Here’s the first agency in conjunction with this whole continuing the ‘process’ campaign that I’d like you to meet. It’s the Woodlands Foundation. They’re doing a lot of really great things for people with disabilities in the North Hills.

PayPal me or e-mail me (or just read here) to find out how to donate. I’m accepting donations until December 20.

Let’s show Pittsburgh Cares that Pittsburgh cares!

The Woodlands Foundation:
Summer camp with an extra special twist

The agenda for a day of summer camp sounds pretty standard: Swimming, building birdhouses, music instruction, with maybe a little basketball thrown in just for fun.

But summer camp is anything but normal for campers at the Woodlands Foundation, which hosts both youth and adult campers with special needs ranging from chronic illness to mental or physical disabilities.

The Foundation also hosts weekend retreats, social gatherings, and wellness and fitness activities throughout the year.

“A lot of times, there’s not a lot of activities out there for people in wheelchairs,” said Jill Antosz, the Foundation’s manager of staffing and volunteers. “Some of the younger campers attend a typical school and don’t get to see other kids with disabilities. It’s nice for them to get together so they can see that they’re not alone.”

Antosz said the facility, located in the Wexford area, hosts age-specific weeklong summer camp opportunities for kids, youth, and adults, aimed at a wide variety of interests. For some of the older youth, the camp hosts a sports camp, a creative arts camp, and a music camp, each of which enroll 48 campers per week. The adults can learn independent living skills or attend a sports camp of their own.

“We like to bring in local talent to our camps,” Antosz said. “Some of our music instructors are from local colleges. We had a concert with a professional violinist at one of our music camps. And our sports camp is named after (former Pittsburgh Pirate great) Bill Mazeroski.”

While most of the camp’s staff is paid, due to the extent of the personal and hygiene needs of the campers, the volunteers that help out really have an opportunity to make an impact.

“A lot of our sports camp volunteers become referees,” Antosz said. “Some are in there pushing wheelchairs across the grass. Or they might be helping them when playing baseball, catching the ball and handing it to the camper who can then throw it to second base. Music camp volunteers help keep the beat or assist in playing the tambourine.”

And while it isn’t cheap for a family to send a special-needs camper to camp – Antosz said the average cost is $200 per week per camper – the Foundation offers assistance, takes sponsorships from area businesses, and does everything in its power to help campers enjoy a week of fun.

“We never turn families away,” Antosz said. “Obviously our operations cost is more than 200 dollars per week, but we try to not put a financial burden on the families. … The kids and adults love it. They make new friends and meet new people every summer. It’s their little home away from home.”

]]> https://cornerpress.wordpress.com/2009/11/20/process-part-one/feed/ 0 carla swank Woodlands Foundation https://cornerpress.wordpress.com/2009/11/18/continuing-the-process/ https://cornerpress.wordpress.com/2009/11/18/continuing-the-process/#comments Wed, 18 Nov 2009 19:36:17 +0000 http://cornerpress.wordpress.com/?p=393 Last December, I was really excited to have been elected as the Signature Event chairperson for Pittsburgh Young Professionals.

The task that was put before me was to organize a gala-type event to raise money for both a Pittsburgh-area nonprofit and the PYP scholarship fund.

I was excited because planning an event that could help others was something I really wanted to do. Last year, PYP planned a gala event in just six weeks, and it ended up raising more money than we could have anticipated.

And I had a whole year to put mine together. It was going to be fabulous.

I made a connection with Pittsburgh Cares way back in February, which is a fantastic organization that helps connect volunteers with nonprofit organizations in the Pittsburgh area. They agreed to be our partners in the event. My excitement grew.

I got to know more about the organization and some of the nonprofits they work with. Pittsburgh Cares selected five agencies that they partner with (The Woodlands Foundation, South Hills Interfaith Ministries, Global Links, The Bradley Center, and GTECH) to be our event partners, and the proceeds from the event would be earmarked for those five agencies for very specific needs.

I got to know these five agencies quite well. I believe in each and every one of their efforts. And I even spent a day volunteering at one of them, again realizing how much good is really happening in and around Pittsburgh.

