At regular intervals, we will be posting new articles and event information about A More Perfect Union. We do this so that you can be aware of what we are doing in our organization and in our growing program. Next time you visit our site, check this page again, and of course let us know if you would like more information or want to be in communication with us. Just click the Contact Us link at the top of the page.
A More Perfect Union and the Epic Theatre Ensemble present...A More Perfect Union, by Vern Thiessen
Our Spring fundraiser was held on Wednesday, June 3, 2009 with A More Perfect Union and the Epic Theatre Ensemble presenting Vern Theissen's play, A More Perfect Union, directed by Ron Russell, and featuring Melissa Friedman and Godfrey L. Simmons Jr.
A More Perfect Union was commissioned by Epic Theatre Ensemble in 2006 with the generous assistance of the Alberta Foundation for the Arts and the Canada Council for the Arts. The play is being co-developed with Epic Theatre Ensemble and the Citadel Theatre in Edmonton where Vern Thiessen was Playwright-In-Residence.
A More Perfect Union Launches The Circle of Women Program in Westchester County
In February 2009, A More Perfect Union launched its first Circle of Women program in Westchester County at Westhab, a community resource for homeless families in White Plains. Nine volunteers delivered the first of the five sessions at Coachman Center, a division of Westhab, providing temporary shelter for one hundred homeless families.
Volunteers Denise Hand, Amanda Hay and Michele LoFaso lead the Westhab team. They are supported by six new volunteers who were recruited in January specifically for this facility in Westchester. The new volunteers have completed A More Perfect Union's orientation and training preparing them to deliver of The Circle of Women program effectively. This extraordinary team of experienced and new volunteers will deliver the series of five (5) sessions every other Saturday over ten weeks, instead of one evening a month over five months.
Amanda Hay, a White Plains resident and volunteer since 2007 articulated her dream to have The Circle of Women project in her home community. Denise Hand, a Board of Directors member partnered with Amanda and took this vision as her own. They collaborated and established the relationship that allows us to deliver our program at Westhab. Denise says, "Once again the practices of A More Perfect Union have fostered a supportive healthy environment for women in my life to come together and create a common thread of goodness for each other."
This expansion to Westchester County fulfills A More Perfect Union's commitment to serve more women and to expand into other New York metropolitan area communities. It demonstrates an example of the one of the key learning points of The Circle of Women program - we can reach our life visions/goals with the support of other women.
A More Perfect Union is GoodSearch Charity of the Day!
We are honored that GoodSearch chose us as their featured charity for Monday, May 4th, 2009!
Raise money for A More Perfect Union while sitting at your computer. Search the web with Yahoo-powered GoodSearch.com and they'll donate a penny to A More Perfect Union each time you search!
Here's how:
- Go to www.GoodSearch.com
- Verify "A More Perfect Union" as your charity of choice
- Use goodsearch.com every time you search the web (like you would google.com or yahoo.com or any search engine)
- We get $$
- If you set www.goodsearch.com as your home page it makes it a lot easier to do this every time you search!
- How easy is this!?
In addition, shop at more than 600 GoodShop.com merchants including Amazon, Best Buy, Toys R Us, and others, and a percentage of each purchase will go to A More Perfect Union!
A More Perfect Union Awarded $10,000 Local Service Impact Grant from Liquidnet, Inc.
A More Perfect Union recently received a $10,000 local impact grant from Liquidnet, Inc. A More Perfect Union was one of the top ten finalists receiving the most votes from employees in Liquidnet's New York Office.
Liquidnet's Local Impact Grants are part of its commitment to Global Social Engagement, a program through which it has devoted one percent of its revenues to address social challenges.
Former volunteer and Liquidnet employee, Tara Harkins, nominated A More Perfect Union for the grant. Tara described her experience as a volunteer with a More Perfect Union in her nominating statement: "I was involved in this organization for a number of years and helped to deliver the program in facilities with women who were working very hard to get their lives back on track. I saw with my own eyes the difference the program makes in the lives of women-at-risk, their families and, by extension, all of our communities. During the course of the program I've witnessed the women involved transform..."
"A More Perfect Union makes a significant difference in the lives of the women it serves. Helping these women-at-risk to build strong selves, stronger families, and stronger communities benefits us all. These are women that live and work in our community of New York City and benefiting them benefits the entire community," said Tara in her request for Liquidnet to support the work done through The Circle of Women program.
Liquidnet provides an electronic marketplace for block trading, allowing money management institutions to trade large blocks of equities directly and anonymously. (http://www.liquidnet.com/).
The grant will be used to further expand The Circle of Women program to reach more women at risk in the New York metropolitan area.
The other top finalists were: Center for Parents and Children at Glen Cove, Children's Miracle Network, Family and Children's Association, Friends of Students for 60,000, Friends of the Children New York, God's Love We Deliver, Long Island Toy Lending Center, Table to Table and the Weehawken Volunteer First Aid Squad.
