Person-to-Person
Person-to-Person
Newsletter - Spring 2002
What Camperships Mean To Parents Camp is a necessity not a luxury for low income working parents. With welfare reform, more and more families find that they must have a safe secure place for their children throughout the summer months if parents are to remain employed. Minimum wage earners such as nurse's aides, restaurant workers, maintenance or groundskeepers, and service workers provide essential services. With the high cost of housing in the Stamford area, many families cannot afford the cost of summer day camp for their children. The Person-to- Person Campership program insures that 450 children have a safe summer filled with laughter and learning.
Children in the Stamford elementary schools are referred to Person-to-Person by the school social workers who identify children "most in need of a camp experience." Children may be living with a single working parent or an elderly grandparent. Children whose parents are struggling with alcoholism or mental illness may be referred. Other children may be suggested for a camp experience because they need more practice with their English language skills. All of the chil-dren come from low income families . Person-to -Person provides camperships to 18 different camps including the YMCA, the Boys and Girls Club, the Yerwood Center, Rogers School Community Program, K. T. Murphy Community School, Activities for Kids, and Soundwaters. Parents are invited to meet with Person-to-Person volunteers who help with the selection process taking into consideration the special interests of the child, the availability of transportation, length of the camp day, and many other issues. Parents like Marise, a single working mother of two children, tell us, "At the babysitter, he's just watching television. Here at camp they're learning something all the time." And the children's enthusiasm is contagious.
The costs for summer day camp vary from program to program, but average $100 per week. Person-to-Person will need to raise $225,000 to send 450 low income children to summer camp. The children and their parents are counting on camp this summer.
Photo by William Taufic
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Banking On Art
Art students at Briggs High School in Norwalk were invited to "show" their work at the Connecticut Avenue Citibank Branch office early this spring. The exhibit featured collage and drawing on the theme: "My Hero." Each student created an original work which celebrated the life of someone who has set an outstanding example for others to follow. Once the works of art were on the walls, Citibank invited the young artists to a celebratory breakfast to view the display and receive the praise of Citibank staff and customers. Person-to-Person's Briggs High School Scholarship Team went along to cheer them on.Building on the momentum of the exhibit, the Person-to-Person scholarship volunteers and Nan Leonore, Art teacher at Briggs, decided that a trip to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York would be the perfect culmination for a year of hard work. Under the guidance of one of the Met's outstanding guides, the students and Person-to-Person volunteers enjoyed a comprehensive tour of the highlights of the Met's collection including the Roof Garden, the American Wing, and the African Collection. As one of the Person-to-Person volunteers said " Imagine the possibility that one day, one of these students may find their work hung in the Met!" And with the support and encouragement of such volunteer enthusiasm, anything is possible.
Breakfast at Citibank enjoyed by Briggs art students, their teacher and Person-to-Person volunteers Michael Grogan, Frank Kemp and Judy Kemp.
OPUS Raises Funds and Public Awareness
Agala Mardi Gras party and red balloons bouncing in the wind have kept Opus for Person-to-Person volunteers working hard to raise funds and public awareness for Person-to- Person. The annual Opus gala was held at Woodway Country Club this year and featured jugglers, flame throwers, stilt walkers, and taro card readers who created a festive Mardi Gras atmosphere. Revelers purchased shiny Mardi Gras beads to help support the Campership and Scholarship programs of Person-to-Person. The live auction sent top bidders on golf vacations, to see the "Lion King" in NYC, and included the great adventure of a ride to school on a Darien Fire Truck for one lucky family.
Red balloons will decorate the the mail boxes of Darien residents who have contributed to the Person-to-Person Campership Fund before June 5th. This annual event attracts the attention of friends and neighbors throughout town and helps Person-to- Person raise the $225,000 which will be needed to send 450 low income Stamford children to day camp this summer when school is out.
