Newsletters - Fall '07 Newsletter
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Changing Lives One At A Time
We begin this newsletter with the story of one of our former residents, told in her own words. Her story puts everything in perspective, encourages us in our daily efforts and, we hope, provides our supporters with a genuine sense of satisfaction and pride that you do make a difference.
“When I got to Geiger House, I was almost non-functional. I couldn’t understand people talking to me. I could read a book but I couldn’t assimilate a lot of what was on the page. I had no comprehension. I felt like all of the knowledge I had in my life and in my working life was gone. It was a real struggle for me just to survive day to day.”
“Winter rolled into spring. I got a little part-time job and felt like a number of reasons I was unable to work at it, so I left it and to the YMCA to the Women’s Work Program. I stayed there for four weeks and completed that program. While I was there, I found out about the Super Jobs Program, the Workforce Investment Act, which has federal funding for people like me that can put us back through school or training and put us on our feet. In the meantime, I got another job that I could work at and I kept looking into going to the school.”
“In the meantime, I got another job, which I’m still working at. I went to CNA School in August and I graduated with a 96, and that’s not bad for somebody who didn’t know what day of the week it was last fall. I took my state test and graduated with a 97. I am still working part time. I work in the mornings, and in the afternoons I am going to start out job hunting. I am going to get a job in a nursing home, which will re-acclimate me to the nursing environment so that in time I will be able to regain a position as a nurse and be a complete, productive member of society.”
“I am poised today on the threshold of a whole new life, of being a capable, competent person, a woman as well as a nurse, independent and forever free from abuse.”
“So never think that the work you do here is not important. Never let yourself get overwhelmed. Never let yourself think that in the end it really doesn’t matter because it matters in extreme ways that you do not know about. Your time and your donations are what is making it possible for someone like me, who started out as a barely functioning person, to wind up the competent, capable human being that I am today. And I still have a ways to go.”
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| << Upcoming Events >> |
- 6/4/2008 - Arts & Crafts
- 8/22/2008 - Golf Outing & Dinner
- Fall '08 - Annual Volunteer/Donor Reception
- Dec. '08 - Greater Cincinnati Business & Professional Women Fundraiser
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With your support, these women can succeed in moving from a life of dependence, to a life of independence. Your support provides women and children with transitional housing. Please
donate to The Tom Geiger Guest House.
By check, mail to:
The Tom Geiger Guest House
2634 Melrose Avenue
Cincinnati, Ohio 45206
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“I want to thank you for myself because of the difference the Tom Geiger House has made in my life. Being a client of the Geiger House has given me my life back. And that is something that no amount of money could buy. But most of all, I want to thank you for the hundreds of women and children who have come through the Geiger House before me. And sadly, for the thousands who will come after me.”
A Message From Executive Director, John Convery
Programmatically we were able to help 142 people (54 women and 88 children) this past year build a better, brighter future for themselves. Seventy percent of these women successfully completed their programs and moved on to independent living.
From a facility standpoint we successfully completed the Thomas Bokenkotter Building which provides twelve, two-bedroom apartments of permanent housing for homeless individuals with disabilities and their children. We owe a great debt of gratitude to our architect, Mr. David Stoll of A. M. Kinney and our contractor, Mr. Pat Mechley for designing and constructing a superb building on time and within +1.4% of budget. Our banker, Mr. Timothy Ballinger of the General Electric Evendale Employees Federal Credit Union was very supportive and flexible in helping us finance the project. He even applied for and helped us win a grant of $420,000 from the Federal Home Loan Bank of Cincinnati. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development as well as numerous private foundations also substantially and actively supported the project. We also built two restroom facilities in the basement of the Geiger House and lost all our computers and furniture to water damage for a loss of about $15,000. We want to thank the wonderful employees of the General Electric, Ethicon-Endo Surgery and Holland Communications Companies for their generous and sustained support. We also thank our program partners, The Center for Independent Living Options, Goodwill Industries, Talbert House and the YWCA for providing qualified guests and rental assistance for them.
