Youths help build ramp for Johnson City family

JOHNSON CITY — The process was painstaking. First, Bob Gould would pull himself out of his wheelchair by the back door. He’d move himself over to the first step and pull himself up — one, two, three times — to get to the door.

His mother, Mary Grogan, would grab the wheelchair, help him up into it, and they’d be able to go into the house.

On Tuesday, as he rolled down the newly-constructed ramp for the first time at his Virginia Avenue residence, he smiled and said, “perfect.”

The added mobility will change the pair’s lives, they said Tuesday, when the ramp was unveiled. Gould and Grogan received it for free through the Faith in Action Volunteers Ramp It Up program, run by the Broome County Council of Churches, after two years on the waiting list.

Gould can now travel in and out of the house on his own. He has been living with cerebral palsy since birth and has been in a wheelchair since he was 7 years old. He’s now 38 and works with computers for the Broome County Department of Social Services.

“I can start riding the bus again and just get out of the house by myself,” he said. “I can get to work by myself now.”

Grogan and Gould would have preferred a ramp out their front door, but a steep hill put an end to that plan. The ramp was installed in the back, limiting car access to the garage and encroaching on the backyard. But it was a small price to pay.

“We got our phone call about two weeks ago. We’re so thankful,” Grogan said. “The two of us aren’t getting any younger so this is a gift.”

A team of four youths and three adults built the ramp in less than two days. They’ll build three ramps in six days in the area, an ambitious goal, officials said Tuesday. Since the program’s inception in 2009, it has built 54 ramps. Ramps are built to Americans with Disabilities Act specifications and are funded through donations.

Kiki Banks, a 15-year-old from Johnson City, helped build the ramp. She became involved with the program through a youth group at the Sarah Jane Johnson Memorial United Methodist Church. To watch Gould roll down the ramp for the first time made her choke up with emotion, she said.

“It just felt good to help somebody who needed it,” she said.

Cruisin’ Pallooza raises money for Community Hunger Outreach Warehouse

Whitney Point was the place to be this weekend if you like choppers, American Cruisers or sport bikes. As  Elyse Mickalonis explains, although the 13th annual Cruisin’ Pallooza was all about motorcycles on Sunday, riders have a serious message they want the public to hear. Gear heads and motorcycle enthusiasts got the chance to check out some pretty cool rides this weekend at the Cruisin’ Pallooza.

 WHITNEY POINT, N.Y. -- It’s a lot different that driving a car. "It’s the wind in the hair, the cool breeze and just the freedom of it,” said Steve Ellsworth, Town of Binghamton Resident.

 Tim Columbia, Southern Tier ABATE Member, added, "Enjoyment out of a country road, riding through the curves with a rhythm, it’s almost like music."

 This weekend’s 13th annual Cruisin’ Pallooza event drew a lot of gear heads and motorcycle enthusiasts, as Sunday marked third annual “Bike Night During the Day.”

 Visitors enjoyed food, vendors, and bike games, while riders competed in seven classes, from sports bikes to American Cruisers. "Most people don’t need a trophy to appreciate their bike more.

But to be honest, bragging rights are priceless,” said Ralph Thorn, Johnson City Resident. Riders said they’re also urging the public to pay extra attention while they’re on the road during the summer, as more bikes will be out.

 "You've got to be a defensive driver. It's like football, you've got to be defensive all the time and be on the lookout,” said Ellsworth. Columbia added, "You look and you look twice. Don’t roll through stop signs. Don’t roll through right on reds. Stop, because a motorcycle might be coming." Thorn said, "Keep your eye out for us.

But if I’ve got mine running you’ll see me, because you’ll hear it, before you see it." There was also a bike show hosted by the Triple Cities Chopper Club and a ride to the event by Southern Tier Harley Davidson. Proceeds from the event will go towards Community Hunger Outreach Warehouse.

Broome County Agencies Team Up To Combat Childhood Hunger

From the County Executive's Office:

Broome County Executive Debbie Preston will address the issue of childhood hunger in Broome County at a News Conference at 1:30 pm on Monday, June 10th, 2013, in the Cafeteria at Ben Franklin Elementary School, 262 Conklin Ave., Binghamton.

She will be joined by Food Bank of the Southern Tier President & CEO Natasha Thompson, Binghamton City School District Superintendent Dr. Marion H. Martinez, Broome County Health Department Director Claudia A. Edwards, and Greater Binghamton Chamber of Commerce President & CEO Lou Santoni.

Representatives from Broome-Tioga BOCES, Catholic Charities of Broome County, CHOW – Broome County Council of Churches, and UHS will be on hand for questions.

EPAC hosts CHOW benefit Saturday

The Endicott Performing Arts Center will host the Community Dance Showcase Benefit for Community Hunger Outreach Warehouse at 3 p.m. Saturday.

