Tompkins County may already be leading the “local” revolution, but really, we’re just getting started.  So what’s next?  To find out, join us for a community discussion on how smart development, social equity, technology, and collaboration will help us cultivate a thriving local economy and a more inclusive, resilient community.

Host: Alex Colket, Swidjit
Moderator: TBD
Panelists: Kirby Edmonds (Building Bridges), Emma Frisch (PEAKS), Svante Myrick (City of Ithaca), Gay Nicholson (Sustainable Tompkins)
Where: Greater Ithaca Activities Center (GIAC) located at 301, West Court St., Ithaca, NY
When: Monday, April 29 from 6:30-8:00 p.m.

Keynote Presentation: Passion as a Vehicle for Change, with Emma Frisch

REGISTER TODAY for the Community Foundation of Tompkins County’s fantastic annual celebration of philanthropy and the generosity of people in Tompkins County! Join us in learning how PEAKS can help Changemakers bring a good cause to life through easy, affordable online tools for raising money, building community and developing capacity.

When: Tuesday, May 28 from 5:00-7:00 p.m.
Where: Franziska Rackers Center, 3226 Wilkins Road, Ithaca, NY

Workshop: Crowdfunding – A New Way to Raise Money

Sponsored by the Human Services Coalition, this workshop is for anyone with fundraising responsibilities or goals of any kind in a non-profit agency or in a private company dedicated to doing good.

Trainer: Emma Frisch
When: Tuesday, June 4th from 9 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Where: Tompkins County Public Library, Borg Warner Room, 101 E. Green Street, Ithaca, NY
Fee: $50

REGISTER TODAY at 607-273-8686 or registration@hsctc.org.

Download Position Description: Campus Outreach Internship

Download Position Description: Web Development Internship

Make sure to mark your calendars for this fantastic annual celebration of philanthropy and the generosity of people in Tompkins County! Registration will open for this event by April 1. Visit the Community Foundation of Tompkins County website for more details.

Keynote presentation: March 28, 2013 @ 5:00 – 7:00 p.m.

“Passion as a Vehicle for Change”, by Emma Frisch, Co-Founder & Director of PEAKS

Click here to learn more about PEAKS

PEAKS helps Changemakers bring a good cause to life with easy, affordable online tools for crowd-sourced capital, community-building, and capacity development. Watch how PEAKS got started: PEAKS

Location

Franziska Racker Centers
3226 Wilkins Road
Ithaca, NY

There are so many ways to be a part of this effort! Please make a generous contribution towards our $110,000 goal by January 18, 2013 to transform 4-H Acres into A Place to Belong (all year long!)

Visit http://tompkins4h.peaksoverpoverty.org/ to learn how you can fund the following items on our wish list or become a Champion for our cause!

At 4-H, we believe that every child needs the opportunity to belong in a caring community.

For over 40 years, 4-H Acres has provided thousands of youth and families throughout Tompkins County with a place to belong. In 2012 alone, 3,809 youth were reached by our programming through the 4-H Clubs program, Rural Youth Services, and Primitive Pursuits environmental education. The majority of these young people rely on the space at 4-H Acres to provide a safe, warm, educational environment. The pole barn, nature trails, and lawn areas provide diverse settings for a variety of outdoor tasks and activities. The building, Kiwanis Hall, is a vital space for indoor projects, including culinary instruction in the newly-renovated kitchen and safe space during thunderstorms for our outdoor programs. The indoor spaces are used for myriad activities, meetings, and events by diverse groups from Cornell Cooperative Extension, the 4-H youth program, and members of the community. Chances are, a family member or friend of yours is involved in 4-H in Tompkins County through an event or program!

So, what do we need to improve this vital resource for youth, families, and rural community members? When we asked kids in the RYS Dryden afterschool program what they would like to have at the Acres, “Space!” and “Heat!” were at the top of the list! With your support, we will upgrade Kiwanis Hall to a fully-heated, more accessible and healthy space for current 4-H program participants expand access to the facilities for rural communities in our county.

Here’s a closer look at some of the folks who rely on 4-H Acres year-round

4-H clubs provide long-term positive youth development opportunities for youth 5-19 years old. Youth are empowered to become leaders and demonstrate skills in a variety of project areas while forming positive bonds with peers and caring adult volunteers.

