Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, October 13, 1994 TAG: 9410130071
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: LESLIE TAYLOR STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
The contributions represent 22 percent of the campaign's $4.85 million goal.
"We're pleased with the progress of the campaign so far, and we attribute these outstanding results to increased giving at a number of companies, including our Pacesetters, and first-time campaigns at several new businesses in the area," Robert Lawson, president of Crestar Bank and chairman of this year's campaign, said at a news conference Wednesday.
Eleven organizations and companies jump-started 1994 fund raising with "Pacesetter" campaigns this summer. They raised $355,000.
Nearly 500 Roanoke Valley employers are conducting United Way campaigns; 15 of those are first-time campaigns.
Contributions will help United Way fund four programs that it has deemed high priority. One is the Teen Outreach Program, or TOP, an effort to discourage teen pregnancy, dropping out of school, substance abuse and suicide through community service.
United Way announced Wednesday that it is giving $7,000 to the program, which has been housed since last year at the Council of Community Services, one of United Way's 36 partner agencies.
Initially funded and volunteer-supported by the Junior League of Roanoke Valley as a pilot program, TOP has become a full-fledged community/school partnership that promotes the positive development of young people.
United Way funds "make it possible for a pilot program that was very small and temporary to become a permanent, stable service in the Roanoke Valley," said Cheri Hartman, TOP director.
The program is in use at Patrick Henry High School and the Alternative Education Center, both in Roanoke. Participants are teens who have been identified as "at-risk" - in danger of dropping out, getting pregnant or doing drugs. The program uses volunteers to train teens to be volunteers themselves, allowing them "hands-on" experiences with children in nursery schools and adult patients in nursing homes.
"I would venture to say that [participants] get a better sense of themselves by reaching out to others," Hartman said. "They make better decisions about their futures, more healthy and more productive kinds of decisions."
A program analysis showed that last year's 10th-grade TOP participants at Patrick Henry were suspended significantly fewer times from school than their classmates who were not in TOP, Hartman said at Wednesday's United Way news conference.
Also, trends suggested that they received fewer F's on report cards, cut fewer classes, had fewer police contacts, were less likely to initiate or have a first sexual intercourse experience, and were less likely to become pregnant or cause a pregnancy.
Last month, the Roanoke City Teen Pregnancy Task Force subcommittee recommended that TOP and two other established pregnancy prevention programs receive a portion of a state grant to reduce teen pregnancy in Roanoke.
United Way's other high priority programs include a sick-child care program at Greenvale School; Families First, a Family Service of Roanoke Valley preventive program for families at risk of child abuse or neglect; and a tutoring and sports program for young people.
This year's campaign goal is 5 percent above the $4.7 million raised last year. The campaign will run through October.
by CNB