Impact Summer Fall 2010

A Publication of United Way of Central and Northeastern Connecticut

Summer|Fall 2010

In this issue

2010 United Way Community Campaign Kickoff and Day of Caring XIX

ALSO INSIDE: 2010 Courage Award Recipient Helping Children in the Recession Volunteers LIVE UNITED across Our 40 Towns

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United Way of Central and Northeastern Connecticut is a nonprofit organization that has been meeting human care needs in the 40 towns throughout north and central Connecticut for 85 years. With its network of partner agencies, volunteers and community leaders, our United Way takes a leadership role in changing conditions to improve lives across our service area.

The annual United Way Community Campaign provides the opportunity for people in our community to support the causes important to them. Through United Way Community Investment, donors’ contributions are invested in programs and initiatives that provide the building blocks of a good life: education, income and health, including a safety net of services. Programs and initiatives supported by Community Investment are researched and monitored by knowledgeable, experienced volunteers to be certain they result in improved lives. Partner agencies must also meet management, governance, and fiscal accountability standards.

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FOR MORE INFORMATION To comment, please call (860) 493-6800 or email us at info@unitedwayinc.org.

For volunteer opportunities, please visit our website at unitedwayinc.org and click on “Volunteer.”

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In this issue 1 2 4 5 6 8 9 10

2010 Courage Award Recipient: Rowena Stough GIVE: 2010 United Way Community Campaign Goal Announced ADVOCATE: A Voice for Children in the Recession Your Gift At Work: From a Drug Hub to High Honors VOLUNTEER: United Way Day of Caring XIX Regional Volunteers LIVE UNITED

On the cover: More than 5,600 employees from local workplaces Lived United by helping local nonprofit organizations complete a variety of projects as part of United Way Day of Caring XIX.

Leadership: The Peelle Family: Traditions of Philanthropy and Service LIVE UNITED and Go Green with E-Delivery

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United Way of Central and Northeastern Connecticut is proud to be part of the Capitol Region Partnership.

This alliance, made up of 13 regional organizations, is working to strengthen our region’s economy, facilitate inter-town and inter-agency cooperation, and create a recognizable identity for the greater Hartford region.

CORRECTIONS In our Winter/Spring 2010 issue, we inadvertently omitted Constitution Society member Dave Laroche’s name from his profile (page 7). Also, Denise Essenberg’s name was omitted from the list of Audit Committee members for 2009 (page 18).

Our sincere apologies for these errors.

“I don’t think of it as courage,” Stough said. “There’s a need — a real need. No matter how difficult it is for me to speak publicly, it’s time to break the silence. This is my way of helping to undo some wrong.” Rowena Stough, 2010 Courage Award Recipient

From Victim to Survivor Rowena Stough was honored in June with the United Way Community Campaign’s 2010 Courage Award.

The Courage Award was established in 1994 to recognize an individual who has triumphed over adversity through the assistance of a program supported by gifts to United Way Community Investment through the United Way Community Campaign.

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he sexual abuse began when she was a toddler, at the hands of her grandfather.

At age 11, she was attacked by her uncle. At a very young age, Rowena Stough was forced to endure not only the scars left by the sexual assault, but also the emotional abuse inflicted by her parents, who blamed her for the abuse she suffered.

Determined to make a life for herself away from her abusive family, Stough left home at age 15. She found a job and a place to live, got her high school diploma, and eventually began taking classes at Manchester Community College.

DID YOU KNOW? Last year, nearly 900 victims of sexual assault developed safety plans through programs supported by your gifts to United Way Community Investment. And 3,600 victims of domestic abuse developed safety plans through Community Investment supported legal services and domestic abuse services.

YWCA OF NEW BRITAIN For information about Sexual Assault Crisis Service, a program of the YWCA of New Britain, visit ywcanewbritain.org.

To reach the SACS crisis hotline, please call (888) 999-5545.

It was not until college that Stough — who had been suffering flashbacks and nightmares for years — sought help.

