LPGA Volunteers Needed

LPGA Volunteers
June 6th - 9th

Shift times: 7:00 am - 11:00am AND/OR 11:00 am - 3:00pm
Location: MCC Parking lots - benefit is that folks can park right where they volunteer and then grab the shuttle to the tournament!

Hillside Family of Agencies is a proud beneficiary of funds generated from the Wegmans LPGA tournament. In an effort to support this wonderful event we have been asked to help fill more than 300 volunteer slots. Our help ensures guests of the tournament are welcomed with smiles and information about the tournament. No prior golf knowledge is needed!

Bring a friend, co-worker or family member. We encourage folks to sign up in pairs, and groups of 4 or 6!
Volunteers must be 18+ 

Volunteering comes with perks!
- Ticket to the tournament for that day
- $5 Dimple Cash to be used at concession tents/pro-shop
- Snack pack
- Volunteer T-shirt
- A few hours soaking in conversation and rare Rochester sunshine!

Folks who are interested can contact Heather Brannigan:
hbrannig@hillside.com or by calling 585-261-3831
 

Why I chose to celebrate my family with a 175th Anniversary Brick by Sally Bohne

More than two years ago our eight grandchildren (seven boys) were calling me into a new and wonderful life after 25 years overseeing Community Relations within Hillside Family of Agencies. For this I feel very fortunate, but equally so for the opportunity to meet so many dedicated Hillside staff, their families and the incredible families and children we were and are privileged to serve.

Within Hillside Family of Agencies there are literally a hundred or so specific programs, but the lines between them are as they should be...very thin. Over the years the real focus has become defining what each family needs in their own words. We first ask, what is working and what can we do to build on these strengths? From this 25 year retiree, the experience of watching families and kids become empowered by their own resources married with Hillside services was overwhelming.

My own family welcomes the opportunity to add a brick with our name to support the 175th anniversary. We encourage you to celebrate your family too while helping another by purchasing your brick. Talk about it with your kids, spouse, partner...or just for you. We would be so very proud to have you as neighbors around the Potter building flagpole on our flagship campus!

Our best to you and our thanks from many.

Sally and Peter Bohne  

Click here to purchase a brick and leave your mark on Hillside.

 

Why I chose a 175th Anniversary Brick to honor my parents, by Molly Martin

Ryan and I purchased a brick in November of 2012, in honor of my parents, Tom and Nan Hildebrandt.  I initially heard about the anniversary brick campaign via social media- Hillside's Facebook page.  

We have been looking for a way to honor and recognize the philanthropic contributions my parents have made to the community of Rochester, and Hillside is a very special place to our family. We felt purchasing a brick was the perfect opportunity. Generations of the Hildebrandt family have been donating to the Hillside Family of Agencies for years. My father is so passionate about the agency and its mission that he switched careers from the corporate world to the non-profit sector to fund raise. My grandfather loved all that Hillside stands for and was very passionate about supporting its causes and the youth it serves. I knew my parents would be especially touched if we chose to honor them and their contributions in this way. 

Aside from my family history, my first job out of college was with Hillside Work-Scholarship Connection (HW-SC) at East High School (as a Youth Advocate). As an employee of Hillside, I felt great to be a part of an organization that truly makes a difference in the community. My experiences there with the students I served were truly eye opening and life changing. Today, the company I work for, Aspen Dental Management, partners with the Syracuse chapter of HW-SC for community involvement. The HW-SC program is a great success story and I can't speak high enough praises of the program. I continue to support the Hillside Family of Agencies when I can. 

I choose to be, and stay involved in Hillside because I am passionate about the community of Rochester and the population that Hillside serves. Aside from being one of the largest and historically-rooted non-profits in New York State, I truly believe in what Hillside does. It gives kids better opportunities and brings families together, and nothing is more important than family.  

Molly and Ryan Martin 

Click here to purchase a brick and leave your mark on Hillside.
 

