News From 2002

Annual Christmas Party and Earn a Computer Graduation Celebrated in December

December was another exciting month at the Yerwood Center.  The Coalition of Concerned Citizens sponsored its annual Christmas party for local residents on December 15th.  Approximately 500 people attended the event, and over 300 children received gifts.  This was the 24th year of the event!  Cecelia and John DaRosa are the community leaders who make this a special time for the children.

Earlier in the month, another class of Earn a Computer students graduated after completing the six week training session in computer fundamentals.  The excitement at graduation as the students received their class certificates and took their computers home is apparent in the photos below!

  Allison Sam addresses Graduates and Parents      Proud Students Packing Up Their PC's for Home

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William H. Pitt Gymnasium Opens

On Tuesday, December 10 about one hundred people attended the formal opening of the new William H. Pitt Gymnasium.  The opening had been delayed from the previous Thursday because of a snow storm.  Excitement filled the audience as this major milestone in the revitalization of the Yerwood Center was celebrated.  Allison Sam, Yerwood Center Executive, reviewed current programs at the Center.  Students then spoke describing each program in greater detail.  Speakers were -

•     Brian Yarborough, Yerwood Scholars Program

•     Kanisha Barnham,  YMCA LEAD program

•     Luis Ojeda, ESL

•     Keiah Yarborough, Brian's mother, described how the revitalization of the Center is helping her         daughter and others from the West Side community. 

Gordon Myers, Yerwood Chairman, next recognized two major supporters of the Center.  Bob King was thanked for his leadership as President of the Yerwood Center over since 1993; a special recognition event for Bob is being planned next March.  Nancy Ormsby-Flynn, an architect who works in the City of Stamford's Engineering Department was presented an engraved plate in recognition of her ongoing support over the past five seven years.

Major contributors to the gymnasium renovation were then thanked -

• GE Capital ($50,000)

• YMCA of Stamford (which  provided $50,000 of state bond money)

• City of Stamford (which approved $100,000 of federal Community Development Block grant funds)

• William H. Pitt Foundation ($100,000)

The culmination of the evening came as the largest private contributor was thanked for their $100,000 donation. William H. Pitt Foundation's Chairman, Bob Scinto, and Pauline Pitt, Trustee and widow of William Pitt, were introduced and thanked for the contribution.  Each spoke about the spirit of William Pitt, and his desire to help less fortunate individuals. The program concluded with the cutting of the ribbon by  the major contributors!

The Stamford Advocate's coverage of the opening can be found here -   Page 1      Page 2

          Bob Scinto and Pauline Pitt          Allison Sam                    Gordon Myers    

                                         Bria                         Keiah                   Kanisha                        Luis
                                    Yarborough             Yarborough             Barnhan                       Ojeda

Cutting the Ribbon
Gordon Myers, Tom Steen (YMCA), Bob Scinto, Pauline Pitt, Art Harper (GE Capital), Nancy Ormsby-Flynn (City of Stamford)

Attendees Celebrate the Opening

Fall Programs in Full Swing

As November begins, Yerwood is alive with activity.  Thirty-five Yerwood Scholars elementary school students and close to one hundred middle and high school students in the YMCA L.E.A.D program are studying hard and also enjoying themselves daily.  The first Earn a Computer Program of the school year has begun, and both students and adults are actively using the computer laboratory.  Students are really enjoying the newly renovated gymnasium!

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Hispanic  Programs Underway at Yerwood

         Student using ESL Software                       Students learning the Internet

The Yerwood Center has initiated new programs designed specifically to support local Hispanic residents.  Yerwood Centers Technology Coordinator, Omar Garro, was recently hired to be the lead teacher for Yerwood's Computer Literacy programs and also the leader of our Hispanic outreach efforts.  Omar received a BS Degree in Industrial Engineering from Pontific Catholic University Of Peru in 1998.

Introductory classes taught in Spanish on Saturdays include Microsoft Word and Excel, and Internet operation.  In addition, ESL training software has been installed on six computers in the Yerwood Computer laboratory.  Monday through Friday, from noon to 2PM, Omar is in the laboratory to assist students who want to use this software to help them learn English.  (Other computers in the lab are also available for general use by anyone wishing to use them during these hours.)

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Yerwood Summer Camp In Full Swing

Every Tuesday the students attending Yerwood Center’s exciting YES Camp (Yerwood Educational Summer) receive a wonderful gift from the corporate community, the gift of time. Sixty volunteers from local corporations come in Tuesdays from eleven AM to noon to read with the campers who range in age from six to ten. Books were selected from the summer reading list put out by the Stamford Board of Education and donated by Hyperion. Volunteers received a formal lesson on reading from Susan Paley of the Board of Education prior to starting.

Volunteers agree to work for three weeks and come from Hyperion, GE Capital, US Trust, Lee Hecht Harrison, Thomson Corporation, Kelly Drye and Warren, and The Sheraton and Westin Hotels. They are part of The Workplace Volunteer Council organized by the Volunteer Center. This is only one of their projects.

Yerwood  summer program has expanded this year to sixty campers in grades kindergarten through four. The camp lasts eight weeks. Students attending summer school can do it right in the building with a teacher provided by the Board of Education.

