Sojourner House Walks for a Healthy Community! Thanks, Highmark!

Walkin' for Sojourner House; Greg and the Pierogi Man; Thank You LaMarcus and Anne and Friends!


This morning was the Sixth Annual Walk for a Healthy Community sponsored by Highmark Blue Cross/Blue Shield. It was a rainy morning, but Greg and I headed down to Heinz Field at 7:30 this morning to support Sojourner House.


There were a great many other board members and their families at the walk as well as staff and volunteers. Here are some of the sites (along with my personal commentary).

Anne is checking in a soggy walker at the Sojourner House table in front of Heinz Field.


Joann, Gloria, Jill (background), and Anne were helping this person check-in. Somehow I missed LaMarcus. Where is he?

Anne waves in the background as Dan (board treasurer), his wife, Laurie, and their son look back toward the Turkey Hill ice cream tent. Hmmmm! Ice cream for breakfast!

This doggie is wearing his mom's t-shirt! He looks comfy!

This looks like a Kodak moment . . . maybe . . . .

Miguel invents the t-shirt umbrella!

Greg (Kathy's husband) poses with Cheese Chester . . . a Pittsburgh celebrity!

Steely McBeam was there to entertain us all!

We finally did get the show on the road! Somebody sang the national anthem . . . or at least the words were the same. Why do they schmaltz it up like that? I kind of like it straight so I can sing along.

Thanks to the Walk Committee chair LaMarcus and his wife Robin and their family, to Anne, Joann, Gloria, Debbie, Jill, Dan and Laurie, Miguel, Steve and family, all the walkers from Fifth Third Bank, and all the people I didn't see or forgot to name. You guys are awesome! Thanks for helping us raise money for the families of Sojourner House.

A special thanks to LaMarcus who chaired the event for Sojourner House and his able partner and Highmark connection, Anne! Thanks team!

"Offering compassionate, faith-based recovery services to mothers and their children."

Staff Christmas Party

Staff Christmas Party - Thursday, December 13

Don't forget that this Thursday is the staff Christmas party at Sojourner House from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Come and join us as we celebrate the holiday and appreciate the fine work of our staff in supporting our women and families.

If you wish to take part in the grab bag gift exchange, bring your wrapped gift valued at $10.

Hope we see you there!

Board Updates for November, 2007

Sojourner House Board News

Wonder why the staff paints the hands of our clients and their children red? SURPRISE! It is so they can put their handprints on the "Wall of Completion" when they complete the program and 'graduate' from Sojourner House. This is the day that marks success and celebration. It is what we all work for . . . to cheer these mothers and families on to a better life.

There is a lot going on at Sojourner House as we approach the holidays! Our next board meeting is on Monday, January 14, 2008. Here are some things to keep in mind.

New Board Member Orientation: Joanne, chair of our Governance Committee, has organized an orientation for our five new members to meet staff, tour the facility, and learn about the work at Sojourner House. This is set for Monday, November 26, from 5:30-6:30 p.m. New board members should be getting invitations soon and can RSVP by calling Sojourner House at 412-441-7783.

Staff Christmas Party: Joann, our ED, is planning a Christmas party for the staff in December. As soon as the date is decided, Kathy will send an e-mail to invite you to come and honor our staff and encourage them. The holidays are difficult and stressful for all of us; but they can be extremely difficult for people in recovery. If you are available to join us to support the staff at the party, please feel welcome to come and meet the great group of caring people that work at the Sojourner House facilities.

Victorian Tea for 2008: The Victorian Tea is scheduled for Saturday, March 29, 2008, from noon until 2 p.m. at Amici Ristorante on Route 51. The tea committee is in full swing planning the event. If you wish to join the committee, please contact Jill at the Sojourner House office for more information. For the rest of us, it is time to begin thinking of donated items to create the wonderful gift baskets for the tea. As you do your holiday rounds, be sure to ask your favorite businesses and friends for items that would contribute to a special basket. Samples of things we've had in the past are:

• Tickets to sporting events.


• Tickets to plays and cultural events.


• Dinner for two at a restaurant.


• Getaway weekend at a hotel.


• Spa services, massages, pedicures.


• Handbags, jewelry, scarves.


• Cookbooks, food items, kitchen items.


• Children's toys, books, games.


• Pittsburgh Zoo or Aviary or Children's Museum Passes.


• Cosmetics, perfume, purses, luggage.


• Gift certificates to clothing stores or boutiques.

Virtually anything can be combined with other items to make a great prize. The committee will be coming out with the list of "Themes" for this year's baskets very soon. However, please don't turn any donation down. Call Jill to let her know of any donations you can obtain.

The other thing you need to do is start making a list of people to invite to the Tea to introduce them to the great things we are doing to help the Pittsburgh families in our communities. The Tea is a wonderful way to get people acquainted with the organization. So please make out your Sojourner House list when you write your holiday greetings!

Walk for a Healthy Community sponsored by Highmark: Plans for the 6K walk starting at Heinz Field in May are already underway. Anne is head of this committee. If you are interested in getting involved and helping with this event, contact her or call the Sojourner House office to volunteer.

Have a safe and happy Thanksgiving! Your work for this great organization is greatly appreciated.

Kathy

July Board Notes

As we ended the fiscal year on June 30, we have several things to celebrate. We successfully received and spent a capital grant that allowed us to purchase two vans and a number of improvements to our properties including furniture, security cameras, repairs, and necessities for the families at Sojourner House and Sojourner House MOMS. We also passed our inspections with good marks and have only two citations that we are addressing now. Norma's last week at the house was a whirlwind, which is only fitting because of the flurry of accomplishments she leaves in her wake.

