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Home - About Us - Links - Admin News Impact Allocations Goals Volunteers Day of Caring PikePaHelp.org   United Way of Pike County   Allocations 2007 2004 2001 2006 2003 2000 2005  2002   Current Year: $105,000 Total to Date: $589,000 Spotlights Impact Areas

Spotlights Some of Our Funded Agencies and Programs

August 2, 2008 Country Ark Farm Pictured: Country Ark Farm visitor Katie feeds Baby Bennett Wallaby "Joel." The Wallaby was purchased and is sponsored by Joe and Ronnie Biondo. Can you think of a better way to engage your child's interest than to interact with animals? Country Ark Farm does just this for mentally, emotionally, and physically challenged children. The 26 acre farm, located in Pike County, has well socialized exotic and domestic animals of many different varieties just ready to be touched and loved by the children. Many testify to children's increased socialization and communication skills, not to mention the growth in self-confidence. In addition to on-site visits for individuals and specialized school groups and day - rehabilitation groups, CAF visits institutions and schools that specialize in working with children in need of therapy. The rewards are incalculable when seeing the child respond to these animals. Director Donna Ciancitto says "without the support of United Way, Country Ark Farm would not be as successful as it is. It is the caring of individuals and community members that allows us to provide this wonderful service to the specially-abled community." "There is such a sense of joy and awe when I visit Country Ark and see the response of children to these animals. The United Way is happy to support this agency!" said UWPC Board President, Christine Obser. For more information about the United Way of Pike County or any of its upcoming events visit www.unitedwaypike.org, email us at uwpc@ptd.net, or call 570-296-9980. Further information about any of the agencies providing services in Pike County can be found at www.PikePaHelp.org. Your generous donations to Pike United Way fund local human service agencies right here in Pike County. "What Matters", "Offering Hope - Building Futures" - It's the United Way!

July 11, 2008 Habitat for Humanity Makes Dreams Come True Pictured: Celebrating the completion of another home for Habitat for Humanity are: Jim Lariviere, Louis Basilicata, Lisa Basilicata, Dominic Basilicata, Pat Lariviere, Erica Basilicata, Krystle Basilicata, Ben and Irene Volpicello, Louis Basilicata, Joseph Basilicata and Mike Donlan. The United Way of Pike County is pleased to help provide funding for the Habitat for Humanity (HFH) which has built 13 houses to date for local citizens. "HFH exists through the extraordinary efforts of its volunteers and generosity of those who donate money and/or materials. Nothing is as worthwhile as seeing a family take ownership of a home and begin a better life," said Mike Donlon, Volunteer Coordinator. He adds that "the funds allocated for HFH from the United Way are invaluable from the start of the building process to the final moment when the family moves in." HFH is dedicated to eliminating poverty housing and building homes for families in need. Homes are built at cost and no interest loans are offered. Homeowners will have a mortgage with Habitat for the cost of materials and paid contractors. The new homeowner also works on the site a minimum 200 hours. The land for the most recently built home was donated by Ben and Irene Volpicello. Irene said, "We are very fortunate to have two homes and wanted to help another family to realize their dream of having their own home. My husband and I are happy to have been in a position to help this family and wish them much happiness as they move into their new home." To qualify, the family must be a resident of Pike County for one year and meet other qualifications as outlined in the application. Additional information may be found on the web site hfhpc@ptd.net or by phoning 570-828-1623. To volunteer, contact Mike Donlon at volunteer@hfhpc.org. Volunteers are needed in many areas - from working at the site to fundraising, publicity and other special projects. As Mike said, "you won't regret it!" The United Way of Pike County is currently at 75% of the $175,000.00 goal, and you can help them reach it. If you are interested in making a donation, you can log onto www.unitedwaypike.org and click "Donations" to make an online contribution, or you can call the United Way Office at (570)296-9980. Further information about any of the agencies providing services in Pike County can be found at www.PikePaHelp.org. Your generous donations to Pike United Way fund local human service agencies right here in Pike County. "What Matters", "Offering Hope - Building Futures" - It's the United Way!

