Youth News from the Arlington Alliance for Youth

Walther to step down as AA4Y Chairman; Board Seeks Replacement Nominees

Jim Walther, chairman of the Arlington Alliance for Youth, recently informed the board that he will not seek re-election as Alliance Chair at the annual meeting in October.  While health issues require his attention, he still plans to remain on the Board during the coming year.

Since its inception in 2004, the Alliance has grown from just a Small Grants Program to include Arlington's Annual Youth Collaboration Breakfast, two awards programs and Arlington's Global Youth Service Day.  Its Board of Directors has expanded to include representatives of Arlington’s major civic service clubs (Kiwanis, Rotary, Optimist, and Lions), the City, AISD, UTA, Chamber, YMCA, Boys & Girls Clubs, and the Faith-sector.  It has also maintained liaison with Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, and the Vietnamese community.

The Alliance board has formed a search committee for a new board chair and is now seeking community nominations/applications or referrals prior to August 1st.  The Search Committee consists of Jerry Cooper (Chair), Bill Gilmore, and Cal Kost.  Please include your nominee’s name, contact information, and experience in non-profits and youth-service. Nominations may be submitted by e-mail to Jerry Cooper, chairman of the nominating committee (jcooper5064@earthlink.net) or mailed to Cooper at 3016 Friendswood Dr., Arlington, Texas 76013.  You may contact him at 817-261-3406 if you have any questions.

Here is some helpful information about the position.

• This non-compensatory post of Alliance Chairman requires that he or she plan and carry out the Alliance’s signature programs;  plan and organize monthly board meetings; delegate responsibilities to members, liaisons and friends of the Board; raise funds; oversee compliance with various legally-required reporting requirements, and represent the Alliance at and with various community events and organizations.
• Qualifications include proven leadership, effective technical communications skills, be self-directed and have a passion to lead others in making Arlington a better community through youth work.  A more complete job description can be requested from the Jerry Cooper(see above).

Support AA4Y, See a Great Team and Watch Fireworks.

 May 7^th is Arlington Alliance for Youth Night at the Rangers Ballpark in Arlington and you can have a great evening with fireworks, at a discounted price, by coming out that night.  Please standup and make some noise when the Alliance is announced on the jumbo screen.

The Texas Rangers will donate $5 to AA4Y for each ticket purchased by its supporters.   Tickets are deeply discounted: A lower box seat, regularly $50, can be purchased for $38; a corner box ticket, regularly $40, goes for $25; a lower reserved ticket, normally $30, is $20, and an upper reserved ticket, usually $15, is available for $12.50.    

To order tickets, visit the following website and use the password "rangers" : www.texasrangers.com/AA4Y.  Tickets received by April 30th will be mailed.  Late orders by May 6 should be picked up at the "Will Call" window. 

You Make a Difference in the Life of a Youth

That was the message from Officer Stephanie Gillespie, community service manager for the Arlington Police Department, in her keynote address at the AA4Y Youth Collaboration Breakfast January 22^nd at AISD’s Mac Bernd Professional Development Center.  Officer Gillespie’s reminder was just one of several positive developments communicated in the breakfast program. 

Officer Gillespie recounted the interest and assistance she was provided by a neighbor when she was young which led her to a life which has been devoted to helping others – particularly young people. 

Wendy Carrington, director of AISD’s Drop Out Prevention Program, pointed to improvement in completion rate scores and other achievements in citing the success of various activities in Arlington’s drop out prevention program.   

Arlington Council person Lana Wolff recognized AA4Y Small Grant Winners; AISD Superintendent Jerry McCullough welcomed those to the breakfast, and AA4Y Chairman Jim Walther provided an update on AA4Y programs.  

Fourteen “information tables” were set up at the breakfast to provide attendees with material on services and programs available in the Arlington area.   

Included in the more than 175 people attending the breakfast were officials from the AISD and Mansfield school districts, Tarrant County, the Texas Legislature, the State Board of Education, Arlington’s City Council, UTA and others.

