Published: May 20, 2008 10:28 pm            

ALBION: Stories of hope shared at Community Action luncheon

ALBION — The parking lot at the American Legion Sheret Post 35 in Albion was packed with cars Monday morning and afternoon as many people attended Community Action of Orleans and Genesee's annual Community Appreciation Luncheon.

The luncheon is a time for the organization to say thank you to those who have helped others and Community Action through volunteering during the year, as well as a time to make important announcements.

"This is always one of my favorite times of the year," said Dean London, chairman of the board of directors.

Executive Director Ed Fancher said Community Action has received a $20,000 member item from state Sen. George Maziarz, R-Newfane, and Assemblyman Stephen Hawley, R-Batavia. The funds will enable the organization to purchase the building adjacent to the community center in Holley and offer space for future growth of community services.

The two-hour long event also included guest speakers — community members who have been helped in some way by the people at Community Action — and they shared their personal stories of triumph, many of which can be regaled as testimonies to the organization’s mission statement.

Doris Fuller

Doris Fuller of Byron has been using the Community Action Transportation Services bus for probably 10 years, said Anne Clark, CATS bus driver from Genesee County.

The service Clark provides for Fuller allows her to remain independent, she said.

"Annie is just fantastic," Fuller said. Last winter when there were a couple days of extremely bad weather, Fuller called to ask if the bus was running. Although it was not, she was told that patients needing dialysis would be picked up, regardless, so they could make their appointments. Fuller was one such CATS customer.

"I just can't say enough," about the service, Fuller said, adding that for those who can pay to ride, the suggested price is $3. "People who don't have anything, don't pay."

Heidi Haines

As a mother of three, Albion resident Heidi Haines has been a part of the Community Action Head Start pre-school program for several years.

"I feel that Head Start is a wonderful program," Haines said.

Her oldest son, now 15, was enrolled at Head Start, and on his first day of school came home and couldn't stop talking about it. Haines said he also learned simple things that she didn't know most 3- and 4-year-olds should know — like washing his hands before having his afternoon snack, taking care of his dishes and throwing out his napkin.

"It thrilled me that he was happy to go to school," she said.

When a second son came along and was at pre-school age, Haines also had him enrolled. He didn't come home talking about school like his big brother had, and when Albion's universal pre-K program started, Haines then enrolled him there. With concern about his trouble speaking — he didn't really talk until he was 3, Haines said — she met with his teacher to discuss her fears.

"She told me Justin was shy but was friends with everyone," Haines said, which was information that alleviated the concern.

Now, with a large age gap between her children, Haines' youngest, Brianna, is enrolled at Head Start in the home-base program that allows Haines to work during the day with her husband. According to her, the shop they have is equipped with a playroom, which is where Head Start teacher Beth Nesbitt meets and works with Brianna.

"She kept saying she wanted to go to school," Haines said. With the home-base program, the mother's biggest concern was a lack of socialization with other children. However, home base has regular meetings where all the children in that particular program are able to meet and play together.

After her several years of working with the staff at Head Start because of her own children's involvement in the program, Haines has been asked to be a member of the policy council and is also a home-base representative for the program.

Alicia Graham

Sometimes at the lowest point in a person's life "angels" show up and take them under their wings. That's how Alicia Graham's story reads. She tried college, but it wasn't for her. She dropped out. Graham really didn't want to work. The ambition wasn’t there.

Although she was living at her mother’s house, Graham was told to go to Community Action in Genesee County for food because her mother wasn't going to keep helping if she wasn't going to try to help herself.

That's where she met her "guardian angels," she said. Lisa Wittmeyer of Emergency Services Genesee and a colleague of hers stopped Graham one day when she was at Community Action and talked to her. Eventually, Graham took their advice and sought help at Job Corps.

"They saw a lost girl with potential," Graham said. "I see I can do so much."

Once a lost child, Graham now is a graduate and holds certifications in phlebotomy, CPR and several other health-related services. She's also been working at United Memorial Hospital in Batavia since last year and just invested in her own apartment, something she is very proud of.

"Thank you so much for sparing your time to help others," Graham said.

Amy Marquez

As an active woman with many things going on all at once, Amy Marquez of Clarendon wasn't sure how to get out of the slump she was in after falling ill and having to undergo several surgeries during a two-year period. For about eight years, Marquez worked for the Town of Clarendon in the office, she volunteered at her church in the choir, sold home interiors many nights a week and many other activities.

"I went from that person that was doing all that stuff to a person who didn't leave the house," she said.

After applying for aid through the Department of Social Services, she learned about a three-week readiness course offered at the Main Street Store in Albion, which partners with the department to help others. Though she was apprehensive at first, she persevered.

Marquez was just recently offered a position at the Main Street Store and is their new marketing and recruitment specialist, she said. Now she no longer dreads the day, and has also found her niche.

"The old Amy is back and I'm here to stay," she said.

Marcia Seeley

Marcia Seeley had a gambling addiction — it was so out of control that she ended up in prison at the Orleans County Correctional Facility. But Seeley said she was blessed with the work-release program, which allowed her to work with Community Action where she was never judged by others, she said.

Because of the training she received at Community Action in Albion, Seeley is now working at an affiliate of the organization in the Southern Tier.

"I can pay it forward, thanks to Community Action," she said.

Though, since being released from prison Seeley has been judged because she had been there, she said when others judge her, she thinks back to Community Action and all they did for her.

Debbie Renner

Throughout the year, Community Action takes on several projects. Their specialty, though, is helping in an emergency. Debbie Renner of Holley had been cited by the code enforcement officer for the condition her home was in and given 15 days to repair her porch and 60 days to paint.

"I was paralyzed. I didn't know what I was going to do," she said. Then she remembered that Joni Dix and Annette Finch at Community Action had told her that if she ever needed anything, to call them. So she did, and told them what had happened. Although she was looking for information in order to have her house fixed, Community Action came to her rescue, instead.

"They have rallied so many people in this community," Renner said. One Saturday, she stepped outside to find at least 20 men from the Action Network tearing down her porch. Then Orleans/Niagara BOCES building trades students built her a new one. There have been people from her church who have come out and continue to help, as well as people from other organizations.

"This isn't the first time these angels have been there for me," Renner said.

In the past, Community Action also helped Renner give her two daughters a big Christmas. This was after the family opted to get only one gift each, so they would be able to afford to bring a child over from Chechnya as part of Project Life, a program that helps war orphans.

Several Angel Awards were given out honoring those who have given of themselves in some way to help another. The final honor of the luncheon was the 2007 Sponsor of the Year award given to the American Legion Sheret Post 35 for its continuing support throughout the years.

        

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