Last month PV Jo Welter decided to have a dinner part at her house to help support the PV40 effort. It turned out to be a very successful evening, and her words a pretty easy thing to do, so we asked her to write down how the event came to be.
When I approached my friend Sandy about helping me raise money for the PVs, she didn't hesitate for a moment. I knew I could count on her since she was involved in a fundraiser held at our parish to benefit the PVs two years ago.
My idea was to have a pizza party and invite some of our friends. Sandy thought it over and said it would be better to have a dinner party instead because it would bring in more money. We hoped we would be able to have 16 people but when the fliers went out, we ended up with 22, and then even more wanted to come!
WE had three table s end to end from the dining room extending into the living room. Deacon John and his wife Kare had just returned from Italy the day before and provided the salad and gave us a hand setting up the tables, etc. One friend served as bartender, other guests insisted on bringing desserts, it seemed everyone wanted to help out.
One couple was celebrating their 57th anniversary that day, so we ended up toasting them with Proseco, which is Italian champagne. What fun!
The dinner was fabulous. Sandy did all the cooking and the desserts she made, along with the others, were out of this world. We ended up with coffee, tea and espresso.
You don't have to have a dinner party or go to extremes to have a fundraiser. Of course having a friend like Sandy would be helpful, but I'm sure if you asked a friend or a group of friends to help you, they will not turn you down. Remember the words of Jesus, "when two or three gather in my name, I am there" and when we do things to help others, our actions become prayers and the Holy Spirit becomes a helper too.
Good luck with all your fundraisers!
Joo
Monday, November 28, 2011
Friday, November 18, 2011
BREAKING PV 40 NEWS
As of November 18th, the PV40 Challenge has raised $6,954!!!
Thank you to everyone that has helped us get to this total. We are only $3,000 from our goal!
Thank you to everyone that has helped us get to this total. We are only $3,000 from our goal!
Thursday, November 10, 2011
WEB in Brooklyn
WEB, the young womens empowerment group formally known as TGIA, kicked off it's eighth year recently. With the loss of meeting space, the group as had to be creative as to where they can gather. They have met in diners, at parks, and for this meeting they were welcomed into the home of two of its members. We can't thank their mom enough for giving the space for the group to meet.
Leaders and WEB members alike were able to catch up on each other lives. The WEB leaders hadn't seen the young women since camp this summer, where they were all such a huge help in running our first camp at St. John's. The other purpose was to celebrate the first birthday of one of the member's child. Happy Birthday!!!
Plans are in the works for the annual WEB Thanksgiving celebration, always a highlight of the year. The Thanksgiving feast would take place in the same home again, but if anyone knows of a more permanent place where the group could meet, please let us know!
Leaders and WEB members alike were able to catch up on each other lives. The WEB leaders hadn't seen the young women since camp this summer, where they were all such a huge help in running our first camp at St. John's. The other purpose was to celebrate the first birthday of one of the member's child. Happy Birthday!!!
Plans are in the works for the annual WEB Thanksgiving celebration, always a highlight of the year. The Thanksgiving feast would take place in the same home again, but if anyone knows of a more permanent place where the group could meet, please let us know!
Monday, November 7, 2011
The PVs are on Twitter
The PVs are now on twitter at pv_program@twitter.com. If you are on twitter we hope you will consider following us!
A simple PV40 Challenge idea
Here is an easy way to ask friends and family to help support your efforts as a PV without feeling like you are asking for a lot of money.
Look at the number of contacts who are on your contact list in your email (minus fellow PVs of course) and divide that number in $250 (the PV40 Challenge amount) and ask for a donation of that amount from each person. For example, if you have 50 people in your contact list ask for every person if they can to donate $5 to the PVs. One volunteer did this and raised over $700, by asking for donations of $8. Not everyone responded, but others gave more. You never know the response you might get.
The amount is small, but when added together it amounts to quite a bit. Just like the PVs... We may be small in number, but we are mighty!
Look at the number of contacts who are on your contact list in your email (minus fellow PVs of course) and divide that number in $250 (the PV40 Challenge amount) and ask for a donation of that amount from each person. For example, if you have 50 people in your contact list ask for every person if they can to donate $5 to the PVs. One volunteer did this and raised over $700, by asking for donations of $8. Not everyone responded, but others gave more. You never know the response you might get.
The amount is small, but when added together it amounts to quite a bit. Just like the PVs... We may be small in number, but we are mighty!
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Tracking the PV 40 Challenge
This post will be updated regularly with news from our PV 40 Challenge
*Garage Sale in Cincinnati,OH - Saturday, October 29th: All proceeds will benefit the PV Volunteers
*Italian Club Bake Sale at Holy Angels Academy, NJ - November 7th: All proceeds will benefit the PV Volunteers
*Personal Emails - Many volunteers are emailing their friends and families and asking directly for help in raising money for the PVs.