The gala event was planned for October 16 at the Pittsburgh Glass Center, and we named it “The Pittsburgh Process.”

We had a ton of support from the community, including guest bartenders like PittGirl (erm, Ginny) and Jim Lokay and Bill Peduto. We had great donations from a multitude of area businesses for our silent auction and food offerings. The Pittsburgh Glass Center was generous enough to donate its entire building to us for the event, free of charge … and it was a fabulous space, at that. DJ Mike Mason offered his services for the evening, also free of charge.

It looked like everything was coming together.

It was a whirlwind night and I was exhausted afterwards, despite having the support of an awesome event committee of five fantastic young women, all of whom went above and beyond the call of duty time and time again. I am being very literal when I say that the event would not have happened without them.

I was congratulated afterwards on the event’s success.

The problem was, however, that no matter how well the event came off, it wasn’t really a success. The goal of the event was to raise money. And well, due to certain situations and politics and consistent frustrations and lack of support that I’d rather not get into right now, we didn’t raise very much money at all.

And so, in my eyes, “The Pittsburgh Process” was not and never will be considered a success, no matter how much fun was had. The point of the night wasn’t fun. The point of the night was to raise money and awareness for some good causes that deserve our attention and support.

That’s where I need your help.

Technically, I’m the chairperson of the committee and the event until December 31. That means there’s still time to fix this … raise some money and make a nice donation to the fantastic folks at Pittsburgh Cares.

The Pittsburgh social media community is fantastic. And I know we’ve been raising a lot of money lately, helping Burgh Baby with the wildly successful Christmas Crazy campaign (which I just donated $15 to today, after I thought I had done it last week but realized the payment never went through) and Abby’s organization of the upcoming food drive and Steelers tailgate party on December 6.

I know it’s a lot asking for you to come through again. But Pittsburgh Cares is an organization that deserves to know that, well, Pittsburgh DOES care.

So … I will collect donations, no matter how large or small, until December 20. You can either send them to my PayPal account (choose Personal, then Gift), actually give me the donation in person, or e-mail me and ask for my snail mail address and mail it to me by check.

My e-mail is carla.swank@gmail com. That’s also the e-mail my PayPal is linked up with.

I will continually update our progress here … as well as tell you a little bit about each of the five partner agencies that I got to know so well. I interviewed someone from each of the agencies prior to the event and wrote a short article about each, so our PYP membership could get to know them better before the event. I feel like the words I wrote fell on deaf ears, so I’m going to reprint them here, one at at a time for the next week or so. Once you get to know these places, you’ll understand why I’m so passionate about finishing the job I was appointed to do. (And … if someone wants to help me set up a better way to collect donations via PayPal, please get in touch with me!)

If you are unable to financially contribute (and that’s OK!), consider signing up at the Pittsburgh Cares Web site to volunteer at one of these agencies’ locations. Signing up to volunteer is simple … and free.

But I would love nothing more than on December 30 to be able to walk into the Pittsburgh Cares’ offices and hand them a check, showing them that Pittsburgh really does care.

Because time and time again, the Pittsburgh social media community has definitely proven that it does. And that’s why I love you guys.

Ten years ago this week, I moved in to what was then Robert Morris College to begin a week of camp with what was then known as the C-Jam Blues Band.

I carried my stuff, with the help of my parents, into my second-floor room in Monroe and barely had time to get settled before scurrying off to meet my new bandmates.

Mike was one of the first people I met. I seem to remember meeting him out in the parking lot near our respective dorms as we were lugging things up the stairs. That might not be accurate though. But, no matter how we met, to this day, Mike is still one of my very best friends.

At rehearsal, I met another soon-to-be friend, Patti, who would turn out to be my roommate for the next three years.

In the next upcoming weeks, I met so many more people that I couldn’t even try to list them all here. I met fellow students, some in the band but most at the Academic Media Center (TV station), who became confidants, career changers, and mentors … and some who were all three.

