United Way Community Baby Shower donations

The United Way of Southern Chautauqua County is hosting its annual Community Baby Shower until June 8.

The shower helps support at-risk families and babies in the community—many of whom cannot afford necessities like bottles, diapers, strollers, pacifiers, bibs, and more.

Community members and groups can help by:
• Participating in the community baby shower drive at Wegmans in Jamestown, where items can be bought or dropped off in their collection bins Saturday, May 20 through June 2.
• Hosting a baby shower: Create an event or drop off at your business or organization and bring the essentials for families to the United Way office (208 Pine Street, Jamestown between 8am-4pm Monday-Friday) by June 15.
• Buying items on the 2023 Community Baby Shower Amazon Wish List. The list includes top needs from community agencies, and purchased items can be directly shipped to the United Way office.
• And by donating to the United Way on June 8 during Give Big Chq

United Way Community Impact Manager Nicole Gustafson said over $5,000 worth of necessities for babies were collected in 2022.

For more information, including the Amazon Wish List for the baby shower, visit https://www.uwayscc.org/community-baby-shower, or contact Nicole Gustafson at 716-483-1561 ext. 200 or at ngustafson@uwayscc.org.

EDITOR’S NOTE: As a point of transparency and disclosure to our audience, United Way of Southern Chautauqua County is a corporate underwriter for WRFA and has provided a financial contribution for the general operations of the station within the past year. Funding we receive for General Operations is not used to fund our coverage of local news in the community. That is only made possible through a Community Service Grant from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. 

Wegmans employees present donations from Purse Bingo event to United Way

The United Way of Southern Chautauqua County is recognizing the local Wegmans store for coming in first in the region for an April campaign.

Wegmans held its annual scan campaign for the United Way at its registers in April.

With a goal of raising $15,500; Jamestown’s local Fairmount Avenue Wegmans location came in number one of 13 stores in the region for overall donation dollars by raising $19,957. The next closest Wegmans location of the 13 raised $12,000

In addition to the dollars raised at the register in April, Wegmans staff raised a total of $8,000 for the United Way of Southern Chautauqua County on Thursday, May 4th during an evening “Purse Bingo” fundraising event.

United Way Executive Director Amy Rohler expressed her appreciation for Wegmans and its staff, nothing how inspired she was with the community’s generosity in donating at the Wegmans registers.

EDITOR’S NOTE: As a point of transparency and disclosure to our audience, United Way of Southern Chautauqua County is a corporate underwriter for WRFA and has provided a financial contribution for the general operations of the station within the past year. Funding we receive for General Operations is not used to fund our coverage of local news in the community. That is only made possible through a Community Service Grant from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. 

The award recognizes a local union member or staff person whose volunteer service to the community honors the spirit of involvement exhibited by the late Joseph H. Mason.

The Salute to Labor Dinner to celebrate this year’s award winner will be held on August 9 at the Chautauqua Harbor Hotel.

Joe Mason was the Directing Business Representative of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, District 65, representing southwestern New York and northwestern Pennsylvania. His reputation for standing up for the causes of labor, most importantly impacting the day-to-day lives of working men and women in our area, is well known. A long-standing member of the United Way Board of Directors, Joe exemplified labor’s commitment to serving the community through his devotion to the United Way campaign.

The nomination form for a union member, active or retired, who has provided outstanding volunteer service in Southern Chautauqua County can be found at https://www.uwayscc.org/joseph-h-mason-community-service-award.

Completed forms should be sent by mail to United Way of Southern Chautauqua County at 208 Pine Street, Jamestown, NY 14701.

Nominations are due by June 8, 2023.

EDITOR’S NOTE: As a point of transparency and disclosure to our audience, United Way of Southern Chautauqua County is a corporate underwriter for WRFA and has provided a financial contribution for the general operations of the station within the past year. Funding we receive for General Operations is not used to fund our coverage of local news in the community. That is only made possible through a Community Service Grant from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. 

ERA Team VP presents donation to United Way

Local United Ways have accepted a donation from ERA Team VP.

ERA Team VP raised $8,955.62 to support United Way agencies in Chautauqua and Cattaraugus Counties as well as several United Ways in Pennsylvania. To raise this amount, ERA Team VP had participation from 49 donors that included both staff and real estate agents in their eight offices. They held a contest to see which office had the highest percentage of participation, which helped drive involvement.

United Way of Southern Chautauqua County Executive Director Amy Rohler said donations by ERA as well as other other workplaces and individuals helped the agency meet its campaign goal for the year of $1.3 million dollars. All money raised stays locally in the community, supporting 42 programs at 29 agencies.

Jamestown City Council meeting (February 13, 2023)

The New York Conference of Mayors isn’t on board with Governor Hochul‘s housing proposal in her state budget.

Jamestown Mayor Eddie Sundquist said while NYCOM agrees there is a huge need for new housing across the state, they’re not supportive of the Housing plan proposed, “Because part of her proposal, although we do support the new builds, her proposal requires that municipalities change their zoning laws to accommodate for new housing. It is not something that the organization, NYCOM, supports at this time. It was very clear to the Governor that yes, we support new housing and yes, we support providing funds for it, but if you’re going to make us do that you’re not going to make us change our zoning laws just because the state said so.”