She learned about Sexual Assault Crisis Service (SACS), a program of the YWCA of New Britain supported by gifts to United Way Community Investment through the United Way Community Campaign. On one particularly difficult night, Stough called the 24-hour, toll-free confidential hotline (see sidebar, bottom left). It was “the best thing I ever did for myself,” she said.

Through SACS, Stough began the slow and painful process of moving from victim to survivor. At last, she had a safe place to heal. Finally, she was able to feel empowered and validated and she began to believe that the abuse she had encountered was not her fault.

Rowena Stough, left, a sexual abuse survivor who now counsels other survivors, received the 2010 United Way Community Campaign Courage Award in June. She is joined by Sandra Wilkos, of Sexual Assault Crisis Service.

back and support others in the way she had not been supported at the time of her abuse.

Stough now provides counseling on the hotline and accompanies victims at the hospital to support them after an assault. She has also participated in a survivor panel for counselor advocates in training, inspiring others to come forward as survivors.

“Sexual abuse is so devastating to a child,” Stough said. “I want to help those who have been abused, and I want to prevent other kids from being abused.”

While overcoming immense trauma and adversity, Stough also managed to graduate from Manchester Community College and raise three beautiful children as a single mother. She is currently pursing a bachelor’s degree in social work at Eastern Connecticut State University and hopes to make a career helping other survivors.

“I thought the best kind of job is one that you would do even if you didn’t get paid,” she said. “By helping other people, it heals me.”

Stough received counseling and attended a support group, and eventually, she gained the confidence to help other victims find their voice. She wanted to give

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2010 United Way Community Campaign Goal Announced

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he 2010 United Way Community Campaign kicked off on Friday, September 3, 2010, with the goal of raising $25.8 million to help provide the building blocks of a good life for everyone in central and northeastern Connecticut.

“The dollars raised through the campaign are crucial to the long-term health of our region,” said Andy Bessette, 2010 United Way Community Campaign chair, prior to insisting on a crash course in bucket truck maneuvers.

Bessette single-handedly controlled the equipment high above the awed crowd of campaign volunteers, community leaders and nonprofit partners to unveil this year’s goal.

September 3 also marked the 19th annual United Way Day of Caring, United Way’s signature corporate volunteering event. This year’s Day of Caring was so popular - drawing more than 5,600 volunteers - that the projects were extended throughout the month of September and into October (see story and photos on pages 6-7).

A joint effort of United Way of Central and Northeastern Connecticut and Community Health Charities of New England, the United Way Community Campaign is the largest annual health and human service fund-raising effort in Connecticut and the second largest in New England. More than 700 local workplaces LIVE UNITED each year by participating in the campaign.

Contributions to United Way Community Investment through the campaign ensure that everyone in our 40-town region has access to the building blocks of a good life: education that leads to a stable job, enough income to support a family, and good health, including a safety net of services.

View more photos and video from the 2010 United Way Community Campaign’s Kickoff event on our website at unitedwayinc.org.

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Above: On September 3, United Way Community Campaign Chair Andy Bessette, executive vice president and chief administrative officer of The Travelers Companies Inc., unveiled this year’s campaign goal of $25.8 million from a Connecticut Light & Power Company bucket truck at United Way’s offices in Hartford.

2010 United Way Community Campaign Cabinet Andy Bessette The Travelers Companies Inc. Constantine Andrews Bank of America Michael Bartley CT Department of Labor John F. Byrnes R.C. Knox & Company

Edward Johnson, DDS Saint Francis Hospital

Ray & Mary Necci Glastonbury, Connecticut

Enrique Juncadella Guilford, CT

Louis & Rhoda Obermeier Weatogue, Connecticut

Joe Kidder JCPenney Logistics Center

David E. Parekh United Technologies Research Center

Orlando Kirton, M.D. Hartford Hospital

Bill Cholawa Bank of America

Darwin Kovacs The Hartford Technical Services Corporation

Brad Drazen NBC Connecticut

Angela LaTour Liberty Bank

Martin Gavin Connecticut Children’s Medical Center

A. Ron Lewis Westinghouse Electric Company

CJ Hauss Literacy Volunteers of Greater Hartford

Gene Lunman MetLife

Paul Pita Pita Group LLC Karen Prendergast Greater Hartford Central Labor Council Earl Schofield District 26 - IAMAW Pratt & Whitney

