[Photo above: Lisa Slen at Toy Store]

On December 9th, for the 20th year, Person-to-Person staged the Holiday Toy Store in Darien, Connecticut. With the support of dedicated volunteer organizing committee, scores of volunteers and countless generous donors, more than 2,100 children from 947 families were able to benefit from this year’s program to enjoy a holiday that was merry and bright.

Lisa Slen and Diane Frate have participated in this event for 4 consecutive years. Diane, “It was truly amazing watching the Community Center transform into a beautiful toy store before our very eyes.” A decorated Christmas/Holiday tree was surrounded with stuff animals donated from the Darien High School football team’s previous night’s game. Colorful garland, holly, streamers adorned the walls, along with a gigantic, lit snowman.

Toy Store is one of the most fulfilling, enjoyable and engaging programs at P2P for clients, staff, and volunteers. This program is for clients who struggle throughout the year to provide basic necessities such as food and clothing for their children. It is through the Toy Store project, however, that parents have the freedom to select a free toy and book for each of their children plus, a board game for the family to enjoy.

[More toys!]

This was a very festive event where people from companies such as FactSet, Firefly Millward Brown, First County Bank, GE, IRI, National Charity League, Opus for P2P, P2P Board of Directors, Rain CII, Security Specialists, Starwood Capital, Thomson Reuters, Tauck Tours, US Chemicals, US Computer and Wilton Woman’s Club; plus State Senator Bob Duff, State Representative Chris Perone, Stamford Mayor David Martin, and Darien First Selectman Jayme Stevenson, come together to lend a helping hand. [By Diane Frate]

To celebrate the arrival of the holidays, Diane Frate and Lisa Slen, from Darien, Connecticut, volunteered at two events for Person2Person — Thanksgiving’s Food Sorting and Christmas’ Toy Store.

Thanksgiving Food Sorting on November 20th: For this event, Lisa and Diane sorted (with the help of other volunteers) through 7000 pounds of food. This was to replenish Person2Persons’ food pantry for their client’s Thanksgiving meal.

Trucks arrived packed with bags of food donated from Kings School’s families in Greenwich, Connecticut. Enthusiastic volunteers unloaded the trucks, bags were emptied onto tables where expiration dates were verified. Volunteers worked diligently sorting the food into labeled bins.
Soon we had a production line in place where the process flowed extremely quickly. We believe the afternoon shift was relieved from their duties as all food items were in place by the end of the morning shift.
[By Diane Frate]

[Photo above: Pleasanton Office Team!] Once again, Corporate Visions’ employees made a huge contribution to the gift giving to the Salvation Army for the Angel Tree Project.
Congratulations to all who took part in your generous gift offerings for a total of $1671 from five U.S. cities: Doylestown, Pleasanton, Larkspur, Incline and Darien. CVI contributed to making 80 children in these 5 cities receive at least one gift for Christmas in 2015.

Much gratitude to all who took part in 2015 Angel Tree Gift Giving.

Cheers!
Charlotte

[Larkspur Team below]

[Doylestown Team below]

[Another Pleasanton Team photo]

[Darien- Gift Card Giving to Town Hall]

On December 19, 2015, Fu Hong Society organized a Christmas lunch buffet for a group on intellectually challenged students. After the luncheon, they took a walk along one of the longest harbor front in Hong Kong. Roxanna Yuen, from Corporate Visions Hong Kong Office, took care of two students during lunch and for the walk along the harbor. This walkway is a quiet haven within the busy city with a great view of Hong Kong and the harbor. Students were taught to perform caroling, which they did along this beautiful waterfront promenade. People stopped by to listen and praised them for their wonderful performance.

*Fu Hong Society is a non-profit making organization serving people with intellectual disabilities, psychiatric disabilities or those with autism.

“Love is found in the simple moments, extend your love to those in need.”
[By Roxanna Yuen]

The Central Bucks Family YMCA in Doylestown, PA, hosted another successful holiday food drive on November 21, 2015. Members of the YMCA had the opportunity to select an anonymous family from the Thanksgiving wreath to purchase a complete Thanksgiving meal. The families enrolled in the program are beneficiaries of the YMCA’s financial assistance program. The program has become a popular way for families and community groups to give back to those who need a helping hand this season. Cassie Galster from the Doylestown office and her husband Dillon participated in the drive again this year. “It’s fun to pick out items for a whole meal and know you are giving a family everything they need to have a holiday meal together.”
Cassie also teaches yoga at the YMCA and knows that this meal could be received by one of her students or another member she sees and interacts with at the Y.

This year’s family meal included a frozen turkey, stuffing, potatoes, vegetables, rolls, cranberry sauce, a pumpkin pie, spices and cooking supplies for the meal and a bottle of sparkling cider. The cost of the groceries was matched by CVI with an additional monetary donation to the CBFYMCA.
[By Cassie Galster]

On October 12, 2015, Roxanna Yuen from our Hong Kong office, joined in an activity organized by the Fu Hong Society. Fu Hong Society is a non-profit organization serving people with intellectual disabilities, psychiatric disabilities, and individuals with autism.

About 50 people with intellectual disabilities, 50 volunteers and instructors, joined the Eco-tourism of New Life Farm (a place to provide training and employment opportunities for people in recovery of mental illness). People in recovery of mental illness are trained as tour guides to introduce the farm. Fun handicraft workshops were scheduled for all of us to learn how to make photo albums with leaf prints and fans.

