Give Them a Hand

You may not have heard of the following 20 organizations, but you should know what they do. These groups are all about giving without receiving much recognition. After learning about their work, you might like to...Give Them a Hand

The Greenville Giving Group (from left): Zig Carota,
Yvonne Vinton, Lisa Vague and Stacey Bacchieri
Photograph by Pat Crowe II

 

You may not have heard of the following 20 organizations, but you should know what they do. These groups are all about giving without receiving much recognition. After learning about their work, you might like to

 

Give Them a Hand
Stacey Bacchieri and three friends are putting some of the green in Greenville to good use by forming the Greenville Giving Group to raise money for their favorite charities. The group—which includes Zig Carota, Lisa Vague and Yvonne Vinton—sells high-end women’s fashions, then donates the proceeds to local nonprofits such as the Delaware Breast Cancer Coalition, the Delaware Theatre Company and the Fund for Women. The first three trunk shows raised $23,000, which was spread among seven beneficiaries. “We have the time, interest and enjoy the philanthropic aspect of doing this,” says Bacchieri, a breast cancer survivor. “It gives us a good sense of satisfaction to give the money away, and it’s fun to work with partners and to get to know more women in the community.” Each show, held in one of the partners’ homes over the course of a week or two, features sales of the Bill Blass New York clothing line. The exclusive fashions are not sold in retail stores in Delaware and are a bit pricier than what’s found in these parts. “It’s an easy way to shop. You don’t have to drive to King of Prussia,” Bacchieri says. “And you’re among friends. We’re honest with you about whether it looks good or not.”

 

Dr. Andrew Doorey has volunteered as a pilot for Angel Flight
East for more than a decade.
Photograph by Pat Crowe II

Angel Flight East provides free private air transportation for patients who can’t afford to travel for medical treatments that aren’t available locally. Volunteer pilots donate their time, planes, fuel and other expenses. The 15-year-old group of 500-plus pilots, based in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, flew more than 1,000 missions last year. Dr. Andrew Doorey, a Wilmington cardiologist, has volunteered as a pilot for 10 years. Among Doorey’s passengers was a 5-year-old boy who suffered severe burns to his face and hands. Doorey picked up the youngster near his home, north of Ithaca, New York, then flew him to Logan International Airport in Boston for first-class treatments at Shriners Hospitals for Children. Angel Flight volunteers continued to transport the boy three times a week round trip. Each trip would have taken 18 hours by public transportation, but thanks to Doorey and Angel Flight, the boy was able to fly to Boston, receive treatment, then return home, all in an afternoon. “Angel Flight provides a service that you can’t get anywhere else—and you get it for free,” Doorey says. “These people are really in trouble. They’re very deserving.”

 

The Arc of Delaware helps people with intellectual disabilities find housing and jobs. The nonprofit has opened 80 group homes in Delaware since 1983. The Home of Your Own program has helped 12 people with intellectual disabilities buy houses while providing financial education courses and mentoring. Others learn how to rent an apartment. The Arc’s 600-plus members include a board of directors, staff, people with intellectual disabilities, professionals in the field and others. People need not be members to receive services. The Arc also lobbies government on behalf of people with disabilities. “The Arc was established by parents, and parents continue to be an integral part of the organization,” says Rita Landgraf, acting executive director. “We continue to look at empowering individuals themselves.”

 

The Autism Society of Delaware, launched in 1998 by a group of families united through autism, reaches out to others facing the condition by offering everything from support groups for families to government lobbying for resources. The society sponsors activities such as game nights for autistic teens, as well as chapter meetings and guest lecturers. The group also holds fundraisers such as the annual Auction for Autism. The society’s newsletter, The Sun, updates members on new issues and developments in the autism community.

