Nonprofit Organization
Sonya Sieveking Will Be Racing For The Cure
Next Saturday thousands will be taking to the downtown streets to Race for the Cure with the Susan G. Komen Greater Cincinnati affiliate. What an important cause. I think just about everyone is impacted in some way by breast cancer – either directly or indirectly. All around us people we love are fighting the battle I hope one day will not be around to fight.
Saturday, September 14
Great American Ball Park
Register: http://www.komencincinnati.org/
Sonya Sieveking, a former Mason resident, will be among the participants. This fall she is celebrating five years of being cancer-free; and in honor of her milestone, she has launched her Five for Five Campaign.
Sonya answered some questions for me about why she is involved:
Lisa: I’d love to hear more about you.
Sonya: I am Sonya Sieveking, currently a 42 year old Procter & Gamble expat living in Panamá, returning to Cincinnati to celebrate my 5 year cancer free milestone. I have a wonderfully supportive husband, Andy Sieveking and two wonderful children 8 and 6.
Lisa: Tell me about what that moment was like for you when you learned you had cancer.
Sonya: August of 2008 at age 37 – I can see that moment like a video in my mind and it makes my eyes water just to think about it. I was having dinner with my family and in-laws at my home when the doctor called and told me that I had cancer. I felt like the wind had been knocked out of me and I could hardly breathe. I felt like someone had said “Hey you know, maybe you are going to die young.” My diagnosis was DCIS and at that time I had no idea how lucky I was that it was not more advanced.
Lisa: How did your battle with cancer impact your relationships and your life?
Sonya: Although it didn’t feel like it along the way, cancer made life clearer for me. It became much easier not to sweat the small stuff and relationships grew stronger, deeper and more honest.
Lisa: Tell me about the moment you got the news that you were cancer-free.
Sonya: Enroute from recovery to a hospital room, I briefly woke and asked my husband if the lymph nodes were clear from the sentinel node biopsy. When he replied yes, I felt such relief and the tears came again but this time with hope and more fight.
Lisa: What is your Five for Five campaign?
Sonya: “5 for 5” is a campaign I came up with to make my 5 year milestone a positive “moment of magnitude” in my life. There are five different contribution areas to commemorate each of my 5 years cancer free. I hope to make a difference to other cancer patients.
1. 5 people to donate hair for wigs
2. 5 people in 5 different cities to host a pink party to raise breast cancer awareness
3. 5 people to donate blood
4. 5 people to participate in a breast cancer walk or run anywhere in the world
5. $5,000 in charitable contributions to cancer research of any kind
Lisa: Has it been difficult to rally support from your friends and supporters?
Sonya: No, actually I see that people want to do good things for others and the response has been overwhelming, much greater than I imagined. Sometimes we just need the opportunity and a personal link to invest ourselves. We already have commitments for 10 hair donations, 11 pink parties in 7 cities across 3 countries, 11 blood donations, 78 walkers in 9 cities across 4 countries, and have generated financial contributions of $4,797.00 to cancer associations in 6 cities of the US and Panamá….and it´s not over yet!
Lisa: Why is your success important to you?
Sonya: So many people supported me and my family through the diagnosis, surgeries, and treatments. I only want to pay it forward to others.
Lisa: Who will you be walking with in the Greater Cincinnati Race for the Cure?
Sonya: This past weekend was a cancer walk here in Panama City, Panamá. I had 48 people walking with my family. In Cincinnati, I will be walking with my girlfriends – strong, wonderful women.
Lisa: What is your message for other women?
Sonya: Know your body. Trust your gut if things don´t seem right. Fight like a girl; WIN LIKE A WOMAN!
My Labor Day Reflections
On this Labor Day, I give reflection to the twenty plus years since my college graduation. It has been a long journey, although the years seem to pass by at record speed.
Sometimes it is an unexpected moment, a news story, a photo or scenery out my car window that triggers my memories of projects or clients that have made our Greater Cincinnati community a better, stronger place to be. I am reminded of passionate people I have had the fortune of working beside and supporting, whose life work is about making a meaningful 
difference in the lives of others. And reminded of outcomes that give me cause for a smile to think about my role as part of the team.
