Real Stories of how we’re making an impact.
Preventing Violence Against Our Seniors
It is painful to imagine, but violence affects the lives of many seniors.
Bill*, a 79-year-old from Rochester, was being terrorized by his younger live-in girlfriend. He says she often beat him with his own cane, stole his identification, and took his food stamps.
When Robert and Annette Arnold - two people close to Bill - found out about his abuse, they called the police and took Bill into their home. And they didn't stop there. The Arnold's sought help from Lifespan’s Elder Abuse Prevention program, which is funded by United Way's Community Fund. Lifespan’s program works to combat all kinds of abuse, from the physical to the emotional to the financial.
“The Elder Abuse Prevention program has been very helpful,” Robert Arnold said. “Without the advice of Lifespan's staff, we wouldn’t have known where to turn.”
Mistreatment of seniors is more common than it first may seem. Nationally, a U.S. Senate committee has estimated the number of victims at about five million a year.
Art Mason, director of Lifespan’s program, says seniors who don’t have regular contact with neighbors, friends or relatives can be easily isolated by perpetrators, which plays into their nefarious plans.
“It’s very easy to abuse people when they are isolated,” Mason says.
Mason shares the most common perpetrator he sees is a son or daughter of the victim, accounting for half of their cases last year. Often, perpetrators have a problem with addiction or mental illness.
“These situations can erupt into violence or become threatening,” Mason said. “Many of our elder physical abuse victims don’t fight back.”
In Bill’s case, his abuser is out of the picture, and he is in the process of rebuilding his life, as are the 280 other seniors who received help from this initiative last year.
“She hasn’t messed with him,” Annette Arnold said. “But, he’s not out of the woods yet.”
*
Name changed.
Lessons From The Classroom of Life
Sometimes, great lessons are learned outside the classroom.
Kids from Suter Terrace and the surrounding Upper Monroe neighborhood in Rochester have been learning how to get along— and how to choose paths other than violence to resolve their differences.
All summer, they were busy painting the individual pieces of a large three-panel mural, which was installed in the Children’s Garden at Laburnam Crescent in late September.
The Conflict Mural Project was funded in part by a Bank of America neighborhood mini-grant through United Way. In partnership with United Way, the bank offered $125,000 to local not-for-profit organizations and groups for a series of projects to strengthen neighborhoods. The Conflict Mural Project is one of 16 projects funded so far.
The idea for the mural came from kids themselves, stemming from some of the conflicts that had occurred between the kids in the neighborhood, says Joseph Sorrentino, who led the project. The neighborhood kids wanted to use it as a way to work out their problems, and to express themselves through art.
Powerfully, Sorrentino adds, “These kids have learned how to resolve their differences, and not resort to violence.”
SouthWest Area Neighborhood Association
Growing Life From Grief.
In the middle of concrete sidewalks and asphalt parking lots, an oasis beckons next to the SouthWest Community Center in Rochester. Filled with joyful flowers, bulging vegetable plants and young trees and shrubs, the garden serves as a haven not only for passing butterflies and birds, but for the neighborhood kids and their parents as well.
This is the Garden of Life, a project of the SouthWest Area Neighborhood Association (SWAN), which is funded by the United Way Community Fund. The garden, which is used as an outdoor classroom, began as a way for neighborhood children to remember lost friends and relatives, many of whom had their lives cut short through an act of violence. The small remembrance plaques made by the kids are scattered throughout the garden among the flowers.
Some in the neighborhood refer to it as the violence garden, but Eleanor Coleman, who oversees the garden at SWAN, cringes at the phrase.
“We don’t use the ‘v’ word,” Coleman said. “Rather, we want to call it what we want, which is peace and life.”
The kids at SWAN have really taken the garden as their own. Recently, they renamed it from the Good Grief Garden to the Garden of Life. The kids also applied for—and were awarded—a $1,000 grant to spruce up the garden with additional flower beds and benches.
Coleman says the garden also gives the kids opportunities to learn about life cycles, removing negativity and learning forgiveness by working with the plants in the garden.
“They are able to watch how I react—how I forgive—when a plant is injured or killed by a passer-by,” Coleman said. “Even though the plant may be purposely destroyed, we can move on and plant something new.”