Above: Andy Bessette (right), executive vice president and chief administrative officer of The Travelers Companies Inc. and chair of the 2010 United Way Community Campaign, speaks on-air with radio personality Ray Dunaway of WTIC 1080-AM (left) during a morning broadcast at United Way. Bessette is joined by Jennifer Wislocki (center), second vice president of communications and sponsorships at Travelers.

Below: The 19th annual United Way Day of Caring helped kick off the 2010 United Way Community Campaign with a record number of volunteers participating – more than 5,600! Day of Caring co-chairs Paul Kuehn (left) of the Northeast Utilities Companies and Beth Stafford (right) of Manchester Area Conference of Churches have watched the volunteer event grow over the seven years they have led it. For many years, Ray Dunaway (center) and WTIC 1080-AM have generously broadcast their morning show live from Kickoff.

Below: Guests at Kickoff listened to a variety of inspirational speakers and were entertained

by Andy Bessette’s spirited unveiling of the 2010 United Way Community Campaign goal of $25.8 million.

Above: Brad Drazen, morning anchor at NBC Connecticut, emceed the kickoff event. Drazen chairs the Special Gifts Division of the Community Campaign.

Below: Pictured from left to right are Susan Dunn, president and CEO of United Way of Central and Northeastern Connecticut; 2010 United Way Community Campaign Chair Andy Bessette, executive vice president and chief administrative officer of The Travelers Companies Inc.; and Jim Sicilian, United Way’s board chair and a partner at Day Pitney LLP.

Below: Greg Alcorn (left), campaign chair and vice president of commercial sales and marketing at Carrier alongside Andrew Olivastro (right), manager of community affairs at United Technologies Corporation.

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A Voice for Children in the Recession

ADVOCATE

Right: Members of the Speaker’s Task Force on Children in the Recession include Susan Dunn, president and CEO of United Way of Central and Northeastern Connecticut and State Rep. Karen Jarmoc (59th District Enfield), who also chairs the United Way of North Central Connecticut advisory board.

There are many ways to be heard.

• Speak out to improve education, income and health.

• Register to vote.

• Reach out to members of Congress.

• Write a letter to the editor.

• Wear the LIVE UNITED shirt and invite your friends to join the cause.

You can inspire hope and create opportunities for a better tomorrow.

So go ahead and advocate in a LIVE UNITED world.

Do it in public.

Be visible. Be loud.

Visit unitedwayinc.org and click on ADVOCATE to learn more.

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bout 35,000 children in Connecticut will fall in into poverty during this recession.

Connecticut’s congressional delegation and representatives of social service agencies.

As adults, these children will earn an average of $19,000 less annually than their peers who avoided poverty.

“Connecticut is the first state in the nation to undertake an effort of this kind to protect the needs of children in this recession,” Dunn said. “Children are often the forgotten victims of tough economic times, and their needs are pressing.”

As part of United Way’s work to ensure success for Connecticut’s children and reduce the impact of the recession on our youngest citizens, staff and volunteers served for several months on the Speaker’s Task Force on Children in the Recession, making policy recommendations that were recently signed into law.

Formed by Speaker of the House Christopher G. Donovan and co-chaired by State Rep. Karen Jarmoc (59th DistrictEnfield), who also chairs the United Way of North Central Connecticut advisory board, the task force worked in the areas of hunger and nutrition, housing and homelessness, early care and education, family health care, community violence, after-school programs and the coordination of programs and systems.

