|
Home
> Tabor
Publications > Tabor Talk
Tabor Talk Spring 2002
Articles:
Message from the President
Becoming a Mentor Brings
Many Rewards
Tabor Named as Finalist
It’s time to ride again!
It’s time to start spring
cleaning!
Tabor’s Volunteer Opportunities!
Annual Banquet a Huge Success!
Message from the
President
Becoming a Mentor Brings Many Rewards
There are many reason why people
chose to become mentors. It is a great feeling to be able to help
someone set and reach their goals. But beyond those goals, mentors
become companions, role models and friends. When clients at Tabor
complete their programs, many are afraid or nervous about leaving
the security they find here. By becoming a mentor, you help these
clients adjust to their new lives by encouraging them to successfully
carry out the new skills they have learned.
Seven years ago, Legartha and
her family moved to Lancaster from Philadelphia. Suffering from
an alcohol problem and with no where to go, she moved her family
into the Water Street Rescue Mission. From the mission, Legartha
moved into a women’s shelter where she was referred to Tabor
Community Services. At Tabor, she met Tammy, a Shelter to Independent
Living (STIL) Counselor. Legartha was enrolled in the STIL program
and shortly thereafter moved into her own house in downtown Lancaster,
where she stayed for over a year. In her new home, Legartha paid
her bills on time and was becoming financially self-sufficient.
However, her home was not big enough for her growing family. She
was raising her three children as well as her grandchild and grand
niece. Needing more space, Legartha moved to a larger house exactly
one year after graduating from Tabor's STIL program.
It was about this time that
Legartha’s counselor, Tammy, met Jane Peifer, pastor of Blossom
Hill Mennonite Church, at a picnic. The two began discussing Tabor’s
mission and Jane mentioned that she had been interested in becoming
a mentor.
Tammy invited her in to meet Legartha, one of her newest graduates
who she thought could benefit from having a mentor. Legartha and
Jane met, hit it off and began working together right away. Her
contact with Tammy during the months after graduating, and working
with Jane as well, gave Legartha the security she needed to make
a smooth transition from Tabor.
Jane and Legartha work together to keep Legartha’s finances
in order and help her to carry out all of the skills she learned
while at Tabor. In addition to visiting the bank together twice
a month, Jane also takes Legartha to the store, assists her in filling
out paperwork and applications and helps her with her kids and family.
Jane and Legartha’s relationship has been a successful mentor
relationship, however, what they have learned from each other goes
beyond bank statements and grocery store trips. Helping Legartha
and watching her raise her family, Jane says this experience has
opened her eyes to a different culture and has been a truly rewarding
experience. Legartha's experience with Jane has been more than rewarding.
“I love her like a sister,”
she says of her mentor. “Everything is alright as long as I
have Jane by my side!”
Legartha and Jane are an example
of of how a mentor / client relationship can not only be beneficial
in keeping the client on track, but also turn into a respectful,
caring friendship.
If you are interested in becoming a mentor to a Tabor client, please
contact Gretchen Haubner at 397-5182, extension 112.
Back to top
Tabor Named as
Finalist
The Central Penn Business Journal
and its sponsors announced Tabor Community Services as one of seven
finalists in their annual Nonprofit Innovation Awards in the category
of Programs. Tabor was bestowed this honor due to the level of originality,
effectiveness and measurability of the innovation used in the Family
Savings Account program, a matched savings program for low-income
savers.
The Family Savings Account was started in 1998 and has proved to
be a huge success in educating low-income families on money management
and fiscal responsibility. Participating families are encouraged
to save toward personal asset goals such as home ownership, first
time vehicles, and retirement plans etc. For more information, please
contact Zulma Gonzalez-Holloway at 397-5182 ext. 135.
Back to top
It’s time
to ride again!
Tabor Community Services is
once again participating in Dream Ride 2002 to celebrate the 273rd
Birthday of Lancaster County. Dream Ride is a community-based cycling
event to raise funds for local charities.
Tabor is looking for riders to cycle and collect pledges for the
following rides:
Saturday June 15th
Catnap Tour, 15 miles
Counting Sheep, Tour 30 miles
Daydream Tour, 62.5 miles
Sweet Dream Tour, 100 miles
For those up to the challenge...
the Nightmare tour, a 177 mile ride around the perimeter of Lancaster
County,
Saturday June 8th.
If interested in pledging a Tabor rider, fill out the form below.
If you would like more information on riding for Tabor or volunteering
at an aid station, contact Gretchen Haubner at 397-5182, ext. 112.
Back to top
It’s time to start spring cleaning!
And that is just what volunteer
crews have been doing at Tabor’s newest properties on King
Street in Lancaster. There was a lot of work to be done in these
two buildings to reach our goal of turning these properties into
affordable housing and Tabor offices.
Lucky for us, we were approached
by two youth groups from Ephrata United Zion Church and Lancaster
Evangelical Free Church who were looking for community projects.
These kids gave up an entire Saturday to clean out rooms, empty
garbage, strip walls and put on a fresh coats of paint. Thanks to
both groups for their hard work and interest in furthering Tabor’s
mission.
This was just the first leg in a two year renovation project. If
your organization would like to help in this renovation project,
please contact Gretchen Haubner at 397-5182, extension 112.
Back to top
Tabor’s Volunteer
Opportunities!
Tabor has taken a close look at our volunteer needs and categorized
them into three main areas that we will be concentrating on in the
next few months.
1. Mail Room Day
In addition to our quarterly newsletter, many of our departments
do monthly mailings that require volunteer assistance. We have designated
the last Tuesday of the month as mail room day. We are looking for
a number of volunteers who are willing to make a commitment to come
in the last Tuesday of every month for three months to help complete
our bulk mailings.
2. Mentor training and implementation.
Recently Tabor has been receiving calls from people, churches and
organizations interested in becoming a mentor and asking if we have
such a program. We are collecting information from interested mentors
and once we get a substantial list of interested volunteers, we
will provide in house training on becoming a mentor and assign mentors
to willing clients.
3. Teaching
Many of our programs require clients to take a number of classes
dealing with budgeting, housing and basic money and home ownership
skills. We are looking for volunteers who work in these fields or
have experience in these areas who are willing to donate a few hours
in the evening or day to teach a course.
If you or your organization has an interest in any of these programs,
please contact Gretchen Haubner at 397-5182, ext.112.
Back to top
Annual Banquet a Huge Success!
Tabor would like to thank everyone who attended our 34th annual
banquet on March 21st at Lancaster Mennonite High School. The evening
was a huge success!
Joseph Rogers, President and
CEO of the Mental Health Association of Southeastern PA, was the
guest speaker. He brought to light the effects of mental illness
on homelessness with stories about his own struggle with these problems.
Tabor also recognized five individuals or businesses for their achievements
in 2001. These awards were presented to:
Marisol Mayo, Housing Client of the Year
Denise Ryan, landlord of the Year
Jimmie and Arlene Moore, CCCS Clients of the Year
The Bon Ton Stores, Creditor of the Year
Bill Rutter, Volunteer of the Year.
Congratulations and thank you for your dedication to Tabor.
Thanks to our many business sponsors and donors who made our banquet
a financial success. Tabor is deeply grateful for your support.
Back to top
|