The showcase will feature many local artists, including Bruce’s Kountry Kickers, EPAC’s Dance Stories, EPAC’s adult jazz and tap, Southern Tier Dance Society, USA Dance and more. A variety of dance styles will be represented, including country, jazz, tap, swing, ballroom, lyrical and modern.

The director of CHOW, Mike Leahey, says he is thankful for the community’s support of CHOW. This time of year, when children are home from school, the need for non-perishable food items increases substantially. He noted that the following items are in high demand: non-perishable fruits and vegetables, tuna, peanut butter, cereal, and macaroni and cheese.

The event is free, but each audience member should bring two items for CHOW. Bins will be placed at the entrance to the theater. Seating is general admission on a first-come, first-served basis.

EPAC is located at 102 Washington Ave. in Endicott. For more information, call 785-8903 or go online to endicottarts.com.

Senior Connection: Older Americans Month recognizes, celebrates contributions

Since 1963, the month of May has been designated Older Americans Month, a time set aside to recognize and appreciate the value of older people in our communities. This year’s theme, Unleash the Power of Age, is an appropriate way to characterize the contributions that many older people make as they teach others the skills they’ve refined over the years, support those in need or engage in civic matters.

There are now more Americans age 65 and older than at any other time in U.S. history, and most of the contributions they make are voluntary. According to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the 2012 volunteer rate for older adults was 26.5 percent, which represents a massive contribution to our social well-being.

The Broome County Office for Aging provides support, opportunities and recognition for older people in order to maximize their ability to make these valuable contributions. In an effort to help elders remain independent in their homes as long as possible, they provide educational services and programs that enhance the quality of life for many of Broome County’s elders.

The gifts that older people make to their families and communities are priceless, but all too often they are overlooked. The Broome County Office for Aging has recognized Barbara Bagan and Marta Alomar as volunteers who are Unleashing the Power of Age in their communities.

After completing a 42-year career, Barbara began looking for volunteer opportunities. She volunteered as a driver for Meals on Wheels in the Conklin area for 12 years and has also volunteered with the Office for Aging HEAP office for more than 10 years. Literacy Volunteers and Broome County Council of Churches have also benefited from her talents as a volunteer. Barbara says volunteering gives her an awareness of what is going on in the community and she appreciates that connection. “Doing something for others is the greatest reward,” she says.

Marta is a foster grandparent who has fun at the Broome County YMCA Y’s Kids Child Care Center where she has volunteered for 5 years. She says, “I love playing with the kids and reading books to them.” Her volunteer work there is greatly appreciated. Tammy Donnelly, assistant director of Child Care at the Y, says, “I don’t know what we would do without her. She is patient, helpful and good with any age.”

As you look ahead to the coming year, think about ways you can recognize elders like these and make additional efforts to Unleash the Power of Age in your community. It’s a “win-win” proposition because when we create opportunities for elders to share their many talents and engage in service to others we also help them stay positive, active, and vibrant.

Written by
Rhoda Meador

Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive

Binghamton, NY (WBNG Binghamton) As postal carriers collected mail Saturday, they also collected food donations left out near mailboxes.

Thousands of pounds of non-perishable foods were collected in the Greater Binghamton area for the National Association of Letter Carriers Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive.

Accord to the NALC food drive coordinator, more than 26,800 pounds of food was collected as of Saturday night, and they're still counting.

The food will go to the Broome County Council of Churches, or CHOW.

The drive was a team effort. Binghamton University's Alpha Kappa Alpha helped organize the donations as they flowed in.

"It's crazy," Naisha Blijd said. "Two, three trucks coming in at a time and they're full, very full. There's definitely a lot of donations out here. A lot of people in the community are giving back. It's awesome to see."

This food drive is the nation's largest one-day food drive.

A CHOW representative said collecting food this time of year is especially important for children who are now out of school, and need help getting a lunch.


By Erika Mahoney

Greater Binghamton Labor-Religion Coalition Sponsors Fast for Living Wage

From Greater Binghamton Labor-Religion Coalition:

On Monday, March 11, 2013, the Greater Binghamton Labor-Religion Coalition will hold a 3:00 P.M. Press Conference at the Broome County Council of Churches office at 3 Otseningo St., Binghamton to announce its Annual 40-Hour FAST.

The theme of this year’s FAST is Worker Justice. The fast will begin at 8:00 P.M. on Wednesday, March 13th, and conclude at 12:00 Noon on Friday, March 15th.

The Press Conference will provide information about the Labor-Religion Coalition of New York State and the Annual 40-Hour FAST, its purpose and history. Speakers will remind the community of the importance of laborers and of justice in the work place. The event will serve as an invitation to all in the wider community to participate in a forty-hour period when the needs of workers are highlighted and new commitments can be made to work for justice.