The Center for Therapeutic Educational Riding offers horseback riding as a complement to physical, occupational, and speech therapy for people with various disabilities. About 30 volunteers of all ages help close to 100 riders each week during half-hour lessons at C-Line Stables in Townsend. Volunteers—not necessarily horse people, according to assistant director Rebecca Reynolds—lead and groom horses, walk alongside riders and help with fundraisers. The center’s horses range from ponies for young riders to large draft horses. Four of the center’s nine instructors are certified through the governing body of therapeutic riding programs in the United States.

 

The Children’s Advocacy Center of Delaware interviews more than 1,000 children each year regarding allegations of sexual and physical abuse. Starting in 1996, centers were created in each county to provide a team approach to such interviews to minimize the emotional impact on young victims. Rather than endure several interviews with different agencies, children speak one on one with a trained interviewer while law enforcement officials, child protection professionals and others observe through closed-circuit TV. “What we found in the past was the child who had already been traumatized and victimized was traumatized and victimized again by the very system that is supposed to protect them,” says executive director Randall Williams. “The whole emphasis is to provide a timely and collaborative response, always keeping in mind the child first.”

 

The Children’s Beach House in Lewes was founded in the 1930s to help children with special needs. The organization—which runs a modern-looking cottage among the dunes of Delaware Bay—infuses the healing qualities of the beach into its programs. The group’s Positive Youth Development program helps children ages 7 to 15 with developmental disabilities, speech delays, hearing challenges and social difficulties. The Sandcastle Day Camp serves at-risk kids ages 4 to 6 in the Cape Henlopen School District. The children are taught language enrichment through arts and crafts, learn how to behave appropriately and develop self-esteem. Beach House’s newest program, Delaware Center for Youth Development, offers staff development and other expertise to nonprofits that serve youth. “We’re doing whatever we need to do in order to support children with special needs and their families,” says executive director Richard Garrett. “And for every family, that is different.”

 Most of us were raised to respect our elders. That concept goes both ways. Connecting Generations unites folks of all ages so that all may benefit. The nonprofit, started as Creative Grandparenting in 1990 by a retired DuPont executive, serves more than 7,000 school-aged children and adults in Delaware by connecting them through mentoring and intergenerational learning programs. Connecting Generations develops mentors and leaders, increases parent involvement, and builds interaction between schools and the community. Volunteers with Creative Mentoring perform more than 36,000 hours of in-school mentoring each year. Seasons of Respect teaches fifth graders to treat peers and others with respect. Creative Transitions supports people who are undergoing a change in their lives.

 The Family Court of Delaware’s Court Appointed Special Advocate program provides trained volunteers to represent abused and neglected children in court. In 2006, 212 volunteers served 553 children. Yet nearly 150 children remain unrepresented. “When their case comes before the judge, they don’t have someone to speak out for them,” says program director Christina Harrison. CASA volunteers must complete a 30-hour intensive training program and commit to the program for one year before they can be appointed by a Family Court judge to gather information concerning the child, provide information and recommendations to the court, advocate for the child’s needs and monitor cases until the child has a safe, permanent home.

 

During its 87 years, the Delaware Center for Justice has played a role in establishing the state’s first probation and parole office, creating a separate facility for female offenders, establishing the first halfway house and drafting the Delaware Victim’s Bill of Rights. The center’s programs and services promote justice for victims, help improve the juvenile justice system, focus on crime prevention and help families with incarcerated parents stay together. The Delaware Girls Initiative, the center’s latest project, focuses on helping girls 18 and under who are at risk or already in the juvenile justice system. “Their numbers of entering the system are increasing more than the boys,” says Janet Leban, the center’s executive director. “We want to make sure they can lead productive lives as they move into adulthood and beyond. Some don’t have the resources to do that.”

 

The Delaware Coalition Against Domestic Violence is a statewide nonprofit with five member organizations and more than 80 supporting groups that provide shelter and services to countless victims of domestic violence while working to eliminate the problem. Member organizations include Abriendo Puertas in Georgetown, which helps immigrant women and their children who are victims of violence; People’s Place II, which operates two domestic violence programs; the Families in Transition 24-hour domestic violence hotline and its shelters; and Turning Point’s intervention program, which offers counseling and other services to victims and perpetrators of domestic violence and their children.