Incredible Years Program
Beyond Child’s Play.
Violence is a multidimensional problem. Getting the right start in life can make all the difference for young families.
Kelly DuBoise, a young mother of three children, was referred to the Incredible Years program when she realized she wanted to become an even better parent. After growing up in a troubled household, Kelly wanted to make sure she was breaking the cycle to raise healthy, happy children.
For Kelly, the program re-emphasized for her that positive reinforcement is a critical step in parenting… one that builds self-esteem in children and breaks down any troubling patterns.
Kelly credits the Incredible Years program—which is funded by United Way—for helping her develop her parenting skills even further.
“I’ve learned how to have patience with my kids and how to praise them,” Kelly said.
Goals of the Incredible Years program include reducing child abuse and neglect and improving parenting skills, says Jody Todd Manly, clinical director at Mt. Hope Family Center. The Incredible Years program runs for 12 weeks, teaching parents learn how to set limits, how to use praise for good behavior, and how to engage children in constructive play.
Over the past few years, nearly 700 parents have participated in the program. After completing the program, three out of every four families say they decreased their use of physical punishment, and two-thirds say they now use more appropriate discipline techniques.
Housing Stability
Curbing Violence, One Home at a Time
In the battle to prevent violence and make our neighborhoods more stable, getting people into homes—and avoiding foreclosure—is critical.
“Not only can vacant homes be an eyesore, they can be a magnet for illegal behavior, which is the root of violence,” Alex Castro, from the Housing Council, says.
United Way supports the Housing Council in its efforts to prevent foreclosures. The issue of neighborhood stability is a complex one; however, Castro says home ownership within a neighborhood has an effect on curbing neighborhood violence.
Castro said studies have shown that the more owner-occupied homes there are in a neighborhood, the lower the likelihood is for violence in that neighborhood. According to national benchmarking, vacant homes set the stage for gang activity.
In the past year, through your support of our Community fund, United Way and its partner providers helped nearly 600 families avoid foreclosure. Your support is making a real difference—for families, for neighborhoods, for our community.
United Way has also teamed up with Canandaigua National Bank to give mini-grants through the Urban League HomeStore to help first-time homebuyers purchase homes and, ultimately, stabilize neighborhoods.
Kevin McMahan
NFL hopeful ran to a better life.
Growing up, NFL hopeful Kevin McMahan knew he wanted nothing to do with the violence that menaced his neighborhood. So he ran. At the end of every school day he would take off for the Boys and Girls Club, where he was met by mentors and friends.
As he puts it, “The staff members were like the fathers I never had.” They motivated Kevin, affirming the importance of academics, homework and grades.
United Way’s single largest program investment for children goes into after-school and summer programs. They give nearly 22,000 kids a positive alternative to the streets—especially from 3-9 p.m. when most youth-related crimes are likely to occur.
When kids arrive at after-school programs like those at the Boys & Girls Club, they are required to do homework, spend time in the computer labs, and get help from tutors. They also receive healthy snacks and meals. Too often this is their only consistent source for nutritious food.
After-school programs are just one way you can help us prevent violence and inspire bright futures. Just ask Kevin McMahan.
Essence Coleman
The Essence of Success.
When Essence Coleman takes to the stage, she transforms from being soft-spoken to a remarkable storyteller, confidence oozing as her poetry starts to flow.
That confidence has grown by leaps and bounds over the past year…ever since she joined the Bry Achievement Mentoring Program at Edison Tech, which is funded by United Way.
Through the Bry Program, students facing academic challenges are paired up with mentors. Through this one-on-one support, students find their grades improve and they’re much less likely to get into trouble. In fact, longer-term-students who are not part of Bry are three times more likely to become involved in juvenile crime. Studies have also shown that students in the program are also eight times less likely to drop out of school. It's proof that mentors can make all the difference.
In Essence’s case, she was able to nurture her talent for writing. She became passionate about school again and her grades improved. And, as you’ll see, she’s a polished performer at poetry slam competitions, winning as high as third place in major competitions.
Watch Essence read her award-winning slam poem Says Who. When you watch—know that you keep kids on the right path when you support United Way. You helped Essence find her way.