My very first project as a freelance communications contractor in Cincinnati was developing a public relations plan to transform the image of what was at the time seen as a dilapidated, uninhabitable area so that the first city-owned townhouse development would sell. That neighborhood was the Betts-Longworth Historic District and that development was Longworth Square. Its success became the driving impetus for continuous expanding growth in our region’s Over-the-Rhine.
Over the years, I have worked to raise awareness and build relationships on behalf of so many wonderful causes and events. Among the highlights – inspiring a community to believe in the power of inclusion through my messaging for the Inclusion Network, creating a school supply campaign that in just two years was generating enough to assist over 700 children, conceptualizing and implementing a recognition event to not just honor young volunt
eers but also to encourage lifelong stewardship for them, creating a Downtown Hoedown competition in the hub of Cincinnati to spread the word of the Appalachian Festival, and developing a public relations campaign for the Hidden Treasures CD tribute to legendary King Records and its belief in the power of inclusion.
And, on the side, I have used my studies on positive psychology and behavior science to not only enhance my own relationships with people and my pets – but also to educate others to do the same. That passion has evolved into this Good Things Going Around blog project – and a side pet training business I call So Much PETential.
It most certainly has not been a smooth journey the whole way through. As is the nature of doing contract work, there are lulls and those lulls can be downright scary. I won’t lie. Last year was one of those times. But, then, it is so magical when an even better opportunity comes along that allows me to use my strengths and I am reminded it all has a purpose. These are the lessons in the big classroom we call life. If it were not for my hardship, I would never have attended the Association for Professional Dog Trainers Conference, met encouraging friends and my mentor, and ultimately pursuing pet training on the side. Something that has been a huge impact.
And I would never have found my most recent better opportunity.
What is that opportunity?
Ironically it is returning to work with someone for whom I did some of my most fulfilling work in the past. About 10 years ago, I worked side-by-side of Breta Cooper with the Mayerson Foundation in creating and implementing a PR plan to promote the Hidden Treasures CD, a tribute project to Cincinnati’s King Records with a very important message. From internationally renowned, to national touring, to local favorites, some of the most respected musicians and/or groups with roots in Cincinnati were part of that unique CD featuring new, never-before-heard versions of songs, originally recorded on King Records. However, that project wasn’t just about promoting King Records. It was about raising awareness of the fact that by bringing diverse people together for a common goal, that the result is even greater strength.
I also worked with Breta during my eight year relationship with the Inclusion Network. For seven years, I was one of the producers in charge of the messaging for what was one of our region’s most inspiring events drawing over 900 people – the Inclusion Leadership Awards Event. In just 2 ½ hours, our goal was to teach attendees a lesson that would somehow change the world as they know it. They heard stories of organizations that instinctively know how to uncover talent, and of people, whose abilities are no longer obscurities. Acceptance was no longer an abstract. Inclusion, they learned, was not about “them”, but about “me”.
So now, for the past three months, I have been working with Breta (and Kelly Aluise) to help convey the message of the nonprofit VIA Institute on Character doing social media messaging including building and managing a brand new blog – www.VIAcharacterblog.com. VIA has a global scope of empowering people through the advancement of the science and practice of character strengths. Their aim is to fill the world with greater virtue.
And that is my aim too.
Please read my post on VIA to learn more about the organization. And I encourage you to take the VIA survey to learn more about your strengths.
VIA Institute On Character Empowers Through Strengths
Being human, we all have strengths within ourselves. Those strengths are our greatest assets. Nurturing them has been proven to not only energize us to learn and reach for our goals, but also to lead us toward a happier, more satisfying life. However, we may not even be aware of what they are and even more likely we may not proactively engage ourselves in exercises to heighten those assets.
The VIA Institute on Character is a Cincinnati-based nonprofit organization with a global scope of empowering people through the advancement of the science and practice of character strengths. Their aim is to fill the world with virture.
One very important way they do this is by offering their VIA survey free of charge across the globe – and since VIA’s inception in 2001, more than 2 million people in 193 countries and 17 languages have taken it. (There is also a survey for youth.) Professionals can use the survey to learn more about their clients or employees.
