Outreach Effort Helps Trio of Schools Start the Year Off Right

Kindergarteners and first-graders at Burton Elementary School in Avondale get a breakfast of cereal, juice and milk in the school cafeteria to start the morning out right. They also got the school year off to a great start with some brand new school supplies delivered by the University of Cincinnati Medical Center Community Outreach Program.

John Michnowicz and Tracey Fishback, who work in Sponsored Program Accounting on East Campus, carried in brightly colored boxes loaded up with pencils, pens, crayons, notebooks, paper, rulers and other items - all collected during the third annual school supply collection Aug. 5-23. Faculty, staff and friends of the Medical Center and West Campus donated so many supplies that there was enough for three schools instead of the originally planned two. Supplies went to Schiel Primary, Burton Elementary and Rothenberg Elementary. Drive coordinator, Patricia Bell, business administrator in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, said the donations included numerous erasers, gluesticks, 25 backpacks, 86 sets of scissors, 37,880 sheets of paper, 7,152 crayons, 1,816 pens, 590 markers and 576 notebooks.

At Burton, Maria Bolten and Heather Cox of Medical Management, Finance and Support Services, distributed some of the bigger items like backpacks and cool notebooks by staging a pop quiz.

Questions like "Who can tell me the name of your principal?" and "Who is the president of the United States?" prompted eager students to raise their hands. A notebook with racecars brought exclamations of joy from a young boy returning to his table. A first-grader named Asia explained that she would definitely be using the manuscript tablet she received "to write in."

The whole cafeteria erupted into cheers of "woo" and applause as another first-grader, Iren, recited the Pledge of Allegiance, winning a blue-and-yellow backpack. Iren said it's the first one he has ever owned.

School officials will distribute other supplies in the coming days, but most will be saved for use throughout the school year.

Principal Phillip Wyly summed up the impact of the outreach effort: "They can't start achieving if they don't have the proper materials."

"Burton's a school that has students with challenges and families who also are in need of additional support. And supplies would be very helpful for those families who are in need," he explains. UC has had a lasting relationship with Burton through the GEAR UP program, not just the school supply drive, he said. "We really appreciate them for the support they provide."

The outreach program formed three years ago to coordinate all kinds of projects to help the community, not just at local schools. "UC and all of its employees have been very participative in the community in these ways in the past. But one person would do this, and two people would do that," said Dan Albrinck, program chair and associate senior vice president at the Medical Center. "What we do is we pull everybody together to work on projects together."

The program's impact just keeps growing. Last year's holiday hats and mittens drive brought in more than 3,500 sets. This year's collection, sponsored by Fifth Third Bank, begins Nov. 12 and has a goal of 10,000 sets, Albrinck said. This fall's activities also include an ongoing commitment to serve dinner at Tender Mercies on the first and third Wednesday of each month, a canned food drive on Nov. 15 and participation in the Walk As One march Oct. 19. As word spreads about all the good work, more and more employees are getting involved.

"In addition to the Medical Center departments, the affiliated UC Physicians administrative and clinical offices along with departments in University Hall, Edwards Hall, the College of Business Administration and Student Government have participated," said Bell. "This year, some Alliance Primary Care offices also joined our efforts. As I went around to pick up supplies, I was impressed by the enthusiasm and pride of the donors." To be placed on the e-mail list to be informed of future activities, send an-email to community.outreach@uc.edu and ask to be placed on the list.

For a complete list of activities, check out the online calendar.