publications by John Carocci

The Evergreen Association has two publications, both of which can help you get the word out about the programs and services we offer to our community. Connections (c’est moi!) is the agency’s of icial employee newsletter. It goes out to all staff of the Evergreen Association. That includes Evergreen Health Services, Community Access Services, Benedict House, Southern Tier Services, the Pride Center, the Pharmacy at Evergreen, Evergreen Medical Group, Project SAFE, and the Evergreen Foundation. We also send Connections to members of our various Boards of Trustees. Don’t let the kitty-cat photos fool you: Connections has a serious mission. We’re working to keep lines of communication open, and help employees of a rapidly growing agency stay connected with each other; something that becomes more dif icult the larger we get. So yes, you’ll see kitty-cat photos, but you’ll also ind important information from Human Resources about your bene its, reminders of upcoming special events from the Foundation, and tips from IT on how to get the most from your computer system. Remember, Connections is your publication. We depend on you for inspiration and content. Story ideas, essays, vacation snaps, recipes, those kitty-cat photos... we welcome anything you have to contribute. Even criticism if you think it will help improve the inal product! Connections is also a great way to keep other staff informed about what’s going on in your little corner of the agency. Are you starting a new group? Put it in Connections. Have eligibility requirements changed for your program? Put it in Connections. It’s easy — just e-mail either Kim Harding or John Carocci. The other Evergreen Association publication is Pathways, which goes out to agency supporters, Board members, clients and volunteers three times per year. Pathways is an excellent way for you to let the world (or at least Western New York) know about what we’re up to. It could be through an ad for a speci ic service (testing, the Pharmacy, etc.) or a more in-depth pro ile of a program or entire division. So why don’t you submit something? The most common excuse reason I hear is “oh, I’m not a writer.” That’s ok. If you don’t feel comfortable writing the story yourself, we’ll work with you or even write it for you. It’s painless, I promise. If you have a story idea or suggestion for Pathways, e-mail John Carocci. Let’s let our light shine!

Do you have an old sofa taking up space that you’d like to sell for a few dollars? Maybe you’re looking for a workout partner or someone to share a ride to work every day? How would you like to spread the word about your Avon business or the upcoming raffl e at your church? Connections has the answer: the brand new Connections Classifi eds. Just send us your (brief!) listing before the submission deadline, and we’ll print it. It’s that simple. Well, almost that simple. Th ere is some fi ne print. Th e Fine Print: Connections reserves the right to edit or reject any submission. Connections is not responsible for any listing errors, or for the consequences of any subsequent transactions between employees. Please be aware that you may receive an overwhelming response to a listing,

and it’s your responsibility to reply. Th ere is no charge to place a listing, though rumor has it that placing a jelly donut on the graphic designer’s desk could lead to preferential placement and/or bigger headline size for your listing (Editor’s Note: this rumor is false!). Poster is responsible for accuracy and truthfulness of all item descriptions. Listings should include a brief, accurate description of item or situation, and price if applicable.

Birth days Kenny Lewis Jr. – May 3 Jerome Robinson – May 3 Larry Tyler – May 7 Aaron Pry – May 13 Rosalind Townsend -May 13 Brian Hoover – May 15 Ma hew Sydor – May 16 Angela Penzo – May 17 Michele Ogden – May 19 Derek Miller – May 30 Helene Cacciato – May 31

Anniversaries Jamie Keuck – 1 year Ka e O’Sullivan – 1 year Rashida Williams – 1 year Gloria Kornowski - 2 years Lawrence Tyler – 2 years Theresa Woehrel – 2 years Corinne Henderson – 4 years Toni Hernandez – 7 years Cornelia Meredith – 8 years Terri Shankland – 8 years Laurie Matson – 10 years