June 14, 2008 Good Cheer Food Pantry in Greeley Pictured: Good Cheer volunteers: Ed Eggenberger, St. Luke Lutheran Church Pastor Rev. Donald Beck, Ann Schmalzle, Ella Eggenberger, Linda McKay, Helen, and Tom McKay. Missing from picture: Phil and Kathy O'Neil. No where is the spirit of volunteerism more evident than at the Good Cheer Food Pantry. Aptly named for the sense of happiness and commitment that comes through when discussing the Pantry, a team of volunteers mans the Pantry the first Wednesday of every month at St. Luke Lutheran Church in Greeley. The Pantry provides for 25-30 families in Pike County on an as-needed basis. At least a third of the funding for provisions comes from the United Way, the rest coming from private donations and grants. Keeping the shelves stocked can cost between 500-1000 dollars a month. The Pantry purchases most of the food from Shurway in Greeley which has helped tremendously in keeping track of the lowest costs and special sales for non-perishable items. Food drives run by Girl Scouts, schools and the Ski Big Bear United Way fundraiser, plus individual donations, round out the efforts to keep supplies meeting demand. The constant goal of the Good Cheer Food Pantry is to provide the best service it can to those in need. The reward is knowing families will not go hungry. A favorite story of the volunteers is about one lady who had been surviving on the generosity of the Food Pantry. She finally became self-supporting and to show her thanks and appreciation, drove a large truck up to the door and unloaded the contents - all food. As volunteer coordinator Ann Schmalzle says, "if anyone is considering donating to any organization, please give to the United Way because the money stays in our community." And volunteer Helen simply adds, "Thank God for United Way!" The United Way is just as pleased to be a part of this worthy endeavor in Pike County! For more information about the Pantry, Please call either Ann Schmalzle 570-226-3966 or, if there is an emergency situation, please call Ann or Ed and Ella Eggenberger 570-685-7260. For more information about the United Way of Pike County or any of its upcoming events visit www.unitedwaypike.org, email us at uwpc@ptd.net, or call 570-296-9980. Further information about any of the agencies providing services in Pike County can be found at www.PikePaHelp.org. Your generous donations to Pike United Way fund local human service agencies right here in Pike County. "What Matters", "Offering Hope - Building Futures" - It's the United Way!

May 5, 2008 G.A.I.T. (Genuine Alternative in Therapy) Pictured: Lena Dubensky, advanced NARHA certified riding instructor for G.A.I.T., riding Itti-Bitt. One of the organizations the United Way of Pike County supports is G.A.I.T. (Genuine Alternative in Therapy), which offers equine therapy for children and adults with special needs. All of their services utilize horses to help improve a client's independence and quality of life. The programs offered include Therapeutic Riding, Hippotherapy, Equine Assisted Learning, and Equine Assisted Psychotherapy. Therapeutic Riding is done in groups and focuses on improving client skills such as balance, posture, communication, and trunk control. In Hippotherapy, licensed physical therapists, occupational therapists, and speech/language pathologists work with the horse and rider to improve a client's neurological function and sensory processing. Equine Assisted Learning offers experimental communication, teambuilding, and self-discovery using un-tethered horses. Finally, Equine Assisted Psychotherapy teams a mental health professional with a horse professional to offer therapeutic and experimental sessions. Owner Martha Dubensky sees the ongoing physical and emotional growth that takes place with participants in the riding program. Anxiety decreases and responsibility, ownership, and pride increase as the riders gain knowledge in something they can call their own. She is grateful for the United Way's contribution which goes directly to scholarships for the students who benefit from the programs offered. G.A.I.T. also offers vocational and volunteer opportunities where interested individuals can learn skills needed to run a horse stable, an office, or work with horses and special needs individuals. For more information about G.A.I.T., please call 570-409-1140. For more information about the United Way of Pike County or any of its upcoming events visit www.unitedwaypike.org, email us at uwpc@ptd.net, or call 570-296-9980. Further information about any of the agencies providing services in Pike County can be found at www.PikePaHelp.org. Your generous donations to Pike United Way fund local human service agencies right here in Pike County. "What Matters", "Offering Hope - Building Futures" - It's the United Way!

