More than 150 Pioneers from the 19 Verizon, Frontier, FairPoint and Telcordia Chapters joined 550 Pioneers from the U.S. and Canada Feb. 26-28 in New Orleans for the National Pioneer Annual Meeting and Training. Pioneers Chairman Dave Nichols chose the 2009 Pioneers Annual Meeting to ignite a spark of change when he encouraged assembled leaders to join him in the "March to a Million Members." The Pioneers set the goal of reaching the one million- member mark by 2011 to coincide with the 100th anniversary of the founding of Pioneers on Nov. 2, 1911.

The VFFT Training & Recognition Conference was held Feb. 25-26. The VFFT leaders were brought up to date during specialized training and group meetings. Jayne Mayer, the Verizon Foundation's Director of Employee Volunteerism, was a guest speaker. Marty Lee, Pioneer President; Nancy Jo Houk, Pioneer Vice President of Development; and Steve Kohn, VFFT Vice President; sat on a Q&A panel. The VFFT Conference was followed by the 2009 National Annual Meeting. The Pioneers, Partners & guests participated in two community service projects that helped "give back" to a city that continues to recover from devastating hurricanes. Volunteers filled 1,500 backpacks with classroom essentials that will be delivered to school children throughout New Orleans. In addition, volunteers helped to spruce up City Park by mulching trees, fixing a pier on the lake and repotting 750 trees that will be planted throughout the city in a year or two.

During the recognition portion of the Annual Meeting program on Saturday, six Verizon Pioneer chapters were the recipients of nine national awards. The prestigious Chapter of Excellence award was presented to the W.J. Denver Chapter (W. Mass. & R.I.) for its focus on literacy, the prevention of domestic violence, improving health care through technology, and encouraging employee volunteerism. The chapter also implemented the "Six-Pack Project," an effort that resulted in the delivery of an all inclusive package to schools consisting of a Pioneer playground map, Playground Solar System, "A Students Dictionary," Scholastic Books, Power Up to Read and Project Connect. The Chapter of Excellence Award is earned by chapters most closely aligned with the strategic direction of Pioneers and their sponsored/self-sponsored Group in the areas of leadership, volunteer engagement, communications and marketing, planning and measurement, and finance.

The Telecom Challenge Award was presented to the Excelsior Chapter (upstate NY) for its work with Kid's Café. The award theme - "Connecting Our Communities through Technology" - reflects all the ways our communities are changing today, many of them unimagined only a generation ago. The Kid's Café, operated by the Salvation Army, offers a safe, drug-free environment in which caring adults provide children in grades K-8 with academic help, nutritious meals, instruction in hygiene and lessons in the life skills needed to become productive citizens. Ninety- five percent of these children are living at or below the poverty level. Zeroing in on the needs of kindergarten through 3rd grade students, the chapter's Kids Café project provided support in a number of key areas, including: two desktop computers, with printers and access to Verizon's DSL Internet service, 10 Leapster learning systems and 9 TAG reading pens from LeapFrog, $500 in Scholastic books, backpacks, rulers and dictionaries.

The Project Excellence Award - Education recognizes the top level of TelecomPioneers community service projects completed throughout the year across the United States and Canada. The Headquarters Council (N. Philadelphia) of the Liberty Bell Chapter took home the first award in this category for its "Hope - An Investment in Education" program. The Council addressed the needs of the Hope Partnership for Education, where at-risk children in grades 5-8 require a smaller learning environment, individualized attention and extended school hours. Pioneers included the students in the Verizon Student Dictionary Program, provided other educational materials including a Pioneers Electronic Map, and made financial contributions. In 2008, with a $5,000 grant from the Verizon Foundation, Pioneers also seeded the creation of a new school library with up-to-date text and reference books and interactive educational/ teaching materials.