Your Con nued Dedica on and Hard Work Are No ced and Appreciated - Management Team

connections M A Y 2 0 1 4

PUBLISHER/LAYOUT John CarocciEDITOR Kimberly Harding

CONTRIBUTORSSheila Marcheson, Christopher Miller

Tayrin Torres

may

awww, don’t crySpring! Th e sun is shining, fl owers are pushing their way up out of the mud, AIDS Walk teams are busy raising money, and the Foundation is making its annual pitch to recruit Ambassadors for Dining Out for Life. One of the... hey, wait just a minute. Nobody asked us to be Dining Out for Life Ambassadors this year. What’s going on? Well, it turns out that aft er 10+ years as a springtime event, Dining Out for Life is moving to the fall. Th is year, Tuesday, October 7th is the big day, when close to a hundred restaurants and cafes throughout Western New York will donate a minimum of 25% of diners’ food bills to support the programs and services of Evergreen Health Services and Benedict House. I know October seems like an eternity away, especially when we still have AIDS Walk, Pride Week and Garden Walk to get through. But it’s never too early to start preparing for Dining Out for Life, an event that raises much needed funds and awareness for our agency. What can you do to help? 1. Spread the word. Let your friends and family know about Dining Out for Life, especially the move to October. Put an update on your Facebook page or in your e-mail signature. Every bit helps! 2. Sign up to be an Ambassador. Yes, it’s early, but this way you’ll have your pick of restaurants! It will also give you plenty of time to go back to 1. Spread the word. Let people know you’ll be an Ambassador at _____ and invite them to join you in fi ghting HIV and AIDS in Western New York (remind them that although Dining Out for Life is an international event, all funds raised here in Western New York stay here in Western New York). If you don’t want to be an Ambassador, 3. Get a bunch of your family and friends together and have dinner at a participating restaurant on October 7th. Th e more seats we fi ll, the more money we make, and it keeps our restaurant friends happy as well. Watch upcoming issues of Connections for updates as the big day approaches! C

It’s Not Cancelled!

Dining Out for Life

Moves to October

If you don’t have bug repellent handy, put dryer sheets in your shoes and pockets to help keep mosquitos away. e Are you tired, even after a full night’s sleep? You might be dehydrated. Drink a glass of water. e Freeze grapes to use as “ice cubes” in wine or juice drinks. e You can extend the life of your laptop battery by only charging it to 80% instead of 100%. e If your camera is ever lost or stolen, go to stolencamera inder.com. Upload a photo taken with the camera, and the site will compare the serial number information embedded in the ile to see if anyone else has uploaded photos taken with the same camera to social media. e When assembling “do it yourself” furniture, use a muf in tin to organize the various nuts, bolts, screws, nails, etc. - they wont get mixed up and you’ll have easy access to whatever part you need. e Don’t get into a relationship with someone unless they love you as much as Kanye West loves Kanye West. e Just a friendly reminder: your old MySpace account probably still exists. Take a few minutes to delete it. e Glue a magnet to the bottom of a hammer to hold nails. e If a bird ever gets into your house or apartment, turn off all the lights and shut the drapes, except for one open window or door. The bird will be drawn to the light and ly out.

Movies, binge TV watching, reading, hanging out with

friends – Maisha Drayton Work in the garden, play soccer,

drink endless cups of coff ee – Joshua McClain I try to get

out of the city for backpacking and camping. I like hanging

out with trees. – Jessica Lehsten Spend me with my family

on Saturday. Sunday is me/rest me – Cord Stone Watch

sports – Alex Ando Spend me with my kids – Moselle

Whitehead Sit by the pool with friends, catch up and do

nothing!! – Andy Kiener Spend me with my husband and

kids outdoors – Terri Shankland Sleep in on Saturday and

clean on Sunday – Stephani Miranda Watch and play sports

– Jasiel Guzman Hiking and camping – Kimberly Harding

When the weather permits, I love to go on long walks with

my fi ancé, par cularly around Glenn Falls. – Ashley Roberts

Connections Poll Results are you left handed, right handed or ambidextrous?