Why I bought a 175th Anniversary Brick, by Brian C. Callahan

My wife, Colleen, and I saw the brick campaign as a way to show our support for an organization that we have come to love.  It is amazing that such an organization has grown and prospered over 175 years and we wanted to be a part of that celebration.  We also purchased a brick for my parents as a way to honor them for the dedication they had to our family so that others might find the love and care that we have known. 

I began my involvement with Hillside by serving on the committee for the Hillside Night at Geva event.  This is where I really began to learn how to raise money, but this is also where I began to understand that the people here did not rest on their laurels, but rather were constantly committed to improving the services they provided and growing their commitment to the community.  I have been honored to serve on the Hillside Children’s Foundation Board of Trustees for about six years now.  This privilege has been challenging and humbling as I have much to learn about its demands, but also the intricacies of the organization itself. 

I serve at Hillside because not only do I get to work with extremely talented groups and individuals who are dedicated to serving children and families in need, but because of the constant education I receive in how to be a small, yet effective part of something that has proven itself for over 175 years.   

Brian C. Callahan 

Click here to purchase a brick and leave your mark on Hillside.

ROC the Day

A Lasting Gift by Christie Raymo, Director, Major Gifts and Planned Giving

I'm very excited to share with everyone the news of a real estate gift Hillside recently received from two siblings who have been generous donors. When their father's house was left to them through his estate plans they had decided to donate the house to Hillside. Not only does this gift benefit them with an immediate charitable tax deduction and removal of the asset from their taxable estate, but it will have an everlasting impact on the children and families served by Hillside.

In 2009 the family established a special fund at Hillside, meant to last in perpetuity, to help support the basic preparatory skills Hillside's children and youth need to be successful within their community. When the siblings donated the house, they asked that once the sale of the house is complete, the sale value be directed to enhance their family's fund. This fund will provide our children with opportunities such as scholarships for continued education, vocational or job readiness training, or literacy and special education support services. We are grateful for the family's foresight and the children's thoughtfulness to continue contributing to the fund in order to positively impact even more children in need for generations to come.

For more information on how you can leave a lasting gift please call 585-256-7513 or email Craymo@hillside.com.

Still Kids at Heart by Joe Calabrese, Director of Foundation Relations

It is easy as someone who works for Hillside Family of Agencies to think about why youth find themselves in our care.  It is sometimes hard to remember through the trauma and the difficulties these youth have endured that they are still kids at heart.

Last week I had the occasion to visit the Andrew-Trahey Campus School Physical Education Department.  The staff have been discussing with me the possibility of replacing some outdated equipment and I wanted to see for myself the condition of the equipment and the space the department had to work with.  I expected to take a few pictures, develop a plan and come back to work with the basis of a few great grant applications.  What I witnessed was something much more remarkable.

As I spoke with Lisa Jackson, one of the P.E. Teachers, a new group of youth entered the gym and pool area.  I had never seen the pool on the “hill” before.  While the pool is impressive in size (one of the reasons I was there was to see the overall needs of the pool), what was more impressive was the way the youth were playing together, the smiles on their faces, and the joy they were having.

In physical education class the students engage in a variety of activities to work on improving their overall motor skills, fitness levels, and learn how to participate in healthy activities that they can enjoy throughout their lives. On this particular day I observed the students playing water polo. Throughout the school year they will experience: football, soccer, lacrosse, ultimate Frisbee, disc golf, softball, field hockey, floor hockey, swimming, cooperative games, and fitness activities to name a few. Another important benefit of participating in physical education is that the students have the opportunity to work on important life skills, such as: teamwork, sportsmanship, cooperation, fair play, conflict resolution and communication skills.

These youth came into Hillside with different backgrounds and histories.  Many had little interaction with each other outside of this recreation time.  But in that moment, as I watched, they were not thinking about what brought them to us, they were just having fun the way that kids do everywhere.

We work hard to let Hillside supporters and the greater community know that the youth in our care are not “bad kids.”  My visit to the P.E. program reminded me that these youth are just “kids” when given the chance.