MLK Day of Service 2012-THANK YOU!

I am happy to send along some great outcomes from MLK Day of Service 2012.  We could not have accomplished such amazing things without the commitment from so many great volunteers who came out to serve.  Each year, MLK Day brings awareness to the community needs around our nation and I am proud to offer our community such an amazing DAY ON each, and every year.  Thank you to everyone who assisted in making MLK Day 2012 such a success!

Sincerely,
Kate Sarata
Executive Director

MLK Day of Service 2012 Accomplishments:
• 220 Volunteers from across Western New York
• 4 Picnic tables constructed for Roswell Park Cancer Institute
• 36 Bird houses constructed for urban gardens managed by Grassroots Gardens of Buffalo
• 4000 sq. ft. of painting at The King Center Charter School
• 3 elderly residences received small home repairs (Project Naomi with volunteers from the University of Buffalo)
• Over 200 homes on the East Side of Buffalo received fire prevention information (American Red Cross Buffalo Chapter)
• 140 meals to 70 Meals on Wheels participants in five communities of Buffalo
• Assisted in the rehabilitation for a Habitat for Humanity house
• Created 100 'Thank You" cards for Veterans and Active Military Members

2 Drivers Wanted

Need something to do? Need money for college? Love to serve your community? The ServiceCorps Department at the Service Collaborative of Western New York is looking for two drivers to work with our Hunger Elimination Crew. Need to be 21 years old. Need to have a clean driving record. Need to be a US Citizen. Must be a high school graduate. For more info please call Sabriyah Amin at 418-8500 ext 154.

MLK DAY OF SERVICE 2012: The Spirit of Dr. Martin Luther King Returns to Buffalo with Service

WHAT:
The Volunteer Center at The Service Collaborative of WNY, Inc. will celebrate MLK Day 2012 in partnership with The King Center Charter School. Over 200 AmeriCorps members, students, and community volunteers will mobilize to turn Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s life and teachings into community action. With the efforts from The American Red Cross Buffalo Chapter, Grassroots Gardens of Buffalo, Meals on Wheels, Habitat for Humanity, Project Naomi, and The King Center Charter School, volunteers will help raise awareness and tackle social problems on the East Side of Buffalo.

 Volunteers will deliver food to the elderly, provide assistance for elderly and physically disabled individuals with home repairs/maintenance, build bird houses for urban gardens, engage in fire prevention outreach, construct picnic tables for Roswell Park Cancer Institute and assist in the expansion of The King Center Charter School with a large scale painting project.  A free luncheon will be provided for volunteers and community members.

WHEN:
Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Monday, January 16, 2012
9 AM – 2 PM

WHERE:
The King Center Charter School
938 Genesee Street
Buffalo, NY 14210

WHY:
January 16, 2012 will mark the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. federal holiday. This milestone is a perfect opportunity for Americans to honor Dr. King’s legacy through service. The MLK Day of Service empowers individuals, strengthens communities, bridges barriers, creates solutions to social problems, and moves us closer to Dr. King’s vision of a beloved community.

For more information see the flier below or contact: Adam Bartoszek at abartoszek@tscwny.org or 716.444.0737

http://wnyac.squarespace.com/storage/news-page/MLKDayOfService2012.pdf

Give Back this Holiday Season with our New Gift Card Program

We’re pleased to share some exciting news about a new fundraising program for our organization!  It’s called “scrip”, and it’s the fundraising program that works while you shop. 

Scrip is simply a word that means “substitute money” – in other words, scrip is gift certificates from national and local  retailers.  They’re the same gift certificates that you buy  at the store.  Many popular retailers participate in our scrip program including JCPenney, The Gap, Target, Pizza Hut, Red Lobster and many, many others.  

You’re probably asking yourself how these stores help us raise money.  It’s simple -- scrip participating retailers agree to sell gift certificates to our organization at a discount.  People like you buy the certificates for full face value, they redeem them for full face value, and our organization keeps the difference as revenue.  And scrip is exciting, because everybody wins: 

•               The retailer gets cash up front and repeat business…
•               We get a powerful fundraising alternative that involves no selling…
•               Our organization gets a regular source of revenue...

The beauty of scrip is that you put your regular household shopping dollars to work. You earn money for our organization without spending a single additional penny.  Just spend your regular shopping dollars with scrip at the stores that participate in the scrip program!  And scrip can be used for just about any household purchase including food, clothing, entertainment, gasoline and even dining out.

Participating is simple.  Download the order form here.  Return it to us with payment.  First order is due on 11/23/11 and second order is due 12/12/11.  Orders arrive in approximately one week and will be in available for pickup.

The Service Collaborative of WNY, Inc. Appoints New Executive Director

On Tuesday, November 1, the Board of The Service Collaborative of WNY unanimously appointed Kate Sarata at the permanent Executive Director of the agency.  Ms. Sarata has been serving at the Acting Executive Director since April 1, 2011.

"Ms. Sarata's dedication and commitment to the agency, coupled with her superior results as the Director of AmeriCorps Builds Lives through Education (ABLE), made her an excellent choice for Executive Director [by the Board]", says John Greenan, Board Chair.

Kate Sarata has been with the organization, which began administering AmeriCorps grants in 1994, since 2004.  Beginning her journey with National Service as an AmeriCorps*VISTA member, she was hired as staff with the ABLE program in 2006.  In 2009, she was promoted to Director of ABLE, which she will leave to become Executive Director.  She received a Bachelors of Arts degree in Political Science and International Studies from SUNY Brockport and is currently pursuing a Masters Degree in Education at the University at Buffalo.  She holds certificates in Non-Profit Management from SUNY Brockport and the Harvard Business School Club of Buffalo.  She was also honored in 2010 as a Buffalo Business First 40 Under Forty.  Currently, she is participating in Leadership Buffalo-Rising Leaders.

"I'm thrilled to be able to harness my compassion for service within Western New York as Executive Director of The Service Collaborative.  To continue serving our community and allowing individuals the opportunity to serve is a dream come true for me" says Ms. Sarata.

 The Service Collaborative of WNY, Inc., an independent non-profit organization, creates opportunities for all individuals to serve, challenging citizens to turn their ideals into action and their passion into positive change. Through transformational service and civic responsibility, The Service Collaborative of WNY is designing a sustainable future for our nation’s communities.

The Service Collaborative of WNY is a grant recipient of grant funding from the New York State Office of National and Community Service and the Corporation for National and Community Service.  They also administer Department of Labor funding for a local YouthBuild program for at-risk youth.

For more information, please visit www.tscwny.org or call 716-418-8500.