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At the 2008 Annual Meeting, Liberty Bell Chapter received the
Project Excellence Award in the Health and Human Services
category. For about 33 years, the chapter's Special Needs
Holiday Party has hosted more than 21,475 members of local care
facilities throughout the Philadelphia area. In 1998, a fellow
Pioneer, Joyce Watson, introduced chapter leaders to John J.
Vuotto III, director of Human Relations for Genuardi's Family
Markets. Joyce had initiated him into the world of Pioneering
while working at his store as a part time employee. Because of
the commitment she displayed for this project, he asked to meet
with chapter leaders and, as they say, "the rest is history."
For more than 10 years, Genuardi's Family Markets has provided
immeasurable support through goods and services.
To express Liberty Bell's gratitude for Genuardi's support, the chapter arranged a visit to their offices to share the Pioneer award and recognition. Liberty Bell salutes Genuardi's Family Markets for its willingness to partner with the Pioneers and help increase awareness of special needs residents throughout our communities. Each year, chapter members look forward to the arrival of John J. Vuotto III, and Maryanne Krager, Public Affairs manager. They arrive early, dressed for the occasion with their sleeves rolled up, and go about doing whatever has to be done to make things run smoothly and keep party guests happy.
(Photo, l-r:) Maryanne Krager, Genuardi's Public Affairs
manager; John J. Vuotto III, Genuardi's director of Human
Relations; Allen B. Lewis, Liberty Bell chapter president; and
Nat Wilson, chapter Community Service chairperson.
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Recently, through the efforts of the Southern New Hampshire
FairPoint Pioneers Life Member Club, first grade students in six
Manchester, NH schools were each presented with their very own
Smart Bears as well as an accompanying children's book with the
goal of fostering more reading among youngsters who may not be
exposed to reading in their homes.
Similar to the regular Pioneers Hug-A-Bear, the Smart Bear program is designed to bring children the added feature of providing a book along with a new cuddly friend and reading companion. Smart Bears are effective in introducing children and their families to the joys of reading. The Southern New Hampshire FairPoint Pioneers Life Member Club delivered more than 350 Smart Bears and books to their grateful recipients, bringing both smiles and greater opportunities for early literacy development. |
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Our Life Member Spotlight is on... Eleanor Irene Hassett
of the Mountain Valley Empire Chapter
Eleanor has been a member of the Mountain Valley Empire Chapter for more than 30 years. She has held the positions of president, vice president and fundraising chairperson in the Louis E. Willet Council and Club. She enjoys working on chapter projects such as the two camps in Sharon, MA, and Long Island, NY. Eleanor also helps out painting playground maps. She was awarded the Life Member of the Year award in 2005 for her endless giving of herself to those in need. Her major time consuming project now is making Heart Pillows for the Westchester Medical Center. This is an on-going project that she does with a few other ladies from the club. |
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By: Therese Bell Mowery
Cute and puffed out with a mountain of new billowy white stuffing, our Kinnard Chapter Hug-A-Bears are created by a roomful of Pioneers and partners, one face at a time. With never enough bears to meet the demand, an average of 25 participants come together monthly at the Paxtonia Fire Company (Harrisburg, PA) to cut material, draw & dress, pin and label, machine sew, trim and turn right-side out, stuff, hand sew and bag individually the average of 175 bears per month. Every bear has his or her own personality given by its inventive creator. Pioneer Life Member Lillian Patton, Pioneer Partner Ann Pacey and Pioneer Life Member Joyce Grier lead this team. Some of the past leaders of this group have been Phyllis and Dick Shepley, Phyllis and John Stevens, Rosie Huff, and Jeanne Koons since it's inception in 1988. All still participate with the exception of Rosie, who has since passed away. Awaiting the arrival of new Hug-A-Bears monthly are the Pennsylvania State Police (who must carry a Hug- A-Bear in their cars), four local hospitals and some local police and fire departments who receive the bulk of the deliveries. They also are put into Verizon Kinnard backpacks, Operation Shoebox (for service members), and given to Judge Todd Hoover when adoptions are finalized, putting smiles on the faces of many children. |
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By: Mary Belle Fabe
Every year in December a group of Pioneers, partners and friends gather at the home of Peggy and Charles "Pup" Loughin in West Chester, PA, to fill 100 large plastic baggies with food packet items to be used in the case of an emergency. Personal items and a seasonal ornament are included. These baggies are donated to a local "Meals on Wheels" foundation to be included with the trays going out to their clients to bring a little Christmas cheer from the Diamond State Pioneers. This project has been a tradition for several years of the former Main Line Life Member Club. When the members transferred to Diamond State Council in the Liberty Bell Chapter in Delaware in 2006, the tradition continued. The ornaments this year were made by Life Members Bobbie Kline and her mother Mary Belle Fabe. They were 4" fabric, decorated, hanging stars. Each bag had a star included. Local ACME Markets donated 50 green fabric bags to transport the baggies. Eighty-two volunteer hours were reported for this project.
