Table of Contents
Cover Story:
The Tourist Trade
We need 'em, We want 'em, We got 'em.
Feature Story:
How'd He Do That?
Some words of advice from Union State Bank's Tom Hales
DEPARTMENTS:
Economics Roundup
• The Smart Investor
Bold moves can be exciting, but also fruitless
• Economic
Viewpoint
The Fed's bark may be worse than its bite
Business Roundup
• Technology Viewpoint
Five steps to drive more traffic to your website
• The Fine Art of Advertising
Building a good campaign - how would you rate you?
Retail Round-Up
• Retailers Seeing Green
Shoppers plan to open their wallets this holiday season
Invest in Your Community
• Get The Ball Rolling
Learn how your company can help Meals on Wheels
Odds & Ends
• From The Publishers
• PR Patter
Dedicated Section:
Rockland Business Association:
The President’s Desk
Want to help Rockland and the business community gain some respect?
Here's how.
Bridging
Borders EXPO 2006
Recent Business-to-Business Expo a great success
RBA Happenings
• Other News
• Committee and Council Info
• Calendar of Events
• New Members
Invest
in Your Community :
Learn More About
Meals on Wheels
By Ken Mahoney
Companies can get to work on supporting their community
Each day in America and right here in Rockland, senior citizens
are going hungry. The Meals On Wheels Association finds this
to be unacceptable. “After all,” they say on their
web site, “we live in the richest nation on earth.”
The problem is not going away, either. The oldest of America’s
seniors, those aged 85 and older, are the most rapidly growing
age group. Between 1960 and 1994 their numbers rose 274% compared
to a 100% rise in the remaining elderly population, and a 45% rise
in the entire U.S. population. As their numbers increase, so will
the strain on the already scarce resources of nutrition programs
for the elderly. With Baby Boomers about to turn 65 and gas prices
on the rise, meal services are now more important than ever.
Meals on Wheels Programs & Services of Rockland, Inc. serves
these elderly, as well as the homebound, and others throughout
the county. It is a multipurpose agency, which focuses on nutritional,
recreational and social support programs.
There are many misconceptions about the program, mainly that Meals
on Wheels Program and Services are government-funded. They are
not, which is where corporate partnerships can work. “We
raise money the ‘old fashion way,’ through events,
sponsorships, direct mail and so on,” said Anthony J. Veronico,
President and CEO.
The program needs volunteers to deliver meals, others to prepare
and pack them, drivers and funds for the buses they use. A Meals
on Wheels volunteer delivers a hot lunch and a cold dinner to the
client’s home between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. each weekday, 52
weeks a year including holidays. These volunteers may be the only
person a client sees some days, and they bring a sense of caring
and a communication link to the community.
But it’s tough to go it alone, which is why it’s important
for the local business community to get involved. It could be a
great way for “team building.” Also, if you are involved
in an association, you can help. The Nanuet Rotary, for example,
has been a great supporter of Meals on Wheels for many years. The
Rotary delivers meals every Thursday for the organization. Pasta
Cuccina’s Jim Geransky has helped raise awareness and funds
in his restaurants. They had a program in which patrons could leave
a donation to Meals on Wheels in addition to their tip.
DeCicco Marketplace, in New City, raised over $2,000 by collecting
at their cash registers. In essence, DeCicco raised enough money
for 444 meals ($4.50 a meal).
Perhaps your business can be creative and think of ways that your
customers can help. Or follow the lead of Active International,
one of the first businesses to start an endowment fund for the
agency.
Opportunities for businesses:
Sponsor buses
Meals on Wheels serves over 800 meals a day to the homebound. The
agency currently has 16 buses that criss-cross the county. There
are opportunities for your business to advertise on their bus.
Drug World, for example, has been advertising on a number of Meals
on Wheels buses. This is a very creative way that your business
can have more exposure in the county while providing much needed
funds to the agency.
Gala and Golf Outing
The golf outing is every spring at Dellwood Country Club. Your
business can bring a foursome to participate in the “scramble.” Dan
Rifkin, CPA and past Chair of the Board has won the event “more
than a few times.” Your company can also sponsor the brunch,
or hole-in-one contest.
Did you know?
• Meals on Wheels is more than “just a meal”.
• Meals on Wheels Program and Services include adult day care
centers, senior centers, senior net, and numerous other programs.
There are six senior centers located throughout the county.
• The Bobbi Lewis Adult Day Center located at 121 West Nyack
Road in Nanuet assists people diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease
and related cognitive disorders.
• That 98% of the meals delivered
daily through the county are done by volunteers? Currently there
are 400 volunteers that deliver meals.
For more information on the numerous community programs offered
by the people of Meals on Wheels Programs and Services, Inc., contact
them at 121 West Nyack Road / Nanuet, NY 10954 / Phone: 845-624-6325
/ Fax: 845-624-6335 RBD
A Quick Look:
Rockland County Guidance Center
For 40 years, the Rockland County Guidance Center has gone about its mission in a quiet way, helping adults in career and job transitions—whether it’s a displaced homemaker looking for help, an older worker transitioned out of his career, or someone looking to get into the workforce, but doesn’t have the right skills.
The Center offers seminars, forums, and workshops on a wide variety of issues; Managing Personal Competencies, for example, is a three-session workshop exploring new ways to stay current in today’s job market.
Learn what your competencies are and how to put them into action. These programs deal with the concrete issues such as job search strategies, resumé preparation, and interviewing skills, as well as providing the emotional support and self-assessment tools needed for change.
Participants are greeted with a positive, nurturing and professional environment that helps to encourage and motivate them to evaluate their situations and, if necessary, make a change.
The Guidance Center, which just celebrated its 40th anniversary in October, is not only an essential resource for the County’s workers, but for businesses as well. In an effort to find the best-trained workers, those employees with the benefit of training and expertise from the Guidance Center is essential.
The celebration also marked the culmination of a year of introducing new programs and initiatives, inauguration of the “Ruby Club of Connections” (collaboration with 40 community agencies/organizations), and the creation of the popular “Quilt of Connections” which embodies the spirit of the Guidance Center and its connection with the Rockland community.A Focus on Women
Of particular interest to the Guidance Center is helping women. Special services are offered at no cost to Displaced Homemakers under a grant from the New York State Department of Labor. If you are widowed, divorced, separated, abandoned, a single parent, or if your spouse is unemployed, you are eligible for this program.
• The Rockland County Guidance Center is the sole recruitment source for new employees of many companies and agencies in the County.
• The Center provides support services to assist in placements and advocacy in developing job matches with on-going job coaching after placements.
• The focus of the program is to find opportunities with benefits that foster self-sufficiency.
• Many participants no longer need public assistance, which is a direct result of the Center’s interventions.
• Through the efforts of Guidance Center job developers, career counselors and support staff, the Guidance Center placed 132 Displaced Homemakers in permanent jobs with benefits in the year 2003-2004.
For more information about the Guidance Center visit its web site at www.co.rockland.ny.us/guidance/center.htm or call them directly at
(845) 358-9390.