Community Leaders Invited to Youth Collaboration Breakfast on Jan 22

Plans for the Alliance 2010 Youth Collaboration Breakfast (YCB) January 22nd at AISD’s Professional Development Center, are near completion. Theme for this year’s event will be “Are You On Board?”  The breakfast will begin at 7:30 and include an announcement of our signature programs for 2010, recognition of youth leaders, and helpful reports on community youth initiatives.

You can click on the orange box to the right (2010 Annual Youth Collaboration Breakfast), and reserve space for the breakfast by clicking on the “RSVP” box at the bottom of the YCB page. Fill in the requested reservation information (including typing in the two words) on the upcoming page and click the “submit” box at the bottom of that page.

Some 24 Small Grant Winners from 2009 will be honored at the breakfast as will the first five honorees on the Alliance’s Champions for Youth Honor Roll. A follow-up report on the Success in Schools Dropout Summit will also be presented.

Officer Stephanie Gillespie, community service manager for the Arlington Police Department, is keynote speaker for the event, prepared to tell those attending “The Rest of the Story.” The presentation will highlight some of the impacts that citizens have made in recent months in their efforts to help the young citizens of Arlington. Officer Gillespie has been one of the leaders in forming R.E.A.C.H., a community renewal organization, which is assisting Southeast Arlington residents in rebuilding a positive community structure there.

Arlington Alliance for Youth Selected as 2010 GYSD Lead Agency

Youth Service America has selected the Arlington Alliance for Youth to again be the lead agency in the city for the next Global Youth Service Day, coming up April 24th.  Last year the Alliance mustered 107 youth teams to perform community service projects on the day of the international event.
 
As a lead agency, the Alliance will receive a $2,000 planning grant and travel expenses for a representative to attend the Youth Service Institute October 7-9 in Washington, D.C.  
 
The Alliance Board will begin planning for the event this fall.

Arlington

Saturday, April 25, is a Day of Service for Youth Global Youth Service Day is Saturday, April 25. More than 1,000 youth groups will fan out across Arlington, performing a variety of community service improvement projects.  

Arlington has 107 registered volunteer youth groups. For a listing of service projects, click here. Global Youth Service Day is an international event that mobilizes millions of youth in more than 100 countries.

Jim Walther, Chairperson of Arlington's Lead Agency, the Arlington Alliance for Youth, said the day of service and volunteerism spotlights the remarkable contributions of young people. Our goal is to help mobilize as many youths as possible to identify and address the needs of their communities,” Walther said. “With this event, we see emerging community leaders on a path to lifelong service and civic engagement.”

The great support of this event by local leaders assures me that our City cares deeply about our youth. The Arlington Chamber of Commerce Foundation has provided $100 mini-grants to each youth group.  The University of Texas at Arlington helps celebrate great youth leaders at a Saturday breakfast. The City of Arlington sponsors a great closing ceremony at Founders Plaza. The AISD has helped build youth coalitions and provided cable coverage of our youth.  

Today (Friday) at the First Rate Living Luncheon, we will honor adult nominees for the Extra Mile Award—those adults that go the extra mile in working with our youth. The luncheon, sponsored by First Rate, Inc., is there way of saying thanks to those adults that help develop our youth. The featured speaker is Tony Eubanks, a noted motivational speaker, professional basketball player, and volunteer for Young Life, FCA and other ministries. For more information contact Jud. I. Stone at 817-525-1848.“

Visit the Global Youth Service Day official web site
Visit the Arlington Alliance for Youth official web site
View the list of Arlington Service Projects (pdf)

Cover The Uninsured Week, Provides Help for Families with Uninsured Children.

"Cover the Uninsured Week,"  March 23-28, organized by the Tarrant County CHIP Coalition,  has announced four Arlington locations where Arlington or Tarrant County families with uninsured children may apply for health coverage through the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) or Children’s Medicaid. Benefits include choice of doctors, regular check‐ups, prescriptions, dental services, shots, eye exams and glasses.