Pictured are: Peggy & Pup Loughin, Harry & Shirley McCool,
Doris Morrison and great grandson Liam, Mary Belle Fabe, Pat
Verngren, Jill Farley, Edith DiSanti and Valerie Woods. Helping
but missing from the picture are Carman Riale and Harvey Woods
our photographer.
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Join the Maryland Chapter at the Verizon Pioneers' 17th Annual
Pioneer Day at HersheyPark Sunday, April 26, from 10 a.m. - 6
p.m. It is $23 per person. Children two and under are free. The
park will be closed to the general public on this day.
Concessions will be open and free parking provided. For $15 for
adults and $10 for kids, families can enjoy a picnic lunch from
12 - 3 p.m. Lunch includes a flame-broiled all-beef hamburger,
hot dog, potato chips, pasta salad, fruit salad, ice cream
novelities, soda and lemonade.
Special lodging is available at Best Western (717.533.5665) and Quality Inn (717.583.5151). Reservations must be made by April 19. Tickets may be ordered online or by money order or certified check payable to Maryland Chapter Pioneers. Mail money orders and checks to Pioneer Office, 99 Shawan Rd., Rm. G-8, Cockeysville, MD 21030. For more information, visit the Maryland Chapter website. |
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January 9, 2009
Dear Ms. Freedman, Thank you so much for your continued support of our school program. This year, we have several students who are non-verbal and are in need of materials to make the PECS (Picture Exchange Communication System) books and to have the software that corresponds with our Edmark reading program. Please let everyone know how crucial these materials are to our students, especially those who are non- verbal or are reading at a K-1 level despite their chronological age. We are all excited as we know that with this software we will see progress in sight words and comprehension for our students. Our staff and students are sincerely appreciative of your continued support and wish you a very Happy and Safe New Year! Sincerely, Linda A. Possemato, M.B.A. Co-Director, Cobb Memorial School Altamont, New York
Andrea Freeman is the Education Committee Chair for the
Mountain Valley Empire Chapter.
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By: Leni Herr, Kinnard Reunion Chairperson
L.H. Kinnard Chapter holds an annual Pioneer Reunion at the Grand Hotel in Cape May, NJ. We have so much fun that we decided to invite all other chapters in our region. We have had positive responses from several chapters. The reunion will be held June 1-5, 2009. You get all meals from Monday lunch through Friday breakfast, side trips and activities each day, Happy Hour each night before dinner, and Chapter Hospitality (free drinks) after entertainment each night. Our reunion is like a cruise with all meals and entertainment free of additional charges. It is actually better than a cruise because you don't have to pay for drinks on our "ship!" Breakfasts are buffet style; lunch can be buffet or sit-down; dinner is always top notch steaks, shrimp, etc. Additional pre and post nights are available at the hotel at a reduced rate. Please email me at leniherr@aol.com with any questions. Please be aware the last day of our reunion overlaps with the first day of the VP Project at the Lions Camp Badger for Speech, Hearing and Sight Impaired Children in Spencer, NY. All chapters are invited to volunteer at this project. For more information, contact Dawn Aikman, Excelsior Chapter president, at dmaikman@hotmail.com. |
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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
email:
info@verizonpioneers.org
phone:
978.745.9600
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