Sundquist said while there are monies in the budget for upgrades to infrastructure and for changing zoning laws, NYCOM doesn’t believe it will be enough given the amount of additional housing the state is looking to build.

Hochul wants to see 800,000 new housing units built in the state over the next 10 years.

Sundquist said NYCOM also is disappointed that AIM, or Aid and Incentives to Municipalities, has not increased, “There’s obviously a lot more cost to run cities, towns, villages and the fact that that hasn’t changed in several decades has become a huge issue.”

Sundquist said he’s trying to learn more about the $5 billion in migrant aid that’s included in the state budget. He said while they haven’t seen any new influx of migrants to the city, his administration has had direct calls with the Department of Homeland Security, White House Intergovernmental office, and Social Security Administration, “So, we’re just working with them (migrants) and the organizations are working directly with them to get social security cards which would allow them to get certain benefits but also to have some type of I.D. which is required for the food bank and other things.”

Sundquist added the city is also working with the United Way of Southern Chautauqua County on migrant issues.

Vickye James

The Princess Club and Book M.A.R.K Program at the YWCA of Jamestown are the first recipients of the Vickye James Blueprint Fund.

The United Way of Southern Chautauqua County announced the awards.

The Princess Club is a community-based organization fostering mentorship, friendship, fun, and support for girls in the greater Jamestown area. Girls ages 4-13 can attend a weekly program during the summer.

The Blueprint funds will cover the expenses for general operational costs and activities that provide positive experiences and opportunities for girls to build self-esteem, reading skills and healthy habits.

Princess Club Director and Founder Brenda Stewart shared the Vickye James was a leading member of the club for several years.

The YWCA Book M.A.R.K. (Motivating Aspiring Reading with Kindness) Program is an inter-generational social justice literacy program that helps plant the seeds for the elimination of racism and discrimination among youth by focusing on the celebration of various cultures, ethnicities, and identities.

Through books, personal stories, and activities, Book M.A.R.K aims to provide students and teachers alike with the tools necessary to facilitate productive conversations about racism, bullying, and discrimination. The Blueprint funds will cover training and facilitation of volunteers for the program.

YWCA Social Justice and Racial Equity Director Alizé Scott-Nowell said the volunteer-based program will provide, “opportunities for leadership development, especially for historically underrepresented community members to lead conversations surrounding their own cultural experiences.” She added that the program is already being offered at Washington Middle, Fletcher Elementary, Bush Elementary, and Southwestern Elementary and Middle schools.

Ms. James, who passed away in 2021, was a member of the Board of Directors of United Way for seven years and served as Board President from 2008-2010. She was one of only four female presidents during the 122-year history of United Way, and the only African American to serve as president to date.

All requests for funding from the Vickye James Blueprint Fund must fall within the United Way of Southern Chautauqua County’s four areas of Strategic Focus: Academic Success, Self Sufficiency, Work Readiness, and Health & Independence.

Applications for funding are accepted on a rolling basis.

For more information, visit uwayscc.org/vickye-james-blueprint-fund.

EDITOR’S NOTE: As a point of transparency and disclosure to our audience, United Way of Southern Chautauqua County is a corporate underwriter for WRFA and has provided a financial contribution for the general operations of the station within the past year. Funding we receive for General Operations is not used to fund our coverage of local news in the community. That is only made possible through a Community Service Grant from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. 

The United Way of Southern Chautauqua County announced $45,132 was awarded by the Emergency Food & Shelter Program’s National Board, which is chaired by FEMA.

Locally, the United Way leads the Emergency Food and Shelter Program and is responsible for distributing these awards. The purpose of these dollars is to expand the capacity of food and shelter programs in high-need areas.

Organizations interested in applying for funds must do so by Wednesday, March 1, 2023.

Contact United Way Executive Director Amy Rohler at (716) 483-1561 for application instructions.

EDITOR’S NOTE: As a point of transparency and disclosure to our audience, United Way of Southern Chautauqua County is a corporate underwriter for WRFA and has provided a financial contribution for the general operations of the station within the past year. Funding we receive for General Operations is not used to fund our coverage of local news in the community. That is only made possible through a Community Service Grant from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. 

United Way VITA volunteers

Free tax preparation appointments are now available through the United Way.

The United Ways of Chautauqua County are again offering the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program, or VITA, for individuals who make less than $73,000 a year, persons with disabilities, people over 60 years of age, or people who are limited English speakers.

VITA utilizes local volunteers, certified by the IRS, to prepare income tax returns at no charge.
United Way officials say the goal of VITA is to ensure that 100% of the refund amount is returned to the taxpayer. Last year, the VITA program generated $2,242,278 in refunds, with volunteers logging more than 3,500 hours of service to the community.

Traditional in-person appointments and drop off sites for virtual tax preparation are available across Chautauqua County. Common issues that cannot be addressed by the VITA Program include income from rental property, farming, or businesses which manage an inventory or show a loss for the tax year. VITA Volunteers will determine if any items are out of scope at time of service.