*Coffehouse and Book Sale - Volunteers in the Bronx will be hosting a coffee house and used book sale
*Jo's Chicken Parm. Dinner - On Sunday,Nov. 13. a chicken parm.dinner to benefit P.V. Volunteer program,$15 per person. Everyone welcome but must have check made out to P.V. Volunteers by Saturday. Nov, 5. Space limited to 18 people. Please call Jo if you are interested (732)-774-9302.
*Game Night - Morris County/Parsippany, NJ - November 26th - For more information go to http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=253449931373297
*Ministering - Gainesville, FL - Volunteers are putting in $$$ amount for each individual they are currently ministering to. To them we have given our time and talent.
*In honor/In celebration - We have a volunteer who just retired and asked that in lieu of retirement gifts to donate to the PV 40 Challenge. This can be done for birthdays, births, anniversaries, etc.
*Garage Sale in Cincinnati,OH - Saturday, October 29th: All proceeds will benefit the PV Volunteers
*Italian Club Bake Sale at Holy Angels Academy, NJ - November 7th: All proceeds will benefit the PV Volunteers
*Personal Emails - Many volunteers are emailing their friends and families and asking directly for help in raising money for the PVs.
*Coffehouse and Book Sale - Volunteers in the Bronx will be hosting a coffee house and used book sale
*Jo's Chicken Parm. Dinner - On Sunday,Nov. 13. a chicken parm.dinner to benefit P.V. Volunteer program,$15 per person. Everyone welcome but must have check made out to P.V. Volunteers by Saturday. Nov, 5. Space limited to 18 people. Please call Jo if you are interested (732)-774-9302.
*Game Night - Morris County/Parsippany, NJ - November 26th - For more information go to http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=253449931373297
*Ministering - Gainesville, FL - Volunteers are putting in $$$ amount for each individual they are currently ministering to. To them we have given our time and talent.
*In honor/In celebration - We have a volunteer who just retired and asked that in lieu of retirement gifts to donate to the PV 40 Challenge. This can be done for birthdays, births, anniversaries, etc.
November Volunteer Reflection
In our November PV Newsletter, we included a reflection written by one of our volunteers,Pat Wiley. Here is that reflection:
My time as a PV started out – literally – with a bang.
After years of familiarity with the program, I finally took the opportunity to become an active volunteer at the end of last July. Along with my daughter Carrie, I headed out on a Saturday afternoon for the six hour drive to Wyoming County, WV. Other than the few summer storms we encountered along the way, the drive was quite routine. Until we reached Pineville, where I announced my presence by colliding with a vehicle being driven by a local woman quite unprepared for the appearance of my car in the intersection she was driving through.
Even before any of us had unbuckled our seatbelts to survey the damage, the great wail of a Civil Service siren sprang the small town into action. Within less than three minutes, a swarm of First Responders was on the scene. The volunteer Fire Department, which had fortuitously been holding a picnic on grounds adjacent to the accident scene, was quick to make sure we were all okay. They were unbelievably friendly; they even invited us to their picnic! While no one was injured, my car had to be towed away and I had no idea when I was going to get it back. Jenny – who along with Jill was waiting at the Pineville house for our arrival – arrived on the scene and took us to the house where what would turn out to be among the most memorable weeks of my life began in earnest.
From the time fellow volunteers got there and we joined those already there, a spirit of kindness and generosity took hold and did not let up for the entire week we were there. And that spirit was not confined by any means to the volunteers. Whether it was a homeowner in the County we were assisting, a VISTA volunteer we encountered or the mechanic who was so helpful in getting my car back on the road.
That is not to say that everything in that area is rosy; quite the contrary. Nearly every advantage most of us take for granted is absent there. One of the things that makes the experience of volunteering in Wyoming County so amazing is the grace and dignity with which those who endure so much misfortune carry themselves. There is a stoicism and strength of character about them which simply must be experienced to be appreciated.
Among the many memories I carry from that week were the nightly “Reflections”. Anyone who has had the privilege of sharing these with Dan knows of his fondness for a nightly theme. The theme of this reflection is :”You Can take it with you”. I chose that theme because for a long time after I got back to the daily grind, I found myself spiritually buoyed by the memory of my week in West Virginia, and by those I was blessed to spend that time with. Even now, and hopefully continuing to when I repeat the experience, I can adjust my sometimes negative worldview by reflecting on how, for all of its hatreds and cruelties, there is much beauty and kindness in the world, You just have to know where to find it. And I have found a bounty of it in the PV Program.
My time as a PV started out – literally – with a bang.
After years of familiarity with the program, I finally took the opportunity to become an active volunteer at the end of last July. Along with my daughter Carrie, I headed out on a Saturday afternoon for the six hour drive to Wyoming County, WV. Other than the few summer storms we encountered along the way, the drive was quite routine. Until we reached Pineville, where I announced my presence by colliding with a vehicle being driven by a local woman quite unprepared for the appearance of my car in the intersection she was driving through.