I highly recommend setting aside 30 minutes to take the 240 question survey. You will be given a free personalized description of your 24 strengths in their order of importance to you, as well as some suggestions for flexing your strength muscles. For an additional $20, you can receive an indepth VIA Pathways Report that shares much greater information on exploring and using your strengths. There are additional resources on the VIA website. There are additional free and paid resources on the VIA website – and on the new VIA blog – to help you nurture your strengths. They offer courses too for individuals and professionals whose work is focused on bringing out the best in others.
According to the VIA survey results, I actually have 7 signature strengths (highest rated strengths) because I have numerous score ties. They include: Honesty, Kindness, Leadership, Perspective, Humor, Appreciation of Beauty and Excellence, and Fairness.
I can see so many of my life choices wrapped up inside these seven virtues. Much of my career has been focused on communicating to inspire positive change in individuals, organizations, communities and even pets. Both my Good Things Going Around blog project and my So Much PETential pet training have to do with bringing out the best in others.
Ironically, just this past spring I spent a lot of time developing my personal, professional ‘brand’ (with great thanks to T.J. Budd and Tessa O’Neal from Centennial, Inc.). This is what I came up with:
I guide organizations to communicate their core mission and brand with integrity and resolve, telling their story strategically and compellingly. An out-of-the-box thinker, I thrive on developing creative tactical ideas for raising awareness, educating constituents, and building consensus around communication goals. When it comes to relationships, I enjoy being both a leader and a team player, supporting the strengths of others.
My pet training brand (which I am still tweaking) is:
I believe training is not just about modifying behaviors and teaching skills, it is also about e
nhancing quality of life for our pets. In my quest to have well mannered pets, I began studying the science of animal behavior and positive reinforcement strategies over 12 years ago; and I can’t stop learning. My behavior change strategies blend science with kindness, integrity, creativity and fun. Seeing how that approach has not only set myself and my pets up for success, but also strengthened our relationship, is the driving force behind my passion for educating and helping others achieve similar outcomes.
Wow, I can absolutely see how my VIA strengths are an integral role in all that I do. And by my focusing on them it has led me to make career choices that are very satisfying for me.
I’m excited to say that my latest career path – is working with VIA! As a contractor, I am part of the communication team with two very positive, motivating people – Kelly Aluise and Breta Cooper – and I am working on telling their story through social media. I’d love it if you’d follow us on Facebook, Twitter, or Google+, AND please stop by the all new VIA blog that I am managing.
This is absolutely the stuff I thrive on!
It is so easy for us in life to focus on our own and other’s shortcomings, and when times are difficult to lose sight of those virtues that give us the capacity for greatness. However, by shifting our focus instead toward those virtues of strength an amazing and beautiful transformation can happen. We grow and prosper in new, meaningful ways. Our life is so much more satisfying.
I am choosing to focus on nurturing my VIA strengths. How about you?
United Way Of Greater Cincinnati Campaign Success Will Impact Thousands
Yesterday hundreds of executives, employees, organizers, fundraisers and volunteers all gathered on our downtown Foutain Square. This time last year I was among them. They are the voice of the United Way of Greater Cincinnati and together, over the next couple of months, they will all be working toward a common goal – raising $62,850,000 for our 
region’s future.
Talk about a lofty goal!
“Centering our lives on making a difference for others by creating healthy communities to live, work and raise families is a noble calling for all of us. In Greater Cincinnati, United Way is the catalyst that helped spark strategic thinking about how we develop and sustain our region as a healthy place for everyone to live and work,” said Campaign Co-Chair Michael Connelly, president and CEO, Catholic Health Partners, who is co-chairing the 2013 United Way of Greater Cincinnati annual fundraising campaign with his wife, Sally, a community volunteer leader.
“If the goal is reached, it will be the highest amount this United Way has ever raised,” says Michael Connelly. Last year the total was $61,050,000 – $50,000 over goal.
“This year’s goal strongly reinforces our message that Bold Goals need Bold Resources,” says Sally Connelly. “We need to raise as much as we can to achieve the Bold Goals and help children, individuals and families throughout the region.”