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Overheard
Info-line, the statewide information and referral service answers hundreds of questions every day. By dialing 211- anyone can get basic information about available social services in their area. The statistics are one indicator of the needs of low-income state residents. Over 22, 000 calls seeking information just on housing or financial assistance were received during the first six months of 2001. Many of the callers in the Lower Fairfield County area are referred to Person-to-Person.Info-line, Connecticut
Poverty remains constant…In Connecticut, the percentage of children living in poverty has remained unchanged at 11% over the last decade..moving low income families from welfare to work is a laudable goal..(but )moving families from unemployed poverty to fully employed poverty is not.
Jim Horan, Executive Director, Connecticut Association of Human Services
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Terrific Teens at P2P
From its enthusiastic beginnings last spring, the Person-to-Person Youth Group has grown to over 85 young people from Darien, New Canaan and Stamford. Celeste Marsh and Marilyn Giannos, adult coordinators, point "the Youth Group is a unique opportunity for young people from 8th grade through high school to help respond to the special needs of the low income residents of the greater Stamford area."
Saturday mornings find Youth Group members staffing the Person-to-Person offices. They try their emerging Spanish and French language skills with Latino and Haitian clients and children. Students pack food, sort clothing donations, look after young children, help clients select clothing or household items and answer hundreds of questions from clients and donors alike. Furniture pick up and delivery is another weekly responsibility which the group has assumed with the help of adult volunteer Sam Bridges. Our Person-to-Person Youth Group can be identified by their bright red shirts and their "ready to help" smiles. One of the Youth Group leaders, Jay Karpen sums up his weekly experience…"working, receiving, and giving to people of different races and cultures has opened my eyes, given me greater perspective, and taught me a lot about this world, my community and the people who live in it."
Another way our community's youth support Person-to-Person is through the efforts of Kid-to-Kid. This group of youngsters meet every Friday after school. For seven years they have helped sort food and clothing and recently expanded to doing outreach work as well. Organizing food and clothing drives at the Elementary schools in Darien has brought in a harvest of food, blue jeans, layettes for new babies, socks & underwear and macaroni & pasta. Kid-to-Kid has joined ROSCCO an afterschool program in Stamford where they read, play games and get to know our young neighbors better. Their concern about Stamford's kids has led Kid-to-Kid to raise funds through bake sales, car washes and card sales to help send 15 children to camp over the years.
Experience and training will enable students to take increasing responsibility at Person-to-Person as the young volunteers mature.
Hunger
Hunger remains a serious problem in lower Fairfield County. Food banks and pantries throughout the area report dramatic increases in the need for food. Person to-Person's pantry provides emergency food to over 150 families monthly. Thanks to the May 11th Postal Food Drive, our shelves are full in anticipation of the summer months. Summer is difficult for families whose school age children are not receiving school breakfast and lunch. With your help, the Person-to-Person food pantry meets every season's needs.
Five Ways You Can Help
Support Person-to-Person by making a donation. You can leave it up to us to use it where the need is greatest, or designate your gift for a specific program. (Did you know that $500 will send a child to day camp for the summer, and $2,000 will keep a student in college?)Take advantage of your company's Matching Gift Program.
Donate food or used clothing to benefit Person-to-Person clients. Maybe you can even organize a food drive at your church, school or office.
Volunteer in the Person-to-Person office, food pantry or clothing center.
Make a gift of stock or other appreciated property, or designate Person-to-Person in your will.
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Oh, Brother - We're Confused
Our apologies to the Clemmons and Brown families for the mix up in the Fall newsletter. The front-page story featured information about Efrain and Brian Brown, but we pictured Jason and Garry Clemmons. The top photo is Efrain and Brian Brown who have received assistance from the Person-to- Person Scholarship Program and are enrolled at Southern Connecticut State University in New Haven. Garry and Jason Clemmons attend Mitchell College in New London, and are identical twins. We are proud of all four of these young men and we are sorry that we mixed them up.
Operating Expenses By Function
Over $1.7 million in donations of clothing, food and furniture combined with financial contributions of nearly $1.2 million in 2001, makes Person-to-Person more than just “ a local outreach program.” For details, call the Person-to-Person at 655-0048.Back to Person-to-Person Home page
