DAY OF ACTION 2009

The United Way of Coastal Georgia, Inc.
Is Pleased To Be A Partner In

“Community Takes Action”

A collaboration of community partners
united to improving lives in the Norwich Street Corridor.

United Way of Coastal Georgia’s

Day of Action
Friday, July 17th, 2009

A day of mobilizing and empowering volunteers to improve lives in our community.

Project details and locations will be available in the coming weeks at:

www.VolunteerCoastalGeorgia.com

or by contacting:

Jordan Griffis
(912) 265-1850 x.303
jordan@handsoncoastalgeorgia.org

VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR

Do You Know An Outstanding Community Volunteer?
The United Way of Coastal Georgia, Inc. and Hands On Coastal Georgia are pleased to announce that nominations are now open for the
2009 Coastal Georgia Volunteer of the Year.

You can receive a nomination form by contacting Jordan Griffis at jordan@handsoncoastalgeorgia.org or 912-265-1850, ext. 303.

Nominations must be received by Monday, June 8th, 2009 by 5pm. Nominees should be individuals actively engaged in volunteering for non-profits, civic, faith-based and other types of community organizations in Glynn and/or McIntosh Counties over the last 12 months.



"The heart of a volunteer is not measured in size, but by the depth of the commitment to make a difference in the lives of others." Ann Hollis

Kudos to Care Net!

We are so proud of our partner agency's volunteers! Have a look at what they have accomplished!

CARE NET PREGNANCY CENTER OF COASTAL GEORGIA VOLUNTEERS RECEIVE THE PRESIDENTIAL VOLUNTEER SERVICE AWARDS

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Care Net Pregnancy Center of Coastal Georgia volunteers were among 150 volunteers and fifty-six pregnancy center organizations to receive Presidential Volunteer Service Awards, the highest national honor offered in recognition of volunteer service. The Awards were presented on Friday, at a ceremony held at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, the White House complex, by Assistant Secretary for Health, Admiral Joxel Garcia, MD, M.B.A. and the White House USA Freedom Corps. The President’s Volunteer Service Award is given to Americans who, by their demonstrated commitment and example, inspire others to engage in volunteer service.

Care Net Pregnancy Center of Coastal Georgia’s Executive Director, Patrick Eades, said, “I am overjoyed that our three faithful women were chosen to receive this honor. All three serve as inspirations to us all. They have donated countless hours to serving at our center and have touched the lives of many in our community. They each deserve our heartfelt thanks and congratulations!”

The outstanding volunteers who received this award are:

Jill McGahan, of St. Simons Island. For fifteen years, Jill has faithfully volunteered at Care Net, having logged 4,000 volunteer hours. Her connection with the clients is amazing and her non-judgmental approach in the counseling room sets everyone at ease.

Lou Ann Silva, of St. Simons Island. Lou Ann became involved in 1992 serving in fundraising events and the Board of Directors and has continued to faithfully serve as an active volunteer.

Dot Barlow, Brunswick. With more than 3,000 volunteer service hours, and fourteen years experience counseling young women in crisis, Dot has a compassion that drives her to now volunteer two days a week.

“Day in and day out, volunteers like Jill, Lou Ann, and Dot open the doors of pregnancy centers with welcoming arms to people struggling with a serious life decision,” said Melinda Delahoyde, President of Care Net, a national pregnancy center affiliating organization. “These volunteers are the heart and soul of pregnancy centers. They’re everyday people who know what it’s like to be facing such a decision and feeling perhaps alone and scared. They take joy in coming alongside someone in the midst of these circumstances and empowering them to make a positive choice.”

Since 1992, Care Net Pregnancy Center has offered free services to people facing unplanned pregnancies and related issues. Serving over 500 women annually, their services include: pregnancy tests, options counseling, parenting classes, limited ultrasound, material assistance, limited sexually transmitted infection testing and treatment, community referrals, and post abortion help. In addition, the BRAVEheart Teen Initiative is an abstinence education program that educates teens on sexual health and the consequences of pre-marital sex. Care Net Pregnancy Center of Coastal Georgia’s mission is to advance the Sanctity of Human Life and sexual purity.

For more information on volunteering at Care Net Pregnancy Center of Coastal Georgia, please visit http://www.handsoncoastalgeorgia.org/ for a list of volunteer opportunities.

AmeriCorps in Your Community

AmeriCorps is a program of the Corporation for National and Community Service. Local AmeriCorps members Jordan Griffis and Kathy Patelidas are partnered with Hands on Coastal Georgia, an affiliate of Hands on Georgia. The mission of the Hands on Georgia AmeriCorps Program is to build communities by creating stable supportive relationships between community members, service organizations, AmeriCorps members, and service recipients. In Coastal Georgia, AmeriCorps members serve both Glynn and McIntosh counties. They are largely responsible for volunteer recruitment, training and leadership development.

Kathy, a McIntosh resident, serves on the Darien Chamber of Commerce and is currently working on establishing the chamber’s first-ever Ambassador Program. The purpose of the program is to generate new ideas and promote local businesses, specifically by attending new business ribbon-cuttings and ‘Business After-Hours Events’.