Susan Dunn, president and CEO of United Way of Central and Northeastern Connecticut, served alongside Jarmoc and other legislators as well as designees of

After a year of work, the task force put forth several policy recommendations, and on July 14, 2010, Gov. M. Jodi Rell signed House Bill #5360, An Act Concerning Children in the Recession. The law creates a broad, multi-agency team to respond to the special needs of children caught up in economic crises. When unemployment in Connecticut exceeds 8 percent, a multi-agency panel will be activated to address critical social services such as food stamps, medical assistance and unemployment and will work to maximize the amount of federal aid the state receives.

“The evidence suggests that children will feel the impact of the economic crisis far into the future,” Donovan said.

The work of our task force and legislation benefited from the expertise and contributions of many individuals and community organizations, including United Way.”

YOUR GIFT AT WORK

From a Drug Hub to High Honors

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arlos Velazquez is 18 years old and a freshman at Trinity College in Hartford, where he plans to pursue a degree in law or social work. A high honor roll student and president of his high school graduating class, he completed a prestigious internship with the law firm of Robinson & Cole LLP. But Carlos’s future has not always been so bright.

Above: Carlos Velazquez grew up in one of Hartford’s toughest neighborhoods. Thanks to your contributions to United Way Community Investment – which support quality after-school programs such as those at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Hartford – Carlos is now a freshman at Trinity College. He is shown here with Nancy Hayes, chief operations officer and one of his mentors at the law firm of Robinson & Cole.

of the Club, I have hope.

“Because I want to use what I’ve learned to

Carlos grew up in the middle of a well-known drug hub in Hartford. Just a few months ago, a man was killed in front of his neighbor’s house. Growing up in this environment, Carlos knew that he had only two options: to change or be changed by his surroundings.

Fortunately, Carlos made a great choice: as a seventh grader, he enrolled in a quality after-school program at the Parkville Boys & Girls Club, part of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Hartford, a United Way partner. He is still active there today.

“The Club is my safe haven,” he says. “Lots of people my age are out on the streets. Not me: I come here instead.”

He adds, “Growing up, the Club wasn’t just a safe place to go for help with homework and to hang out. The staff saw leadership and character in me. They gave me a job so I could help to support my family.”

Despite continued struggles, Carlos is determined to remain in charge of his future and to be an agent for change. “Because of the Club, I have hope,” he says. “I want to use what I’ve learned to make a lasting difference for my neighborhood.”

Nancy Hayes, chief operations officer at Robinson & Cole, speaks glowingly of Carlos’s work at her firm. “Carlos is

make a lasting difference for my neighborhood.

”−Carlos Velazquez

a very talented individual who continues to work hard to achieve his life goals and dreams,” she says. “It was truly our pleasure to have him as part of our team.”

Today, through his studies, his work and his efforts at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Hartford, Carlos is helping to turn his community vision into reality. And your contributions to United Way Community Investment make it possible by ensuring that year after year, the Club and other United Way partners have the resources they need to develop our future leaders. Last year, more than 3,000 youth in central and northeastern Connecticut participated in 20 Community Investment supported programs that helped them learn social and academic skill... because you gave generously.

When you give to United Way Community Investment through the United Way Community Campaign, you help to provide local young people with life-changing opportunities.

It’s never too late to contribute!

Visit unitedwayinc.org and click on “Give.”

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More than 5,600 employees from local workplaces Lived United by helping local nonprofit organizations complete a variety of projects on United Way Day of Caring XIX, held September 3rd and into October.

Their annual gift of time and energy launched the start of the 2010 United Way Community Campaign, which raises resources to provide

Aetna employees spend quality time with children at YWCA Hartford Region’s literacy project in West Hartford.

Volunteers from ING LIVE UNITED by sprucing up the grounds at Farmington Community Services.

Volunteers from United Technologies Corporation LIVE UNITED at Riverfront Recapture in Hartford.

Volunteers from CIGNA pack potatoes for Foodshare at the Connecticut Regional Market in Hartford.

The Hartford’s employees have a little fun while painting at Community Health Resources in Enfield.

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Bank of America employees enjoy a break with children after completing gardening projects at YWCA Hartford Region’s East Hartford branch.