"4-H Acres has not only made me a better person, but has made me a better ME."

One of the many youth positively impacted by the Clubs program is Siera Ellis, a recent alumna of the 4-H Clubs program. She participated in the Horse project, equine knowledge bowls, and gave public presentations in her years as a 4-H-er. In her final 4-H record book, she writes: “With the last couple of years, I really have grasped the concept of it all and I’ve been mostly independent, which has made me more responsible and given me respect for the people who always encouraged me throughout my 4-H years.” Siera also credits her experience in 4-H with helping her to develop independence and meet her goals:  “From meeting some amazing people and learning a lot… 4-H has not only made me a better person but has made me a better ME. I now attend SUNY Cobleskill, the college of my dreams…”

4-H Acres provides a space for year-round programs and club meetings and serves as the location for the 4-H Youth Fair, where youth like Siera have an opportunity to demonstrate their abilities and display the results of their efforts.

Rural Youth Services targets middle-school aged youth who might not otherwise have access to programming after school hours due to lack of transportation and other challenges. Programs are provided by well-trained and supportive staff and volunteers who build relationships with youth over time. The Rural Youth Services program in the town of Dryden makes regular use of the Acres for its programming. When asked about what 4-H Acres meant to them, these children responded, “4-H Acres means happiness to everyone!” “We get to meet new people, and get to know them and their differences.” “I get food [at 4-H Acres].”

This program provides afterschool and evening programming for middle-school students living in mobile home communities in Freeville. Youth learn skills ranging from cooking, sewing, and environmental education to shaping positive peer relationships and relating to caring adults.  All RYS programming is life skill based and emphasizes healthy living skills, such as healthy eating, physical activity, and social skills. Kiwanis hall has served as the primary site for the Dryden program, and has become a home-away-from-home where youth interact and form friendships. We asked some of the youth in the program what they thought would help make the space better. “Heat and space!” was written several times by many different young people. Improving the space with these additions will directly benefit the kids using the space for projects and fun!

Primitive Pursuits offers experiential environmental learning opportunities. The program helps youth make lasting relationships with nature available to everyone. Peer mentoring, environmental education, and facing group challenges help to build resilience and a sense of belonging.  The mission of Primitive Pursuits is to improve the health of our community by offering life-long relationships with nature to all youth in Tompkins County.

Primitive Pursuits also fosters independence as youth put into practice critical life skills, and encourages teens to take on greater responsibility through the Mentor-in-Training program. 4-H Acres is the home-base for Primitive Pursuits’ summer camp program.

Parents of youth participating in these events have made many glowing statements, such as “it may only be a couple weeks a summer, but it makes a big difference for my child. He loves the things he learns at Primitive Pursuits.”

Imagine how much more we could do with your help…

There are so many ways to be a part of this effort! Please make a generous contribution towards our $110,000 goal by January 18, 2013 to transform 4-H Acres into A Place to Belong (all year long!) Visit http://tompkins4h.peaksoverpoverty.org/ to learn how you can fund the purchase of a desk, a paint brush, or add some insulation. You can also become a Champion for our cause and motivate your friends to join in, or volunteer your time and professional skills to the renovation project!

Contact our 4-H Team Coordinator, Megan Tifft. You can reach her at met38@cornell.edu or call (607) 272-2292, ext. 138. Thank you for caring about youth and families in our county!

Entrepreneur is a word that gets tossed around broadly. A farmer is an entrepreneur. My friend Nora’s parents became entrepreneurs when they emigrated from Thailand to Los Angeles and opened a Thai restaurant to sustain their family. Wendy Kops, founder of Teach for America, is an entrepreneur. My sister is the entrepreneur behind Beyond Teaching. A fifteenth century winemaker was an entrepreneur. The creators of Bonnaroo Music Festival are entrepreneurs. The web developers behind Instagram are entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurs come in all shapes and sizes, from necessity to non-profit to business.

When I hear the word “entrepreneur,” I pluck out “big picture thinker,” “self-starter,” “fearless,” “independent,” and “passionate.” These characteristics have laid the foundation for the many jobs I have had over the past ten years, leading to my current role as Founder and Director at PEAKS. However, I was forced to ask myself “in a traditionally male-dominated workforce, how have these qualities distinguished me from a motivated, passionate dude?”