I had good times and bad times … and some of those times that you simply can’t explain when you’re the producer of a live weekly sports highlight TV show. There were production meetings and brownies and the occasional throwing of things in the control room or the occasional breaking of chairs in the offline editing room.

There were incredibly late Sunday nights / Monday mornings at Kinkos working on the school’s sports newsletter.

There was laughter and tears … and the overflowing of a dishwasher with lots of sudsy bubbles after the other roommate unknowingly poured regular dish soap into the dispenser before running it.

There was learning the hard way that when you wash a red shirt with your favorite jeans, you end up with pink jeans.

There were more late-night pizza calls to Hometown than I care to remember.

There was sledding down the North Athletic Complex hill … and the day we all got stuck in our apartment because the snow slid off the roof and blocked the doorway.

There was September 11. There was a documentary about it. There were countless road trips and hours of footage and days upon days upon days of editing as we all tried to cope with what had just happened.

The college grew up and changed into a university, and we all struggled with how funny it sounded to say RMU instead of RMC.

We grew up. We changed. And we all struggled with what that really meant and what life in the so-called “real world” was all about.

A lot of people would argue that they’d do anything to go back to their high school days. Not me. I’d do anything to go back to my college/university days. It was the best time of my life. It was the worst time of my life.

And I wouldn’t change a thing about it.

Even ten years later.

I miss being a full-time journalist.

There. I said it.

___

I was sitting at home last night absolutely glued to the TV as the tragic events were unfolding at the LA Fitness center in Collier Township.

The interviews were heartbreaking. The chaos and uncertainty were tangible. Even some of the TV reporters and anchors, who are usually stoic (or at least good actors at being stoic), were struggling to hold themselves together.

And while I was very thankful that I wasn’t still a reporter in the business and dispatched to a scene like that, I will admit that I missed being a part of a breaking news scenario.

I don’t mean that in a morbid way. Covering senseless events like last night’s shooting was always incredibly difficult and part of the reason, honestly, that I left the business in the first place.

As I was watching, I immediately flashed back to some of my more difficult reporting moments. Walking through Ground Zero just one month after Sept. 11, 2001. Watching a woman being extracted from her vehicle in a horrific accident, airlifted from the scene from a helicopter that landed right on the highway. Horrible things that I hope I never, ever see again.

But during my days as a copy editor and page designer, it was tragedies or breaking news events like this that pulled those of us manning the fort in the newsroom together as a team. During the first round of massive flooding in the region in 2004, people who weren’t even scheduled to work that night came in to lend a helping hand, reading stories, assisting in writing headlines, answering phones, and/or proofreading pages. We rallied together as a team, trying to make sense of a crazy situation, helping anyone else in the room that needed help.

And true, while putting together written words and photos about a horrible situation may seem trivial, for me at least it seemed to provide a sense of trying to help. It may not have been much, but if my efforts could help describe what happened in a way to help others make sense of the situation in their own minds, then I felt like my efforts had been worthwhile.

It’s also why my night-side newsroom colleagues are still some of my very best friends. We went through a lot together, not nearly as tragic as last night’s happenings, but a lot of chaotic moments. We witnessed each other’s frustration, confusion, and occasional tossing of the stylus.

Last night was frustrating for me. I wanted to help. I wanted to make sense of the situation. But all I could do was watch it on TV. And pray.

___

The other problem with being a former full-time journalist is my incessant need to channel flip in breaking news situations.

I got home last night after the extended coverage was well underway. And while it’s not usually my custom to offer public commentary, there were a couple of things that really jumped out and struck me and are worth noting.

* After multiple channel flips, I ended up watching a lot of coverage from WTAE. And while reporters who feign emotion in situations like this usually come across as contrived, I can honestly say that the surprise and the concern shown by reporter Shannon Perine on the scene seemed extremely genuine. For once it was nice to see a reporter not only be concerned, but show that concern on TV. Thanks, Shannon, for showing your human side.

