The Erie County Child Abuse Task Force, an initiative led by Gannon University and by Dr. Carolynn Masters, Dean of Gannon’s Morosky College of Health Professions and Sciences, is comprised of leaders from numerous local agencies and organizations. These dedicated individuals have joined together so as to collaboratively and collectively respond to the growing problem of child abuse and help promote safer environments for children locally.

The Task Force is committed to the prevention of child abuse and neglect through advocacy, education and public awareness. Members hope to decrease the number of child abuse incidents while also strengthening the delivery of parent and caregiver support services to at-risk families.

The group also has established subcommittees that focus on professional education, including mandatory reporting of abuse, community education and outreach and referral and treatment services.

In addition to Gannon University, the Erie County Child Abuse Task Force member organizations include the Achievement Center, Bethesda Children’s Home, the Bradley H. Foulk Children’s Advocacy Center of Erie County, Crime Victim Center, the Erie Community Foundation, Erie County Care Management, the Erie County District Attorney’s Office, the Erie County Office of Children & Youth, Early Connections, the Erie School District, Safe Harbor Behavioral Health, SafeNet, Saint Vincent Health System and UPMC Hamot.

In 2010, Erie County reported 934 cases of child abuse. Erie County ranks as the fourth-highest county in Pennsylvania for reported cases of child abuse. In 2011, 58 percent of the Crime Victim Center’s sexual-assault clients were children, and of those, 69 clients were under the age of five. The cost associated with investigating child abuse in 2011 was more than $2 million.

United Way of Erie County, the Nonprofit Partnership and the Erie Community Foundation invite you to learn more about the Commonwealth's proposed fiscal year 2012 budget including the "block grant" approach to funding human services at the county level. The discussion will also include strategies that local nonprofits can employ to withstand anticipated reductions in funding that directly affect our neighbors in need.

Joining us will be Tony Ross, President of United Way of Pennsylvania, and a representative from Gov. Tom Corbett's administration. United Way of PA has taken the lead on the state budget issue, hosting a series of town hall meetings across the state in 2011 and again this year. The Erie town hall meeting is one of eight being held across the state in March and April.

In addition, Bob Wooler, Director of The Nonprofit Partnership, will moderate a panel discussion that includes the following panelists:
• Jonathan Evans, President/CEO of Safe Harbor Behavioral Health
• Shari Gross, Director, Erie County Department of Human Services
• Michele Zieziula,CEO, Northwest PA Workforce Investment Board
• Dr. Bob Light, Senior Assoc. Dean for Research, Graduate Studies and Outreach, Penn State Erie
• Patrick Herr, Associate Director, Community Shelter Services

For more information or to RSVP, please contact Mike Jaruszewicz at 814.456.2937 ×227.

In advance of the town hall meeting, you may want to read a recent op-ed piece written by Shari Gross entitled "State cuts of social programs could be 'catastrophic.'" Here is the link.

“Bill’s foresight shows the power on an endowment,” said Mike Batchelor, president of The Erie Community Foundation. “Through his thoughtful estate planning, Bill selected 14 of his favorite charities and decided to give them each a percentage of the income from his endowment every year.”

Schuster also requested The Erie Community Foundation to annually ask the eligible nonprofits to submit specific proposals indicating how they would use the gift. “Bill wanted to insure that there was a check and balance to his gifts and the money was used wisely,” continued Batchelor. “He also wanted us to publicly announce the gifts in hopes to encourage others to leave charitable legacies.”