left handed - 7 right handed - 23 ambidextrous - 3

Aziz Ansari – Joshua McClainRichard Pryor. I learned when I got older that he was a good friend of my mother. – Moselle WhiteheadKevin James – Alex AndoTyler Perry as Medea and Sommore – Cord StoneOld School Eddie Murphy, Cedric the Entertainer, Mar n Lawrence and Kevin Hart – Maisha DraytonRichard Pryor – Jasiel GuzmanDavid Cross (Chicken Pot Chicken Pot Chicken Pot Pie!) – John CarocciMy favorite comedian is not your “tradi onal comedian,” but a television actor.Bryan Cranston’s character “Hal” from Malcolm in the Middle is hilarious! – Ashley Roberts

In March I was invited to Los Angeles to participate in Th e Body Image Workshop presented by an organization called Proud and Prett y in Pink. Th e workshop featured a panel discussion in which I represented another LA-based organization called Team True Beauty alongside TT B Presi-dent Meriam Bourajou and Celebrity Ambassador Shantel VanSanten via skype. Also present were celebrity guest sup-porters Angelique Cabral (Enlisted), Laura Linda Bradley (Dancing with the Stars), and PPP founders Chelsie Prince and Chandra Mogan. We talked about our struggles grow-ing up as females while facing issues of body image, self es-teem, self worth, self love, confi dence, as well as ways we can all work together to build a positive body image for our-selves. Celebrity supporters talked about how they are af-fected by the media in 2014, shared their own personal sto-ries of growing up and dealing with certain pressures and just being a girl. Th e best part of the workshop was at the end when we had to do a “Post It” game and write empow-ering or inspirational words to other females in the work-shop. Th ere were moments that made you cry, moments that made you see life in a diff erent way and moments that truly brought light into some dark issues. I am so honored to call Chelsie and Chandra my friends and proud of the work they are doing in LA. Check out PPP at www.prou-

dandprett yinpink.com and TT B at www.teamtruebeauty.weebly.com. During my stay in LA I took advantage and visited two other amazing organizations. First, Th e Giving Keys which is a for profi t company employing those who are looking to transition out of homelessness. Th e founder of Giving Keys, actress and singer/songwriter Caitlyn Crosby, wore the key as a necklace and had the idea to start engraving old, used keys with inspirational words. Realiz-ing that in a way we are all like these keys – unique, fl awed, scarred, and at risk of being discarded – she wanted these keys to have their purpose renewed over and over again. Th eir message is yours for a time, but once they’ve served their purpose with you, you then pay it forward to inspire another. I purchased my necklace with the word “Faith” from them about a month prior to visiting their company and in meeting Caitlyn and some of the staff I felt closer to their movement and empowered to continue doing my own work. Check them out at www.thegivingkeys.com and read more on what they do and sell. While talking to one of the staff members, he told me of another great organiza-tion right in the area called Home Girl Café. Of course right away I became very interested and went to have lunch at their facilities. Homegirl Café & Catering is one of Home-boy’s six social enterprises, where young men and women

are placed in what is oft en their fi rst “real job,” learning to work side by side with their former enemies and gaining fundamental job skills in a supportive environment. Th e café assists high-risk and formerly gang-involved young women, and a few young men to become contributing members of our community through training in restaurant service and culinary arts. Homegirl Café has an 18-month training certifi cate program that empowers women to sup-port themselves and their families while receiving needed services as they work toward a bett er life. Homeboy Indus-tries traces its roots to Jobs for A Future, a program created in 1988 by Father Gregory Boyle while he was serving as Pastor of Dolores Mission parish in Boyle Heights. It began as a jobs program off ering alternatives to gang violence in one of the toughest neighborhoods in the city, the program soon grew beyond the parish. Th ousands of young people have since walked through the doors of Homeboy Indus-tries looking for a second chance, and fi nding community. Gang affi liations are left outside as these young people work together, side by side, learning the mutual respect that comes from shared tasks and challenges. Homeboy became an independent nonprofi t in August of 2001, and has since grown into a national model. Read more at www.homeboy-industries.org. And of course I enjoyed the sun and beach...