Cincinnati. “We rely on the generosity of our community to provide the shoes, clothing and accessories needed for all of our women. GivingShoesDay is a great opportunity for the community to give back during this festive time of year.”
For more information on Dress for Success Cincinnati and #GivingShoesDay go to www.dfscincy.org.
Swimmer Diana Nyad Spoke About Perseverance At YWCA Luncheon
You may have heard about Diana Nyad, who, at 64, became the first person to swim from Cuba to Florida WITHOUT a shark cage. Many people in Greater Cincinnati got to meet and listen to Diana thanks to the YWCA of Greater Cincinnati. Linda Clement-Holmes, senior vice president, Global Business Services at P&G, was among them. Below are some of Linda’s thoughts after the opportunity. Thank you to her for sharing them!
“About 6 months ago, I had the privilege and honor of spending a little bit of time with Diana Nyad when she was in Cincinnati speaking at the YWCA Career Women of Achievement Luncheon. Diana Nyad is the first person (at age 64) to have EVER 
made the swim from Cuba to Florida without the use of a shark cage. She completed that historic swim in about 53 hours. In addition to monumental feats like the Cuba to Florida swim, she is also an inspirational speaker. One of the things she talks about is doing your absolute best and knowing that no matter the outcome, you know that you could not have done one [millimeter] more (she usually holds up her thumb and index finger to demonstrate the extreme minuteness of doing [millimeter] more).
How many of us can look back at our day and say, “Today, in all that I did, I did the ABSOLUTE BEST JOB I COULD HAVE DONE, AND NOT ONE MILLIMETER LESS”? I would say not many of us. I know I can’t. And there are many reasons for this as well as the fact that we all have good days and bad days. But on average, how many times can you say that?
Try it. Tonight, before you close your eyes and go to sleep, ask yourself, “Did I do my absolute best job possible on EVERYTHING I did today?” It could be work-related or family-related, it does not matter. The question still applies.
Try it. In particular, if there is someone who says they give their ABSOLUTE BEST EVERY SINGLE Day on EVERY SINGLE THING THEY DID, I would love to hear how you are doing that, and what tips you have for the rest of us.”
Linda was a co-chair for the event, is a former YWCA Career Woman of Achievement Award recipient and YWCA Board member.
Do you give your best every day? I invite you to post a comment with what you are doing.