The Paumanok Chapter (Long Island, NY) received this award for its "Happy Day Express" program. Each August, all students at every grade level and their families are invited to attend the Happy Day Express assembly, an energy-charged event stressing the importance of education, morals, long- term goals and personal hygiene. After the assembly, each student receives a gender/grade appropriate backpack filled with educational supplies and personal care items. Pioneers provided backpacks to 300 children aged 4-17 in 2008, exceeding their goal by 50%.

The Suffolk Council of the Paumanok Chapter received the Project Excellence - Life Enrichment Award for its "Adopt A Family" program. Each year, Suffolk's unique Adopt-a- Family project provides year- round support for a different needy family in its community. That support includes birthday bags for their child or grandchildren, Easter baskets, back to school supplies, Thanksgiving and Christmas meals, new clothing and presents for the holidays. (Photo l-r:) Greg Lukeralle, Vice President, Suffolk Council; Dave Nichols, Chairman of the Board, TelecomPioneers Association; Tammy Kuey, President, Suffolk Council.

The Buffalo-Niagara Region Life Member Club (upstate NY) of the Excelsior Chapter received two awards -- one for "SantaLand" and the other for "Camp Badger." With the support of 170 Pioneer and community volunteers, and contributions by dozens of partnering organizations, SantaLand delighted some 800 children and their families over a four-day period with hayrides, crafts, face painting, and letter writing to Santa. SantaLand 2008 raised close to $5,000 for groups that serve domestic violence victims. To help make Camp Badger ADA compliant, 75 Pioneers installed wheelchair ramps, enlarged entranceways, adapted cabins and bathrooms for accessibility, and upgraded existing playground equipment for use by children with physical or developmental disabilities. Because of their work, the camp was able to open in 2008.

The FairPoint Pioneers - Jasper Keller Chapter, New Hampshire Council received an award for its "Listen for Literacy" program. In perhaps the first Pioneer project of its kind, council members are using state-of-the-art technology to help young students at the Hear in New Hampshire school to hear and understand the spoken word. Pre-school and kindergarten classrooms at the Manchester- based school for deaf and hearing-impaired children were in critical need of sound-field amplification and individual student FM systems. Purchase of this equipment, which was installed by Pioneers, was made possible by a $10,000 Verizon Foundation grant obtained by the council. The grant also allowed for the purchase of a bookbinding machine and laminator, additional tools that further reinforce literacy. Students at the school can now create personalized books about their own real-world experiences that they can read and share with others at any time.

The West Virginia Chapter took home the only award in the Health and Human Services category. The chapter was recognized for its "A Vital Bridge for Domestic Violence Victims" program. The 100-year-old YWCA of Wheeling, W.V., and its 30-year-old domestic violence program had fallen well behind the times in terms of today's computer technology. The chapter applied for and received a $5,000 competitive grant from the Verizon Foundation with which to remedy the situation. With matching funds from Verizon West Virginia, the chapter's Vital Bridge project provided for two new computers with peripherals and wireless Internet access for the domestic violence facility. (Photo:) TelecomPioneer President Marty Lee congratulates the award recipients.

The two days of VFFT meetings and training culminated with the Hall of Fame banquet honoring those who have continually given of their time to chapter projects, programs and board involvement. Following is a list of recipients. Read about their accomplishments on the Verizon Pioneer website.
AGB - Pat Dozier
Denver - Chris Casino
Empire - Gabe Olah
Excelsior - Gloria Moran
FairPoint - Maureen O'Day
Fort Pitt - Hilda Martino
Genesee - Wordene Day
Kinnard - Lidia Folk
Liberty Bell - Al Collins
Maryland - Nouvelle Helmick
McCully Down - Janice Knodel
McCully Up - Cathy Brantley
Nova 5 - Stella Risi
Old Dominion - Helen Mueller
Pauanok - Merle Steiner
Sherwin - Robert Sylvia
Verizon West - Joyce Wolter
West Virgina - Geneva Templin

The weekend concluded with the soulful music of Sha'on and the Girls. Even though Mardi Gras was "officially" over, Pioneers donned their best costumes and danced the night away. This year's annual meeting was one of learning, volunteering and fellowship.

