Spirits High for 15th CSCY Day of Service
Volunteers conduct service for non-profit sites around Yates County for CSCY (by Case Hamilton '12)
On Sunday, Ashley Ortiz worked with a team of fellow Keuka College students to clean inside the sanctuary of St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in Penn Yan, and plant a few flowers and greenery in the beds outside.
Ortiz, front row, second from left, and the volunteers cleaning St. Luke's church. (by Hung Do Le '12)
The freshman occupational therapy major was one of about 175 volunteers – including youth, families, seniors or Keuka students – who came together Sunday for Celebrate Service … Celebrate Yates(CSCY), to perform community service tasks at non-profit sites around Yates County.
This year marked the 15th anniversary of the event, which is a collaboration between the College and the Yates County Chamber of Commerce. Volunteers team up on a variety of tasks, including painting, cleaning, and minor repair work for the non-profits. It was clear Sunday that even chilly temperatures could not dampen spirits.
“It’s just nice to be able to help the people that are around the College,” Ortiz said, adding that in her hometown of Olean, volunteer service enjoys strong support as well. “I’m sure they appreciate us coming out, even if we are only doing a few ‘little things.’ Every little bit helps in some way, especially if you keep doing this every year – it adds up.” (more…)
Partnering Through the Years
In 2011, CSCY volunteers painted a porch on a Catholic Charities home in Penn Yan.
Over the many years that Celebrate Service … Celebrate Yates (CSCY) has been held, Robin Hoppe can only remember one year when the non-profit she works for did not request CSCY volunteers to come carry out yard work and other repair tasks on the annual day of service.
“I think we missed one because I lost of the track of the date,” said Hoppe, program supervisor for the three Catholic Charities residential homes in Penn Yan. The homes are part of 10 operated by the Diocese of Rochester in Yates, Wayne and Monroe Counties for adults with varying degrees of developmental disabilities.
Like other Yates County non-profits, the “to-do” list is generally longer than the volunteers available to complete needed service, so CSCY—to be held this year on Sunday, April 22—provides a much-needed helping hand to non-profits.
And the theme of CSCY, “Hands Across Yates County,” is as true today as it was nearly 15 years ago when the annual day of community service began as a joint project between Keuka College and the Yates County Chamber of Commerce. Last year, some 280 volunteers, comprised of Keuka students, families, youth and seniors, joined hands to conduct minor repairs, washing, cleaning, outdoor work and other needed tasks for some 30 non-profits – including camps, churches, fire houses, cemeteries, public trails and more—across the county.
“We schedule projects that are ones we never seem to get to, unless planned out like this,” said Hoppe, adding that requested service is usually for yard work such as clearing garden beds at two of the three properties. One house, at 219 Main St., often has its porch furniture polished by CSCY volunteers, and the special treatment lasts through the next year, she said.
Last year, CSCY volunteers began painting the porch of one home, getting the project “off to a good start,” Hoppe said. “It gave us the impetus to get it finished.”
Partnerships are key to the success of CSCY. College and community leaders team up to plan the event, with the College coordinating volunteers and transportation, and the Chamber of Commerce seeking business and service sponsors.
One of those sponsors 15 years ago was the former Clearplas Containers Inc., later acquired by Silgan Plastics.
“As one of the biggest businesses in town, we were an active supporter. We were involved in that partnership from Day One,” recalled Don Oakleaf, a Clearplas/Silgan employee who had also been inducted into the Penn Yan Rotary through former College President Art Kirk Jr.
Fellow Rotarians Sue Anderson of Lyons National Bank and Stacy Wyant of Stork Insurance helped their companies get involved as sponsors too, he said.
As for Oakleaf, he found himself coordinating the Rotary’s portion of CSCY service, where Rotary volunteers bag some 500 seedlings for elementary schoolchildren to plant in honor of Arbor Day, as well as clean a portion of Route 54A, from the water plant at the edge of the village down to Keuka’s Central Avenue “entrance.”
While the Rotary Club conducts its community service on a different Saturday in April than the “official” CSCY Sunday of service when all other volunteers meet and pitch in, the Rotarians are veteran partners in the service, donning the CSCY T-shirts as they, too, put many hands together to make light work.
“We make sure every second-grader in Penn Yan goes home with a bag with three to four seedlings ready to plant,” Oakleaf said. This year may well be the first when the Rotary’s CSCY Saturday and the “official” CSCY Sunday occur back-to-back.
“That approach has been the same for the full 15 years. We [Penn Yan Rotary] have been involved since the beginning,” he said.
Oakleaf said that if he has one “overriding thought” about CSCY, it’s “the overwhelming amount of community spirit involved in the Yates County community. This is one excellent example of the coordinated impact that people can make if they get together and work on it.”