 

Since 1956 the Delaware Foundation Reaching Citizens with Cognitive Disabilities has awarded more than $5 million in grants to groups that serve those with cognitive disabilities. The annual Blue-Gold All-Star Football Game, one of DFRC’s largest fundraisers, showcases the state’s best high school seniors in football, cheerleading and band, as well as school ambassadors. The Hand-In-Hand Program pairs participants with a “buddy,” a person 4 to 18 years old with a cognitive disability. DFRC events also help promote understanding of people with cognitive disabilities. The new Awareness Through Education program works through local schools to teach children about diversity and acceptance. The Tower Hill School, for example, was the first to offer a disability awareness elective for seventh graders. Other schools take part in conference days, where those who are differently abled share their life experiences.

 

Delaware Guidance Services for Children & Youth offers affordable emotional counseling for children and their families. When a child is referred to any of Delaware Guidance’s five clinics, staff therapists evaluate them and their family to help determine a course of treatment. Delaware Guidance handles children with behavioral problems, impulse control problems such as ADHD, family conflict, divorce-related issues, trouble in school, substance abuse and other issues. Clients are charged based on their ability to pay for services, thanks to private donations and fundraisers. “We don’t turn anyone away,” says director of development Susan Hillebrecht. “Everyone has a right to good mental health.”

 

The Global Investment Foundation of Tomorrow is the most recent philanthropic push by Sam Beard of Wilmington. Beard, a founder of the Jefferson Awards and longtime champion of Social Security reform, runs multiple national nonprofits. His GIFT encourages individuals, nonprofits and corporations to use the power of compound interest to double charity around the world. The idea was inspired by Benjamin Franklin, who left 1,000 pounds each to Philadelphia and Boston with the stipulation that the money be invested for a century. Thanks to compound interest, hundreds of projects were funded, including construction of the Franklin Institute. “We’re using Delaware as a model for the country,” Beard says. “It sounds simple. That’s the excitement of it.”

 

Each year, Kent-Sussex Industries helps about 280 people with special needs find and hold jobs. The private nonprofit, founded in 1962, offers three employment programs. Those who work in the KSI facility in Milford are trained to handle tasks such as working on an assembly line. KSI also oversees crews that work at local businesses such as Kraft Foods in Dover. The third program offers one-on-one job matches. Jobs at KSI’s facility include working on a shrink-wrapping assembly line that distributes food and other products to Price Clubs across the United States. KSI provides other contract services, including assembling, labeling, collating and sewing, to name a few. The training and work experience could lead to outside employment.

 

The Little Sisters of the Poor have operated a home for the low-income elderly in Delaware since 1903. “A lot of people don’t know us because they don’t need to know us until they need us,” says Sister Chantal, who oversees operations of the Jeanne Jugan Residence in Newark. The facility, home to 80 residents, offers independent living, and two sections licensed for nursing care offer 40 beds. The residence, dedicated in 1978, is undergoing renovations to make it more energy efficient. The Little Sisters are assisted by full- and part-time employees and volunteers. Up to 45 percent of operating costs are covered by reimbursement from government programs, but the cost of care greatly exceeds income from pensions, Social Security and Medicaid. “The rest we have to make up through the generosity of donors,” says Sister Chantal.

 

The Mary Campbell Center in Wilmington has been home to people with different disabilities for 31 years. Named after the people who donated the 10-acre property, the center serves 66 residents of all ages and backgrounds. Each has a unique program that addresses his needs and goals, from help getting dressed to learning how to prepare a meal. The home also offers programs for 250 youth and their families, full-time massage therapy, a pool, an education program, respite care and occupational speech therapy, among other services. The nonprofit is funded through fees, Medicaid, foundations, individuals, grants and groups. It also receives the help of more than 300 volunteers. “We stress that this is a home, not an institution, and they are residents, not patients,” says Meredith Rosenthal, director of external affairs.