Pre-scheduling is required for both in person and drop off appointments:

• The Prendergast Library
• Community Connections at Findley Lake (drop off only)
• Sinclairville Library
• United Way of Southern Chautauqua County (drop off only)
• Mayville Library
• Silver Creek Library
• United Way of Northern Chautauqua County
• SUNY Fredonia Technology Incubator
• Westfield YWCA

To schedule an appointment for free tax assistance, dial 2-1-1 or call toll-free at 888-696-9211. You can also text your zip code to 898211 (messaging and data rates apply.) A service representative will then direct you to the appropriate location to schedule your appointment.
Once your appointment is confirmed, please bring the following:

• Proof of identification (photo ID.)
• Social Security cards for you, your spouse, and dependents.
• An Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) assignment letter may be substituted for you, your spouse, and your dependents if you do not have a Social Security number.
• Birth dates for you, your spouse, and dependents on the tax return.
• Wage and earning statements (Form W-2, W-2G, 1099-R,1099-NEC, 1099-MISC) from all employers.
• Unemployment statement
• Interest, dividend, and brokerage statements from banks (Forms 1099.)
• Education and student loan documents (1098T, 1098E)
• A copy of last year’s federal and state returns, if available.
• Proof of bank account routing and account numbers for direct deposit such as a blank check.
• Total paid for daycare provider and the daycare provider’s tax identifying number such as their Social Security number or business Employer Identification Number.
• Form 1095-A.
• Copies of income transcripts from IRS and state, if applicable.
• To file taxes electronically on a married-filing-joint tax return, both spouses must be present to sign the required forms.

In lieu of an appointment, taxpayers can also use the self-preparation portal at http://www.MyFreeTaxes.com

EDITOR’S NOTE: As a point of transparency and disclosure to our audience, United Way of Southern Chautauqua County is a corporate underwriter for WRFA and has provided a financial contribution for the general operations of the station within the past year. Funding we receive for General Operations is not used to fund our coverage of local news in the community. That is only made possible through a Community Service Grant from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. 

United Way of Southern Chautauqua County Executive Director Amy Rohler speaks during Campaign Celebration (January 24, 2023)

The United Way of Southern Chautauqua County has announced it has had one of its most successful fundraising campaigns in more than a decade.

Executive Director Amy Rohler said the $1.3 million campaign goal was exceeded with a total of $1,370,232 raised.

She attributed the success to the campaign’s volunteers and three campaign chairs, Denise Heppeler, Danielle Stone, and Heather Turner.

Rohler said United Way staff and volunteers reached over 1,500 people during the campaign season through 75 workplace presentations at various businesses and organizations.

The second Annual Impact Awards were also presented at the Campaign Celebration. These awards go to individuals nominated by United Way community partners who truly embody what it means to be impacted by a United Way program, and who make their own impact in their community.

Each award recipient received a commemorative award, $100 to give to the community organization of their choice, and the opportunity to serve as a United Way allocations volunteer for the year. Awardees this year were Jessica Crooks of the Mental Health Association of Chautauqua County, Paige Grekulak of the TEAM program through the Jamestown Community Learning Council and YWCA; and Sarina Lynn Rivera of Community Helping Hands.

All funds raised in the United Way campaign remain in the community.

To learn more about United Way, visit www.uwayscc.org.

EDITOR’S NOTE: As a point of transparency and disclosure to our audience, United Way of Southern Chautauqua County is a corporate underwriter for WRFA and has provided a financial contribution for the general operations of the station within the past year. Funding we receive for General Operations is not used to fund our coverage of local news in the community. That is only made possible through a Community Service Grant from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. 

Ahlstrom-Schaeffer CEO Dave Painter and IBEW Local 106 Business Manager Kent Joesel present UWAY SCC Executive Director Amy Rohler with annual campaign donation.

The United Way of Southern Chautauqua County‘s annual campaign is at 65% of its goal of $1.3 million.

Executive Director Amy Rohler said more than 150 employers participate in United Way’s annual fundraising campaign by allowing their employees to give through payroll deduction. United Way staff and volunteers recently visited Shults Auto Group, IBEW Local 106, Spectrum Eyecare, Weber-Knapp, and Alliance Advisory Group. Rohler noted that they had surpassed the number of campaign presentations they’ve given to local employers within the past year and welcomed new campaigns at various workplaces.

The United Way campaign benefits 42 local programs and all donations stay in Chautauqua County.
Employers interested in running a campaign at their workplace can still schedule presentations by contacting the United Way office at 716-483-1561 or emailing Marketing and Resource Development Manager Nicole Gustafson at ngustafson@uwayscc.org.

Individual donations can be made online at uwayscc.org, by texting UNITEDWECAN to 91999, via Venmo at @uwayscc, or by mailing a check to 208 Pine Street, Jamestown, NY 14701.

EDITOR’S NOTE: As a point of transparency and disclosure to our audience, the United Way of Southern Chautauqua County is a corporate underwriter for WRFA and has provided a financial contribution for the general operations of the station within the past year. Funding we receive for General Operations is not used to fund our coverage of local news in the community. That is only made possible through a Community Service Grant from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.