We also thank all of you, our generous and faithful supporters, for your prayers, volunteering and personal contributions which currently provide an essential 15% of our operating budget. We humbly as you to continue supporting our charitable work and increasing your level of support if possible because it will be an even more important source of revenue for our operations in the near future. The City of Cincinnati has already informed us not to count on their $27,000 in funding in 2008. HUD funding guidelines and grant competition criteria have eliminated funding for the case management supportive services our guest need so desperately. We have to find alternative sources of money in the amount of $75,000 per year for these essential services. These funds pay for case managers to develop and supervise the implementation of individual development plans for our guests to complete their education, job training and job seeking goals and live independently.
Arts & Carts
On June 6, we held our third annual fundraiser, Arts & Carts, at Maketewah Country Club. Artists who stepped in to help with donating their artwork for our Silent Auction included Joseph Drury, Quang Ho, Brother Martin Humphreys, Kay Hurley Father Bill Reichel, Ann Segal and Father Jim Van Hurst. Attendees enjoyed a scrumptious brunch at Maketewah, one of the first Cincinnati country clubs to open memberships to single women. An optional 18 holes of golf for women only followed the brunch. $10,000 was netted to benefit both the Tom Geiger Guest House and the Center for Independent Living Options. Honorary Chair was Laura Bohn, Director of Information Technology at Ehticon Endo-Surgery. Our sincere thanks go to Ethicon Endo-Surgery for their sponsorship of the event. Be sure to mark your calendars for next year's event on June 4. It will be a day of golf for all interested followed by dinner and another Silent Auction of fabulous art!
Sarah Williams
Sarah Williams joined the Tom Geiger Guest House staff in April of 2007. She is a 2004 graduate of Wright State University with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Urban Affairs and an American Humanics Certificatein Non Profit Management. Previous to joining the Tom Geiger Guest House staff, she worked 3 years as an In-School Scouting Instructor with the Girls Scouts of Buckeye Trails Council and also 1 year with the Miami Valley Boy Scout Council, as their Capital Campaign and Endowment Specialist. Outside of work, Sarah enjoys spending time with her husband, Danny, and 1 year old son, Alexander.
Celebrate A Loved One
The Tom Geiger House receives gifts to honor living individuals and gifts to memorialize deceased individuals. Donors are thanked, and the individuals who are honored and the families of those who are memorialized receive notice that a gift has been made in their name.
Fourth Annual Tom Geiger Guest House Classic
The Fourth Annual Tom Geiger Guest House Classic was held on August 14 at Legendary Run Golf Course. We had 50 golfers/diners participate, and proceeds netted approximately $4,000. During dinner former Bengals' coach, Bill "Tiger" Johnson, regaled the participants with stories of the NFL. Our "classic" grows each year, and we look forward to next. Our special thanks to our friends at GE who helped host this event. We couldn't do it without their help. Also, our thanks to the following donors and sponsors: AM Kinney, Blue Ash Auto Body, Bruns Foundation, Cincinnati Ballet, Cincinnati Bengals, Cincinnati Cyclones, Cincinnati Reds, City Barbecue, Clough Crossing, CSI Waste Services, Dayton Bombers, Ethicon Endo-Surgery - Division of Johnson & Johnson, GE - Credit Union, Golf Galaxy, Graeter's Ice Cream, Jones the Florist, Kroger's - Cherry Grove, Montgomery Towne Tavern, Newport Aquarium, Penn Station, Richter & Phillips Co. Jewelers, Robert Kickdyke Ins., Star Base Consulting, Stegemeyer Machine Inc., The Better Man Spa and Salon, Widmer's Cleaners, Wiley & Sons Publishing Co., Williams Beechmont Ford, Williams Stain Glass, Witt Industries.
See you next year! Save the date - August 12, 2008!
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