I know firsthand of this need for success. For twenty plus years I have worked in our regions, helping nonprofits doing very important work to tell their story, to forge relationships. I have seen the faces on parents who received financial and mental support to improve the lives of their families. I have seen people overcome obstacles they never thought they were capable of doing. I have seen the impact of a caring hand. On any given day, tens of thousands of lives are touched by work of a United Way funded agency or program.
This is a campaign that is about all of us. Beyond fundraising, United Way is asking the community to become advocates for change. People can join United Way of Greater Cincinnati’s advocacy network through its website. Community members can also find more volunteer opportunities through the United Way Volunteer Connection.
It all ends October 30, 2013. To learn more, please visit www.uwgc.org.
United Pet Fund Helps Those Who Help Animals – You Can Too!
All I have to do is look into those deep, beautiful eyes of our Sam – and so many other great dogs who I have worked with or gotten to know – and you can’t help but have a huge appreciation for the dedicated staff and volunteers who run our 
area dog and cat shelters. They have a very important job to do. Thousands of animals have their fate in these people’s hands and hearts to find them a forever home. And so many families have come to know that beautiful, unconditional love given off from an animal they adopted.
Introducing United Pet Fund
There is a somewhat new nonprofit, the United Pet Fund, whose sole purpose is to help those incredibly valuable animal care and service organizations to be sustainable. It is called United Pet Fund and it is founded by a Blue Ash veterinarian, Dr. Zeke Zekoff.
United Pet Fund has provided scholarship funds for volunteers of these organizations to attend continuing education conferences; handyman service for assistance with repair and maintenance of shelters; pet health days in under-served areas; emergency funds when needed for unexpected predicaments; and has provided nonprofit leadership management and trainings to shelters and rescue groups.
In an email from Dr. Zekoff, he shared: “We are working on becoming a national resource and support organization for the smaller ‘mom-and-pop’ ACSOs. Our goal will be to become a Nonprofit ACSO-member Services Organization that will provide basic business services needed by all nonprofits to become successful. Eventually, with the advantage that comes with large number of members, we hope to offer access to discounted business services for our members, including, but not limited to products and services that are needed by all nonprofit animal service and care organizations: Legal and Accounting, Insurance, Public Relations, IT services, Credit/Financing Services, Pet Products (including food and health supplies), Webinar-based training in Nonprofit leadership and management skills, as well as Animal Behavior and Health needs. The list can go on, but we have place to start. With all these in one location, with a central organization that understands the needs of the smaller ACSOs, the animals served by these organizations will be the ones in the end that benefit.”
Kyle’s New Hope Animal Rescue Saves Lives
Located in Sharonville, Kyle’s New Hope Animal Rescue is a non-profit organization dedicated to saving the lives of animals who have run out of options. Dogs and cats that are injured, abused, abandoned and neglected will be provided veterinary care and surgery to be rehabilitated and adopted into loving homes. All animals will receive up to date vaccinations, be spayed or neutered and microchipped… all in an effort to reduce the amount of unnecessary euthanasia in shelters and hospitals. I am very familiar with Kyle’s New Hope because I have volunteered for them. Their love for the animals who have come into their lives is truly heartfelt.
You Can Help
Tomorrow & Friday (August 22 & 23, 2013), United Pet Fund and Kyle’s New Hope Animal Rescue are partnering with two back-to-back fundraisers.
Wags to Riches Casino Royale is tomorrow night from 6 pm to 10:30 pm at the Manor House located at 7440 S Mason-Montgomery Rd. in Mason. It is a fun night of dinner, Casino Games hosted by Black Diamond Casino Events with prizes, an animal caricaturist-bring your pet’s photo and more.
On Friday from Noon until 6:30 pm at the Bel-Wood Country Club in Morrow will be the Golf Classic with lunch, a cookout and great prizes. For cost and registration information, please visit this link: http://www.unitedpetfund.org/upfc_home.php
You can also call Towne Square Animal Clinic / Kyle’s Veterinary Hospital at 513-520-7571 or 513-793-1875 for information.
