2010 COMMUNITY IMPACT RECOGNITION AWARDS

Each year United Way honors and recognizes exceptional performance among our community partners who help our community achieve results around Education, Financial Stability, Health and Basic Needs. Our partners come from nonprofits, education, business, and community groups. 2010 provided ample challenges and opportunities for all of our partners and the Olmsted County residents they serve, and we are proud to recognize the following recipients of Community Impact Recognition Awards for 2010:

Exceptional Partnership
Financial Stability Initiatives
Hawthorne Education Center
Nearly a dozen partners play a role in our Job Training Collaborative aimed at retooling and employing 400 people in 6 years in jobs paying more than $10 per hour. Pivotal in reaching that result is the staff at Hawthorne Education Center. Hawthorne comes to the collaborative table with an attitude of “let’s find a way” to train and employ workers in the worst economy in 70 years. They readily share resources, ideas, and staff talent. It is clear that students trust, respect, and admire Hawthorne staff, crediting much of their success to the caring relationships formed. This team of student-focused professionals attends to the emotional, physical and intellectual details of each student in their classrooms and beyond. That same attention plays out with the collaborative earning Hawthorne Education Center our Exceptional Partnership award.

Exceptional Partnership
Community Basics – Winter OuterWear
Dison’s Cleaners
Cleaning more than 5,000 winter coats over the past 5 years Dison’s Cleaners receives our second Exceptional Partnership award for their involvement with Winter OutWear. During a 3-4 week period, Dison’s team washes, dry cleans and delivers truck loads of winter coats donated from households across Olmsted County. These coats are distributed to those who do not have a winter coat nor the financial means to purchase one.. The entire cost--from staff time to materials to equipment and delivery are donated year after year-- Dison’s Cleaners we honor you with our Exceptional Partnership award.

Exceptional Results - High Risk Youth
Recreational Therapy Program
Rochester Area Family Y and Family & Children’s Center
Exceptional results with high risk youth is awarded to Rochester Area Family Y and Family & Children’s Center for their joint Recreational Therapy Program for youth offenders. Together they demonstrate the power of caring adult relationships, a place to engage in positive, self-esteem building activities, modeling appropriate behaviors, and personal accountability in changing the direction of young lives.
 
Exceptional Results - Inclusivity
Sports Mentorship Academy
Children of Destiny & PACE
Exceptional Results for Inclusivity Mini-Grants is awarded to Children of Destiny and PACE who came together in the summer of 2010 to forge positive relationships among youth who don’t always interact positively. Together they participated in the RACE Exhibit, formed a summer basketball league, painted equipment at East Park, and put on a multi-cultural back-to-school rally.

Exceptional Results - Inclusivity
National Alliance on Mental Illness SE MN
Exceptional Results for Inclusivity in Health is awarded to NAMI Southeast MN for recognizing and addressing the high rate of depression and suicidal trends among Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender teens in Olmsted County.

Volunteerism Award
Family Service Rochester
Family Service Rochester demonstrates excellence in engaging volunteers in service delivery. In 2010, they transformed their senior service delivery model with a changing environment. They initiated Senior Chore Days in Stewartville as well as managed 436 volunteers that provide essential services designed to help seniors remain in their homes including Meals on Wheels, home chores, and case management. One example of how these volunteers impact the lives of others is through the Meals on Wheels program. Last year one of their regular volunteer drivers was delivering a meal to a consumer and as a result of the consumer not answering the door, the driver went inside to find that the consumer had fallen and was in obvious pain and needing assistance.  The driver phoned 911 and the consumer was taken to the hospital. The Rochester Police Department awarded the driver a medal for saving a life. There may be a cost for the meal and the gas to deliver meals, but the volunteers are priceless. We recognize Family Service Rochester for Excellence in Volunteerism.

Information on the 2009 Community Impact Awards is available here.