Jordan, a Glynn county native, is currently partnered with Communities In Schools, a non-profit organization whose mission is to increase graduation rates and decrease drop-out rates in the Glynn County School system. Together they are designing ‘Banking on Success’, a program where local bank employees tutor and mentor local 9th grade students once a week.

For more information about the AmeriCorps program or the service that the members are providing in both counties, please feel free to contact HOCG.

Volunteers Make a Community-Wide Impact at Day of Caring 2007

What can over 1,400 hours of volunteer work accomplish in just one day? Well as Glynn and McIntosh volunteers see it, the answer is almost anything. With 380 volunteers participating in United Way’s Annual Day of Caring, which was held October 2, various agencies around the community were impacted in numerous ways. In fact, 13 different projects were held at 12 non-profit organizations in Glynn and McIntosh Counties. Projects included painting and landscaping at the American Red Cross, talking to high school students about career decisions at Southside PLC, building a ‘Big Kids Nook’ at Amity House, and several others.

The 2 main goals for the Day of Caring were to create a community wide impact and to promote volunteerism. “Volunteers are needed year round at hundreds of different agencies in our communities,” said Morgan Meece, program manager for Hands On Coastal Georgia. “Hopefully, this has created an awareness to lend a hand at other opportunities. There really is something for everyone- no matter what your interests or skills are, or even your time availability.”

Thank you to all of the volunteers, sponsors, agencies, and partners who helped make this year’s Day of Caring the most successful one yet! Together, we are making a difference!

Log on to www.handsoncoastalgeorgia.org and click on 'Photo Gallery' to see and read more about the community wide impact that was made because of each volunteer.

ENCOUNTER Makes An Impact

While recently visiting Brunswick and the Golden Isles, a group called ENCOUNTER from Alton, Illinois, wanted to leave a lasting impact on our community. With the help of Hands On Coastal Georgia, the youth of ENCOUNTER found a volunteer project that suited their needs at United Way of Coastal Georgia and Signature Squares of Brunswick. What did they accomplish while volunteering at the United Way and Signature Squares? What didn’t they accomplish should be the question. For the 3 hours that the 76 youth and their chaperons volunteered, they painted 2 bathrooms, shredded hundreds of documents, completely landscaped the outside of a building and one of the squares in Downtown Brunswick, and cleaned out a storage shed.

Morgan Meece, Program Manager of Hands On Coastal Georgia, said of the day’s projects, “It really is amazing to see what a group of young people can accomplish in just a few hours. We were amazed not only at their hard work but also at their willingness to volunteer. This is a great group to be inspired by.”

ENCOUNTER, celebrating their 35th Season and sponsored by Main Street UMC in Alton, IL, is a group of high school students who represent 30 area churches throughout the Greater Alton area. Every summer they travel to a different place for a week to serve the community through volunteer work. The group expects to return to Glynn County in the year 2011.

Hands On Coastal Georgia, an initiative of United Way of Coastal Georgia, is a volunteer management website that connects people who want to help with those that need it the most. To find volunteer opportunities in Glynn and McIntosh Counties, log on to www.handsoncoastalgeorgia.org or call 912.265.1850, ext 306.

Counselor Comforts and Teaches

By Carole Hawkins
The Brunswick News

Dot Barlow doesn’t want women with unplanned pregnancies to have abortions, she wants them to have help.

As a counselor at the faith-based Care Net Pregnancy Center, Barlow talks to women who think they might be pregnant and are scared or confused about what to do. The center offers free pregnancy testing as well as screening for sexually transmitted diseases.

Advocating a non-abortion route, Barlow hopes women will listen to ramifications of abortion and consider other options before making a final choice.

“We give them facts and let them make the decision. They come to us because they know we’re not going to tell them what to do.” She said.

Medical complications occur in one out of 100 abortions, and the procedure makes women more susceptible to future miscarriages and breast cancer. Guilt, anxiety and depression can occur depending on a women’s a woman’s age, circumstances of pregnancy and religious beliefs, Barlow said.

During counseling, Barlow calms nerves and sifts through issues often surrounding an unplanned pregnancy. “I’ve had girls in here who were crying. A mother who comes in whit her daughter may be hard on her because she’s upset. It’s really important to listen to (the girl).”

Barlow said both pregnant women and women who have had abortions deserve support. Barlow connects pregnant women to local resources like Medicaid and Women, Infants and Children. Films on health and child rearing help prepare women for parenthood.

Women who have had abortions and who are struggling with the physical, emotional and spiritual aftermath may participate in post-abortion counseling.

Barlow said helping other women through their pregnancies is especially important in modern times. “Women have always done this through history, but it’s especially needed now because strong family bonds are not always there. So many people don’t have support from any direction.”

Dot has volunteered at Care Net for 13 years.

Photo shows Dot Barlow, left, helping client LaTanya Sparks pick out baby clothing at Care Net Pregnancy Center.

This post was submitted my Crisis Pregnancy Center of Coastal Georgia, Inc.

To learn more about Crisis Pregnancy Center of Coastal Georgia or for volunteer opportunities log on to www.handsoncoastalgeorgia.org.