Friends Mentors Honored at Annual Breakfast

Just showing up is the most important part of what some 200 adults and high school students do each week. They reach out to help children in the Fayette County Public School System who are struggling academically or socially, in danger of failing their grade, or may not graduate from school.

They are volunteers in the school system’s Friends Mentoring Program who were honored for sharing their time and talents with others during the second annual Friends Mentoring Program Appreciation Breakfast.

Over 60 of the school system’s adult and Hi-Teen mentors attended the breakfast. Those in attendance ranged from volunteers who have been involved for multiple years to those who just started the program this year, such as Superintendent Dr. John DeCotis who mentors at the Fayette County Alternative School.

Although this is his first year as a mentor, DeCotis has always recognized the need and value of the program and has been a major supporter. He told the mentors that the time they spend with children is invaluable.

“Even though you are not getting paid, your value is sky high. You cannot save every child, although that is the goal, but your efforts are important to that child you are working with,” he said.

In honor of his approaching retirement, the Friends Mentoring Advisory Board publicly thanked DeCotis for his support over the years and presented him with a Woodruff Arts gift card.

Mentors are required to go through training and an extensive background check before acceptance into the program. They are asked to commitment to working with a student at school for one hour each week. Volunteers work with students, at all grade levels, who have been identified by their counselors as benefitting from a mentor/student relationship. The school obtains parental permission prior to assigning a mentor to a child.

Julius Pryor, a mentor at Fayette Middle and advisory board member, summed up what it means to be a mentor and offered a few words of inspiration.

“Listening, encouraging to be better, caring, showing up, empowering, establishing relationships, all of this is what mentors do to build the confidence students need to be successful” Pryor said as he addressed fellow mentors at the breakfast. “We always sell ourselves short, we think we are not capable of doing things that we can do. We don’t know how powerful or how influential we are. We have the ability to make a difference, the only person holding us back is us.”

The mentoring program relies on volunteers and charitable contributions to operate. Immediate needs include volunteers to mentor middle school students throughout the county and elementary students in Fayetteville. The program can also use tax deductable monetary gifts to cover mandatory finger printing for mentors, mentor/mentee breakfasts, and budget shortfalls in the areas of salaries, supplies, printing, postage and recruitment materials.

If you would like to make a monetary donation, please make your check payable to Fayette County Board of Education, with “Friends Mentoring Program” in the memo line, and mail to Fayette County Board of Education, Friends/Mentor Program, 205 LaFayette Avenue, Building D, Fayetteville, GA 30214.

To learn more about volunteer opportunities through the Friends Mentoring Program, contact Jane Gough at gough.jane@fcboe.org or call 770-460-3990, ext. 255.

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Chamber Collaborates with SCORE to Help Small Businesses

Fayette businesses have a new option for help with everything from writing a business plan to locating available resources to face-to-face counseling. The Fayette Chamber is opening its office to a new SCORE chapter to provide mentoring to new and existing small businesses. And the best news is that the SCORE services are FREE!

SCORE is a national organization of almost 11,000 volunteers in 375 chapters serving over 500,000 clients yearly. The Atlanta Chapter alone has over 75 counselors in 15 offices throughout the metro area. The new Fayette chapter is offering services to Fayette and Coweta businesses.

SCORE counselors will schedule appointments on Fridays from 11 am to 1 pm. Appointments can be made by registering online at www.scoreatlanta.org.

The Chamber’s collaboration with SCORE is part of an on-going effort to provide Fayette businesses with the tools and resources they need to succeed. If you would like more information, contact the Chamber at 770.461.9983 or visit www.FayetteChamber.org.

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Peachtree City Seeking Volunteers

The Development Authority of Peachtree City (DAPC) is a board of volunteers dedicating to fostering the development of new and existing business and industry in Peachtree City by building strong relationships with various development partners, state, and local agencies in a way that stimulates economic growth, broadens the tax base, and enhances the well being of Peachtree City citizens.