April 19, 2008 Safe Haven of Pike County Pictured: Safe Haven Staff: Front Row - Lauren Cernek. Second Row - Cindy Stine, Sheila Korick-Houston, Executive Director Linda LaStarza, Peggy Emanuel, Sharon Lewis, Cynthia Edwards. Third Row - Madeleine Coppola. April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month, so what better time to spotlight a local community organization that provides services to victims of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault? Safe Haven of Pike County, located in Milford, offers a 24 hour hotline, phone/in-person counseling during office hours, emergency shelter, education and support services to students at the Delaware Valley and Wallenpaupack Area school districts, and education and support services to incarcerated individuals at the Pike County Correctional Facility. They also have outreach programs to educate the community on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault issues and sponsor RYOT (Rallying Youth Organizers Together), a youth leadership and advocacy program. For individualized services such as counseling, Safe Haven serves approximately 400 individuals a year, and combining all programs, including presentations, etc., this number is in the thousands each year. Last year, Safe Haven used its United Way grant towards the overall operation of their Emergency Crisis Shelter. The shelter provides emergency shelter for people who are experiencing violence in their homes and have nowhere else to go. The program includes medical and judicial system advocacy, access to the Pike County Bar Association's Legal Pro Bono program, and enrollment in a required life skills program. The need for this shelter is definitely growing, as it has not seen an empty day in over 8 months. Commented Safe Haven Executive Director Linda LaStarza, "The United Way of Pike County provides essential support for the Safe Haven shelter. Keeping the shelter open would be difficult without that funding." Safe Haven is planning many upcoming events. The 5th Annual Safe Haven/Sonnie Lehman Golf Tournament will be held May 5th, 2008, at the Great Bear Golf and Country Club. Next, each Tuesday in May, Sheila Korick-Houston will be offering swing dance lessons for beginners at the Muir House from 6 - 7:30 pm. They are also organizing their upcoming Women of Wisdom Symposium, which will be held on May 31, 2008, at the Best Western Hotel and will include guest speakers, a continental network breakfast, a buffet lunch, live entertainment, a complimentary $50 value gift bag, and a Red Shoe Raffle. And lastly, there will be a Porch Sale fundraiser (similar to a yard sale) on June 7th and 14th, 2008, at the Safe Haven offices. For more information about Safe Haven or any of these events, please call 570-296-2827. For more information about the United Way of Pike County or any of its upcoming events visit www.unitedwaypike.org, email us at uwpc@ptd.net, or call 570-296-9980. Further information about any of the agencies providing services in Pike County can be found at www.PikePaHelp.org. Your generous donations to Pike United Way fund local human service agencies right here in Pike County. "What Matters", "Offering Hope - Building Futures" - It's the United Way!

April 12, 2008 Center for Developmental Disabilities of Pike County Picture: CDD Participants Hugo and Emily and their CDD classroom teacher, Heather Simmons. The Center for Developmental Disabilities of Pike County (CDD) has been serving the Pike County community for more than 30 years. The agency continues to develop programs and reaches new milestones every year. The mission of the Center for Developmental Disabilities is to provide early education services to children with developmental disabilities that are between the ages of 0 through 5. Annually, CDD serves more than 200 families through programs that include speech, language, occupational, and physical therapy, educational services, and behavioral support. This number is growing every year, mostly due to people moving into Pike County. Infants and Toddlers who are eligible for early intervention services are served throughout Pike County in a variety of settings. Pre-school children generally go to the CDD site, but if they are already successful in a particular setting, CDD staff can go to the child instead. Additionally, family support services are available to help families with transition in and out of the programs, information on local community resources, support groups, and scholarship applications. Recent milestones include being able to expand their services to include programs for children without developmental disabilities by adding a Head Start program and a Pre-K Counts program for 3-4 year olds. Ann Gillerlane, Executive Director of CDD, also commented on another exciting development, "We are under contract to purchase the Pennstar Bank building, and we are hoping to move there in August or September 2008. In our new location, we will increase our classrooms from 2 to 4 and include a classroom devoted entirely to children with autism. We look forward to increasing our ability to serve the community's needs." Ann additionally spoke about the community's generosity, remarking, "We're very grateful for the funding and the community support we receive - it really makes a difference in our ability to provide support to families." For more information about CDD, please visit their website at www.cddkids.org or call (570)-296-3992. For more information about the United Way of Pike County or any of its events you can visit www.unitedwaypike.org, email us at uwpc@ptd.net or call 570-296-9980. Further information about any of the agencies providing services in Pike County can be found at www.PikePaHelp.org. Your generous donations to Pike United Way fund local human service agencies right here in Pike County. "What Matters", "Offering Hope - Building Futures" - It's the United Way!

April 6, 2008 Pike County Advanced Life Support Picture: PC-ALS Ambulance Rig 401-2 and Fly-Car 401-1. Pike County Advanced Life Support, Inc. (PC-ALS) started as a grass roots effort and with hard work and many, many volunteer hours was organized, became incorporated and was granted Non-Profit Status as a 501(c)3 organization. PC-ALS brings Advanced Life Support services which cover a service area encompassing 124 square miles within Pike County. Their staff is comprised of Paramedics, EMT-Drivers and a variety of volunteers who help with 'behind the scene' & day-to-day operations. Everyone pitches in to help in any way they can. Since they first 'responded' in May of 2003, PC-ALS has made a significant difference in the lives of many patients who required emergent pre-hospital care. PC-ALS is 'toned out' almost 1,000 times a year! The unit is dispatched via the 911 emergency system according to certain medical conditions and/or injuries. Before its existence, if there was an advanced life support emergency requiring a paramedic unit, the paramedics had to be requested from outside Pike County. The old procedure took away precious treatment time from the patient and diverted our neighboring county's units and removed much needed resources out of their own service area. Now, because of PC-ALS, their paramedics are available in Pike County 24 hours a day, 365 days a year to provide critical medical care. In life threatening situations, the PC-ALS paramedics are dispatched along WITH your local ambulance corps. Before a patient even reaches the hospital, paramedics can administer medications, and perform procedures, to stabilize a patient until they can receive definitive care in a hospital. PC-ALS is able to survive, in part, from their Annual Fund Drive, private donations, Fund Raising Events and grants from State and local organizations such as the United Way of Pike County. All monies received go toward every aspect of the organization including much needed supplies and medical equipment. Their primary focus has always been to provide the best pre-hospital care available. Remarks Mary Lou Corbett, PC-ALS President, "I'm proud that after five years, we're still providing care to our patients. We are always trying to improve the quality and standard of care available. This area's population has increased significantly since we first started and we're able to progress with the times." For more information about Pike County Advanced Life Support, Inc., please visit their website at www.pikeals.org. For more information about the United Way of Pike County or any of its upcoming events visit www.unitedwaypike.org or call 570-296-9980. Further information about any of the agencies providing services in Pike County can be found at www.PikePaHelp.org. Your generous donations to Pike United Way fund local human service agencies right here in Pike County. "What Matters", "Offering Hope - Building Futures" - It's the United Way!