 

People’s Place, incorporated in 1972, is a nonprofit human services organization that offers 11 programs in Delaware that identify the social and mental health needs of residents and offers services such as counseling. People’s Place runs two long-term group homes in Milford and one in Townsend for abused or neglected girls and boys ages 13 to 17 in the state’s foster care system. Its Independent Living program helps 16- to 21-year-olds in Sussex County apply for jobs, open bank accounts and learn how to shop wisely. Families in Transition provides shelter for women and children in domestic violence situations. The organization serves more than 8,000 people each year.

 

Robert Moody’s Reel Expectations program offers fishing as an
alternative to trouble.

State trooper Robert Moody of Dover, a school resource officer at Middletown High School, started Reel Expectations Foundation six years ago, combining elements of the Drug Abuse Resistance Education and Gang Resistance Education and Training programs to educate youths about the dangers of drug abuse and violence. Reel Expectations introduces recreational fishing to children from high-risk, low-income communities in Delaware. The children benefit from being with others while learning about good environmental practices and other life lessons. Each participant receives a fishing rod, a tackle bag filled with everything needed for angling, and trips to local fishing holes. Says Moody, “It’s the kids that end up getting hooked, not the fish.”

 

Wilmington Women in Business was founded in 1980 to help members from all levels of business, from rising junior executives to veteran decision makers, network and advance their careers. WWB established its Fresh Start Scholarship Program in 1996 to help local women return to school and improve opportunities for themselves and their families. The program provides funding and mentoring to qualified women. To date, more than $200,000 has been given to 75 women. Scholarships range from money for books to full tuition at a local college. Because the program is comprised of volunteers, 97 cents of each dollar contributed goes toward the scholarship fund. “One of the special aspects in the success of our scholars is the mentoring they receive along the way from the organization’s members,” says the program’s public relations chair, Anne McIntosh. “It’s a real win-win.”

 

 
Elisa Komins Morris
Photograph by Pat Crowe II

Family Focus
Wilmington photographer Elisa Komins Morris develops a creative way of giving back.

Elisa Komins Morris has snapped portraits of some of the most famous people in the world, including Bill and Hillary Clinton, Al and Tipper Gore, Queen Noor of Jordan and Bill Cosby.

But Morris’ favorite photographs are those of lesser-known people, taken right here in Delaware.

Morris, a professional photographer who lives in Wilmington, has donated her time and talent to two local nonprofits for more than a decade now.

She’s raised more than $600,000 for Children and Families First and Child Inc. by shooting portraits of local children and families and donating the sitting fees.

“I can give much more this way than I could give in a check,” Morris says. “People forget that you can be creative when you give, even if you give of your time.”

Morris made a name for herself as a political and corporate photographer in Washington, D.C. She was hired to shoot a photo of a Hungarian diplomat during a presidential reception at the White House when she snuck into president-elect Clinton’s holding room and started snapping away. Soon she was shooting portraits of the most powerful pols in D.C.

Morris, a graduate of Tatnall School and American University, left the capital about 10 years ago to return to Wilmington and marry. She and her husband, Bret, have two children, Jake, 7, and Cole, 4.

Morris focused her portrait business on children, families and weddings. Her specialty blended perfectly with the needs of Children and Families First, which provides social, educational, and mental health services to children and families in Delaware.

Morris donates her time and expenses for a series of 15-minute portrait sittings that are then sold by the charities. The agency’s Our Friends and Family Album fundraiser brings in about $30,000 each year. Morris also handles Garden of Verses, a similar project for Child Inc.

“I’ve watched these people (that I’ve photographed) grow up over the past 10 years,” Morris says. “When I started, I photographed a girl who was 4. This year, she’s driving.”

Morris has gained many clients through her charity work. The lone drawback is the time she spends away from her family. But even the lost family time has its positives. Morris’ son Jake, inspired by his mother’s philanthropy, volunteered to donate the presents from his seventh birthday to needy children.

“It was his idea,” says Morris. “That made it all worthwhile.”

 —Drew Ostroski