Volume 2 May 2012

Investing in tomorrowtoday Make a lasting Impact with your financial gifts A

s a growing nonprofit, Urban Impact needs your help in the coming months to help meet the tremendous needs that exist in our under-resourced neighborhood. Perhaps you have the means to support Urban Impact, or maybe youd consider inviting us to talk about our work at your office, church, book club or community group. Do you know a friend with a big heart and big pocketbook to whom you could introduce us? Theres no such thing as small helpwhether its a monetary gift, referral or group invitation. It all makes an Impact. You can find out more about how you can help by reviewing the graphic to your right, which includes information on the new fund-raising initiatives were launching. And, of course, if you need more information at any time, please contact Brett Lawrence, our executive d i r e c t o r, at brett@urbanimpactcolumbus.org or 614.344.1222. Thank you in advance for your willingness to give. after-school program designed to meet the needs of Weinland Parks rising 5th-, 6th- and 7th-graders (students who will be in 6th-, 7thand 8th grades this fall). The goal is straightforward: Student Impact aims to partner with neighborhood families and students to provide the kind of academic, emotional and personal supportin a structured afterschool settingthat enables every participating student to successfully transition to, and complete, sixth grade and, eventually, middle school. The program will do so by offering tutoring, homework help and by teaching the studying, life and organizational skills needed for every middle-school student to be successful. Impact in the memo line on your check or on your reply card or call Brett to learn more.

Program: Student Impact Timeline: Program starts fall 12 What it is: Student Impact is an

GOAL

Program: H.I.T.S

(High ImpacT Sports)

Funding needed: $35,000 What now?: Write Student

youthsports program designed to provide athletic opportunities for Weinland Park children and youth, while simultaneously teaching teamwork, camaraderie and conflict resolution. The program kicks off in September with co-ed flag football for ages 5 to 14, then continues into winter, with a basketball league at Urban Impacts new, full-court gym (the Austin Rec Center). In addition, the ARC will begin hosting opengym nights this summer for kids, teens and adults in the neighborhood and will continue doing so year-round. On the horizon for 2013: a foray into tennis and continued partnership with our friends at Vineyard Columbus, Resolute Lacrosse and Lacrosse the Nations. in the memo line on your check or reply card or call Brett at 614.344.1222 to learn more.

Timeline: Kicks off fall 12 What it is: H.I.T.S is a

Funding needed: $30,000 What now?: Write HITS

Finding a place to start

Urban Impact program supports jobless, homeless with resume, employment help
Members of our community come to our office seeking one thing: a starting point. Somewhere along the way, their lives have gone off course, and theyre not sure how to get back on track. They have questions about jobs, housing, benefits, and paperwork. Starting Point is the human-resources arm of Urban Impact. Since opening its doors last year, our office has served the community in ways as varied as our communitys questions and needs.

Summertime, and the volunteerins easy

Urban Impact needs a slew of volunteers to pull off some of our planned summer (and fall) fun. Theres something to scratch anyones volunteer itchfrom one-time, one-day events (Back-to-School Bash), to weeklong needs (MegaSports Camp), seasonal opportunities (flag football) and year-round involvement (Super Saturdays, Student Impact). Below, youll find info about some of our most urgent needs. However, this isnt a comprehensive list. If youre interested in volunteering, individually or with a group, call Brett at 614.344.1222 or visit www.facebook.com/urbanimpactcbus. Click on the Volunteer tab, submit your info, and well be in touch.

Serve somebody

Originally, he came to us homeless and seeking a job. When he returned feeling overwhelmed by a medical diagnosis, we gave him a secure place to receive correspondence from caregivers and case-workers. Hes now in the process of acquiring housing. She came needing an updated resume and computer skills. We helped her with a resume and e-mail access. She now provides encouragement to others in the community through her job at a local recovery and support center. She needed to see a doctor and wanted to track down medical records at the clinic shed visited while she was homeless. We transported her to the local free clinic and to the center, where she obtained her medical records. He came wanting to update his resume. Fresh resume in-hand, he enrolled in a program at the local community college and has since found employment. He returned to say, Thank you, and pass on information about the program hed completed. Every Tuesday night, our Starting Point team is available for such face-to-face encounters. We hear the needs, log the requests and spend the remainder of the week tracking down answers, acquiring resources and preparing documents. As a result of Starting Points work, our neighbors get the information and support that allows them to work toward becoming more productive members of society. Written by Liz Yarmark

Super Saturdays
Urban Impact hosts Super Saturdays for kids from kindergarten to 8th grade from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. every week. Volunteers are needed to work one-on-one, to plan and coordinate rec time and to provide general oversight. Were also looking for small groups to help once a month to provide lunches for the kids who attend.

Mega Sports Camp

MSC runs from Tuesday, July 10, to Friday, July 13. Volunteers are needed daily from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. There are myriad ways to help, from coaching, to set up and tear down, to serving lunch.

Open gym/rec nights

Our gym rehab is complete, and were planning to kick off weekly open gyms for kids, teens and adults as soon as we have the volunteers we need to staff the gym. Its a great, low-key opportunity to hang out, build relationships and have fun.

Change begins with U and I

Urban Impact is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, serving Columbus Weinland Park neighborhood and focused on community development. As a member of the Christian Community Development Association, we believe the work of community development begins, first, with rebuilding communitythe relationships that form the bedrock of a healthy neighborhood. Because of that mindset, we are driven by a philosophy that is decidedly people-centric vs. program-centric. Our program development grows organically from the soil of the relationships weve cultivated, and our work in in the neighborhood is a response to articulated, observed and experienced needs in Weinland Park.
Urban Impact PO BOX 30747, Columbus, OH 43230 www.urbanimpactcolumbus.org 614.344.1222 Follow us at twitter.com/urbanimpactcbus | Like us at facebook.com/urbanimpactcbus