In celebration of these gifts, The Erie Community Foundation and Gannon University will host the annual Schuster’s day event on Wednesday, March 7th at 2 p.m. in the Schuster Gallery of Gannon University’s Nash Library. The fourteen charities, who Mr. Schuster named in his will, will receive grants as follows:

h2.Nonprofit 2012 Gift
American Red Cross $2,423.18
Community Country Day School $4,794.80
Discovery Square $3,608.99
Erie Art Museum $1,185.81
Erie Playhouse $1,185.81
Erie Zoological Society $1,185.81
Hospice of Erie $4,794.80
Humane Society of Northwest PA $2,423.18
Junior Philharmonic $9,589.60
Lake Erie Ballet/Erie Civic Ballet $4,794.80
Stairways $4,794.80
United Way of Erie County $4,794.80
Vision & Blindness Resources-Erie $1,185.81
Visiting Nurses Association $4,794.80

Total $51,557.00

More specifically, the gifts will be used as follows:__

American Red Cross will purchase disaster supplies including vests and jackets with reflective material and GPS units for the emergency vehicles. Their goal is to keep volunteer disaster action teams safe and efficient in the field in a disaster setting, especially at night.

Community Country Day School will buy art supplies including paints, clay and canvas for their growing school and counseling program.

Discovery Square will use their Schuster gift to underwrite costs of snow removal, and garden and ground maintenance.

The Erie Art Museum will use their money to support programs and general operations of the Art Museum.

The Erie Playhouse will support the Youtheatre Outreach Programs such as workshops, tours, school visits, classes, and summer camp.

The Erie Zoological Society will purchase additional education pieces for the Adventure Center Lend–A-Hand Station as well as to buy hands-on science experiment kits.

Hospice of Erie will purchase nursing supplies such as blood pressure cuffs and pulse oximeters. They will also continue their employee wellness program.

The Humane Society of Northwest PA will spay/neuter 75 adoptable animals at the shelter.

The Junior Philharmonic will use money towards the bus, van and truck expenses for the annual tour of five schools. They will also use the money to update equipment and to balance their budgets.

Lake Erie Ballet/Erie Civic Ballet will use the gift to help offset the cost of hiring musicians for the 54th annual production of the Nutcracker.

Stairways Behavioral Health will purchase supplies, materials and equipment for participants attending workshops at Center City Arts.

United Way of Erie County will use their grant for the recognition event honoring the Tocqueville Award Recipient for 2012.

Vision and Blindness Resources will use the money for their after school and summer program for blind children. Also, the grant will provide for staff expenses including supplies, transportation and other costs.

Visiting Nurse Association will replace out-of-date computers and printers for the office and supervisory staff.

For more information about the power of an endowment or questions about establishing one, please contact Kevin Moore 814-454-0843.

To view results click" here.":http://www.erievitalsigns.org/economy_homeownership_view1

Nearly 2,000 students in the Erie School District will be sent notices of school exclusion next month, excluding them from school on or after May 1 if families do not comply with new student immunization requirements. The Pennsylvania Department of Health regulations (28 Pa. Code §§23.81-87) require the exclusion from Pennsylvania schools of any student(s) who does not meet the minimum immunization requirements. The exclusion date in the Erie School District is May 1, 2012.

The new immunization requirements affect students in grades K-12. While approximately 84% of Erie students have provided proper immunization documentation to their school nurse, 16% (approximately 2,000 pupils) still need to obtain the required immunizations or submit the documentation. Tuesday’s news conference is one part of a comprehensive public information campaign during which the superintendent will urge parents to contact their child’s physician immediately to complete the required shots and return the required immunization form to the school nurse.

In February, The Erie Community Foundation invited community partners such as the Erie County Department of Health and UPMC Hamot to meet and discuss the issue and find potential solutions for children who do not have insurance or have no other access to vaccines (for example, they have insurance however their medical provider does not provide the required vaccine).

"This community issues has been a good example of how The Erie Community Foundation can convene partners toward solutions to community issues," said Mike Batchelor, president of The Erie Community Foundation.

The lack of school readiness among our children entering kindergarten will have a significant impact on the future of Erie County’s economy and quality of life.

Simply stated, our children are not ready for their future, and their future ultimately affects yours. It is a long term domino effect. But we are doing something about it!

In fact, we are joining forces to reverse the trend and tackle this issue through Erie’s Future Fund. This fund will provide scholarships to low-income families with children under the age of five living in poverty.

The Erie Community Foundation, United Way of Erie County, Early Connections/Successes By 6 and local members of the Early Learning Investment Commission are coordinating efforts to make a difference through Erie’s Future Fund.