Each of us in the group had one intellectual disability student assigned to us. Roxanna took care of her student by escorting her on a walk, eating lunch, taking part in handicraft workshops, and assisting with personal hygiene. It was especially enjoyable taking part in the handicraft workshops. This student was able to do simple tasks when given specific instructions.

“This activity reminded me of how lucky we are and we should treasure what we have. I encourage everyone to help those intellectual disabilities people. They need our love.”
[By Roxanna Yuen]

[Photo above: Left to right: Susan Supernavage and Mary Pacell. Tim Brooks on far right.]

On October 14^th, four employees from the Doylestown CVI office volunteered their time to help Doylestown Borough clean up and remodel one of its parks.

Historical Society Park is within walking distance of the Doylestown office. The park had a reflecting pond but the borough had plans to fill the pond and create a rain garden in its place. In addition to the rain garden, other flowers and plants were brought in to add color and fill the landscape.

[Photo below: Garden before shots]

[After shots below:]

The morning started with unloading plants from the truck and laying out the garden. Tim Brooks put his muscles to good use by helping dig most of the large holes for the hydrangea, rhododendron and viburnum. The ground was filled with roots and ivy, but Tim made the work look easy. Mary Pacell, Susan Supernavage and Cassie Galster went to work on the rain garden planting iris, sweet spire, switch grass and winterberry. Rocks were placed around the edges for the rain water to drain properly. Susan and Mary came up with a perfect arrangement for the bee balm and Kim’s knee high coneflowers along the park gate which made the whole space look beautiful. After lunch, Susan and Cassie planted the last few plants and meticulously trimmed and deadheaded anything they could get their hands on. People passing by even commented that the park never looked better. Susan said, “This park is a hidden jewel in the borough! I am grateful to Cassie and CVI for giving me the opportunity give back to the community while also doing something that I love!” The group looks forward to visiting the park in the spring for lunch breaks to enjoy the fruits of their labor.   [By Cassie Galster]

 

[Photo above of moms; Sarah McMahan is 3rd from the left]

Every September there is an annual Jog-a-thon to raise money to support the PE Program at Incline Elementary School.  Students ask friends, family, and businesses to donate and then see how many laps they are able to run around the marked field in 30 minutes.

Saran McMahan, who has two boys at the school, is certainly passionate about keeping a PE program at this school. Each year she volunteers to help fill waters, punch cards with each lap, and cheer the kids on.  And, every year there is freakishly hot day in September, just for the Jog-a-thon!

This year, on September 5th, they managed to raise $40K and still ongoing…

[By Sarah McMahan]

The idea started at Corporate Visions’ [CVI] Napa Kick-Off in January of 2015, when 40 bicycles were put together by employees, then offered to 40 – 4th graders at Bayside Martin Luther King School in Sausalito on Valentine’s Day, February 14th!  To continue offering bicycles to students with the greatest need, San Rafael Elks Lodge 1108 was approached with a proposal to offer 10 bicycles through their partnership with CVI and a private donor, Bob Gordon, an entertainment lawyer from Mill Valley.

Ten bicycles, helmets, and locks are now ready to be awarded to ten 4th graders selected by Bahia Elementary School 4th grade teachers. Bahia Elementary School is located nestled in a residential area in San Rafael, California with many of the students whose family members are bilingual [Spanish and English].

[Photo below of Committee Planning Meeting: Melissa Guerrero -4th grade teacher; Sarah Gaidano- Program Coordinator; Collin Johnson-4th Grade teacher; Charlotte Kobayashi- CVI; San Rafael Elks’ officer -Joe Tato; and Cathy DiSanto-4th grade teacher.]

Students will be selected on the basis of their efforts, their attendance, their attitude, economic need, and  a letter or art piece explaining why they deserve to receive a bicycle. Award Assembly has been scheduled for November 23rd when all the donors will be present to observe awarding 10 bicycles to selected students.

[Photo below: At San Rafael Elks Lodge, samples of bicycles — left to right, Joe Tato- San Rafael Elks, Charlotte Kobayashi- CVI employee, and Bob Gordon, entertainment lawyer]

Please anticipate a sequel for the November Awards Assembly at Bahia Elementary School and in April of 2016, the Awards Ceremony at the San Rafael Elks Lodge.

[by Charlotte Kobayashi]

 

 

 

On July 7th, 2015, Helen Atkinson, returned to College Lake Nature Reserve. The trust relies on volunteers to help with the upkeep of the reserve and make sure the habitat is right for both the native animals and migratory birds that visit each year.

In true British-Summer style it rained all morning, so we got drenched whilst clearing a large area of pasture. The land is an important area for wild orchids, which are becoming more endangered as our countryside is being taken up by building. However, the meadow also contains poisonous ragwort plants which spread quickly and must be removed in order to protect grazing animals. It’s not the most exciting of jobs, but essential to the biodiversity of the reserve.

In the afternoon we tidied a neglected apple orchard, cutting back the long grass and removing it for composting. We were careful not to damage the wildflowers which grow there or the small animals and butterflies who eat the fruit. We then cut back brambles, roots and branches to form a new public pathway. This enables visitors to reach the edge of the lake where there is now a viewing point to rest and watch the wildlife.

[By Helen Atkinson]