Excessive passion, fearlessness and a brilliant idea can help (none of which I claim to own), but my own conclusion is simpler and perhaps more obvious. It took the first twenty years of my life as a rock-climbing, wood-romping tomboy to recognize that success would come more naturally by embracing my womanhood and cultivating a strong network of like-minded women. I have not abandoned my outdoor playtime in the least. However, my concerted efforts to join communities of inspiring women has helped fuel my own accomplishments on countless occasions, including research with the Canastas Comunitarias in Ecuador and winning my first PEAKS grant from the Jones New York Empowerment Fund for Women. Dee Dee Meyers rocked my world, along with her book Why Women Should Rule the World (don’t mind the title).

It may sound hokey pokey, but women are more inclined to help each other out, whether delivering chicken soup to a sick friend or making business connections or contributions. Our nurturing tendencies mean we check-in and follow up. We establish real relationships, and keep them growing. I also find that it can just be easier networking with women; we are biologically wired in a similar way.

This past Sunday I attended the volunteer training for Women 2.0 PITCH NYC. It was fabulous to be in a room full of ladies starting, building and exploring new ventures. I always find it a hoot, yet also relieving, when the conversation is dotted with lady-talk, like using coconut oil versus olive oil as a facial moisturizer or how to dress on Wednesday. It keeps things light and real, but rarely detracts from our networking goals. It reminds me that I can learn from the women I encounter on many levels, and that life isn’t just about business. Strong relationships and a satisfying lifestyle will help your endeavor grow.

I cannot wait to attend PITCH NYC on Wednesday, and discover how many of the women I admire like my mom, Heather and Wendy Kops have managed to find their own professional success!

Pig Roast benefit
Sunday, October 28, 3pm -9pm
at Little Tree Orchard, 345 Shaffer Road, Newfield
Tickets are $75 or two for $140 and proceeds go to support Gardens 4
humanity and the development of sustainable neighborhood gardening
infrastructure. There is also a 15% student discount available.  Learn
more at www.gardens4humanity.peaksoverpoverty.org

Brought to you by BELLY public house (coming soon to Ithaca)
A WHOLE PIG PIT ROASTED to perfection with all the fixin’s including

CHOWDER of celeriac, potato and bacon.

BEET SALAD with horseradish and carrots

FIELD GREENS with Bacon

SPAETZLE with butter and mustard seed

BEIGNETS filled with apple, gruyere and cider reduction

BELLY: We’re bringing fatback!

Come dressed in your most rustic duds and dance to
music by Steve Selin and Friends.
Campfire provided by Mother Nature

You can also help by making a donation via Pay Pal, cash or check made
out to CCE Tompkins (purchase at CCE front desk at 615 Willow Ave.)
and help us spread the word amongst your friends.  Share our Facebook
event www.facebook.com/events/398196633586770/
Email Josh Dolan for ticket info or event details at sapsquatch7@gmail.com

What better place to gather healthy, affordable (and sustainable) meal ideas, than at a celebration of chefs, farmers, community gardeners, health professionals, food activists, “lunch ladies”, elders, parents and youth at the 2nd Annual Food Justice Summit? Inspired by the Shopping MattersTM $10 grocery store challenge, we invited our friends and neighbors to stop by our table in the parking lot of Neighborhood Pride to take on this challenge: “With a $10 budget at the grocery store, fresh vegetables from your garden and a few staples from your pantry, design a healthy meal that serves four people, and, lasts two nights.”

Although, I must admit, this activity is much more fun INSIDE the grocery store, folks were lining up at our table to test their creativity and resourcefulness in meal planning. One proud mother shared, “This is what I do everyday!” These are the types of exchanges that happen in our Cooking MattersTM courses. Participants learn from each other and share their cost-saving, health-promoting strategies at the grocery store, kitchen and dinner table. And, based on what I saw happening at the Jr. Iron Chef Challenge, I think we have a lot to learn from our junior chefs!
You can find more photos from the Food Justice Summit on my Facebook page. And, if you check back tomorrow for the top 10 “$10 Challenge” meals from the Food Justice Summit, you might get inspired to share your own home-cooked meals by becoming a Cooking Matters Champion this month!