The team members honored include: Thomas Kump, LouAnn Lance, Linda Swarthout, Melissa Klossner, Karen Miner, Joyce Hyatt, Rebecca Becraft, Marlene Denicola, Wendy Brooks, Penny Arnold and James Larnard.

"I am very proud of the hard work and the dedication of our County employees in dealing with the response to the H1N1 pandemic last year," said Tom Santulli, Chemung County Executive. "This group prepares and maintains plans for a myriad of emergencies you hope you will never have to use. It is reassuring to know that we can successfully implement these plans should the need arise."

In his nomination submission to the State, Page noted the Team coordination with local schools and colleges, hospitals and healthcare providers, human service agencies and emergency response agencies in developing a vaccination campaign targeted initially at highest risk populations. A public education and awareness campaign was a key part of the Team's efforts with school age children being a priority for vaccination. Clinics in schools and public sites were held on 36 days with 9000 shots given.  Most clinics were held in evenings or on weekends and required many added work hours for Team members on top of regular public health duties.  Partnership with school and community agencies to complement public health staff was a key factor, with staffing support coming from the school districts, the Medical Reserve Corps, county departments and student nurse programs. 

Public reaction to the clinics was very positive with particular praise for the short waiting times and outstanding organization.  The Team demonstrated that not only could large-scale clinics be conducted with speed and efficiency, but that partnerships among community agencies were essential to an effective response to a public health emergency, added Page.

The Public Health Works! Honor Roll was established to highlight the key role local public health workers play in promoting and protecting the public's health and safety. The program is an essential component of Commissioner of Health Richard F. Daines' public health agenda to make New York one of the healthiest states in the nation.

A grant application was submitted in May to the Community Foundation of Elmira-Corning and the Finger Lakes, Inc. for the purpose of enhanced transportation assistance for the Corning area.  We are pleased to announce that we have received written notice that our application was approved and in the amount of $1,000.

If you or someone you know would like to be a part of a local team helping those in need by becoming a volunteer driver, please dial 2-1-1 or 1-800-346-2211 and ask for Steuben Coordinated Transportation.  Give the gift of time… You’ll be glad you did!   VOLUNTEER Today!  Volunteer drivers use their own vehicles, and we provide mileage reimbursement; flexibility of scheduling and a sense of satisfaction knowing you are making a difference!

To visit the Steuben Coordinated Transportation page, click here.

 Join our Picnics in the Park kick-off events Wednesday, June 23rd from 11am - 1pm at all three parks, rain or shine.  Here’s what’s happening at each park:  

•  McKinnon Park, located on East Thurston and Lake Street in Elmira  94Rock Live Broadcast, Bobby K Sports Arena, the Bright Red Bookshelf, Free Lunch from  11:30-12:30, Sprinklers, Prizes & Giveaways, Fun, Games and More!  

•  Elmer Goodwin Park, located on Robert Street in Elmira  Tanglewood Animals, Erway Ambulance, Face Painting, the Bright Red Bookshelf, Free Lunch  from 11:30-12:30, Sprinklers, Prizes & Giveaways, Fun, Games and More!  

•  Katy Leary Park, located on Connelly Avenue and River Street in Elmira  The Blender Bike, Nature Rangers, Face Painting, Chalk Drawing, the Bright Red Bookshelf,  Free Lunch from 11:30-12:30, Sprinklers, Prizes & Giveaways, Fun, Games and More!  (The Blender Bike is a bicycle with an attached blender!  Children can pedal on the stationary Blender Bike to make smoothies with locally grown strawberries or salsa with fresh vegetables grown at the Southside Community Center.)

The Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) provides meals to children at risk of hunger during the summer break when school is not in session. SFSP is a national program of the USDA, administered through the New York State Education Department. The Food Bank of the Southern Tier partners with existing summer youth programs and local schools to administer the program in high need areas.  In 2009, the Food Bank sponsored the SFSP at 25 sites throughout Chemung, Steuben and Tioga counties, reaching 1,117 children and distributing 42,718 meals and snacks.  The Food Bank of the Southern Tier is researching opportunities for expanding into the Summer Food Service Program into new areas and increasing participation at existing sites.   

In 2009, the Food Bank of the Southern Tier received 1,555,170 requests for food. Of those requests, 595,751 were for children. In addition, over 35,000 children qualify for the free and reduced price school meal programs in the Food Bank’s six county service area including Broome, Chemung, Schuyler, Steuben, Tioga and Tompkins counties.  To learn more about the Food Bank of the Southern Tier and how you can support local hunger-relief efforts, visit the Food Bank’s website at www.foodbankst.org or call 607-796-6061.

We are working to increase awareness of the various management features available on the Give Help site. Agencies may post ongoing or one-time (date-specific) volunteer opportunities, plan events involving multiple projects, post agency news, keep records of their volunteers’ hours, and communicate directly with their volunteers.  Opportunities posted on the Give Help site are now being shared with national clearinghouses such as All for Good, Hands on Network and Network for Good, in order to reach a wider audience.  We plan to activate the material goods donation functions in the coming weeks, as well.

For more information about 2-1-1 Helpline’s Give Help or registering your agency, dial 2-1-1 or visit 211helpline.org.

