International Centennial Project Gains Momentum

In response to chapter leadership feedback following the 2010 Annual Meeting in Atlanta, Pioneers Headquarters has been working with Pioneer leaders and members to create the first ever Pioneers International Centennial Project.  This September, we hope you will join in the largest North American-wide project in Pioneers history – Pioneers Dish It Up!  
 
Following months of talking to Pioneers, developing criteria, vetting, and tweaking, we will be coming together to address the issue of food insecurity in our local communities.  Pioneers have been feeding the hungry throughout our history through a variety of projects and programs – and this issue has never been more pressing than it is today.

The goal of this project is to mobilize and unite as many of our 620,000 Pioneers as possible over a two week period in September to help the ever-growing food insecure population across North America. 

There are 49 million “food insecure” people in the United States.  1 of every 4 children is at risk of experiencing hunger.  In Canada, over 800,000 individuals access food banks on a monthly basis.

Food banks have experienced severe shortages for the past few years as charitable giving has declined and more families have needed a helping hand.  

While there are many people doing great things around this issue, our research brought to light some harsh realities about the food being provided to those in need.  For example, many families have to eat highly processed foods that are full of preservatives and lack nutritional value, as that is the only food available at their local food pantry or affordable at their grocery store.  We all know that a healthy diet helps children grow, develop and do well in school and enables people of all ages to work productively and feel their best.  What people eat also can help reduce the risk for chronic diseases and reduce the risk of obesity and high blood pressure.

Pioneers can help address this issue by collecting and donating nutritious food to organizations that provide food, as well as by participating in service projects that help feed those in need.  This builds on the Pioneers history of food drives, working in soup kitchens, and other food projects.

Pioneers Dish It Up will kick off on September 11, 2011, the National Day of Service and Remembrance, with a focus on collecting nutritious, non-perishable food that will go directly to support local food banks and other food service agencies.  The project will wrap up the weekend of September 24-25, 2011 with food being delivered to the recipient organizations as well as the execution of the other service projects that help feed the “food insecure.”

Over 70 chapters/units have already signed up to participate and have even already started talking about ways they might collect the food listed on the recommended donation list including:

• Creating competitions/incentives (i.e. largest individual donation, each bag donated earns a prize, challenge teams to fill a box, etc.)
• Hosting a party with the cost of admission being a bag of food.
• Collecting food at life member luncheons or other Pioneers meetings.
• Asking your friends, family and/or colleagues to skip a meal and donate what they would have spent on food for the donation.
• Inquiring about the opportunity for your place of worship to hold a “reverse collection” where individuals give food in support of the Pioneers food drive rather than their normal cash donation.
• Including food drive information in take-home notices, school newsletters and calendars.
• Notifying your local community centers, churches, libraries, and the media about your event.
• Collecting food at sports events such as high school or college football games, etc.
• Involving fraternities and Sororities – they are often required to do community service and are often looking for service projects.
• Showing short videos such as cartoons or travelogues at lunch and suggest that admission is a few cans of food.
• Handing out donation lists to individuals entering your local grocery store for them to purchase and donate food on the spot.
• Encouraging cash donations.

If you are interested in participating in Pioneers Dish It Up: Feeding Families Healthy Food, call your Chapter President to see if and/or how your unit plans to participate.  If your chapter, council or club does not anticipate participating, please contact Kari Biesendorfer at 303.571.9262 or kbiesendorfer@pioneersvolunteer.org to see how you can get involved.

Have You Read the Centennial Times?

In addition to the weekly Pioneers' Centennial blog, a dedicated Centennial Times email keeps those who have registered their email address with us 'in the know' on all things related to Pioneers' Centennial year.  The current Times email includes highlights from some of completed Centennial grants projects that have taken place so far including:

    AT&T, Alabama Chapter, K!dSpark 

    On April 2nd, a state-wide event was held in Birmingham for 8th, 9th and
    10th grade students and their parents to address the major issues of
    workforce development and parental involvement in student education.  

    After a welcome session with state and local elected officials,
    students explored a variety of career opportunities, learning from
    volunteers representing career options.  Parents and/or adult chaperones
    also chose from a variety of breakout sessions addressing how to help
    students succeed in school, prepare for college or the workplace, as well
    as a number of other issues from personal financial self-reliance to finding
    resources to fund post-secondary education. 

    Event partners included AT&T, AT&T Foundation, AT&T Pioneers, Junior
    Achievement of Greater Birmingham, Mattie C. Stewart Foundation, and
    the City of Birmingham.

Register your email address to receive future Centennial Times emails!

Moments in Pioneers History...The Silver Jubilee

It was November 19, 1936, and the location was… 164 different cities and towns in the U.S. and Canada. The Telephone Pioneers celebrated their 25th anniversary, its Silver Jubilee, by organizing a massive, multi-location meeting with more than 25,000 Pioneers and guests total, all united by a telephone network that followed the events as they unfolded.

Chester Barnard, the association president and president of the New Jersey Bell Telephone Company, gave a rousing speech from Newark, New Jersey, praising the efforts of getting everyone together, despite the fact that they weren’t all in the same place. “Never before in the history of the world has there been such a convocation—continent-wide yet private to ourselves,” he said. “We are assembled at 167 separate gatherings of Pioneers in 164 cities, from St. John, New Brunswick, to San Diego, California; and from Miami, Florida to Edmonton, Alberta.”

The Telephone Pioneers had made a great many changes in those first 25 years, despite the fact that no meetings were held at all during World War I, and some of these changes had a significant impact on how the organization looks today.

In 1921, after the 1920 death of Theodore Vail, who had been the association president every year since 1911, the term of president was limited to one year (although Harry B. Thayer, who took over for Vail, was elected to two separate one-year terms, in 1920 and 1925). Under Thayer’s direction, and at the request of many Telephone Pioneers, the authorization was given to form local chapters, so members could participate in their own communities. In 1922, the first 12 chapters were chartered, and councils were added to the mix in 1930. Life Member classification was established in 1930, with the first Life Member Club formed in Canada’s Charles Fleetford Sise Chapter in 1935.

Centennial Community Grant Program Projects Continues to Ignite Sparks!

As our Centennial year progresses, more Pioneers' Volunteer Community Grant Program funded projects are taking place igniting sparks of volunteerism in communities across North America.

On March 26th, Verizon Pioneers' William J. Denver and Thomas Sherwin chapters participated in  “A Day of Caring” helping veterans and the homeless.  Funding from the Grant Program enabled the Pioneers units to hold four separate events throughout New England benefitting several organizations in Massachusetts and Rhode Island.  More than 50 volunteers sponsored a luncheon or dinner and donated technology, supplies or personal items to organizations helping the homeless and veterans.  

On May 4th, AT&T Pioneers in Georgia announced the “Den Away From Home” project had been completed at the Rosel Fann Recreation Center.  Grant monies awarded from the Grants Program helped fund the remodeling of the Center's community room which will provide a place for youth to come and participate in supervised educational and recreational activities in the summer and after-school. AT&T Pioneers joined New Outlook Pioneers to refurbish the room. The work included remodeling, cleaning, re-painting, carpeting, installing shelving and adding new furniture, to provide for a safe and fun place for youth to socialize.

A total of 21 grants totaling $520,000 were awarded through the Pioneers' Community Grant Program ranging in size from $10,000-$50,000 to support Pioneers' projects commemorating Pioneers' Centennial in communities spanning North America from Texas to New Jersey to Prince Edward Island in Canada.  Stay tuned for more updates on grants projects taking place in Pioneers' Anniversary year and visit VolunteerNow! to find opportunities to volunteer in your local hometown!