The Mayor and Council appoint Development Authority members to 4-year terms. To serve on the Development Authority, applicants must have lived in Peachtree City for at least 6 months. The seven-member board meets on the third Monday of each month, 6:00 p.m., at the Floy Farr Room (lower level of the Library), 210 Willowbend Road.

Applications must be received by 5:00 p.m., Friday, June 5, 2009.

The Peachtree City Tourism Association is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting tourism in Peachtree City. The Tourism Association operates the Peachtree City Visitors Center and manages the Peachtree City Tennis Center.

Applicants must have lived in the City limits for at least six months. Experience in the restaurant or hotel/motel industry and/or financial experience preferred. The Mayor and Council appoint Tourism Association members to 3-year terms. The seven-member Tourism Association board meets on the third Wednesday of each month, 6:30 p.m., at the lower level of the Tennis Center, Classroom # 1, 10 Planterra Way.

Applications must be received by 5:00 p.m., Friday, July 10, 2009.

Applications are available via Employment/Volunteer link on the City’s homepage or at City Hall. Call (770) 487-7657 for more information.

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Looking for Something to do This Summer in Fayette County?

If you're looking for that special something to do this summer and you have a heartfelt desire to make a difference in the lives of others, then the perfect opportunity awaits you at Hospice Advantage.

Hospice Advantage in Fayetteville is seeking volunteers and/or interns to join their team. Volunteers assist families and patients who are living with a life limiting illness. Training is provided. Areas of service include companionship, caregiver relief, community outreach, and office assistance.

If you are interested or would like further information please contact Hospice Advantage Fayetteville at 678-817-4180.

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Friends Mentors Honored at First Annual Breakfast

As mentors signed in at the breakfast, they were handed a small token of appreciation for their volunteerism. Marilyn Hare (L), a reading tutor at Peachtree City Elementary, will start her fourth year with the program in the fall. She is greeted by the school’s counselor and advisory board member, Ruth Cooper.

More than 200 adults and high school students reach out each week to help children who are struggling, academically, socially or both, have a more positive experience in and outside of school.

They are volunteers in the Fayette County School System’s Friends Mentoring Program, and for the first time, their volunteerism was formally honored during a recognition breakfast that is slated to become an annual event.

Over 30 of the school system’s mentors attended the breakfast. Those in attendance ranged from volunteers who just started the program this year all the way up to multiple years of involvement, including the program’s longest serving mentor, Sally Sharkle of Heritage Bank. Sharkle began mentoring in 1994 and works with students at Hood Avenue Primary. She was honored with a special recognition to commemorate her longstanding service to the program.

Mentors are required to go through training and an extensive background check before acceptance into the program. They are asked to commitment to working with a student at school for one hour each week. Volunteers work with students, at all grade levels, who have been identified by their counselors as benefitting from a mentor/student relationship. The school obtains parental permission prior to assigning a mentor to a child.

Mentors spend their time each week helping students with homework, class assignments, or just talking or listening. Sometimes mentors, like Trelawney Bundrage who started the program three years ago at Fayetteville Intermediate, decide with their protégés to continue their relationship from one grade level to the next. Bundrage followed her protégé to Fayette Middle.

“This program has worked so well over the years because it is simple. The commitment is 90 percent just showing up. I want to congratulate all of you on making that commitment,” said Friends Mentor Manager Jane Gough to mentors attending the breakfast.

About a year ago, Gough had the idea of establishing an advisory board to help move the program forward; the recognition breakfast was one of the ideas to come from the board that is made up of business leaders, tutors, counselors and mentors. Other enhancements originated by the board include background and finger print checks for all mentors and an electronic newsletter.

Julius Pryor, a first year mentor at Fayette Middle and advisory board member, summed up what it means to be a mentor.

“We are focused on outcomes and the young people we are working with everyday. We are professionals; we are trained, committed, disciplined, focused and are willing to extend ourselves. We realize we are having an impact and are making a difference in students’ lives. We all get as much out of this as our protégés,” Pryor said as he addressed his fellow mentors at the breakfast.

