give back
Grocer Gives Back By Giving His Stores To His Employees
photo by David Joles/Star Tribune
How would you like to work for this man? At 70, Joe Lueken is ‘giving’ (yes GIVING) his 400 employees ownership of his 3 grocery stores upon his retirement (instead of accepting multiple offers to sell the stores).
“My employees are largely responsible for any success I’ve had, and they deserve to get some of the benefits of that,” Joe Lueken told the Star Tribune. “You can’t always take. You also have to give back.”
Read Joe’s story at this link: http://vsb.li/K5rBvF
YMCA Seeking Nominations Of Professionals Who Give Back
The YMCA of Greater Cincinnati is looking for professionals who share its vision of nurturing the potential of young people, and promoting healthy living and social responsibility. Selected and sponsored by their companies to represent them, YMCA Achievers who will be honored at the 2012 Salute to YMCA Black & Latino Achievers Gala will also commit to volunteering a year to inspire students toward paths of success. Nomination sponsorships are being accepted through June 1, 2012.
The 2012 Salute to YMCA Black & Latino Achievers Gala will be held November 16, 2011 beginning at 6:00 p.m. at the Sharonville Convention Center. For nomination, sponsorship or gala information, the public should call Toni Miles, YMCA Black & Latino Achievers executive director, at 513-362-YMCA (9622) or email her at tmiles@cincinnatiymca.org; or visit the YMCA of Greater Cincinnati website.
One of the largest regional programs of its kind, the YMCA Black & Latino Achievers Program motivates students of color to further their education and goals with help from successful, professional role models. Since its beginning, the Program has served over 6,000 teens, awarded over $250,000 in scholarships, assisted youth with over $4 million dollars in awarded scholarships and engaged more than 4,500 adult volunteers through a network of corporate and community partners.
Summit Elementary Students Are Caring Philanthropists
What a pleasure it was to accompany Patrick Nugent, vice president of development for Beech Acres Parenting Center, when Anderson Township students at Summit Elementary School presented him with a check. Such eager fundraisers! I couldn’t help but capture them on video too. Below is the write-up I did for Beech Acres and below that is a video that you’ve got to watch.
Pictured: Tori Madden, Jessie Headley, Payton Egan, Patrick Nugent and Lauren Arnold
Five young enterprising philanthropists at Summit Elementary School decided one day they wanted to pool their talents to help a worthy cause. Together, fourth graders Payton Egan, Ali Madden, Lauren Arnold, Tori Madden and Jessie Headley approached their school counselor and crafted a written proposal. Their counselor connected them with school librarian Tonya Swisshelm, who had already decided to participate in the One for Books program in order to raise money for a chosen cause. This program allows schools to accept donations and use them to their choosing while Scholastic matches the amount collected and purchases books for needy children. It was a great fit to have the girls promote this program among students.
In that moment, Payton, Ali, Lauren, Tori and Jessie became organizers and promoters. Their cause was Beech Acres Parenting Center, an Anderson-based nonprofit that helps to strengthen families for children. The girls made signs that they posted around school and gave daily morning announcements to all of their peers. During the book fair, they were responsible for counting the money and posting the names of all of their donors on a hallway bulletin board.
It was a big job with a big lesson in giving back. On December 1, the Summit Elementary philanthropists handed a check to Beech Acres Vice President of Development, Patrick Nugent, for $115.50. The girls kept thanking Patrick for accepting the gift, proving the key lesson that it feels great to give!
Cincinnati Area Students Are Spreading Holiday Kindness
How special it was this past week to be at the Anderson Township Target store. A wonderful act of kindness. Over 350 children & adults were shopping with nearly $8000 donated by students of Wilson Elementary, Ayer Elementary and Nagel Middle School. They were purchasing items on ‘wish lists’ of over 130 families in need who are working to strengthen their relationships and their lives with the help of Beech Acres Parenting Center (BAPC). Next week over 250 volunteers will help wrap all of those gifts. Beech Acres Parenting Center is a Cincinnati nonprofit that supports parents and caregivers in the most challenging and important job of their lives: raising children today who are able to thrive as capable, contributing, caring adults tomorrow.
I’ll post photos of the gift wrapping next week.
The committee that organized this huge task:
(l to r)
Jennifer Claudy, BAPC development services officer; Alison Bushman, BAPC board member; Missy Meurer, chair of BAPC Adopt-a-Family Committee; Patrick Nugent, BAPC vice president for development; Kim Koelle, BAPC Adopt-a-Family volunteer; Jen Schlosser, BAPC Adopt-a-Family volunteer and school coordinator
People Working Cooperatively Volunteers Help Most Vulnerable
Such a great project. Repair Affair is People Working Cooperatively’s (PWC) annual spring volunteer event, providing home repairs and modifications that enable low-income, elderly and residents with disabilities to remain safely in their homes. For a day individuals, businesses and community groups help a PWC client (with supervision from a trained professional) with home repairs that would otherwise be unaffordable.
Our community is so giving that this year 800 people signed up to help 135 PWC clients. In fact an extra day had to be added to accommodate everybody’s generosity.
Repair Affair was developed by People Working Cooperatively in 1983 as a free outreach program to help homeowners who are often the most vulnerable to keep their homes safe and habitable. Presented by Home Depot and sponsored by the City of Cincinnati, the event was held across the Tri-State in greater Cincinnati, northern Kentucky and Indiana.
Would you like to help? PWC also has a fall event called Prepare Affair where volunteers will help people with services from raking leaves to cleaning gutters and other small winter preparation tasks.