1.  Monday, March 23, 2:00 pm -- 5:00 pm:  Southeast Tarrant County United Way Building, 501 West Sanford
2. Tuesday, March 24, 5:00 pm -- 8:00 pm:  YMCA Central Branch, 220 South Davis
3. Saturday, March 28, 9:00 am --11:00 am: St. Stephen United Methodist Church, 1800 W. Randol Mill Rd.
4. Saturday, April 4, 10:00 am -- 2:00 pm:  Fiesta Store, 1300 East Pioneer Parkway

Families must bring the following information to help determine if they qualify:

• Your child's Social Security number
• If your child is not a US citizen, you will need to bring the Child's Alien Registration Card (I-551) or a copy of the front and back of the card
• Proof of income for each member of your family such as: 1) Most recent paycheck stub; 2) Letter from employer stating how much family members is paid; 3) Papers showing how much is received in child support
• Proof of how much you pay for childcare, disabled adult care, or child support.

28 Receive Little Red Wagon Awards at 4th Annual Youth Collaboration Breakfast

AISD School Superintendent Jerry McCullough welcomed the 200 attendees and Rev. Ted McIlvain served as master of ceremonies at the 4th Annual Youth Collaboration Breakfast on January 23rd.   Alliance Chairman Jim Walther outlined the Alliance Signature Programs for 2009.  Those include the 2009 Small Grants Program, the Extra Mile Award & First Rate Living Luncheon and Global Youth Service Day. 

City Council Member Lana Wolff presented 28 Little Red Wagon Awards to representatives of organizations that completed their 2008 Alliance Small Grants projects. At the breakfast, Bill Gillmore of the City's Parks Department and Linda Rodgers of AISD reported on the accomplishments of November's Success in Schools Summit. 
 

Scheduled award recipients and their organization were:  Kristi Abernathy, SafeHaven of Tarrant County, Anna John, South Davis Elementary, Randy Rinn, Amos Elementary, Noram Sanchez, Carter Junior High School, Lee Ann Jerome, Sherrod Elementary, Kent Seuser, UT Arlington Wesley Foundation, Kim Howard, CATS Theatre, Betsy Holschuh, H.O.P.E. Tutoring, Heather Mancera, Tarrant County Youth Coallition, Suzanne Stevenson, Knox Elementary, Sonya Ortiz, Hutcheson Junior High, Mary Beth Ravenscroft, Arlington ISD, and Laura Highnote, Roark Elementary.
 
Also, Nicole Ross, Ferguson Junior High School, Mary Ann Frytz, AISD, Connie Grossman, Venture High School, Pat Jackson, Rankin Elementary, Nonie Bowen, Roark  Elementary, Michelle Quigley, Roark Elementary, Mark Echart, Dance Theater of Arlington, Brenda Manzanares, Roquemore Elementary, Carol Jones, Rankin Elementary, Niljka Wright, Rankin Elementary, Patti Belknap, Johns Elementary, Alma Cehyah, Amos Elementary, Yvonne Falgot, Parks & Recreation Department, Lisa Thompson, University of Texas at Arlington, and Penny Patrick, Theater Arlington.  
 

Over 200 Concerned Citizens Attend Success in Shool Summit

City and school officials, civic leaders, law enforcement officers and others who work with youth agreed at a summit November 1^st that much more must be done to keep students in school through high school and reduce an unacceptable 30+% dropout rate.  The rate at which eighth grade minority students fail to complete high school is an even higher 50%.

The summit, called and hosted by the City of Arlington, the Arlington, Kennedale and Mansfield school districts, the Arlington Alliance for Youth and various other area organizations, was held in the auditorium and meeting rooms of the Fielder Road Baptist Church.

Mayor Robert Cluck opened the summit opining that we must have three objectives in our work with young people: 1) Provide all children with appropriate health care; 2) Go where the children are and not expect them to come to us, and 3) Provide them with understanding of the real world.  Also welcoming the conferees were Arlington ISD Interim Superintendent Jerry McCullough and Mansfield ISD Superintendent Vernon Newsom.  

Conferees broke into groups to identify barriers in four areas to high school graduation: Home and Family, Schools and Jobs, Health and Safety and Social and Legal.  Work of the breakout sessions was punctuated by a youth panel discussion moderated by Dr. Diane Patrick.  Wes Jurey, CEO of the Arlington Chamber of Commerce, closed the summit with a call to action.  See: http://www.successinschoolsummit.org/

Success in Schools Dropout Summit on Nov. 1st