To learn more about volunteer opportunities through the Friends Mentoring Program, contact Gough at gough.jane@fcboe.org or call 770-460-3990, ext. 255.

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Health Promotion Volunteer Training Program August 23

FL Note: Take a quick stroll down to Griffin and learn about another way to volunteer to help our community. This looks like it could be fun and rewarding.

The Spalding Regional & Henry Medical Centers in collaboration with District 4 Public Health are sponsoring a Health Promotion Volunteer Training Program all day August 23, 2008 at Spalding Regional Medical Center in Griffin.

This workshop will prepare and equip individuals to help others at risk of high blood pressure and diabetes and to be a resource for your church and/or community organization.

This training is a serious endeavor that takes time and commitment. While it takes a dedicated person to be trained to screen individuals and keep a record of this data, it is also a very rewarding task when you realize you are making a positive impact on those around you.

Class size is limited. Registration closes August 1, 2008.

For more information, call Liz at 770-233-2001.

Promise Place Holds Volunteer Orientation at Library

Promise Place, the council on domestic violence that serves over 1,000 women and children each year in Fayette, Spalding, Pike and Upson counties is in need of volunteers. A volunteer orientation will be held on Saturday, June 28th from 10am-1pm at the Flint River Library in Griffin located at 800 Memorial Drive.

There are many different ways that you can help support our mission and keep our organization thriving; helping with fundraisers, working one-on-one with victims who need support, childcare while the mothers are in classes or support groups, helping in the office, being involved with the youth education programs about teen dating violence, giving support to the clients while in court, providing transportation for the shelter residents to their appointments locally, helping to maintain the shelter and much more.

For more information or to register call the Volunteer Coordinator at 770-719-3486. For more information about Promise Place and their programs for victims of domestic violence call 770-460-1604.

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School’s Out, Piedmont Fayette Hospital’s In

While some students are spending their summer perfecting their video game skills or hitting the pool, others are getting hands-on experience in the healthcare field. More than 135 local teens are committing their summer vacation time to Piedmont Fayette Hospital Auxiliary’s Youth Volunteer Program. More than 40 of these youth volunteers have returned from last year.

“The youth that apply for our program are without exception a remarkable group,” said Sallie MacGregor, president of Piedmont Fayette Hospital Auxiliary. “When you review their applications you cannot help but be impressed by the array of community, church and school leadership roles each has contributed. They certainly represent the very best of today’s youth, which in turn is an investment in our future.”

Many students applied for this opportunity, making it the tenth year that the Hospital Auxiliary has seen such excitement about the program. The youth are volunteering in 21 service areas at Piedmont Fayette Hospital allowing them to explore the various aspects of the healthcare field. The eight-week program includes a hospital orientation, CPR training, an opportunity to attend a state youth volunteer conference and day-to-day shadowing experiences with PFH employees.

Students in the PFHA Youth program must be between 14 and 18 years of age, submit an application and essay on why they want to volunteer, provide a letter of reference and be able to commit a minimum of 25 hours over the summer. These students from Fayette, Coweta, Clayton, Fulton and Spalding counties attend public and private schools as well as attend home school.

The Piedmont Fayette Hospital Auxiliary is a 274-member team that provides volunteer services to the hospital. Last year, the Auxiliary donated more than 30,000 hours of volunteer time to the hospital. If you would like more information regarding volunteer opportunities, please call 770-719-7098.

Another First for Fayette County

Fayette County is the first community in Georgia to launch an older adult volunteer leadership program. It is being funded by the Georgia Department of Community Affairs, Hands on Georgia, the Community Foundation, Clothes Less Traveled and Almquist Hansen, LLC.

This non- profit community based program is under the auspices of FACTOR, the Fayette Alliance Coordinating Teamwork, Outreach and Resources.

According to Becky Smith, the executive director of FACTOR, the program is designed to provide active, community spirited older adults with the opportunity to learn more about their community; the important issues and challenges it faces; identify the primary community needs and determine how they can become involved and make a difference by helping to shape Fayette’s future.

