Thanks And Giving
It is the season for being thankful and for giving to others.
We at Chester Upland Youth Soccer offer you the following recent happenings that fit the inspiring theme of the season:
One of Chester Police Department’s finest, Major Katrina Blackwell, participated in our Chester’s Mentoring Initiative (CMI) meeting and alerted the group that the police are looking for ways to strengthen relationships with Chester’s youth. CUYS donated a supply of balls and groceries for them to distribute as they patrol the neighborhoods and come upon folks who look like they’d appreciate them. We also gave them a few ball pumps to keep in squad cars so that they can provide an unexpected service to kids at play. Additionally, Major Blackwell joined us at our November 18 distribution of balls, jerseys, athletic apparel, groceries and “participation prizes.”
In cleaning out a storage closet, we found that we had some unused gardening supplies left from a few years back when we helped build raised garden beds for our school partners. In a conversation with CMI partner Chester Eastside, we learned that they are installing new gardens, so we donated our supplies for their use to support the community.
The Pickup family of Wallingford approached Chester Upland Youth Soccer about donating boxes of children’s books they had outgrown. We considered how we could get books into the hands of children the fastest possible way, and did some outreach to a number of organizations. Within a few hours, we connected the family with CMI partner Chester Charter Scholars Academy who was ready to receive and distribute the treasures in the coming days.
Ernst & Young’s Philadelphia office recently hosted us a presenter on one of the United Way charity townhalls, in which they feature a variety of worthy organizations for employees to support. We were in great company, presenting alongside the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Foundation and the Boys & Girls Club of Philadelphia. View our presentation at https://cuys.org/cuys-summary
A local boy has dedicated his Bar Mitzvah project to supporting the at-risk children of Chester by preparing to do three STEM presentations for them via Zoom. His friends and family have already contributed over $1100 to the campaign in order to fund science kits to be given out to the participating children. A local philanthropist graciously introduced to CUYS by The Community’s Foundation heard about the project and added $2000 in order to allow us to also distribute healthy groceries along with the science kits. For more, please see https://donorbox.org/jamie-s-stem-show If you know anyone seeking a service project, please welcome them to reach out to CUYS so that we can help facilitate their support of the Chester community.
Swarthmore College Women’s Soccer team selected CUYS as one of three organizations to support in their recent fundraising activity. Read the details here.
At our last Board meeting, I mentioned that our Site Directors, all educators, and my fellow staffers were doing a terrific job despite the challenges of Zoom. I asked to carve a sliver of budget to recognize them with a holiday bonus. One asked, “How much are you thinking?” and I assumed this was a responsible and conservative reaction about the possibility of redirecting funds away from the children we serve. When I replied that I was seeking less than $1000 to distribute, he immediately offered to personally write a check to cover it all. A number of other Board Members immediately chimed in with their support. “Holiday Cheer” checks more generous than I had anticipated are now on their way to our beloved and hard-working staff during a year when educators especially deserve recognition.
One team member declined her “Holiday Cheer” in support of the Chester community, and so we redirected the funds to our esteemed CMI partner Making a Change Group in her honor. “Team MAC” was recently allocated a $75,000 grant from Delaware County Council funded by the Community Development Block grant. These funds, which require a match, are supporting the launch of a Connected Visions initiative which will provide intensive case management, informational workshops, youth development activities and other support to families as they seek to overcome trauma, break cycles of poverty and achieve healthier lives as individuals and household units. Team MAC does amazing work in the Chester community and we are proud to call them a partner and help support them however we can.
Hope this uplifting summary has brightened your holiday season. Thanks for your support on Giving Tuesday and beyond.