Activities include
• Swimming in the Yerwood Pool
• Reading Program
• Creative writing
• Science classes including growing their own butterflies
• Art classes taught by local artists and funded through SCDC Grant
• Fun field trips to movies, beaches and other recreational sites
 

Student tuition for the summer camp program is subsidized by grants from Webster Bank, Sempra Energy, US Trust, GE Capital, Xerox and Flik International as well a grant from the Stamford Cultural Development Corporation. In addition, some campers received full scholarships though Darien’s Person-to-Person Program.

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UBS Warburg Employees Paint Mural at Yerwood Pool

Members of the UBS Warburg human resources department painted a mural on the wall next to the Yerwood Center Pool.    Nearly 35 employees worked on the project.  The painting depicts a poem written by the late rapper Tupac Shakur -

                         "The Rose that Grew from Concrete"  

    "Did u hear about the rose that grew from a crack in the concrete?
    Proving nature's laws wrong, it learned 2 walk without having feet
    Funny, it seems, but by keeping its dreams, it learned 2 breathe fresh air
    Long live the rose that grew from concrete when no one else even cared!"

The Stamford Advocate carried a article about the project in their June 24, 2002 edition.  You can view the article here   (To download the article to your computer, right click your mouse and select "save target as...")

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Yerwood Scholars March in Memorial Day Parade

Over 30 students from the Yerwood Scholars program marched in this year's Stamford Memorial Day Parade.  Prior to the parade they rehearsed their steps in the Yerwood gymnasium.  Parade onlookers gave them a large round of applause as they marched by!

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GE Capital Contributes $50,000 Toward Yerwood Capital Campaign

GE Capital presented a check for $50,000 on April 27th toward the Gymnasium and stage renovation campaign.  The funding is key the success of the campaign.  $270,000 of the total $400,000 campaign goal has now been raised.  For more information on the campaign, click here

Bob King, Allison Sam, and Archie Elam enjoy watching Art Harper present Gordon Myers with GE Capital's check for $50,000.

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Community Volunteers Participate in "Keep America Beautiful" Day

(Click Here for Larger Version of Above Photograph)

On Saturday, April 27th a team of local volunteers came to Yerwood as part of the "Keep America Beautiful" campaign.  Approximately 40 volunteers showed up to help clean the grounds around the Center.  We appreciate everyone's support!

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UBS Warburg Employees Take Students on an Internet Scavenger Hunt!

Employees from UBS Warburg spent time with students from the Yerwood Scholars Program showing them how to use the Internet to search for information - and to obviously have some fun!  A great time was had by all.  Thanks, UBS Warburg!

UBS Warburg Volunteers Patrick O'Connor, Kalanit Cheers, Kevin Persel, Gregg Little and
 Jeff Smith with students.

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Latest Earn a Computer Class Graduates

Twelve more students completed their Earn-a-Computer class in late March.  At the graduation ceremony, Bob King congratulated students on their success.  Students then had the fun of carrying their computers to their parents cars, and taking them home.  In the photo below, one of the students comes forward during graduation to receive her certificate.

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Capital Campaign Moves Ahead

Barun Basu has been hired as the architect to develop detailed plans to create a multi-purpose room and renovate the gymnasium, stage, and front locker room area.  Initial design work should complete by mid-April.  The goal is to complete the renovation of the stage and gymnasium areas prior to the start of the 2002-2003 school year.  The new heating and air-conditioning system installation should complete prior to to cold weather setting in, and the locker room area completed by the end of the year.

Good progress is being made on raising funds for the renovation.  Over $241,000 of the $400,000 goal has been committed with major funding coming from -

 
Bob King and Gordon Myers Receive $10,000 contribution from Art Harper.

Capital Campaign Begins

The Yerwood Center has initiated a major capital campaign to renovate the stage and gymnasium area. These areas are in poor condition, and have not been updated in over twenty-five years. 

Currently approximately 300 students from on-going Center programs use the gymnasium daily.  In addition, it is used by a local church soccer league, the Police Department’s Mighty Might’s basketball league and for American Legion’s preseason baseball workouts.  Special events include the annual Kwanza party, the Christmas party for local children provided by the Concerned Citizens of Stamford, the Martin Luther King Day breakfast, a teen sports day sponsored by five local churches, weddings, and family events.

Renovation will both improve conditions for current programs and enable significant expansion of programs including new sporting activities, cultural arts programs, and potentially new seniors programs.

The renovation will include – 

• Repair and Refinishing of the Gymnasium Floor
• Replacement of Basketball Backboards
• Removal of the non-working gymnasium divider and replacement with a new system
• Removal of the oil burning gymnasium heating system and replacement with HVAC systems
• Repair and refinishing of the stage floor
• Installation of stage lighting and curtains
• Refinishing gymnasium interior walls
• Refinishing the gymnasium entrance
• Renovating and enlarging boy and girls bathrooms creating locker facilities

The current cost estimate is $400,000.

Funding 

Funding for the renovation will come from a variety of sources.  Currently we estimate contributions will be as follows: 

Individuals and organizations interested in supporting this campaign should send an email to Gordon Myers or mail to:

        Yerwood Center Capital Campaign
        90 Fairfield Ave
        Stamford, CT 06902