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September 2006
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Vol. 1 / Issue 2
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In This Issue
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Quick Links
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Dear Pioneer,
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Welcome to the second issue of our online newsletter. We're still
tweaking the format based on your feedback. We've increased the font
size. Since most of you seem to favor Verizon's red and black colors
to the previous issue's grey, blue and orange, we switched colors.
We're always interested in your ideas for design, stories and the best
ways to inform you of Pioneer activities. Please jot us an e- mail
with your feedback at
newsletter@verizonpioneers.org. |
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“The limits of your language are the limits of your world,”
according to a quote by Ludwig Wittgenstein on the cover of the new
“A Student’s Dictionary.” The dictionaries are part of the Verizon
TelecomPioneers signature education project, to be provided to third
through fifth graders in local schools. To date, the Thomas Sherwin
Chapter has distributed more than 15,000 books to local schools. The
dictionaries are 524 pages long, filled not only with definitions,
but with all sorts of other useful information such as U.S.
presidents' biographies, weights and measures, the U.S. flag, the
Constitution and Amendments, Declaration of Independence, and many
other subjects, including the longest word in the world.
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Our Life Member Spotlight is on... Sarah DePaolo of the L.H.
Kinnard Chapter. She has been a Pioneer since 1973. Sarah had 41 years
with Bell of PA, starting as an Operator in 1951 in Stroudsburg, PA. She
retired in 1992 as a Facilities Assigner. Sarah has held many offices as
a Pioneer, including Member at Large, Council President (three different
times), and Chapter President and Life Member Representative (twice).
Sarah and her Pioneer Partner Tom have been dedicated to Pioneering,
volunteering over 1,000 hours annually in their community. Sarah’s most
honored accomplishment was being elected to the Verizon Region Pioneer
Hall of Fame in 1999.
Sarah’s most rewarding volunteer job is being associated with the LH
Kinnard Sports Jamboree, a free three-day weekend for children who are
blind, legally blind, or in wheelchairs. She has been Chairperson of the
Jamboree twice and served more than 20 years as Chairman of the
Volunteer Registrations. Sarah was instrumental in the Jamboree project
receiving the Allied Services Special Achievement Award for the 1998
Rehabilitation Awareness Celebrations Regional Award. This award is
given to individuals or organizations that work to improve the lives of
the disabled. In 1991 as Chapter President, Sarah began the Baby Hats
for Newborns project, which continues today. She was also actively
involved in raising over $10,000 for the PA Chapter of the Alliance for
Mentally Ill (AMI) through the sales of iris bulbs, t-shirts, mugs, and
totes.
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In December of 1984, the Jasper Keller Chapter's Kennebec Life Member
Club assisted the Maine Council in providing Christmas gifts for the
Special Schools in their area. Along with toys, the club made and
presented mittens and hats. After the parties, there were three pair of
mittens left and the Club took them to a teacher in the local public
school and asked if she could use them. The teacher quickly responded,
"I cannot accept these mittens and give them to three children because I
have so many more who are in need. I cannot single out JUST three
children." After a few moments thought, she added, "I can take them and
each day loan them to a different child and, in that way, they can all
have use of them." At this point the Life Member Club quickly realized
that these children were in dire need of warm mittens and that this need
was evident throughout the schools in Maine. Since that day, the ladies
in the Club have knitted more than 17,000 pairs of mittens for needy
children.
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For more than 30 years, Campbell's Labels for Education(TM) program has
been awarding free educational equipment to schools in exchange for
proofs of purchase from the Campbell family of brands. Today, more than
42 million students benefit from this program. Over the years,
Campbell's has provided more than $100 million in merchandise to
America's schools.
The Fort Pitt Chapter is partnering with Campbell's to support the
Western Pennsylvania School for the Deaf and the Verland Foundation. If
you'd like to help, please mail your labels to: Gerry McLaughlin, 216
Ohio St., Monroeville, PA 15146.
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All Councils in the Virginia Old Dominion Chapter collected items and
created 100 Disaster Recovery Health Kits. They contained personal
hygiene items, such as a razor, towel, washcloth, toothpaste,
toothbrush, dental floss, soap, deodorant, and shampoo. These kits were
sent to Salem, MA and will be donated when needed in such natural
disaster situations, such as Hurricane Katrina.
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The H.G. McCully Chapter launched the "Fresh Start" project in June. Its
mission is to support women who have been abandoned or forced to flee
their homes. Chapter members are providing these women with tools
necessary to apply for positions and attend employment interviews.
The Chapter has compiled "Return to Work" kits that includes personal
items, such as shampoo and manicure sets, and educational items, such as
notebooks and calendars. In addition, the Chapter is addressing the
children's needs with backbacks containing many of the same items. The
Chapter is supporting the transitional homes with donations of
bookcases, computers, software, cellular phones, and first aid kits.
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Check your mailbox! The TelecomPioneers Association mailed a 2007
TelecomPioneers historical calendar to all Pioneers September 15. "This
calendar was given to you with sincere appreciation for the time you so
generously give and the support you lend year round," said Marty Lee,
president, TelecomPioneers.
This celebratory calendar not only contains important Pioneering dates,
but also inspiring accounts of some of the innovative services your
fellow Pioneers are making happen in their hometowns. Please return the
enclosed campaign reply form so the TelecomPioneers know your calendar
arrived safely. If you choose to make a donation to the TelecomPioneers,
your gift will be dispersed to your chapter for projects in your area.
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