* It’s true that I tend to watch KDKA. And while I wasn’t crazy about their coverage last night, I will say this. KDKA’s staff was the only group last night that appeared to be functioning as a team. Sending your weather and sports staffs to hospitals to cover situations like this isn’t ideal. It’s better to have an experienced reporter in those types of things. And while Jeff Verszyla’s live shots weren’t stellar, and Bob Pompeani’s cell phone was having issues, I give both of them a ton of credit for getting thrown into an uncomfortable position but helping the station as a whole. Likewise, morning traffic reporter Jim Lokay did a fine job manning a post for a live shot this morning as well. It’s this kind of teamwork and ad libbing that I so desperately miss.

___

So, yes. I miss being a full-time journalist. I miss the camaraderie, the bonding together when times get tough and rallying as a team in crisis situations.

But I don’t miss stories like last night, which serve as a reminder as to how fragile and short life really is. Tell those you love how much you love them.

My thoughts and prayers will continue to surround those who have been affected by this tragedy.

** Photo courtesy Robertas Pezas, dreamstime.com.

I left work the other day, en route to my local travel agency to pick up a walking map of New York City. I’m headed there on Saturday for the first time in about seven years or so. I’m taking my Mom with me, and I’m super excited about the trip. While we’ve each done our fair share of respective research on all the sights and sounds we want to take in on our excursion (it’s my sixth trip to the Big Apple or so, but it’s my Mom’s first), I thought having a walking map in hand during the trip would be a good idea.

So, off I went. Except I never got there.

My car died on the way. That was more than 24 hours ago. I still don’t have my car. Or a map. And I leave for NYC in about 30 hours.

As I mentioned several days back, I finally earned that ever-so-elusive master’s degree a couple of weeks ago. The last semester wasn’t fun. It was a lot of writing, a whole heck of a lot of reading, and a lot of juggling multiple schedules to get all the homework and assignments turned in on time. But, I made it.

And, as weird as it may seem, with as stressful as the whole process was, I actually enjoyed the grad school experience. I loved researching in an emerging academic field. I loved writing my capstone article, which I’m still tweaking in hopes of getting it published later this year.

So while it was very rewarding to walk across that stage and have that blue and gold hood draped over my shoulders, it also left me in a place that I haven’t been in a long time.

I have my degree. It’s all done. So, now what?

It’s been a very strange several days. I feel somewhat empty inside, or at least somewhat confused. What’s next? Is there a next? Should I just take a break? Should I move forward? But where’s forward?

The even more confusing part? I can’t answer any of those questions. So, while I’m still going about my daily routine, albeit a bit differently for the next several days without a car, I’m constantly questioning what the big picture really has in store.

All I want is a map. Really.

(Photo courtesy smaginnis11565’s Flickr photostream.)

It’s been quite a journey.

Thousands of pages read. Hundreds of pages written.

But on Saturday, the day finally arrives. I’ll receive my master’s degree. Grad school is officially over.

Which can only mean one thing.

I’m back on the blog.

It feels good to be home. I missed you all.

And yes, the first update will be to eliminate the snow from the header. I promise.

More to come next week …

(Photo courtesy Robert Morris University.)

Snow is fun. But this … umm … stuff … isn’t. It left the roads a mess.

The road crews tried to stay ahead of it. I know … because I heard the plows pass my bedroom window multiple times in the middle of the night. They woke me up a couple of times, which was a good thing. Turns out, the power had gone out.

As I walked outside to take pictures this afternoon, I heard a deadening thump, looked up, and saw the driver of the SUV safely parked at the stop sign about a block away get out of his vehicle to talk things over with the driver of the other SUV who slid into him trying to stop. Looked like it was a minor thing. Par for the course for the day.

But, you do have to admit, if you didn’t have to drive anywhere today, it was kind of pretty out there.

First, the obvious. Another redesign. But I’m happier with this one, after I finish up some minor tinkering. Methinks it will stay like this for a while.

meteorologists = fail:

I’m not going to lie. I was actually kind of excited when all the meteorologists in the area said we were going to get three to six inches of snow today. That’s almost, like, real snow.

