January 2009 - Vol. 4 / Issue 1
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Dear Jill,
If you're receiving this issue at work, the design might be compromised because company firewalls are blocking the coding. You may view a clean version on the Verizon Pioneers' website. If you'd prefer a version be sent to your home e-mail address, please e-mail newsletter@verizonpioneers.org and we'll exchange your e-mail addresses.
Dictionary Project
Last fall, the West Council of the Liberty Bell Chapter donated 120 dictionaries to all the third and fourth grade students at the Heston Elementary School in Philadelphia, Penn. Debbie Kelly (pictured top left) past president, West Council, and Al Lewis (not pictured) president, Liberty Bell Chapter, made the presentations in each classroom by handing a book to each student. They easily kept the students calm during distribution by telling them to look on page 364 in the section "Five Big Words." When the students found a word they knew, they could raise their hands. This little lesson really got them involved as they discovered that they actually knew the word: "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!"
Seasons Readings Logo
Thousands of children from low-income families will enjoy the thrill of reading books this year, thanks to the generous efforts of Verizon employees, Pioneers and members of the public who contributed to the Verizon Foundation's 2008 Season's Readings campaign. Entire story may be found on the Verizon Foundation website at http://foundation.verizon.com/. The annual program surpassed its goal with individual book donations of 100,000 coming from employees in all lines of business at 450 Verizon locations and all Verizon Plus retail stores, and 30,000 coming in through an online channel partnership with First Book. First Book received $77,312 in donations, including a grant from the Verizon Foundation and a match from book publisher Random House.
Book Fair Volunteers
Scholastic hosted a book fair December 3, 2008, in Marlboro, Mass. Because of a generous Verizon grant, the W.J. Denver Chapter was able to fund book donations to two schools this year. The Richer and Jaworek Elementary Schools in Marlboro sent representatives to select books at the fair. The teachers were so excited and grateful.

Pictured is the Richer School 3rd grade teacher Shirley Cox and Librarian Paula DiPerri with a selection of books they have chosen. They have invited Ann Cove, Framingham Club president, to come read one of the books that the children will receive for their library at the Community Reading Day being held in April 2009. Both schools received a total of 46 books each for their libraries.
Verizon Truck
Verizon was awarded a 15-year FiOS franchise on December 16, 2008, thanks to a partnership between the Alexander Graham Bell (AGB) Pioneer Chapter and the Verizon DC External Affairs group. AGB Pioneers Althea Flack and Carolyn Alston worked closely with the Verizon DC External affairs group on Utility Day, the Dictionary Project and Special Read Days. DC's External Affairs Director Kimberly Bassett canvassed the local Pioneers for community support of FiOS in DC. The AGB pioneers living in DC reached out to community leaders and provided two witnesses to testify at a public council hearing and helped in one- on-one sessions with the lawmakers. Althea Flack testified before the city officials and Carolyn Alston participated in the one-on-one sessions with lawmakers. The one-on-one sessions, coordinated by External Affairs, provided an atmosphere to communicate the concerns of the community with the concerns of the lawmakers.
Pajama Program Thank You Letter
November 18, 2008

Dear Mrs. Smith:

I am writing to thank you and the members of the Warren Life Member Club for your most generous contribution of 40 pairs of children's pajamas to the New Jersey Chapter of the Pajama Program. Due to your generosity this year, we have been able to deliver pajamas within Warren County to Catholic Charities; Norwescap Head Start; Interfaith Hospitality Network/Family Promise of Warren County; Court- Appointed Special Advocates of Somerset, Warren and Hunterdon; and the Domestic Abuse and Sexual Assault Crisis Center.

As Thanksgiving approaches, I am thankful for the support of community volunteers such as you and your fellow club members, who help so many people in need through the year. Thank you for helping the Pajama Program to serve vulnerable children who live in poverty or await permanent housing. We are certain they will enjoy their new, cozy pajamas.

Sincerely,
Pamela DePompo
Warren/Hunterdon County Volunteer Coordinator
The Pajama Program/New Jersey Chapter
 
(Mrs. Dolores Smith is the Warren Life Member Club project manager for the Pajama Program in Washington, NJ.)
Baggie Project
On December 16, 2008, the Upper Darby Council, Liberty Bell Chapter, filled shopping bags with food items that were delivered to recipients of Meals on Wheels and Aid for Friends meals. There were nine Pioneers and two partners involved with the project, which is in its 35th year. When Project Chair Ellie Dickerson wasn't able to do the shopping, Council Secretary Joan Rafferty pitched in. She not only bought all the items, she got the little shopping bags and had the insert flyers copied. She and her partner, Frank Murphy, readied the craft room at her "over 55" complex by unpacking all the boxes of food and sorting them. When the volunteers arrived, it was easy to circle the boxes and fill the baggies with tissues, cheese and crackers, instant oatmeal, cold cereal, two hot chocolates, fruit cup, applesauce, instant soup, and a candy cane.

Enough items were purchased to fill 150 bags, but only 130 baggies were packed with 10 items each, totaling 1,300 items. The remaining 200 items were donated to St. Eugene's Food Pantry, Clifton Heights, Penn. A total of 141 hours was spent on the project that included time spent contacting the six Meals on Wheels and Aid for Friends coordinators to obtain numbers of baggies each, buying the 10 items for each bag, filling each bag, then delivering the baggies.

Sadly, like many volunteer organizations, several of the Meals on Wheels facilities in the Delaware County area have closed because they no longer have people to do the work. For some of those who received the bag of food, this was their only Christmas "gift." With the state of the economy, they were very grateful.
List of 2009 chapter leaders
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On Nov. 21, 2008, the International Pioneers Board of Directors approved a membership dues increase from $15 to $22, effective January 1, 2009. For Verizon Pioneers with payroll deductions, this will be a 58 cent increase to $1.83 per month effective February 2009. Regular members without dues deductions will be billed $22 annually. Life Members are exempt from paying dues.

This decision is within the authority of the Board, as described in Article VI, Section 2 of the corporate Bylaws. Increasing dues is an action the Board believes necessary to help ensure the financial stability and future success of the organization. Dues were last raised in 1998, when they were increased from $10 to $15. The dues will be allocated as follows: $12 to chapters and $10 to headquarters operations.

The increase comes at a time when the Pioneers organization continues to seek out new opportunities for growth toward increasing value to members, sponsoring companies and communities. In recent years, the organization has researched and developed numerous programs (direct mail and royalty partnerships, for example) designed to generate revenue for the distribution of funds to chapters and to support general operations. Additionally, Pioneers have developed and managed membership volunteer programs, such as Power Up To Read and Project Connect, that enable Pioneers to deliver valuable educational services at little or no cost to schools and community organizations.

Our Estore manager would like to hear your recommendations on new products. Please e-mail bruceyennie@verizon.net with your feedback.

Verizon/Frontier/Fairpoint/Telcordia Pioneers
P.O. Box 4406 . Salem, MA 01970
 
phone: 978.745.9600