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Partnership News

Partnerships Build Strong Communities

Springfield School Volunteers is actively seeking local businesses and organizations to get involved with their Partners in Education Program. To learn more about opportunities, contact Natasha Clark at (413) 787-6655 or clarkn@sps.springfield.ma.us.

Babson Capital continues to give back to SPS
September 2010 - Babson Capital Management, LLC has been busy and we're only a month into the school year. They recently donated school supplies to Homer Street School. (left) Principal Kathleen Sullivan and some of the Homer Street School family accept the much-needed contribution.

In other Babson news, the company was also recognized for their support of Springfield School Volunteers' Read Aloud program. This year the popular program is celebrating 25 years! (left) Martin McDonough, director of Corporate Communications, accepts a 2009-2010 Springfield Partners in Education certificate (designed by School Partner DIF Design) from Read Aloud Coordinator Maureen Moriarty (standing) and SSV Executive Officer Denise N. Cogman.

TD Bank expands relationship with Brunton as new Partner
September 2010 - Assistant Vice President Sandra L. White of TD Bank # 78, located on the corner of Allen and Cooley streets, was more than happy to sign on as Daniel B. Brunton's new School Partner. This year TD Bank kicked-off the year by donating 100 boxes of facial tissue. Flanked by Principal Darcia Milner and Assistant Principal Martha Stetkiewicz, White looks forward to building partnership opportunities.

Play a vital role in our Partners In Education program and claim your slice of the PIE

By Natasha Clark

What happens outside of your company is just as important as what is happening within. We all play a vital

role in determining what type of community we live in. Your employees and consumers make up that community and investing in them and the workforce of tomorrow is a wise decision.

Encouraging community outreach at your company or organization will reap continuous benefits. Employees who volunteer on their employer’s behalf return to the job reinvigorated and fulfilled and allowing your employees to volunteer in a school will have a domino effect. Good schools increase homebuyer interest, graduate employable workers and entrepreneurs who, in turn, create economic advancement and boost career opportunities. It’s a cycle.

Looking for team-building activities? Organize an event for a non-profit, walk for a cure, feed the homeless for the day, lend extra hands to a school event - the ways to get involved are endless. Participating in this capacity allows you to show your employees that you care about the community, your consumers that you care about them and demonstrates what your company is doing to keep the city at its best.

To best serve your community, first learn its needs. Welcome service-oriented organizations and find out their mission. Attend meetings and events where both community and faith-based organizations will be present. Talk to your managers and leadership teams. One of them may already be volunteering or serving on a local board that is working on a current issue in your city or town. You can also send an e-mail to the president of the neighborhood council. These people often work at the ground level, know concerns, contacts and immediate ways you can help.

Don’t be afraid to do what you do best. Your skills may be exactly what is needed somewhere close by. Do you own a PR company? Can you upload a new software program in a heartbeat? Does your business have a free van on a particular day of the week for an hour? Donate your services. If everyone brought their particular resource to the table, imagine what voids could be filled.

Of course we all have busy schedules, deadlines to meet and meetings to keep. Pace your outreach. Get involved in one large event a year, set aside one hour a week and, for those employees who are interested in volunteering, schedule them at various times so many hands aren’t off deck at the same time.

Help build the capacity of the market in your area. There is no better way to shape your company for the future than to train those who will take the helms. Mentoring, internships and externships prepare individuals for their craft in a way that textbooks cannot. Behind every great career is frequently a person who encouraged, inspired or guided it. Be open to taking a person in and showing him the ins and outs of the business. Here are some facts on mentoring according to MENTOR/National Mentoring Partnership:

*Students who meet regularly with their mentors are 52% less likely than their peers to skip a day of school and 37% less likely to skip a class.

* Youth who meet regularly with their mentors are 46% less likely than their peers to start using illegal drugs and 27% less likely to start drinking.

*Mentors can use their personal contacts to help young people meet industry professionals, find internships and locate job possibilities.

*Mentors introduce young people to professional resources and organizations they may not know about.

In the end, it’s all revitalization. You are blowing fresh, focused and inspiring breath into the community. Creating partnerships and avenues for collaboration is a benefit to all of us. We all want our businesses and homes to be located in wonderful communities. Take an active part in making that happen. Like the proverb says, “If you light a lamp for somebody, it will also brighten your path.”

Natasha Clark is a program manager at Springfield School Volunteers. She oversees the Partners in Education program which partners local businesses and organizations with schools in the Springfield Public School system. She may be reached at (413) 787-6655 or clarkn@sps.springfield.ma.us.

Celebrating Another Successful Year!

Students have a hopping good time
April 3, 2010- Super Stop & Shop store #0080 hosted an Easter hunt for their School Partner, Glenwood School. Students had the opportunity to participate in an Easter egg hunt and a variety of other activities including a coloring contest, face painting and a jelly bean count guessing challenge.

(left) A student poses with the "Easter Bunny" while staff members and Glenwood administration handout beverages and snacks.

Photo courtesy of Betsy Hogan

Donation to be raffled at Robotics Event
January 28, 2010 - Lia Sophia Unit Manager Cristie Tracy made a sparkling donation on Thursday. She donated jewelry for John F. Kennedy Middle School's Robotics Event raffle.

The robotics event inspires students to see the fun and possibilities in the fields of science and technology. As the event promotional material reads, "We need to show kids it's more fun to design and create a video game than it is to play it." (left) Principal Clerk Daisy Santos gladly accepts the donation to be raffled off that evening. To learn more about the Robotics Event, click here.
NOTE: Due to weather conditions, Kennedy's Robotics event has been postponed until Thursday, Feb. 4.

Armor helps SSV score new mentors
January 2010 - The Springfield Armor became a Resource Partner to SSV. Thanks to their generosity, flex tickets will be used as a mentoring recruitment incentive.

January is National Mentoring Month and Armor Account Executive Michael Keegan dropped by to deliver the tickets to Judy Donahue (right) who oversees the Mentoring program. Natasha Clark (left) and Judy had worked with closely with Mchael over the last few weeks prior to the donation.

Lego remembers those in need this season
December 2009 - Thanks to Lego, children are warm this winter. The company donated brand new hats, scarves and mittens to SSV to distribute to schools to be shared with students in need.

SSV program managers (left to right) Betsy Hogan, Maria DeAngelis, Judy Donahue, Julia Ortiz and Natasha Clark divided the much-needed supplies to donate to five elementary schools.

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