Spirit of Service Awards –
These Pioneers were recognized at the Annual meeting of the Denver Chapter for their dedication and spirit in volunteering. They have gone above and beyond to help our organization and their communities. Shirley Kleeberg (Tri-County club) is the driving force behind the clubs Hug-a-Bear program. She cuts and paints over 1000 Hug-a-Bears a year. Last year Shirley organized a Hug-a-Bear informational demonstration at the Easthampton Savings bank. Bears were left for any youngster that came into the bank. She also collects can goods, baby hats, mittens and scarves at the club meetings.Jo Smith (Tri-County club) was a long time Life Member Club Secretary and Board Member. She is now Fellowship Chairman and never misses sending cards to families of deceased members. She also sends Get Well Cards to ailing members. Jo is presently Vice President of the Pioneer Valley Club. At each Luncheon she does a Chart with Members we have lost from one luncheon to the next.Bev Roos (Tri-County club) maintains records of club members and Luncheon attendees. She is club Historian and keeps mementos, photos, etc. of club activities. She is presently Secretary of the Pioneer Valley Club. George Russell (Providence club) Be it as a hands-on participant in a project or as the project’s photographer, George is always there to help. He delivers books to local schools, makes photo buttons, delivers care bags to our local veterans, paints USA maps on school play grounds and packs toiletries for shower for shelter residents.George is dedicated to Pioneering and is an active and productive member or the board. When the president Carol Baker had knee surgery last year and couldn’t attend Chapter functions, George stood in for her. Marylyn Stravinksy(NewSouth) has been the sole survivor of the NewSouth club. Since we combined Newport and South County because of lack of leadership, Marylyn has been handling the whole area. She organizes scholastic book delivery to local schools and runs the chapter store at the Chapter office twice monthly. She has been instrumental in keeping the NewSouth area a contributing member of the chapter. Jane Pitts (Framingham Club) has volunteered for the Pioneer store weekly for over 10 years, she is always trying to help bring funds to Pioneering. She is giving of her time and does it with a smile. She is a true advocate for the Walter Fernald center for which she volunteers her time to make a difference in adults who are developmentally challenged. Her true passion is giving her time and volunteering to make a difference in other people’s lives.pictured are Shirley Kleeberg, Beverly Roos, Jo Smith with Betty Viens, our Hall of Fame recipient
Junior Achievement receives $300 – The Providence Club made a $300 donation to Junior Achievement of Rhode Island. Jeannine Jackson has been a JA volunteer for the last 15 years. She had been teaching ten JA classes a year, but recently cut down to 4 or 5 classes a year due to illness. She teaches in the East Providence and Pawtucket, RI school districts. In 2001, JA recognized Jeannine as the National Elementary Volunteer of the Year which was awarded to her at the National JA assembly in Minnesota. The Providence Club is very proud to have Jeannine as an active member on their Board.
Verizon Pioneers support Jeremiah’s Food Drive – $500 was donated to help Jeremiah’s Inn with their Food Drive. Food was collected at the Chapter meeting and delivered to the Food Drive Location. view additional pictures here…
On March 26, 2011 the Wm J Denver Chapter held “A Day of Caring” celebration. We partnered with the Sherwin Chapter and received a $20,000.00 Verizon Pioneer Centennial year grant to support this effort. On this day we partnered with four social service organizations across Massachusetts and Rhode Island. At each location we sponsored a luncheon and a donation of service, supplies or personal items that the organization needed. The purpose of this day was to bring a bright spot of happiness into a person’s life, providing the organization with needed items while engaging Verizon Pioneers and employees in a large Verizon Foundation sponsored project. External affairs managers were present and engaged at each location, photographers and videographers captured the events for future publication by the Foundation, Press Releases were issued to local news media as well as the Pioneer Press and Verizon Pioneer Communicator.In Western Mass Pioneers served lunch to 180 homeless clients. In addition a donation of computer lab equipment was made to the new Verizon branded computer lab which will assist with job and housing search and as an educational resource. An introduction to the Verizon Foundation’s Thinkfinity® and Pioneer websites was made during the lab demos given by Pioneers.In Boston the Sherwin Chapter Pioneers provide dinner for 350 veterans. Each veteran l received a bag of toiletries and underwear. They also purchased speakers for the television set they had donated to the center last year.Central MA Pioneers spent the day refurbishing a chapel and meeting room located on the grounds . Over 50 volunteers provided a hands on work day installing a heavy theatrical curtain for sound control, a projector and screen. Lunch was served during the day. Over 400 Veterans will be impacted by this project.In Rhode Island Pioneers provided a luncheon for over 70 Veterans In addition to the luncheon a companion radio was purchased and installed for each of the 121 rooms in the home. Companion radios are a community based subscription which allows the soldiers to listen to a variety of music from the era they choose at any time.
Hospitalized Veterans Week- Pioneers went to the Soldier’s Home in Holyoke, MA. and presented items from their wishlist to Ms. Kathy Hill head of the Recreation Department.Then they participated in the Salute to National Veterans Patients event in the recreation hall at Veterans Medical Center, Leeds Ma. Gift cards and items from their wish list were presented to Ms. Ann Murray the Volunteer Activities Director.pictured are Pioneer Jim Crosbie, Kathy Hill from the Soldiers Home, and Pioneer Bruce Broadard
Central Mass Council donates Sneakers, Dictionaries, Atlases and Thesauruses In February 2011, the students at Elm Park Community School and Lincoln Street School were the happy recipients of gift certificates for new sneakers. Dictionaries, atlases and thesauruses were also given to the students.
Elm Park Community School Lincoln St. School