We are all looking forward to attending the next meeting which will be held in Atlanta, Georgia in 2010.

P.O. Box 4406 . Salem, MA 01970

Giving back

The VFFT Training & Recognition Conference was held Feb. 25-26. The VFFT leaders were brought up to date during specialized training and group meetings. Jayne Mayer, the Verizon Foundation's Director of Employee Volunteerism, was a guest speaker. Marty Lee, Pioneer President; Nancy Jo Houk, Pioneer Vice President of Development; and Steve Kohn, VFFT Vice President; sat on a Q&A panel. The VFFT Conference was followed by the 2009 National Annual Meeting. The Pioneers, Partners & guests participated in two community service projects that helped "give back" to a city that continues to recover from devastating hurricanes. Volunteers filled 1,500 backpacks with classroom essentials that will be delivered to school children throughout New Orleans. In addition, volunteers helped to spruce up City Park by mulching trees, fixing a pier on the lake and repotting 750 trees that will be planted throughout the city in a year or two.

National recognition

During the recognition portion of the Annual Meeting program on Saturday, six Verizon Pioneer chapters were the recipients of nine national awards. The prestigious Chapter of Excellence award was presented to the W.J. Denver Chapter (W. Mass. & R.I.) for its focus on literacy, the prevention of domestic violence, improving health care through technology, and encouraging employee volunteerism. The chapter also implemented the "Six-Pack Project," an effort that resulted in the delivery of an all inclusive package to schools consisting of a Pioneer playground map, Playground Solar System, "A Students Dictionary," Scholastic Books, Power Up to Read and Project Connect. The Chapter of Excellence Award is earned by chapters most closely aligned with the strategic direction of Pioneers and their sponsored/self-sponsored Group in the areas of leadership, volunteer engagement, communications and marketing, planning and measurement, and finance. The Telecom Challenge Award was presented to the Excelsior Chapter (upstate NY) for its work with Kid's Café. The award theme - "Connecting Our Communities through Technology" - reflects all the ways our communities are changing today, many of them unimagined only a generation ago. The Kid's Café, operated by the Salvation Army, offers a safe, drug-free environment in which caring adults provide children in grades K-8 with academic help, nutritious meals, instruction in hygiene and lessons in the life skills needed to become productive citizens. Ninety- five percent of these children are living at or below the poverty level. Zeroing in on the needs of kindergarten through 3rd grade students, the chapter's Kids Café project provided support in a number of key areas, including: two desktop computers, with printers and access to Verizon's DSL Internet service, 10 Leapster learning systems and 9 TAG reading pens from LeapFrog, $500 in Scholastic books, backpacks, rulers and dictionaries.

Project Excellence - Education

The Project Excellence Award - Education recognizes the top level of TelecomPioneers community service projects completed throughout the year across the United States and Canada. The Headquarters Council (N. Philadelphia) of the Liberty Bell Chapter took home the first award in this category for its "Hope - An Investment in Education" program. The Council addressed the needs of the Hope Partnership for Education, where at-risk children in grades 5-8 require a smaller learning environment, individualized attention and extended school hours. Pioneers included the students in the Verizon Student Dictionary Program, provided other educational materials including a Pioneers Electronic Map, and made financial contributions. In 2008, with a $5,000 grant from the Verizon Foundation, Pioneers also seeded the creation of a new school library with up-to-date text and reference books and interactive educational/ teaching materials. The Paumanok Chapter (Long Island, NY) received this award for its "Happy Day Express" program. Each August, all students at every grade level and their families are invited to attend the Happy Day Express assembly, an energy-charged event stressing the importance of education, morals, long- term goals and personal hygiene. After the assembly, each student receives a gender/grade appropriate backpack filled with educational supplies and personal care items. Pioneers provided backpacks to 300 children aged 4-17 in 2008, exceeding their goal by 50%.

