ROC Ripples — 1.9.17
Watch our new PSA: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WYyzzoN_iF0
A special thank you to Noah Cosimano-White and McCandless Marketing and Media for their hard work and support.
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Kelly is a young mom dedicated to giving her family a better life. She works 4 jobs and has partnered with the ROC to provide her family with the tools they need to succeed. This year, volunteers donated Christmas presents for Kelly and her 3 children. As Kelly walked into the room at the ROC to collect the donations, she looked down at the 3 gift bags on the floor and was overwhelmed. “I can’t take these, this is too much,” she said. When our social worker, Maria, told her that the gifts on the chair and table behind the bags were also for her, Kelly began to sob tears of gratitude. She gave us our Christmas present when she turned to Maria and said, “Now I can pay the rent.”
This was the common theme in December as we shared the true meaning of the season with over 90 children, 51 families, and many other participants. Over 70 volunteers and organizations helped us make Christmas happen for these ROC participants by purchasing thousands of dollars in gifts, gift cards, and non-food items for distribution. The community response was overwhelming! Thank you.
In keeping with the Rural Outreach Center’s mission, we selected families and individuals primarily based on their work in setting and working toward personal goals designed to help them achieve self-sufficiency.
In addition, we have begun the process of encouraging Christmas gifts recipients to give back to the ROC when they are able and to begin to set aside savings so that they can take on more responsibility next Christmas.
This November, our Winter Readiness program helped almost 100 children from several school districts get ready for winter with coats, hats, scarfs, gloves and boots, after receiving generous funding from the East Hill Foundation and with a generous contribution of winter coats from the Arcade Five Star Bank. Again, we suggested that recipient’s families make a small contribution of gas cards, for instance, to help others in need. Their response was very positive.
We ended 2016 as we began, by reinforcing our values of assistance, empowerment, and elevation through these, and many other programs.
In 2017, the Rural Outreach Center will continue to grow so we can increase the number of services to more participants. We are hiring a Program Coordinator, funded in part by the WNY Foundation, and another social worker to help us service over 100 individuals and families who are working toward their goal of independence.
Your continued support through volunteer hours and donations is greatly appreciated by both participants and staff. We couldn’t do what we do without you.
All of us here at the Rural Outreach Center wish you and yours a happy, healthy, and peaceful 2017.
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We challenge you to do the same! #ROCResolutions
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Please visit our new website. A special thank you to Nick Vorie for his help. www.theroc.co
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The Rural Outreach Center is proud to have been able to help hard working ROC participants and families this Christmas season.
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The reason for the season! A big thank you to everyone who so generously donated this year.
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Her smile says it all! The ROC is proud to have helped close to 100 kids get ready for winter with coats, gloves, scarves and hats.