After watching how the Catholic Charities group home residents are also able to work side-by-side the CSCY volunteers when they arrive, Hoppe agrees.
“One of our missions is to include and integrate the folks we serve — the residents at these homes— in the community. The residents help and there’s a real partnership there of working together,” Hoppe said. “We just wish [CSCY] could be longer – it’s never quite enough time – it just flies by!”
Through Friday, those interested in volunteering for this year’s event can submit their commitment form to Keuka College in time to receive a souvenir T-shirt marking the 15th anniversary. Additional volunteers are welcome to sign up, or even walk-in the day of the event, but T-shirts cannot be guaranteed. Lunch at Keuka is also included before volunteers receive transportation to the various work sites. Registration and lunch begins at 11 a.m. at Dahlstrom Student Center Sunday, April 22. Following a brief opening ceremony at 1 p.m., volunteers disperse to conduct community service work from 1:30 – 4:30 p.m.
Also through Friday, non-profit agencies in Yates County eager to receive service the day of the event as an official work site may contact McKala Accetura or Case Hamilton at (315) 279-5397 or email cscy@keuka.edu
Sign-ups Ongoing for Sponsors, Work Sites and Volunteers for CSCY 2012
Camp Koininea was one site where volunteers worked last year.
While time is running short for local companies or individuals to sponsor the 15th Annual Celebrate Service… Celebrate Yates day of community service, non-profit agencies anxious to serve as host sites or volunteers eager to lend a literal helping hand still have time to sign up.
During Celebrate Service… Celebrate Yates, Yates County students, families or senior citizens interested in making the community a better place to live and work come together to perform painting, cleaning, building, and repairs to help local non-profit agencies and groups. This year’s event will be held Sunday, April 22, and plans are underway to make it a special one with added touches such as entertainment to mark the 15th anniversary.
A collaborative effort of volunteers from Keuka College and the Yates County Chamber of Commerce, Celebrate Service … Celebrate Yates would not be possible without support from local organizations, merchants, businesses, and citizens. Individuals or companies interested in sponsoring the 2012 event for $250 or a donation of goods or supplies have until March 1 to contact Mike Linehan, executive director of the Yates County Chamber of Commerce, at (315) 536-3111, or mike@yatesny.com.
(more…)
15 Years of Service…15 Years of Smiles
By Ryan Nichols ’12
Celebrate Service… Celebrate Yates (CSCY), Yates County’s annual community service day, is scheduled April 22, 2012. It marks the 15th anniversary of the event, where volunteers from around Yates County pitch in to make a positive impact on the community.
Since 1996, volunteers have painted, cleaned, repaired buildings, raked, and cleared trails all over Yates County. Last year, 280 volunteers turned out to volunteer at locations such as Camp Cory, Branchport/Keuka Park Fire Department, and St. Michael’s Church.
The event is a joint effort by Keuka College and the Yates County Chamber of Commerce and local organizations, businesses, merchants, and citizens can lend support in a variety of ways. Individuals and families can sign up to volunteer on the work day and non-profits across Yates County may sign up in order to have volunteers perform work on site. Local businesses and merchants can get involved by becoming a financial sponsor or supporting the event with tangible goods and services.
As part of the planning for the 2012 event, members of the CSCY committee will contact representatives from organizations who have previously participated in CSCY to garner feedback Other agencies interested in signing on early to become work sites this year may send an e-mail inquiry to the CSCY team at cscy@keuka.edu.
Sponsorship is key to the success of CSCY and the list from 2011 includes: Fitzgerald Brothers, Graphic Connections, Knapp & Schlappi, Knights of Columbus, Keuka College Student Senate, K-Ventures, Lyons National Bank, Penn Yan Area Council of Churches, Penn Yan Elks Lodge, Penn Yan Kiwanis Club, Roto Salt, Sodexo Food Services, Soldiers & Sailors Hospital, Stork Insurance, Tony Collins – Class of 1977 Celebrity Golf Classic, Yates ARC, and the Yates County Chamber of Commerce.
Sponsorship is $250, and sponsors are listed on the back of the CSCY workday t-shirt as well as in print materials. If you have any questions about sponsorships, contact Mike Linehan at the Yates County Chamber of Commerce at (315) 536-3111 or e-mail him at mike@yatesny.com. For information regarding hosting volunteers or the event in general, contact College Chaplain Eric Detar or McKala Accetura at cscy@keuka.edu. You can also reach Detar at (315) 279-5378 or Accetura at (315) 279-5397.
Five-peat for Keuka
Keuka students participating in Celebrate Service ... Celebrate Yates help rake leaves at St. Luke's Church in Branchport April 10.