February 29, 2008 New Vision Clubhouse Pictured (from Left): NVC Participant Adam Collins, NVC Participant Madelyne Mascis, NVC Director Mary Mott, UWPC President Christine Obser, NVC Participant John Fodi The goal of the United Way of Pike County is to fund human service agencies in Pike County who are making an impact on the lives of community members in need. In 2007, the United Way of Pike County funded 21 agencies, one of which is the New Vision Clubhouse. The New Vision Clubhouse is a Pike County community service helping those with mental illnesses reconnect with the community and develop a sense of belonging and self-worth. New Vision Clubhouse members find a safe, supportive environment to learn new skills, gain confidence, and bring balance back into their lives. Participants take steps to reenter the workforce with the help of on-site job coaches that provide vocational counseling. The agency also offers psychiatric rehabilitation services. "We are very appreciative of our United Way grant that helps make this possible for us," commented Mary Mott, Director of New Vision Clubhouse. The agency is located at 117A Pike County Blvd. in Hawley, PA. Mary Mott, the director, can be reached at (570)-775-9276. For more information about the United Way of Pike County or any of its upcoming events visit www.unitedwaypike.org or call 570-296-9980. Further information about any of the agencies providing services in Pike County can be found at www.PikePaHelp.org. Your generous donations to Pike United Way fund local human service agencies right here in Pike County. "What Matters", "Offering Hope - Building Futures" - It's the United Way!

Febuary 6, 2008 The Pike County Developmental Center Pictured: Current PCDC participants. The goal of the United Way of Pike County is to fund human service agencies in Pike County who are making an impact on the lives of community members in need. In 2007, the United Way of Pike County funded 21 agencies, one of which is the Pike County Developmental Center. The Pike County Developmental Center is an adult day training facility for developmentally challenged adults residing in Pike County 16 years of age and older. It offers a variety of services, including Educational Services, Pre-Vocation/Vocational Training, Activities of Daily Living, and Recreational Programs. They have been used as a "stepping stone" throughout the years for their many participants. There have been several recent participant milestones. Two participants worked as volunteers and have now obtained part-time competitive community employment. Three participants attended classes at Northampton Community College and received college diplomas in June of 2007. Six participants work part-time at the Human Resource Center in Pike County. Two participants live in an independent living situation, with a support system. Finally, all PCDC individuals have increased their levels of self-sufficiency and independence at the Center, in the home, community, and in their work environments. The Pike County Developmental Program is located on 107 West Ann Street in Milford, PA, and are open Monday through Friday from 8am to 3pm. Liz Torkildsen, the PCDC Director, can be reached at (570)-296-6319. The Life Skills Enrichment Project Educational Services Pre-Vocation/Vocation Training Activities of Daily Living Recreational Programs Outcomes Two participants worked as volunteers and have now obtained part-time competitive community employment Three participants attended classes at Northampton Community College and received college diplomas in June of 07. Six participants work part-time at the Human Resource Center in Pike County. Two participants live in an independent living situation, with a support system. All PCDC individuals have increased their levels of self-sufficiency and independence at the Center, in the home, community, and in their work environments. For more information about the United Way of Pike County or any of its events visit www.unitedwaypike.org, email us at uwpc@ptd.net, fax 570-296-5571, call toll free 888-306-6963, or 570-296-9980. Further information about any of the agencies providing services in Pike County can be found at www.PikePaHelp.org. Your generous donations to Pike United Way fund local human service agencies right here in Pike County. “What Matters”, “Offering Hope - Building Futures” – It’s the United Way!

Offering Hope - Building Futures - Its the United Way! what matters.TM

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