The Greater Binghamton Labor-Religion Coalition is one of several chapters associated with the Labor-Religion Coalition of New York State, a network of people of faith and labor which calls upon our values and morality to give a voice to workers. The annual FAST provides a time to alter our daily habits and to focus upon the personal needs of self and those around us. Fasting is a process which can bring a closer awareness of abundance and want, excess and scarcity, justice and injustice.

In addition to the invitation to fast, the Labor-Religion Coalition invites all citizens to help implement a just system in the work place. During this special period and in the coming weeks across New York State, individuals, religious congregations, and labor communities will be calling upon our elected leaders and enlightened employers to increase the minimum wage and to work toward implementing a living wage for all workers.

Broome leaders weigh in on sequester impact

BINGHAMTON — Local leaders of human services agencies came together Monday to discuss effects the community will see as a result of the sequester.

The sequester kicked in Friday night and requires federal agencies to make $85 billion in spending cuts through the Sept. 30, which is the end of the federal fiscal year.

“They’re trying to balance this budget on the poor and the vulnerable,” said Sister Marilyn Perkins, vice president of Mission Integration at Lourdes Hospital in Binghamton.

On Monday afternoon, in the Broome County Council of Churches, members from agencies including Head Start, Catholic Charities, Southern Tier AIDS Program and Opportunities for Broome, echoed Perkins’ sentiments and called on local residents to appeal the cuts to elected officials in Washington.

The groups were brought together by Citizen Action of New York.

“The money is there,” said Amy Fleming, a volunteer with Citizen Action, speaking about how Congress and the president need to work harder. “They just need the will and the heart and the integrity to move it.”

While most representatives were unsure of the immediate effects the sequester will have on their agencies, they all agreed the cuts will get worse over the course of the month and will be devastating to the local community if no action is taken.

“This will be compounded,” said Kathy Pfaffenbach, who works in the food pantry for Catholic Charities of Broome County.

Programs like Meals on Wheels, which delivers meals to the elderly and WIC, which provides nutritious food for woman, infants and children, will be greatly affected through cuts in funding, she said.

This could lead to a greater dependence on the community to help fill the shelves and may mean less nutritious food for recipients.

Kate Grippen, the Head Start director of the Family Enrichment Network, said the program already has a waiting list of 102 and 106, respectively, for Head Start and Early Head Start programs.

She said the list will continue to grow and there may be staff cuts for employees in the future.
“Simply put, the sequester is extremely painful,” she said.

Written by
Meghin Delaney
@PSBMeghinD

Vestal students donating food

VESTAL, N.Y. -- Food banks often experience their most need during the winter months and a local school district is trying to help fill that gap.


Vestal elementary schools and the high school are participating in their first "We Are One" food drive. The food drive started Friday and runs through Valentine’s Day.

All donations will be presented to the Community Hunger Outreach Warehouse, or CHOW.

Students and faculty are encouraged to bring in canned foods. The district has come up with various incentives for the students. But, they say it's more about the excitement that comes with helping the community.

"I think it hits home a lot more. If we can help people in Vestal and we know that people in Vestal are going to get a little bit of happiness and a little bit of burden off their shoulders," said Nathan Grossman, a junior.

Vestal is also offering free admission to anyone who brings in at least three canned goods to either the girls’ basketball game on Tuesday or the boys’ basketball game next Friday.

CHOW receives donation from Weis, customers

TOWN OF CHENANGO — The generosity of a supermarket chain and its customers will help feed the needy in the community this holiday season.

Weis Markets’ customers donated $10,346 during the grocery’s September “Fight Hunger” program. Weis added its own $15,000 to the donation, for a total of $25,346 to be given to the Community Hunger Outreach Warehouse.

The money is given to the charity in the form of gift cards. CHOW gets a 20 percent discount off retail grocery prices at Weis to purchase food for its pantry.

“Their continued support is very important, especially during the holiday season,” said Mike Leahey, director of CHOW.

Weis District Manager Mike Umstead said food banks do a wonderful job.

“We are proud to support the Community Hunger Outreach Warehouse and their much-needed work in the Southern Tier,” he said.

Weis has several programs that help feed the region’s hungry.

It participates in Broome Bounty, which donates perishable food that is near its expiration for immediate use by CHOW, Leahey said. The company also has its Round Up For CHOW program that runs throughout the year.

Written by:  Debbie Swartz
@PSBDebbie

Guest Viewpoint: Tier groups unite to fight hunger

On Thanksgiving, I read an article in the Press & Sun-Bulletin on “Hunger in The Southern Tier.” Raising awareness on the changing demographics of who hungry people are and how agencies are working to meet their needs is an important discussion for us to have at this time.