Barack Obama and George Bush may differ on many issues, but when it comes to giving out stars for community service, the president and his predecessor agree that Keuka College is most deserving.
For the fifth straight year, Keuka has been named to the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll, the highest federal recognition a college or university can receive for its commitment to volunteering, service-learning, and civic engagement.
Keuka received the honor with distinction for the second year in a row. (more…)
14th Annual CSCY Captures Community Spirit
Cloudy skies couldn’t dampen the high spirits Sunday as approximately 280 volunteers came together to provide community service for non-profit work sites for the 14th annual Celebrate Service … Celebrate Yates.
Local citizens kept busy painting, cleaning, raking, sweeping, washing, and repairing as needed to help Yates County non-profit organizations and agencies with their spring cleaning during this annual day of volunteer service.
This year was no different, with hands-on help given at some 30 sites throughout Yates County—in Keuka Park, Branchport, Middlesex, Penn Yan, Benton, Himrod, and Dundee.
Among them were camps (New York State Sherriff’s Association Camp Iroquois, Camp Koinonia and Camp Cory), fire departments (Branchport/Keuka Park and Dresden), several churches, and local homes run by Catholic Charities or Yates ARC.
This year was the first time event organizers had to start a wait list for non-profit work sites due to high requests for service, said Jen Furner, director of student affairs at Keuka and a co-chair of CSCY.
Volunteer, Work Site Sign-ups Ongoing for 2011 Celebrate Service… Celebrate Yates
A variety of service tasks and work sites are part of the annual Celebrate Service ... Celebrate Yates work day.
People and places. That’s the focus of the final months of preparation for the 14th Annual Celebrate Service… Celebrate Yates day of volunteer, community service, Sunday, April 10.
During Celebrate Service… Celebrate Yates, Yates County students, families or senior citizens interested in making the community a better place to live and work come together to perform painting, cleaning, building, and repairing tasks to help local non-profit agencies and groups.
Yates County non-profits may still apply to become official CSCY work sites where volunteer service workers will be welcomed from 1:30 – 4:30 p.m. that afternoon. And all those from local schools or community groups willing to pick up a rake, paintbrush, garden hose, wash rag or other hand tool are invited to sign up now to become a CSCY volunteer. Last year, a record 248 volunteers pitched in.
Non-Profit Work Sites Urged to “Save the Date” for 2011 Celebrate Service… Celebrate Yates
Local fire departments, camps, and other non-profit agencies served as host work sites for CSCY 2011.
Local non-profit organizations in Yates County are now being sought as work sites for the 14th Annual Celebrate Service… Celebrate Yates day of volunteer, community service, Sunday, April 10, 2011.
Nearly 250 Volunteers Take Part in Celebrate Service… Celebrate Yates 2010
A record 248 volunteers participated in Celebrate Service… Celebrate Yates Sunday, April 11.
The 13th annual day of volunteer community service took place at more than 20 sites throughout Yates County—in Keuka Park, Branchport, Middlesex, Penn Yan, Benton, Himrod, and Dundee.
Additional Sites Requested for Celebrate Service… Celebrate Yates
The superstitious consider the number 13 to be unlucky.
Those planning the 13th annual Celebrate Service… Celebrate Yates day of volunteer, community service Sunday, April 11 are not superstitious, but optimistic.
That’s why they are seeking additional work sites for this year’s event.
During Celebrate Service… Celebrate Yates, citizens from around Yates County interested in helping to make the community a better place to live and work join together to perform such tasks as painting, cleaning, building, and repairing to help local non-profit organizations and agencies.
So, if you are a Yates County non-profit organization or agency that could benefit from volunteer help, and have someone who can serve as a site supervisor at your location on the work day, contact the Yates County Chamber of Commerce at (315) 536-3111 or Keuka College Student Activities at (315) 279-5294.
Work is performed rain or shine, so planning activities for indoors as well as outdoors is helpful.
A collaborative effort of volunteers from Keuka College and the Yates County Chamber of Commerce, with support from other local organizations, merchants, businesses, and citizens, Celebrate Service… Celebrate Yates could not happen without sponsor support. This year’s sponsors are: AES Grenich, Esperanza Mansion, Graphic Connections, Knapp & Schlappi, Knights of Columbus, Keuka College Student Senate, Lyons National Bank, Penn Yan Area Council of Churches, Roto Salt, Sodexo Food Services, Stork Insurance, The Tony Collins Class of ’77 Celebrity Golf Classic, Yates ARC, and the Yates County Chamber of Commerce.
Interested in volunteering that day? Registration forms are available online at http://keuka.edu/go/cscy.
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