I grew up in the snow belt, in northwestern Pa., where the words “three to six” didn’t (and still don’t) even cause anyone to flinch. Most times school runs on time. No one panics. They just carry on with their lives, albeit a little bit slower out on the town’s roads. Down here? Three to six is cause for special reports, and all those same meteorologists working overtime on an early Saturday morning.

Usually a forecast like that would make me shiver. While I’m used to that much snow, I really hate driving in it. But I had nowhere to go this weekend. So, I was all ready to hunker down, do some reading and some cleaning, some writing and some planning, with a little bit of apartment cleaning in there just for good measure.

Except the snow never came. We got … an inch. And a bunch of rain/snow/sleet/freezing rain crap, enough to make the day cold, wet and miserable. Not cold, snowy and fun.

Seriously? I think meteorologists did a much better job forecasting the weather when they didn’t have all this new technology. At least that’s the way I remember it. Maybe I was just too young and disillusioned.

football roundup:

So, since I was conspicuously absent during the most wonderful time of the year (that’s college football bowl season for those of you not “in the know”), here are my takes, if you care:

* USC is good. Really good. They destroyed my Nittany Lions in quite impressive fashion. Credit to the kids in blue for fighting back in the second half … but, wow.

* Sun Bowl = The most boring college football bowl game in history. And also, quite possibly, the worst announcing job in history.

* Alabama = overrated. Utah = underrated.

* Florida as the national champion? Ehh. I don’t know. After watching all that football, the game I’d really like to see is Utah vs. USC. Now that’s a bowl game. And a national championship game as far as I’m concerned. Florida wasn’t dominant. Oklahoma looked confused. Texas needed a spectacular two-minute drill to beat the Buckeyes. But Utah and USC were dominant. If I had a vote, they’d be No. 1 and 2, respectively.

spoiled:

So, in lieu of watching snow that isn’t falling, I grabbed my reading for class and walked down to Starbucks this afternoon, where I listened to a group of young teen girls on a cell phone, trying to convince their mother that instead of staying at home that night for some sort of party, they should be allowed to go to a friend’s house instead.

“We’d be really bored,” the girl pleaded. “We don’t want to ruin the party for you.”

From what I could tell, the mom said no, and the reasoning had something to do with studying.

OK, so the pleading was annoying. And quite whiney. But beyond that, why mention it? Because it reminded me how spoiled kids that live in my neighborhood really are. Parents throwing fancy hob-knob parties and requiring their kids to be there to show them off like the family heirlooms, then banishing them into the back room to study?

I’m so glad I didn’t grow up that way.

Ahh … so it’s a new year, huh? Oh, it’s been a new year for more than a week already? Really?

I guess I got a little carried away with the holidays this year. But I think that’s a good thing. I spend almost a whole week … yes, a whole week! … relaxing over Christmas with family and good friends, the various family pets, and a whole lot of Grandma’s pastries, being spoiled and feeling very loved.

But the whole thing kind of came and went in a blur … I’m now right back in the midst of doing homework for my first grad class of the semester next week … and it’s time to get back to, umm, reality.

Which, for some, includes making lists and resolutions for the new year.

Let me state the obvious. I’m glad my resolution didn’t have anything to do with this site. Fail.

But, at the request of a friend, who also happens to be a local community reporter, I was asked to write a New Year’s resolution … in 250 words or less. So, always up for a writing challenge, I took it on … and submitted about five hours after the initial e-mail request was sent to me.

The problem? No one else who received that e-mail replied, the reporter told me yesterday. So my little resolution will never see the light of newsprint.

So, I’ll do the next best thing. I’ll publish it myself. Here.

MY NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTION

Usually I would be among those resolving to eat healthier or exercise more frequently, but, like most, my ambition usually falls flat within the first couple of weeks. So, in 2009, I’ve decided to make a different kind of New Year’s resolution. 

This year, I resolve to take less for granted.

I have wonderful family and friends who I don’t see or talk to nearly enough.  I have the opportunity to do things that I love – play music and write. I live and work in a beautiful village with so much to offer that I tend to just walk right past on my way to another activity.