Even before any of us had unbuckled our seatbelts to survey the damage, the great wail of a Civil Service siren sprang the small town into action. Within less than three minutes, a swarm of First Responders was on the scene. The volunteer Fire Department, which had fortuitously been holding a picnic on grounds adjacent to the accident scene, was quick to make sure we were all okay. They were unbelievably friendly; they even invited us to their picnic! While no one was injured, my car had to be towed away and I had no idea when I was going to get it back. Jenny – who along with Jill was waiting at the Pineville house for our arrival – arrived on the scene and took us to the house where what would turn out to be among the most memorable weeks of my life began in earnest.
From the time fellow volunteers got there and we joined those already there, a spirit of kindness and generosity took hold and did not let up for the entire week we were there. And that spirit was not confined by any means to the volunteers. Whether it was a homeowner in the County we were assisting, a VISTA volunteer we encountered or the mechanic who was so helpful in getting my car back on the road.
That is not to say that everything in that area is rosy; quite the contrary. Nearly every advantage most of us take for granted is absent there. One of the things that makes the experience of volunteering in Wyoming County so amazing is the grace and dignity with which those who endure so much misfortune carry themselves. There is a stoicism and strength of character about them which simply must be experienced to be appreciated.
Among the many memories I carry from that week were the nightly “Reflections”. Anyone who has had the privilege of sharing these with Dan knows of his fondness for a nightly theme. The theme of this reflection is :”You Can take it with you”. I chose that theme because for a long time after I got back to the daily grind, I found myself spiritually buoyed by the memory of my week in West Virginia, and by those I was blessed to spend that time with. Even now, and hopefully continuing to when I repeat the experience, I can adjust my sometimes negative worldview by reflecting on how, for all of its hatreds and cruelties, there is much beauty and kindness in the world, You just have to know where to find it. And I have found a bounty of it in the PV Program.
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
PV 40 CHALLENGE
We are launching a new fundraising effort and need your help. It is a critical time right now for the PVs, otherwise we wouldn't be asking for your help so soon after the appeal went out. It is our hope that the PV 40 challenge will engage people outside of the PVs.
PV 40 CHALLENGE: In celebration of entering our 40th year as a program, the PV 40 Challenge is asking for 40 teams (they can be an individual, group or organization) to try to raise $250. If we get 40 teams raising $250 a team, that would bring in $10,000, roughly the amount needed to fill our financial gap. The flyer lists some ideas for events that are simple and ask as little as a $7 donation. What we would like is for the people to reach outside of the PV Community and try to get some friends, families and coworkers involved, much like the "Live with Passion." The volunteers already give so much to our program, that we wanted to come up with an idea that would bring in other people.
If you would like a PV 40 Challenge information sheet or a booklet that can be used at events to inform people more about who the PVs are and what we do, please email us (pvprogram@gmail.com) and we will send them you way. As groups are formed please let us know so we can post it on this blog. We would like to show the progress of our effort on the way to the $10,000 goal. If possible, we would like all events to take place by December 1st.
Thanks for your continued support and generosity to the PVs!
If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask.
PV 40 CHALLENGE: In celebration of entering our 40th year as a program, the PV 40 Challenge is asking for 40 teams (they can be an individual, group or organization) to try to raise $250. If we get 40 teams raising $250 a team, that would bring in $10,000, roughly the amount needed to fill our financial gap. The flyer lists some ideas for events that are simple and ask as little as a $7 donation. What we would like is for the people to reach outside of the PV Community and try to get some friends, families and coworkers involved, much like the "Live with Passion." The volunteers already give so much to our program, that we wanted to come up with an idea that would bring in other people.
If you would like a PV 40 Challenge information sheet or a booklet that can be used at events to inform people more about who the PVs are and what we do, please email us (pvprogram@gmail.com) and we will send them you way. As groups are formed please let us know so we can post it on this blog. We would like to show the progress of our effort on the way to the $10,000 goal. If possible, we would like all events to take place by December 1st.
Thanks for your continued support and generosity to the PVs!
If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask.
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Fall PV Reunion and Evaluation Weekend
What a beautiful weekend for our annual get together at the Jersey Shore. The dates were moved up a weekend from our traditional third week of October and boy did we have nice weather. Honestly it made it a little hard to sit inside while we were working, so much so that when we broke into two small groups, both groups headed outside. We were able to talk about the summer and the general state of the program and we enjoyed each others company and catching up with everyone. In all, twenty volunteers took part in the festivities of the weekend.
A huge thank you to Jo for hosting us for the day on Saturday and well as providing accommodations for eleven PVs on Saturday night. Also, a big thank you to Wayne and Kathy for having us over on Saturday night for dinner. We ate wonderfully all weekend and Saturday night was a beautiful night to sit around the outside campfire and share some laughs.