In many ways, the article mirrors the experience of the Broome County Council of Churches as we distribute food through our Community Hunger Outreach Warehouse (CHOW) program. Currently, we are serving more than 8,000 people per month and are on pace to distribute nearly 2 million pounds of food this year.

A major change we have seen is the prevalence of working families that are seeking food for the first time. It is heartbreaking to learn that the children in these families do not look forward to holiday breaks because at home they do not have the school meal program and will go without food when school is in recess.

Recently the hunger needs in our community have been the catalyst for increased cooperation between CHOW and The Food Bank of the Southern Tier. There was realization that while we were distributing a combined 3 million pounds of food, the needs in our community demanded increased effort. Using statistics generated from Feeding America that are based on the population and poverty demographics in Broome County, we have determined that the current need is nearly 7 million pounds. We are not even meeting half of that.

The board of directors of both organizations realized the situation requires a commitment to a mutual mission of meeting the hunger needs in our area. In October, the Broome County Council of Churches signed an agreement with the Food Bank of the Southern Tier to be a redistribution organization. This will allow us to purchase food at a reduced rate and will assure the Food Bank that we are adopting best practices.

Further, through their national connections to resources, the Food Bank of the Southern Tier will bring with them connections that local organizations, such as our CHOW program, do not have. By utilizing the strengths of both of our organizations, we can begin to connect national resources from the Feeding America Network, with local people in our neighborhoods more efficiently and at lower cost.

It is our hope that increased accountability, cooperation, and transparency will lead us to increased services and more food for hungry people. Next year, we will begin developing a mutually accepted strategic plan for meeting the hunger needs in Broome County. We are excited to see how this partnership will evolve.

The times that we live in demand that we change how we look at hunger. There is no way that we can meet the challenges that we face alone. When we learn to trust we can begin to meet needs in new and surprising ways. We can always do better, together.

Sellepack is the executive director of the Broome County Council of Churches.

Written by

Rev. Joseph Sellepack

Davis College and Broome Community College Basketball Teams to Help Rescue Mission’s Whitney Place and CHOW

From the Rescue Mission:

On Tuesday, November 13th, Davis College and Broome Community College will use regular-season basketball games to increase awareness of hunger and homelessness while also collecting non-perishable food items for CHOW (Community Hunger Outreach Warehouse) and raising funds for Whitney Place, the Rescue Mission’s supportive housing residence for homeless men in Binghamton.

Both games will be held on the schools’ home courts to highlight National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week which runs from November 10th to 18th. At 6 p.m. that night, the Davis College Falcons will play their home game against Onondaga Community College. Then at 8 p.m., the Broome Community College Hornets will take their court against SUNY Delhi.

Students and supporters of both schools are being asked to help fight hunger and homelessness by attending the games and supporting both programs. Red Rescue Mission bracelets will be on sale for $1 each and fans are asked to bring cans of non-perishable food for CHOW.

The Rescue Mission’s purpose, rooted in the teachings and example of Jesus Christ, is to restore hope to the broken, affirm dignity to the poor and equip those they serve to realize their full potential. This year, the Rescue Mission celebrates its 125th anniversary. The organization conducts programs in Syracuse, Auburn and Binghamton, operates 12 Thrifty Shopper stores and its newest retail venture, 3fifteen on the S.U. Hill. For more information, visit the Rescue Mission at rmlifechanging.org.

Council of Churches gets $10,000 donation

BROOME COUNTY, N.Y. -- The Broome County Council of Churches is getting $10,000 to help the hungry. The Grainger Foundation is donating the money in support of the CHOW program.

The program distributes food to 28 food pantries, 35 soup kitchens and other meal programs. The Outreach Warehouse serves about 6,000 people monthly, 40 percent of them children.

By: Web Staff

Food Drive To Benefit Broome County Hungry Families

Binghamton, NY (WBNG Binghamton) Aiming to stomp out hunger in the Southern Tier, Weis Markets have teamed up with Wild 104 and 99.1 for a food drive.

They'll be collecting non-perishable foods in an RV outside of the Weis on Upper Front Street, Binghamton.

All the food will be given to the Community Hunger Outreach Warehouse, or CHOW, which will distribute the food to families in need.

Louie G will DJ a dance for free for the school that brings the most non-perishable foods.

"Anything. And you know, all the grocery stores are great around this time because they have sales on the non perishables. So if you can bring by one can, if you can bring by a case, whatever you can bring by, it's all going to help out CHOW. And families will really appreciate it," said 104.1 radio personality Louie G.

It is close to Thanksgiving, so any canned pastas or potatoes would be a big help, too.

Council of churches receives foundation award

BINGHAMTON — The Broome County Council of Churches received a $10,000 award from the Stewart W. and Willma C. Hoyt Foundation for its Ramp It Up program.

The program provides wheelchair ramps for the elderly and disabled.