Permatex employees complete a fall cleanup project at My Sisters’ Place in Hartford.

the building blocks of a good life for everyone: a quality education that leads to a stable job, income that can support a family, and good health, including a safety net of services.

You can be a part of real, lasting change with a gift of your time or dollars. Please visit unitedwayinc.org to learn more.

Volunteers from UnitedHealthcare install a brick walkway at the Windsor Historical Society.

Travelers employees LIVE UNITED by cleaning the emergency canteen inside a disaster services vehicle for The Salvation Army in Hartford.

SBLI/Vantis Life employees mulch garden beds at a CCARC location in New Britain.

Volunteers from Otis Elevator Company LIVE UNITED by sorting tomatoes and other produce for Foodshare at the Connecticut Regional Market in Hartford.

The Hartford Steam Boiler Inspection & Insurance Company’s employees add some needed color to interior walls at the South Park Inn shelter in Hartford.

Hamilton Sundstrand employees renovate sections of the main building at Girl Scouts Camp Merrie-Wood in Manchester.

UTC Fire and Security employees clean up animal pens and the barn at Westmoor Park in West Hartford.

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Regional Volunteers LIVE UNITED

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olunteer spirit came alive in Enfield this summer as lower-income children enjoyed free lunches and volunteer-led activities at The Lunch Bunch, a new collaboration supported by United Way. Located at Saint Patrick’s Parish in the Thompsonville neighborhood, the program helped to ensure that local children who qualify for free or reduced-price school lunches during the school year would still receive nutritious midday meals over the summer. At least fifty percent of the families in Thompsonville qualify for free and reduced-price school lunches.

More than 1,580 lunches were served, with an average of 36 lunches served per day, and enrollment climbed as the word spread. Volunteers provided after-lunch activities including reading, face painting, crafts and games. The children also received visits from Rocky the Rock Cat, the Enfield Police and Fire Departments, and a Northeast Utilities line truck.

On the last day, each child received a backpack stuffed with donated school supplies.

Faith Scavetta of Enfield, an employee of Hallmark Cards Inc. and a member of United Way of North Central Connecticut’s advisory board, Lived United this summer by leading children in a story and math activity at The Lunch Bunch - a new, free lunch program at Saint Patrick’s Parish in Thompsonville.

Local United Way volunteers first convened the new partners, who include United Way of North Central Connecticut, the Enfield Food Shelf, Community Renewal Team, End Hunger Connecticut!, Foodshare, Saint Patrick’s Parish, Educational Resources for Children, and the Town of Enfield Social Services. Financial support came from United Way of North Central Connecticut, Foodshare, the USDA Food and Nutrition Service and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. Community Renewal Team sponsored the program and prepared the lunches.

VOLUNTEERS OF THE YEAR Dedicated volunteers were honored at United Way of New Britain and Berlin’s and Windham Region United Way’s annual community celebrations over the summer.

Volunteers of the Year are nominated by local United Way partner agencies for their outstanding service.

Thomas Ford (above left) of Willimantic is honored with the Windham region’s Maurice Heon Sr. Volunteer of the Year Award.

He is pictured with Paul Doyle, executive director of Covenant Soup Kitchen, the United Way partner that nominated him for the award.

Cindi Whitham (center), a longtime volunteer at Literacy Volunteers of Central CT Inc., received the Volunteer of the Year Award for the New Britain and Berlin region. With her are Darlene Hurtado (left), the agency’s executive director, and Susan Dunn (right), president and CEO of United Way of Central and Northeastern Connecticut.

“ With so much need, it is easy to feel powerless to help. With the local United Way agencies, I feel that my involvement makes a difference

”

as I LIVE UNITED.

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Duane E. Starr Financial Advisor, Raymond James Financial Services and Avon–Canton United Way advisory board member

The Peelle Family: Traditions of Philanthropy and Service

LEADERSHIP

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or some families, service and philanthropy have deep roots. As Bill Peelle Jr. stands beside a tree planted in his father’s honor, he remarks that in his family, United Way is a tradition.