Thank you to all who came during the weekend. Your presence is what drives us into the future!
A few pictures from Saturday evening...
A huge thank you to Jo for hosting us for the day on Saturday and well as providing accommodations for eleven PVs on Saturday night. Also, a big thank you to Wayne and Kathy for having us over on Saturday night for dinner. We ate wonderfully all weekend and Saturday night was a beautiful night to sit around the outside campfire and share some laughs.
Thank you to all who came during the weekend. Your presence is what drives us into the future!
A few pictures from Saturday evening...
Friday, August 26, 2011
Bed Stuy Camp- Day 5
The final day of camp... today's big highlight was making solar ovens. The kids made ovens out of pizza boxes and then cooked s'mores in them during recess. It ended up being a really cool craft.
We really had a wonderful week of camp in Brooklyn. Huge thanks to all the PVs who came to pitch in and make it happen. We wouldn't have been able to pull it off without your help! Also, a big thanks to our local young women and young man, who came faithfully each day and helped the camp run. Most importantly they were wonderful mentors to the kids. In all we had 38 kids enjoy "Space Camp" with 8 local mentors.
We enjoyed a wonderful week, experienced an earthquake together and rallied on the last day to clean up and pack up quickly so all could get a head start in leaving the city ahead of Hurricane Irene. For all PVs in her path, stay safe!
We really had a wonderful week of camp in Brooklyn. Huge thanks to all the PVs who came to pitch in and make it happen. We wouldn't have been able to pull it off without your help! Also, a big thanks to our local young women and young man, who came faithfully each day and helped the camp run. Most importantly they were wonderful mentors to the kids. In all we had 38 kids enjoy "Space Camp" with 8 local mentors.
We enjoyed a wonderful week, experienced an earthquake together and rallied on the last day to clean up and pack up quickly so all could get a head start in leaving the city ahead of Hurricane Irene. For all PVs in her path, stay safe!
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Bed Stuy Camp - Day 4
After such a beautiful week, today we had our first bit of rain. Unfortunately with the rain the kids had to stay inside today for all of the camp day. The volunteers were great though, as they improvised and had a little "recess time" in the hallway and caught up on crafts that were missed earlier in the week because of the earthquake. The kids continued to have a great time and keep asking for another week of camp!
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Bed Stuy Camp - Day 3
Another great day at camp today. We really could not have asked for better weather than we have had this week. Sunny skies, a slight breeze...it has been beautiful.
We had another great day with the kids. Today the kids learned about the moon. All the activities focused on learning about the moon and it's place in space. The campers have been very attentive and a lot of fun to be around. We also have a wonderful group of junior counselors who ventured over from Monserrate to help with this new camp.
Enjoy some pictures from today...
We had another great day with the kids. Today the kids learned about the moon. All the activities focused on learning about the moon and it's place in space. The campers have been very attentive and a lot of fun to be around. We also have a wonderful group of junior counselors who ventured over from Monserrate to help with this new camp.
Enjoy some pictures from today...
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Bed Stuy Camp - Day 2
What an exciting day! We started the day and everything was running smoothly and we even picked up several new kids. And then...... the earthquake hit. Two classes were in the building and felt the sway, while the younger kids were out in the parking lot having their "recess time." We were asked to leave the building and stay outside until further instructed. While we were waiting on the sidewalk, an impromptu game of the magicball broke out on the sidewalk, harkening back to the early dates of the PVs in Bretz. After some time, it was decided that we shouldn't go back in case there was an aftershock. So, we spent the last hour of camp out in the parking lot skipping rope, playing with chalk, blowing bubbles, etc. Again, we were very impressed with everyone's ability to adjust and be flexible with the changes. After the kids went home, all the PVs headed over to the Alligator Lounge for pizza. Yummy, yummy!!!
Monday, August 22, 2011
Bed Stuy Camp - Day 1
We started a new era today, as we began our first day of camp at St. John the Baptist church in Brooklyn. We were very pleased to have five of the young women from WEB join with eight PVs to run the camp. We were also pleased with the turnout of the camp with 22 kids in attendence. For being in a brand new place we feel like we have a great foundation to build upon.
After camp we headed up north to the Bronx to meet up PV's who live in the Bronx, Yonkers, West Chester area at Rory Dolan's. As always is was great to get together, catch up and enjoy the company of fellow PVs.
We will be uploading pictures and updating daily as the camp conintues. Enjoy!
After camp we headed up north to the Bronx to meet up PV's who live in the Bronx, Yonkers, West Chester area at Rory Dolan's. As always is was great to get together, catch up and enjoy the company of fellow PVs.
We will be uploading pictures and updating daily as the camp conintues. Enjoy!
Friday, August 5, 2011
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