Encore! Fayette is patterned after a number of other highly successful programs being operated around the country. Tom Hamall, the organizer of the program, has been involved in establishing other senior and traditional leadership programs in Florida and Ohio. He also served on the board of Leadership Atlanta when he was president of the metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce.

Hamall noted that today’s older citizens are very different from their parents. Their life span is longer and good health generally continues for 20 years after retirement. For many there is now time to get involved in community.

Fayette County has over 15,000 sixty five plus seniors. That number will grow to over 45,000 by 2030. Smith pointed out that these seniors represent a vast and often untapped wealth of experience. “We want to bring together a number of like- minded citizens to learn more about the community, gain new skills, explore new interests and become involved. That is why the acronym “Encore” has given to the program, because its goal is to engage retirees in Enriching and Nurturing Community by Offering their Resources and Experiences to improve the quality of life through civic participation.

Seniors will be recruited to participate through a variety of means including churches, senior centers, civic and social clubs, corporate human resource departments, the local media and other means.

The program will be conducted through a series of sessions over a 10 week period during the months of September, October and November. It is designed to provide participants with knowledge about the history, background, current status and future direction of the County and its municipalities, as well as the current and future programs and needs of its public and private organizations and agencies. It will also showcase the opportunities for volunteer involvement at all levels.

The program components will be presented by a cross-section of government, civic, corporate and non- profit organization officials and staff members.

Interested individuals and organizations can learn more about Encore; arrange for a presentation and receive applications for participation by calling FACTOR at 770-716-2797 or go to the soon to be opened web site at www.encorefayette.org.

History Buffs Wanted at the Holliday-Dorsey-Fife Museum

The Holliday-Dorsey-Fife (HDF) Museum will offer two docent training classes on Sat., March 8 and March 15 from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. This training is for anyone interested in becoming a part of history. Not only will you receive exhibit training, but you will hear entertaining stories about the people and places in Fayetteville.

The training includes a workbook and stories about our seven exhibit rooms including the Family Room from which the Museum is named, The War Between the States Room and Fayetteville’s participation in it, The Gone With the Wind Room and Margaret Mitchell’s ties to Fayetteville, The Fayette County Room that tracts Fayetteville’s colorful timeline, The 1800’s Bedroom, the recently dedicated Veteran’s Room and a special rotating exhibit room which currently features the largest Gerber baby food collection.

The HDF Museum is a Greek revival antebellum house built in 1855. Learn about the local ties between Doc Holliday and Gone With the Wind and why Across the street, the Museum offers tours of the Historic City Cemetery where Margaret Mitchell’s great grandparents are laid to rest.

The Museum is searching for people interested in history, museum preservation or community service. The training will be conducted by City Historian and House Manager John Lynch and Debi Riddle, Museum Coordinator. For more information or to register for one of the docent training classes please call 770-716-5332 or email jlynch@fayetteville-ga.gov.

Fayette Volunteers

Keeping up with the Fayette Front Page puts me in constant contact with so much that is good in Fayette County. I'm continually amazed at how many are giving so much throughout the county.

Lately I've been attending some of the Board of Education meetings and have been at all of the elementary school redistricting meetings. I see the press releases sent out by the very able Melinda Berry-Dreisbach from the BOE. So many involved parents. So many teachers giving much more than their obligatory hours. Even the kids are out there volunteering!

When I get discouraged by the news I read and hear, I simply have to open my inbox. It's always chocked full of good news! Today's inbox brought news of the upcoming Memory Walk (Alzheimer's), the Fayette Samaritans, two new businesses who are partnering with local schools, the Daughters of the American Revolution's ongoing educational efforts... the list goes on and on.

I'm humbled by all the good. It makes me want to find ways to stretch myself just a little bit more so I can do just a little more. If you volunteer, if you're involved in your children's lives, if you teach a Sunday School class, if you're going to walk to support a cause, you need to pat yourself on the back!