Project Excellence - Life Enrichment

The Suffolk Council of the Paumanok Chapter received the Project Excellence - Life Enrichment Award for its "Adopt A Family" program. Each year, Suffolk's unique Adopt-a- Family project provides year- round support for a different needy family in its community. That support includes birthday bags for their child or grandchildren, Easter baskets, back to school supplies, Thanksgiving and Christmas meals, new clothing and presents for the holidays. (Photo l-r:) Greg Lukeralle, Vice President, Suffolk Council; Dave Nichols, Chairman of the Board, TelecomPioneers Association; Tammy Kuey, President, Suffolk Council. The Buffalo-Niagara Region Life Member Club (upstate NY) of the Excelsior Chapter received two awards -- one for "SantaLand" and the other for "Camp Badger." With the support of 170 Pioneer and community volunteers, and contributions by dozens of partnering organizations, SantaLand delighted some 800 children and their families over a four-day period with hayrides, crafts, face painting, and letter writing to Santa. SantaLand 2008 raised close to $5,000 for groups that serve domestic violence victims. To help make Camp Badger ADA compliant, 75 Pioneers installed wheelchair ramps, enlarged entranceways, adapted cabins and bathrooms for accessibility, and upgraded existing playground equipment for use by children with physical or developmental disabilities. Because of their work, the camp was able to open in 2008. The FairPoint Pioneers - Jasper Keller Chapter, New Hampshire Council received an award for its "Listen for Literacy" program. In perhaps the first Pioneer project of its kind, council members are using state-of-the-art technology to help young students at the Hear in New Hampshire school to hear and understand the spoken word. Pre-school and kindergarten classrooms at the Manchester- based school for deaf and hearing-impaired children were in critical need of sound-field amplification and individual student FM systems. Purchase of this equipment, which was installed by Pioneers, was made possible by a $10,000 Verizon Foundation grant obtained by the council. The grant also allowed for the purchase of a bookbinding machine and laminator, additional tools that further reinforce literacy. Students at the school can now create personalized books about their own real-world experiences that they can read and share with others at any time.

Project Excellence - Health & Human Services

The West Virginia Chapter took home the only award in the Health and Human Services category. The chapter was recognized for its "A Vital Bridge for Domestic Violence Victims" program. The 100-year-old YWCA of Wheeling, W.V., and its 30-year-old domestic violence program had fallen well behind the times in terms of today's computer technology. The chapter applied for and received a $5,000 competitive grant from the Verizon Foundation with which to remedy the situation. With matching funds from Verizon West Virginia, the chapter's Vital Bridge project provided for two new computers with peripherals and wireless Internet access for the domestic violence facility. (Photo:) TelecomPioneer President Marty Lee congratulates the award recipients.

Hall of Fame

The two days of VFFT meetings and training culminated with the Hall of Fame banquet honoring those who have continually given of their time to chapter projects, programs and board involvement. Following is a list of recipients. Read about their accomplishments on the Verizon Pioneer website. AGB - Pat Dozier Denver - Chris Casino Empire - Gabe Olah Excelsior - Gloria Moran FairPoint - Maureen O'Day Fort Pitt - Hilda Martino Genesee - Wordene Day Kinnard - Lidia Folk Liberty Bell - Al Collins Maryland - Nouvelle Helmick McCully Down - Janice Knodel McCully Up - Cathy Brantley Nova 5 - Stella Risi Old Dominion - Helen Mueller Pauanok - Merle Steiner Sherwin - Robert Sylvia Verizon West - Joyce Wolter West Virgina - Geneva Templin Read on:

When in New Orleans...

The weekend concluded with the soulful music of Sha'on and the Girls. Even though Mardi Gras was "officially" over, Pioneers donned their best costumes and danced the night away. This year's annual meeting was one of learning, volunteering and fellowship. We are all looking forward to attending the next meeting which will be held in Atlanta, Georgia in 2010. Read on: