#VolunteerInCLE 1-2-3 Read! Program and Homework Centers; Various Dates & Locations w/Cuyahoga County Public Library

This Summer, I will be tutoring first and second graders at risk of not reaching the state mandated Third Grade Reading Guarantee. I initially posted a status on Facebook to see if anyone wanted to help out, and there was a pretty good response so I am listing all additional details here.

1-2-3 Read! provides free one-on-one tutoring in reading skills and small group tutoring with literacy games.
This 1-2-3 Read! Program is at the Brooklyn, Garfield Heights, Maple Heights and Warrensville Heights branch libraries. There is a particular need at Garfield Heights and Maple Heights. The program starts June 29th and runs through August 6th.

During the summer, 1-2-3 Read! is offered 2 days a week, per location. The upcoming schedule is as follows:
Brooklyn: Tuesday & Thursday from 1:00-2:15pm
Garfield Heights: Monday & Tuesday from 12:45-2:00pm
Maple Heights: Tuesday & Thursday from 12:45-2:00pm
Warrensville Heights: Wednesday & Thursday from 1:00-2:15pm

Upcoming training times for 1-2-3 Read! being held at the Garfield Heights Library (5409 Turney Road) are:
Monday, June 22nd from 7-8:30pm
or
Sunday, June 28th from 2-3:30pm

There will also be 10 Homework Centers with a need for volunteers to help tutor students in Grades K-8 with their homework. Homework Centers are located at: Brookpark, Brooklyn, Garfield Hts., Maple Hts., North Olmsted, Parma, Richmond Hts., South Euclid, Southeast, Warrensville Hts.

If you have an interest in volunteering or know someone who does, an application form will need to be filled out. You can access that HERE.

Please feel free to connect with Nicole Joy Beleske, Volunteer Coordinator at 216-749-9400 or nbeleske@cuyahogalibrary.org to send your application and set up a training time.

 

“Community, Race and the Police: Just Get Home” Thurs 6/25

Time: Thursday, June 25th at 7:00PM-8:30PM
 Location: University Circle United Methodist Church (1919 E. 107th Street, Cleveland OH 44102)

Here is an upcoming conference I invite all parents, teachers, guardians, youth group leaders, and anyone with questions/concerns with recent happenings in the city of Cleveland, to attend. There have been many avenues in which some form of action has taken place in opposition with what all is going on. This particular avenue has been set up for dialogue, learning and understanding for everyone. I hope that what is created here can spark another change in the right direction…

The goal of this event (hosted by the University Circle United Methodist Church) is to educate young people in our community  on how to deal with encounters with law enforcement with the singular purpose to “JUST GET HOME”. We want our children and neighbors to know that they can work inside the system to promote positive change. We want to work to enhance the relationships between the community and members of the Division of Police.

This is event is FREE and is sponsored by the Kappa Gamma Sigma Chapter of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Incorporated.

 

#EventsInCLE America SCORES Cleveland: Inspired Art, Sat 6/6

As a Development Board member for the Cleveland chapter of America SCORES, I want to invite you all to attend our upcoming event Inspired Art, a collaboration of Cleveland artists and young Cleveland poets of the after-school program America SCORES Cleveland. The original poetry of Cleveland kids involved in America SCORES has compelled over 40 local artists to create and donate artwork to support the after-school health and literacy program. At the benefit auction, students will witness their visions brought to life and artists will experience the poetry on a deeper level as select youth perform.

America SCORES provides unique, creative after-school programming for more than 600 youth in nine Cleveland public schools, teaching poetry, service-learning and soccer to measurably improve literacy, community engagement and fitness. Ticket and art sales will provide students with the opportunity to participate in America SCORES’ soccer, creative writing and service-learning programming.

Tickets for Inspired Art are $75* and include:

• Heavy hors d’oeuvres provided by Duet Catering
• Great Lakes beer & assorted wines
• Free parking
• Poetry performances by America SCORES poet-athletes
• The opportunity to meet the artists
• Music by DJ Bradley P
• Desserts & coffee provided by Duet Catering

*Tickets are $75 pre-sale thru June 4 at midnight. Tickets at the door are $80.  The location is: smARTspace at 78th Street Studios in Gordon Square Arts District 1305 W. 80th Street, Cleveland, OH 44102

I will be in attendance helping out during the event. I hope to see you there! As always, please spread the word 🙂

 

 

#VolunteerInCLE Pop-Up Welcome Party, Sat 4/25

I wanted to share an opportunity brought to you by Destination Cleveland, a private non-profit organization whose mission is to drive economic impact and stimulate community vitality for Greater Cleveland through leisure and business travel. They provide a lot of ways for Clevelanders to show pride and to show those not so familiar all the city has to offer as a tourism spot:

On Saturday morning, April 25th, we will be holding a Pop-Up Welcome Party for a group of students from Canada touring Cleveland. Our welcome will take place at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, and we will be gathering there at 10 am.

For those of you who are new, all you need to do is show up, wear something celebrating Cleveland, say “Welcome!” and hold a sign that we will provide for you. It’s really easy, a lot of fun, and we’ll probably be wrapped up by 10:30 am. If you have kids or a pet that you’d like to bring, you are welcome to do so.

Weather permitting, we will be outside. If it rains, we may move inside the lobby of the Rock Hall, in which case, please do not bring pets.

These welcomes are a great way to show our pride and make an impression on visitors. Guests are always impressed by the welcome, and many take pictures, or want pictures taken with the welcome group. Frequently, we hear the comment, “No other city did that for us!” And that’s what makes Cleveland special!

Please note, this welcome will take place outside the Rock Hall and does not include admission, but we do encourage you to spend the day if you are able.

Please let me know that you’ll be joining us by e-mailing eembacher@destinationcle.org as soon as possible.

I think I will participate in this activity; hopefully I’ll see some familiar faces 🙂

My (Extended) #VrereDai Present to the Men’s Shelter

 

I want to say Thank You again to everyone who had something to do with celebrating my birthday (VrereDai) by giving back so far. I wanted to update you all on an additional component for this second round of donations for the 2100 Lakeside Men’s Shelter. My Sorority chapter (Kappa Gamma Sigma chapter of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Incorporated) has decided to help me out along the way! My Sisters will be accepting donations and money from anyone wanting to contribute! Again, I am still accepting monetary donations with my PayPal account and I will do the shopping for you. Please send money to VRERE@AOL.COM and use the “Friends & Family” option so no fees will be charged. Every dollar equals one item from the following list of things needed:

Bar Soap
Toothpaste/Toothbrush
Shampoo
Hand Lotion
Chapstick/Lip Balm
Deodorant

…a few of my own donations to the Men’s Shelter 🙂

I am wrapping up this drive on Thursday April 30th. The chapter and I  will deliver all donations to the shelter on Saturday May 2nd, in addition to serve lunch for the residents as our Day of Service Project. If you have any questions please connect with me at vreredai@gmail.com or at 216-236-5470.

I hope you can help me continue my birthday celebration for the month by giving back to those not in the best situation. If I may get personal for a moment, this has been the most rewarding birthday for me. At 31, I am truly grateful that I was blessed to make the decision to celebrate in a way that benefits others. I promise to keep this going for years to come and make it something bigger, and I look forward to the continued support of my friends and family!

#VrereDai Thank You…and Part Two.

I had my little brother and sister help me with donation delivery!

I just wanted to take time to thank everyone who took their time to support my special present to the 2100 Lakeside Men’s Shelter. I hope you know that am deeply humbled. I was able to collect a monetary total of $330 dollars from family, friends and colleagues via Paypal. That was used to buy 330 $1 items. I also collected many donations from people around town; I believe it was well over $200 worth of items, in addition to a box of books I selected from the bookstore in Gordon Square (Cleveland), Guide To Kulchur. There was so much to take over that I had my little brother ans sister help me out. It was good for them to participate in this kind of service and to see the impact it truly has on the community. It’s important that I expose them to giving back.

I did not expect to receive so much help-this was my first attempt to start my own drive for a cause. I have signed up tp participate in walks and other activities in the past in which I ask for donations…but this was something I started on my own. It was a LOT of work and I learned things about myself during the process. I’m so grateful I stepped up and followed through. To see so much praise and encouragement for a task like this was overwhelming; it felt really good to grab as much attention as I did and I hope I influenced you in some way to give back on your own.

There were many people who were unable to donate to this drive or simply missed my deadline, which was not a problem. Due to that response, I have decided to begin a new drive for the month of April. The 2100 Lakeside Men’s Shelter is always in need of items; they support up to 400 men each night. Although the donations collected for this drive was highly appreciated and more than the shelter expected, they will never stop needing our help. I want to extend my “Vrere Dai” celebration all month by collecting items, and monetary donations that I will use to shop on your behalf.

Here’s a reminder of the items needed for me to collect:
Small toothpaste & regular size toothbrush
Bar soap
Regular size deodorant
Small shampoo
Small hand lotion
Chapstick/Lip Balm

If you would like to send money, please use my PayPal account (VRERE@AOL.COM) and be sure to choose the ‘friends and family’ option so your donation is not deducted a fee.

The deadline for this drive will be THURSDAY APRIL 30TH.

If you have any questions or want to connect, please email me at Vreredai@gmail.com or send me a text at 216-236-5470. I may not generate the same numbers as the last go-round…but any and everything helps… 🙂

 

Update on How to Help Celebrate my #VrereDai (Birthday Donation Drive for the Men’s Shelter)

…a few of my own donations to the Men’s Shelter 🙂

 

First off, THANK YOU to everyone who has given me items and/or cash towards this project! I’m really excited for the 2100 Lakeside Men’s Shelter. They should expect over 100 items for my VrereDai (birthday-April 4th)! I just wanted to do something out of the norm of celebrating for myself. Based on the success of this drive I may do this every year, and I hope I influence you to do something similar some day 🙂

I want to let you know that if I’m unable to connect with you or you’re unable to collect/purchase items, I have a PAYPAL Account that you can send money to, and I will use that money to shop for the toiletries needed by the Shelter. In case you forgot, here is what they are asking for:

Small toothpaste & regular size toothbrush
Bar soap
Regular size deodorant
Small shampoo
Small hand lotion
Chapstick/Lip Balm

My PAYPAL Email is VRERE@AOL.COM. Please send all monetary donations to this email only. Each dollar donated equals one item from the list above. If there is a particular item you would like me to use your funds for, please send me a note with the donation. I know that not everyone has a Paypal account so let me inform you of a few things…

1. Sending money from your Paypal account to my account is FREE.

2. If you do not have a Paypal account and want to send money for free, you will need to sign up for one. Signing up is free; you are simply being asked to link your personal bank account to the site.

3. There are two options for who you are sending money to. Please choose the “FRIENDS OR FAMILY” option! This is not a business transaction in which I am sending you anything.

4. If you send money using a debit or credit card, you will be charged a fee, like with most sites.

Information on Paypal use can be found HERE.

Again, if you have questions or want to connect because you have items, I can be reached at vreredai@gmail.com (please note-this email IS NOT the same email linked to my PayPal account; please don’t get confused) or send me a text at 216-236-5470.

I can’t wait to do all this shopping and donate for my VrereDai! I may eat some carrot cake or ice cream cake in between…or maybe a nap! 🙂

For My Birthday, I Want….To Help

So, I am now counting down until my birthday, or as I call it because I can…”VréreDai” (April 4th…if you aren’t aware, my name is short for Very Rare Day).
I’ve decided to do something nice and different as a present to myself this year…and I hope you all consider participating.
I recently got an email from the 2100 Lakeside Emergency Men’s Shelter.
They are running low on toiletries and could use some help…
And I want to help by collecting donations to drop off.
They are in need of the following:

Small toothpaste & regular size toothbrush
Bar soap
Regular size deodorant
Small shampoo
Small hand lotion
Chapstick/Lip Balm

There is no set deadline for them to receive anything; I just want to see what all I can collect by my birthday. I plan to continue this drive well after April 4th, as they are always in need. I’m also using this as a creative idea for others to give any presents/well wishes to me…in the form of giving to the shelter. I’d be really, really appreciative in addition to the 400+ men utilizing the shelter each night!
If you have ANYTHING, please shoot me a text at 216.236.5470 or email at vreredai@gmail.com and we can work out a meeting place. Even if I collect just one item, that’s more than nothing…

Please Spread the word and thanks in advance for helping me celebrate my “VréreDai”,

Vrére 🙂

Where’s Vrere? Fight for Air Climb, Sat 3/7

On Saturday March 7th, I will be Volunteering with the American Lung Association for the 2015 Fight for Air Climb. The event takes place inside of the Terminal Tower (50 Public Square, Cleveland OH 44113). The Climb is 42 floors, a total of 804 steps, and the Climb is timed for all participants.

I am currently rounding up volunteers from my place of employment, Progressive Insurance, to come along and help; however I wanted to pass the info along for anyone else looking for a fun Volunteer opportunity taking place indoors. The majority of Volunteers are needed between 8:00AM and 1:00PM, depending on your position.

Volunteer duties may include:
Event set up or take down
Register participants
Pass out t-shirts
Pass out water
Monitor reception area
Stairwell supervision
Cheerleaders
Pass out climber bibs

If you decide to volunteer, please register HERE. Once you have registered you will receive additional information/instructions via email.

Feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions at vreredai@gmail.com. Hope to see you there on the 7th! 🙂

#RAKE Random Act of Kindness Day, Tues 2/17

Happy Random Act of Kindness Day! In case you aren’t aware, Today is #RAKE Day. #RAKE, or Random Acts of Kindness Everywhere, is a movement/nonprofit created by Cleveland native Ricky Smith. RAKE’s objective is to improve the world one random act at a time. Buying lunch for the person in line behind you, shoveling a neighbor’s snow out the driveway, paying a compliment to someone you know is feeling down…all RANDOM acts. You can find more information on the mission of R.A.K.E. HERE. We should all take some time to find the importance in doing something positive for another out of the kindness of our hearts. I personally find it to be a great healing process because it really makes me feel good helping out others (even though I don’t consider my helping of others to be so “random”, but I do a lot of organized/structured Volunteering and that’s just as helpful too).

To celebrate, you can check out the website and purchase select RAKE t-shirts for just $2.17! That’s a pretty good deal in my opinion; I grabbed myself a shirt 🙂 All proceeds go to the R.A.K.E. Fund.

Be sure to take advantage of the sale, and do something Random for another before the day is over! As always, spread the word…:)