Joann Cyganovich started as our Executive Director on Monday, July 2. She is busy settling in and getting to know staff. Anne Crawford and Kathy Froehle spent some time on Monday morning going over some organizational information. Norma left an 18-month action plan as well as a list of critical items for July. So Joann is busy already.

Please be aware of these dates:

Wednesday, July 11, 2007, 5-7 p.m. - Retirement reception for Norma Raiff at Olive or Twist on Sixth Avenue. Please stop by and wish Norma well. Cash bar; hors d'oeuvres will be provided.

Monday, July 16, 2007, 5:30 p.m. dinner and social time; 6:30 p.m. will be the start of an abbreviated board meeting and update on "Jazz Explosion at LeMont". We will keep a strict time table and be out by 7:30 p.m. Agenda to follow.

Thursday, August, 16, 2007, 6-10 p.m. - "Jazz Explosion at LeMont" Registration is available on the web site. Please let Michelle Reese (412) 490-4238 or Kathy Froehle (412) 358-6041 know of any potential contacts for corporate tables or sponsorship.

Have a wonderful July!

Succession Committee Update

Board:

The Succession Committe has received the portfolio of candidates from Dewey & Kaye and reviewed the resume's and questionnaire's of nine excellent candidates. We have selected four candidates for the first round of interviews and will be talking with them between now and April 18. We have prepared a list of questions for these interviews and will complete rating sheets on each candidate.

From the first round of interviews, we hope to select two finalists for presentation to the board and staff in May.

Succession Activity And Beyond!

Succession Committee Update:

The organizational assessment is underway. Leslie is meeting with staff and gathering information for the assessment at the present time. The succession committee (Joanne, Peggy, Anne and Kathy) will be meeting with Leslie on Wednesday, 3/21, to review candidates who have applied for the ED position. The response has been good, and there are a number of good candidates.

As a note, activity on the web site is up significantly in February with over 3,200 visitors in the month of February (up from around 2,000 in previous months). The average number of sessions per day is 67; the previous averages were in the range of 35-45 sessions per day. The visitor sessions were the highest on Thursday, February 8, and Friday, February 16, which coincides with the e-mail and electronic posting of the position for Executive Director. I guess a lot of people are checking us out on the web!

Volunteer Reception (Meet and Greet) Scheduled for Wednesday, 3/21:

About 10 people have responded to our invitation for volunteers and board members; and the reception will be held at Sojourner House on Wednesday from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Persons interested in board membership will be presented at the April board meeting.

Tea Update:

Invitations to the Victorian Tea are going in the mail by Monday, 3/19, with RSVP's requested either by phone or on the web site. Mrs. Ruth Anne Papa is Honorary Chair, and Timyka Artist from WPXI will be our Master of Ceremonies. Peggy Reding is being honored as this year's "Pearl of Hope" aware winner. This event is a friend raiser with an ask. We would like to raise $5,000.

A second e-mail reminder will be sent in early April.

Highmark Walk for a Healthy Community:

Sojourner House is actively working to recruit walkers and sponsors for the walk on May 19 at Heinz Field. Please form a team and register on the web site to get your packet and begin collecting pledges. Our goal is $10,000.

Sojourner House Benefit at the LeMont Restaurant:

As many of you know, we have been offered an opportunity to have a fund raiser at LeMont; and we have reserved the date of Thursday, August 16, for this important event. We need to form a committee to promote and sell seats for this fantastic opportunity. This will be an agenda item at the April board meeting as well.

There is a great deal going on! We look forward with excitement (and a little bit of "oh, my gosh!" to the next few months at Sojourner House. We have a great team!

President's Day Week

We had a very successful event at MOMS this week when the Women's Leadership Initiative from United Way came to celebrate with us at the Hearts of Chocolate presentation on Thursday. About 20 people attended, and there were tours of the facility and a lovely selection of food provided by Bigelow Grille, the restaurant in the Doubletree Hotel in downtown Pittsburgh. (Stop by for lunch or dinner sometime; Jessica's husband, Robert, is the chef.) The Chocolate event brought us a $5,000 donation from a local business owner and an opportunity for a wonderful benefit that we will be discussing at the next board meeting on March 5.

The Victorian Tea committee is off and running with plans for the April 14 event. Invitations should be sent in early March. Mark you calendar now and begin to talk with your friends about this friend raiser. The goal of this event will be to raise about $10,000 toward our match for MOMS.

There is a Highmark employee sign-up for the Highmark Walk for a Healthy Community on Wednesday, March 7. Anne will be helping to get walkers for Sojourner House at this event. Please call the office and ask Jodi for sign-up forms if you need them. The save the date cards will be mailed with the newsletters in the next few weeks. The BEST way to sign up is on the internet; go to our web site for the link. Each board member is asked to recruit at least 10 walkers. The goal of each walker is $100; and this can count toward community service requirements for students who need that. Encourage youth groups and kids organizations that you and your family are associated with to participate.

SUCCESSION:
Joanne: Did you sign the contract for D&K for the organizational assessment? Let's discuss on Monday's call.

The postings for the ED position are out, and resumes are being accepted.

Kathy will follow up with Leslie next week to see where we are in our plan and what needs to be accomplished in March.