The Fund, which was established in 2011, will ultimately provide early childhood scholarships, valued at $2,100 each, for close to 285 low-income children in the 2012-2013 school year. The Erie Community Foundation will contribute $100,000 a year for two years to this fund.

Children ages three and four will be able to attend a high-quality Early Childhood Education program through Erie’s Future Fund scholarships. The Success By 6 task force will guide families on how to select an Early Childhood Education program and how to promote school readiness throughout their child’s early years. Families will also learn about health and child development issues and what community resources are available to support their family’s needs.

To learn more, join us on Thursday, February 16th at 4 p.m. at the Ambassador Hotel and Conference Center. Make your reservation by calling Michelle Dore at 874-0144, extension 10 or via email by clicking here.

National Standards has recognized that The Erie Community Foundation:

• Holds accountability and transparency core to our values;
• Is committed to community dialogue, donor disclosure and public scrutiny.
• Ensures that our local operations are aligned with nationally recognized effective practices.
• Our objective guidelines-created by and for the community foundation field-govern our operations.
• Our gift administration is approached with due diligence and responsiveness to changing community needs.
• And that we understand that our community deserves the greatest impact in every area: education, arts, environment, community, development, health, and human services.

“We have met the most rigorous standards in philanthropy, our grant making includes an open, competitive process designed to address our communities changing needs and we have a history of honoring donors wished,” said Foundation President Mike Batchelor. "The Erie Community Foundation is excited that the work we do for the Erie community has been recognized on a national level. With National Standards recognition we will continue to shape a better tomorrow for the Erie community by helping today."

Erie’s Future Fund was created in 2011, an outgrowth of Erie Community Foundation’s Early Childhood Advisory Panel in partnership with United Way of Erie County, Success By 6, members of the Early Learning Investment Commission (ELIC) and Erie Together. Leaders from corporate, nonprofit and civic sectors sought to address growing concerns about lack of school readiness among many children entering kindergarten, and the significant impact it was having now and would have in the future on Erie County’s economy and quality of life. Erie’s Future Fund goal is provide scholarships for approximately 285 low-income children in 2012-2013 school year.

The scholarships allow children to attend a high-quality Early Childhood Education (ECE) program at ages 3 and 4.Early Childhood research shows that well-focused early childhood education investments can produce high public returns, particularly for children living in families with low income levels. Erie’s Future Fund will provide scholarships to low-income families in neighborhoods with the highest percentage of families with children under 5 living in poverty.

Erie’s Future Fund through Success BY 6 and its task forces that target areas of health, children’s mental health, education, special needs, and prevention of abuse and neglect, promotes parents involvement beginning prenatally. Families are provided guidance on selecting an ECE program, skills, and knowledge necessary to promote school readiness throughout their child’s early years, and information about health, child development, community resources to support their family’s needs.

*Make your reservation by calling 814-454-0843 or via email by clicking here.

2011 Helping Today Pre-K-12 Grants

1. Arts Erie-Literacy Collaborative Program $24,497
2. Bayfront Maritime Center-Maritime Simulator expansion $17,903
3. Burton Elementary School-Classroom Technology Upgrades $15,000
4. Erie Playhouse-Educational Attainment Collaborative $14,600
5. Erie Regional Chamber & Growth Partnership-Aligning school to careers $35,680
6. Erie School District-Violence Reduction Collaborative $30,000
7. Junior Achievement of Erie Region-Youth financial literacy $15,000
8. Multicultural Community Resource Center-Keystone Star Daycare Dev. $15,000
9. NW Tri-County Educational Foundation, Inc.-Early childhood Dev. $12,500
10. The Young People’s Chorus of Erie-Music education collaborative $10,198
11.YMCA-Relational aggressions collaborative $9,500

2011 Helping Today Brain-Gain Grant

1. Erie Technology Incubator Inc.-Entrepreneur Education Outreach $30,000

Total: Pre-K-12 $199,878
Brain-Gain $30,000
Total: $229,878