[Phipsi-l] A Note From Ron

[Ransom, Ronald]

Dear Brothers,

I hope all is going well for each of you this holiday season. I wanted to drop you a line regarding a newspaper article that I was reading today and its correlation with one of my greatest concerns with the chapter.  I have included it in its entirety below. The holiday season is usually the time of year when many think of giving back and helping one another. I personally believe it is the time of year that we recognize the struggle of others because it is difficult to imagine life "without" the people and things that are important to us.  While our contributions and support during this time of year are obviously appreciated, we are often challenged to support those in need throughout the remainder of the year.

I know that I have discussed with many of you the value of your membership in Phi Kappa Psi. I know that I have also mentioned the added benefit that contributing to local non-profits and people in need can help to enhance that experience. If there is one area that I believe we have struggled in, it is service to our community. Sure, we've collected some cans and we give a few dollars to run in a 5K, eat some pancakes, or participate in a philanthropy event, but what have we really done to give back to our community? Can you truly say that your experience as a member of Phi Kappa Psi has made a noticeable impact in Athens and the surrounding community? How has your contribution to the community impacted the way that you see the world around you?

Phi Kappa Psi as an organization that is dedicated to "the great joy of serving others". As a chapter, we should be no different. As a member of Phi Kappa Psi, you have dedicated your life to being mindful and supportive of those in need. If giving back to the community does not interest you, you have sadly mistaken one of the greatest purposes of our organization and will likely never experience the true benefits of being a member of this Fraternity. In order to establish a strong culture of community service, we must begin to expect to be involved in the community on a regular basis. These expectations should be the same as your expectations to have socials, brotherhood events or recruitment activities. How would you feel if we failed to have ANY social events during a quarter?

You have regularly expressed your desire for strong members. You want people who will perform in the classroom, provide a strong social atmosphere for the chapter, and uphold the values and beliefs of our organization. Our actions will always have a direct correlation with how our members develop and move this organization forward. The direction of Phi Kappa Psi at Ohio University is up to you. While it is the responsibility of our Community Service/Philanthropy chairman to plan events, it is your responsibility to expect them to happen and attend them when they do.

I hope that we can each find it in ourselves to step it up during the next year and give the time to lend a helping hand to those in need, just as we would hope others would do for us in our time of need. Enjoy your friends and family over break. I look forward to seeing all of you back in Athens in January.

"We make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give."
<http://www.quotationspage.com/quote/2236.html>Sir Winston Churchill


Amici,


Ron

Community Center falling on cold, hard times
By Megan Workman
[http://www.athensnews.com/ohio/imgs/media.images/575/COVER_nelsonville_center_cc.nar.jpg] <http://www.athensnews.com/ohio/imgs/media.images/575/COVER_nelsonville_center_cc.widea.jpg>
Photo Credits: Cayce Clifford
Photo Caption: Hunter Bentley, center, reaches for an extra piece of bread during one of the weekly children’s activities at the Nelsonville Community Center.
As winter approaches and temperatures remain below freezing, the Nelsonville Community Center faces a number of negative obstacles that its operators are trying to overcome. On top of financial struggles, the center’s furnace went out last week.
“It’s really cold in here,” confirmed Rhonda Bentley, director of the Community Center. “Our building is an old building… We’re having trouble getting (the furnace) fixed.”
With no heat, the center had to cancel programs it had planned last Friday. Bentley said that while someone is scheduled to look at the furnace, this is the second time it has broken down. She added that the winter season adds major complicating issues to keeping the center open because the utility bills go “sky high.”
In July 2009, the Nelsonville Community Center started as a private non-profit after Athens County Children Services lost state funding for the center and couldn’t support it any longer. Bentley decided to continue running the center on her own.
“I’ve done it for seven years, and I felt the services we were providing were too important and necessary for the community to let it go,” Bentley explained. “It couldn’t go away.”
There are no paid employees at the center – seven regular volunteers dedicate their time daily to help run the center and its activities. Even as the director, Bentley doesn’t get paid either. Through Ohio’s Work Experience Program (WEP), about four workers help at the center, along with juvenile offenders who complete their community service requirements by volunteering.
When managed by Athens County Children Services, the center focused more on children’s needs; they had mandates for what they could and couldn’t do, according to Bentley. The community center is now able to provide more for the elderly and for those who don’t have children.
The Nelsonville Community Center hosts a Friday free lunch every week. Anywhere from 50-130 people attend the free lunch, which relies strictly on donated foods. The center also provides food boxes to families that will last them three to four days.
“We’ll feed anybody as long as we have the food to feed them,” Bentley said. “Somehow, we’ve never had to turn anybody away that needed food. It might not be the best meals in the world, but they’ll never go hungry.”
The community center also features a “free store” – people donate material items to the center, and it, in turn, offers the items free to anyone in the community. Items range from household materials to clothes, coats and shoes. About 100 people a day use the free store, Bentley said.
Because the center provides so much for free, donations are its number-one source of income. Bentley said they could always use donations of goods, food and money. The center also pays the bills by selling used furniture donated by community members. Furniture donated to the Community Center is cleaned up and sold to anyone interested – but not for more than $50, to make it affordable to people.
“Sometimes we sell stuff that is really worth way more… but my rule is we sell nothing over $50. People get some really good deals sometimes,” Bentley said. “We use that money to help pay the utilities.”
A final source of income, and also a service provided to the community, is the specific grants aimed toward children aged 8-18. “Girl Power,” “Power Pals” and “Guy Time” are after-school and summer programs that provide lessons on self-esteem, social skills and drug and alcohol prevention. The grant money helps pay for materials and curriculum but also day-to-day operations at the center.

WHILE THE NELSONVILLE COMMUNITY Center is struggling financially, Bentley said, applying for more grants isn’t an option.
“Right now we’re programmed out,” she said. “I really can’t add any more programming.”
The center is paying its bills, but sometimes they aren’t on time. Fortunately for them, Bentley said, those whom they do owe money to know that the center will pay up eventually.
The main cause of the Community Center’s current financial struggles is the consequences of its devotion to assist those during the recent tornado and related storms that blew through Athens County on Sept. 16, destroying dozens of homes. Victims of the weather disaster, many of them families who use the Community Center, relied on the center to provide meals, furniture and support to get back on their feet. In one month the center spent $2,500 on food alone.
They gave away a lot of furniture, Bentley added, because she couldn’t charge somebody for a bed who didn’t have a place to sleep.
“We helped probably way more than we should have, and it took a lot of money,” Bentley admitted, though she added, “In hindsight, I would probably do it again.”
Even though the center is struggling financially, Bentley expressed optimism about the center’s future. A pool table was donated three weeks ago, increasing the number of teenagers who use the facility. Bentley reflected on the fact that it’s a safe, accepting and comfortable place to spend time without trouble or drugs.
“I’ve only had positive (feedback) from other businesses around us. They tell me vandalism is down on the (public) square,” Bentley said.
Fundraising opportunities are in the works. The Community Center is running the Nelsonville skating rink with all of the profits going to the center. Also, they’re gift wrapping every Thursday from 5-7 p.m. at the center and hosting a “best-dressed pet” contest on Dec. 18, with all of the profits benefiting the center.
Bentley encourages anyone with ideas or suggestions to contact her or stop in to share their knowledge of what can be done to help the Nelsonville Community Center survive and continue helping the community. To offer suggestions, donations or to get involved call the Nelsonville Community Center at 740-753-4100 or visit Monday-Thursday, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. and Friday 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.

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