His father, Bill Peelle Sr., spent more than five decades years serving with United Way before he passed away in 2004. Bill Sr. had his first encounter with United Way in 1946, when it was still known as the Greater Hartford Community Chest. He had moved to Hartford after returning from World War II, and “he really had a desire to help—especially the disenfranchised,” said his wife, Jean Peelle. “United Way was a good outlet for that.”

And so a tradition began. Bill Sr. would go on to serve as a member of the Board of Directors, the Allocations Committee, the Priorities Committee, and the Finance Committee and as a chair and founder of the planned giving effort, the 1924 Society. Throughout it all, Mrs. Peelle was there, too, even going door to door to collect for the campaign. “We’d come home with pennies sometimes—real change,” she said.

After the United Way offices moved to Laurel Street in Hartford, where they remain today, Bill Sr. took notice of a particularly sick tree beside the building. “Bill kept going back and saying, ‘We’ve got to do something about that tree,’” Mrs. Peelle recalls. She smiles as she remembers former President and CEO George Bahamonde’s response to her late husband: “‘Would you get out of my hair?’”

The friendly chiding continued over the tree, and when Bill Sr. was recovering from a stroke in 2000, a young red maple was planted in his honor, with a plaque at its base and an inscription of gratitude for his years of service. In a letter of thanks to United Way after the tree dedication and reception, Bill Sr. wrote: “I was stunned and overwhelmed with such attention, and underneath it all, I was tremendously touched by your efforts. Everything about it was perfect: the handsome invitations, the introduction

by George and his version about my insistence to replace the old tree, the delicious tea sandwiches and cakes, the lovely table setting, and of course, the wonderful guest list.”

Above: William Peelle Jr. and his mother Jean Peelle remember their late father and husband beside the tree planted in honor of William Peelle Sr. (October 2010) Right: William Peelle Sr. stands beside the tree planted in his honor outside the United Way offices on Laurel Street. (June 2000)

“I cherish your friendship, and I am looking forward to that day when I will walk to my desk upstairs at U.W. again and will join you in the next push for the next campaign,” he continued.

While Bill Sr.’s days campaigning for United Way were coming to a close, the tradition of United Way continues in the Peelle family through his son, Bill Jr., who spent 10 years on the Allocations Committee and several more as chair of the Investment Committee, on which he serves today.

Sixty-four years after his father came to Hartford, Bill Jr. is steadfast in his support of United Way, not only as a volunteer but also as a member of the Tocqueville Society.

“This organization has very effective and deep roots,” he said — not unlike the red maple planted along Laurel Street, and not unlike his family’s tradition of philanthropy and service.

Through United Way’s 1924 Society, you can support your community even after your lifetime.

To learn more, please call Christopher Jungers at (860) 493-6837, or visit unitedwayinc.org and click on “Give.”

The 2009 – 2010 Tocqueville and Constitution Society Roster of Members is online now! To view the roster, visit unitedwayinc.org and search on “roster.” To request a paper copy, call Kati Liss-Hensel at (860) 493-6836.

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Non Profit Organization U.S. Postage

PAID

Permit No. 2097 Hartford, CT 30 Laurel Street Hartford, CT 06106-1374

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LIVE UNITED and Go Green with Impact E-Delivery!

eginning in spring 2011, United Way will save trees and cut costs by delivering Impact magazine to email inboxes instead of traditional mailboxes – and we need your help. Please be our partners in reducing waste by taking a few moments to submit your email address online at unitedwayinc.org/GoGreen, or return the reply card that came with this issue. (If you prefer to continue receiving Impact in paper form, please let us know.)

Thank you!

James Sicilian Chair Susan B. Dunn President and CEO Bonnie Royster Vice President, Relationship Management Joanne Kimball Marketing Consultant Susannah Hogendorn Senior Manager, Communications Muriel Guerrette Manager, Communications Jennifer Sprague Manager, Communications Libby Richardson Manager, Community Engagement