This year, though, I’m going to try to take the time to tell people how much they mean to me and to say “thank you” more often. I’m going to savor the little things in life, like feeling the warmth of the sun on my face or watching the snow gently fall outside my window. Or like having a roof over my head and food on the table every day.

As a student in graduate school who also works full-time, my life is very busy. Time management is key for my survival at this hectic pace. But, being busy and hectic shouldn’t be an excuse for forgetting about how fortunate I am. 

And that’s why I’m going to try to make that a higher priority in 2009.

That … and eating healthier and exercising more. (Hey, it’s still worth trying, right?)

And … it’s exactly 250 words. Ha.

Anyhow, I do resolve to maybe do a little more writing, especially this weekend with the alleged snow expected to fly. I’ve had a bunch of posts in my mind that I really, really want to write. I just simply haven’t gotten there yet. Hopefully, though, this little site won’t go quiet again anytime soon.

But no promises.

The concept is to write 16 random things about yourself that people might not know. Then you’re supposed to send it to 16 people and they’re supposed to write 16 things … and the chain goes on.

I’m going to write here. More than 16 people will see this. (I hope.) If you feel like playing along, please do. Otherwise, learn a little bit more about me.

1. I was born with a cleft lip. (This explains the little bump on my face right under my nose … that I’ll never fix. It’s a part of me now … and I kind of like it.)

2. I’ve always been a night owl. Guess that’s what happens when you’re born in the middle of the night. (2:52 a.m. to be exact.)

3. I’m a princess. No, really. I am. 1991 Little Miss Corry. And I still have the tiara to prove it.

4. I’ve never been to Chicago or Las Vegas. (Much to Tom’s chagrin!)

5. In all honesty, I really don’t mind the snow. In fact, I think it’s quite pretty. Until I have to drive in it. Then I hate it beyond belief.

6. I’ve been on two national morning TV shows in my lifetime. The first was standing out in a torrential downpour outside the Today Show studios in Rockefeller Plaza during my 11th grade class trip to New York City. I looked like a wet dog and the ink on our signs all ran. The second time was much more lux. I was flown up, by CBS, along with my professor to appear on the CBS Saturday Early Show to discuss Robert Morris University’s documentary on Sept. 11, “America Talks.” I was interviewed by Gretchen Carlson, who’s now on CNN I believe. Russ Mitchell was there too. We stayed at the Parker Meridian hotel, overlooking Central Park. Everything was comped for us by CBS. We were in and out of the city in less than 24 hours. A whirlwind, to say the least. But one of the best experiences of my life.

7. While my writing passion really is in covering sports, I never really played any through high school. I was on the basketball team until junior high … and bowled for a while. That’s it.

8. Instead of sports, I was a three-year varsity cheerleader. For wrestling. Not kidding. Oh, and I was a band geek. A very proud band geek.

9. My favorite color is navy blue.

10. Technically, I’ve never been a bridesmaid. I was the maid of honor in my sister’s wedding, and the co-maid of honor in my best friend’s wedding. Although that may change if my friends keep getting engaged …

11. All of my instruments have names. My keyboard is Emma. My two flutes are Oscar and Elmer. And my piccolo is Junior.

12. I’m not ashamed to admit that my favorite ride at Walt Disney World is Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin. I ride it at least four times every time I go visit.

13. There was a time in high school when I thought I wanted to be a pharmacist. (And why didn’t I stick with that thought? Huh.)

14. I can’t play the organ. Yes, I can play the piano. But I tried organ for four years. Couldn’t get the hang of the whole “feet” thing. So I stopped … and concentrated on piano. Probably the best decision I ever made. Yet my mom and my sister are both excellent organists. Go figure. (And no, I don’t have a music degree, contrary to apparent popular belief.)

15. I am hopelessly addicted to Pepsi, mochas from Starbucks (preferably grande, skim with light whip), and Grandma’s buckeyes.

16. I’m proud of where I grew up. I love to visit there. It’s such a refreshing change of pace to go to a place where life is truly savored. My whole family is there. (And I almost mean that literally.) But I could never imagine going back there to live permanently. I’ve changed too much. And I’m not sure whether or not that’s a good thing.