The Give Help web site is a free resource for large and small organizations that seek to recruit and manage volunteers.

2-1-1 Helpline is a free and confidential information and referral service that connects individuals with resources and volunteer opportunities in our community. 2-1-1 Helpline directs those in need to hundreds of local human service agencies, government programs, and self-help and support groups. Callers speak directly with our information and referral specialists Monday - Friday, 8:30 am - 5:00 pm, with crisis referral 24 hours/day, 7 days/week. Dial 2-1-1 or search www.211helpline.org.

The Five-Point Server Checkup can provide your agency with weekly services, and can be performed once a week during business hours. Such services may include backup inspection, antivirus updates/configuration, and event log review. Monthly services are also available, performed once a month after business hours, and include Windows client update monitoring and Windows server updates.

Like all of our technology services, the IHStech Five-Point Server Checkup is priced so nonprofit organizations have professional, industry-standard technologies and services, scaled to your organization's needs and budget.  The Institute recognizes that the security and availability of your digital information is no less important than it is for large corporations, and it is our mission to provide the highest level of services at nonprofit rates.

For a more detailed description of the above services and how IHStech can enhance existing technology infrastructures, please visit our IHStech page.

 Included in the interactive workshop was an overview of the newer American Community Survey (ACS), which is being conducted annually, and has replaced the “long form” of the traditional Decennial (10-year) Census.  According to Mr. Bakis, the ACS will be sent to a sampling of households each year, and will provide much more up to date data on communities, addressing a long held concern of grant writers and project developers that demographic data can be up to ten years old.  ACS data for municipalities of over 65,000 population, including most New York counties, is currently available and is a one-year estimate.  Data for municipalities of over 20,000, including the City of Elmira, are three year estimates.  Data for all other divisions, including as small as census tracks and block groups, will be 5 year estimates and are projected to be available in late 2010.

 Further information on the American Community Survey, and on accessing census data, is available on their website, www.census.gov, as well as by contacting the IHS Resource Development Department.

To visit the Resource Development page click here.

Angel Action programs around the state are collecting baby items throughout the summer- with a goal of 100 thousand items!! 

July 1, 2010 - September 30, 2010

ACCORD’s Angels are accepting all sorts of new baby items, including bottles, crib sheets, safety items, infant clothing, diapers, wipes, formula, new and gently used furniture, AND CASH- which will be used to fund the Cribs for Kids Campaign and educate parents on safe sleep environments.

Henry David Thoreau said, "Every child begins the world again."

What a great world we'd have if we all work together to grow strong, happy and healthy babies.

All donations are tax deductable, and will directly benefit Allegany County families in need.  Donations can be dropped at any ACCESS Center, or at the Allentown warehouse (appointment necessary).  Email or call Belinda Clark at (585) 268-7605 ext 1340 to find out how you can help with this project, how to make a donation, or how to refer a family in need.

Please pass along this information to all your contacts and colleagues. 

Printed posters are available… call Belinda Clark if you like a copy or two to hang up in your community! 

The ACCORD Angels thank you!

Similar to the 9-1-1 emergency service system, calling 2-1-1 connects people with live information and referral specialists who can provide callers with information about housing, food assistance, senior services, caregiver resources, job training, educational resources, and other topics. In 2009, 2-1-1 provided critical connections for more than sixteen million callers, including millions of individuals and families struggling through the economic downturn and/or dealing with the aftermath of natural disasters.

Available to about 80 percent of the U.S. population, regional 2-1-1 services rely on uncertain funding streams and are subject to limitations due to the lack of a national system. The Calling for 2-1-1 Act would provide $700 million over six years for states to implement and strengthen the system, making it available to everyone in the country. The bill has achieved broad bipartisan Congressional support, with 56 percent of the House and 60 percent of the Senate in favor of its passage. The United Way has created a mini-Web site where individuals can generate an e-mail to their senators or representative urging them to bring the bill up for vote before the August recess.

While 2-1-1 is one of the country's most broadly available N-1-1 services, it's the only one that relies heavily on private support. "Ensuring the continuation and sustainability of 2-1-1 cannot happen without a partnership that involves federal, state, and local government, the business and nonprofit sectors, and individuals and communities," said Steve Taylor, vice president of public policy at United Way Worldwide. "Every single voice and every e-mail sent to Congress will help to ensure that this valuable service remains stable and uninterrupted across the nation."

This news is brought to you  by Philanthropy News Digest, a service of the Foundation Center.

“United Way Urges Passage of the Calling for 2-1-1 Act.” United Way Press Release 5/26/10.

With the release of Office 2010, Microsoft is discontinuing Office 2003.  It will no longer be possible to purchase licensing for the now grandfathered software.  As Microsoft products can only be purchased from Techsoup.com twice every two years, organizations running Office 2003 might want to start planning for a future upgrade.  If you purchased Office 2007 licensing within two years of the Office 2010 release, you qualify for Software Assurance and can upgrade to 2010 for no additional licensing charges. 

IHStech has already deployed Office 2010 at three locations and over 50 workstations.  We are proud to say this was accomplished without leaving our desks.  Through the use of remote support software, we are able to configure an automated mass software deployment for organizations wishing to upgrade.

To visit the IHStech page, Click here