CFC Stories

Giving Back 

 By Kevin Worme

Dale Hilding, District Manager of the Social Security Administration Office in Pendleton, has been involved in a non-profit organization that focuses on mentoring boys and young men ever since he was in the 1st grade. Today he is still involved in the organization and is an adult volunteer for his local chapter. Dale has been involved in this organization for around 40 years and believes there is something very special about it. 

The young men that he has worked with have done all sorts of community service activities from restoring bus stop benches, maintaining little league baseball fields, to being ushers at the cemeteries on Memorial Day. Dale is truly proud to be a part of an organization that gives back to the community in so many ways. Not only does this organization help the community by getting involved in community service, but it also helps its members by teaching them skills and values that will last them a lifetime. When Dale first took on a leadership role in the organization (among many other positions) he was intensely involved working around four to five nights a week. When he was asked the question: “Is the work you do worth it?” he replied “Absolutely! Watching those boys grow up, and become a part of the community is the greatest feeling.” 

The feeling of giving back to the community accompanied by the fun and enjoyment of going on camping trips and other activities makes this the perfect volunteer work for Dale. This organization’s projects are just an example of the many ways people can give back to the community; the key is finding an organization you think is most helpful and getting involved.

Raising Better People Through the CFC

One CFC member charity with close ties to the federal community is an organization that provides on-site childcare to federal employees in two office buildings.  On a given day a person walking by these sites will see children engaged in dancing, artwork, science experiments, math games, field trips, or any number of teacher-supported, child-initiated activities.  For parents, the benefits are obvious--easy access to quality childcare and the ability to check on their children throughout the day.  

The positive impact of these centers also extends to the federal agency as a whole, since studies have found that workplaces with on-site childhood development centers see employees stay at their jobs longer, take fewer sick days, and have a better emotional outlook on their job.  In short, an on-site daycare center attracts employees, helps employees balance work and home life, and encourages employees to be more productive.  

It seems obvious why a parent would contribute to the CFC to support the efforts of this non-profit, but why might other federal employees want to contribute?  

To the executive director of this particular charity, supporting childcare is a necessary investment in the future:  "Everybody must support quality early childcare" if we want a healthy community, she argues.  She cites a study that followed 123 children for nearly 40 years and showed that children enrolled in a high qualiy preschool education program were less likely to be arrested multiple times, more likely to make a living wage, more likely to graduate regular high school, more likey to meet education benchmarks in their teens, more likely to have higher IQs, and less likely to be receiving social services.  A dollar invested in giving a child access to a quality preschool education leads to returns of $12.90 for the community, as the child becomes a working, law-abiding, self-sufficient citizen.

Unfortunately, in most cases only high-income parents can afford full-time quality childcare.  Attracting and retaining quality teachers is a constant challenge for these centers, as the centers must offer competitive salaries, benefits, and ongoing training, which adds to tuition costs.  For many families, enrollment at these centers is simply too expensive.  

CFC dollars help charities like this offer tuition assistance to families wishing to enroll a child as well as improving the recruitment and retention of quality teachers at te center.  The payoff of these contributions is enormous:  not only do these contributions help your coworkers afford quality childcare, but they make it possible to offer quality early childhood education to more children in the community.  Investing in children in our community is truly investing in the future.

"We raise better people" if more money goes toward education, the executive director notes.  And better people means a healthier, happier community for us all.

A Chance to Make a Difference

Coast Guard Reservist Jeane Gorgone gives more than her CFC donation to the charity of her choice:  she also gives her time and talents as the charity’s only staff member. As the agency’s Administrative Coordinator Jeane organizes a summer camp that serves kids at risk of becoming involved in drugs, gangs, and violence. She officially works only one day a week, but she is essentially on call every day.  Once her duties as Administrative Coordinator are fulfilled, Jeane volunteers a week of her time at the camp as a counselor or administrator.  Why would she spend so much time and effort on one organization?  In her words, “I saw that many of these kids don’t have adult role models in their life, and it made me want to get involved.”

This organization was founded in 1971 by a Brigadier General who had the novel idea of using the empty Camp Rilea on the Oregon Coast as a summer camp for at-risk youth.  Thirty-six years later the camp has impacted more than 6,000 youth and countless volunteer counselors.  Each year 160 tough and street-wise kids arrive, and are slowly won over by their counselors, camp activities, and friendships with their fellow campers.  

The camp features activities at many other summer camps:  horseback riding, fishing, arts and crafts, recreational sports, and singing around a campfire.  For many campers, who come from the Housing Authority of Portland, just the chance to have a week free from worry has an impact, according to Jeane.  

But the camp’s goal is not just to give the kids a fun week; it is to teach them the meaning of good citizenship and how to make good choices, to raise their self-esteem, to discover the fun of learning, to set goals, and to find good role models to look up to. 

Providing positive mentors is perhaps what makes the biggest difference in the lives of the campers. When the campers arrive, they are greeted by their counselors, who are volunteers from the Housing Authorities in Oregon and Southwest Washington, the Oregon Air and Army National Guard, the Portland Police Bureau, and various local, county, city, and state fire protection and law enforcement agencies. However, the counselors are not in uniform, and the kids spend the week bonding with the adults without any idea that their counselors are police officers, soldiers, or fire fighters.

At the end of the week the counselors change into their work clothes to send off the campers.  The kids are shocked to see that their counselor, now a friend and mentor, also wears a uniform and holds an important job outside of camp.  The purpose of this exercise is instill in campers a “new trust and respect for people in uniform,” according to a camp brochure.

 The camp is a whirlwind of events for both campers and counselors.  Jeane says that her first week as a counselor was the “hardest, most rewarding week I have ever spent doing anything.”  But the volunteers keep coming back.  Jeane’s husband, who became involved through the Portland Police Bureau, and who got Jeane initially involved in the camp, has volunteered for 14 years.  Some volunteers have worked at the camp for 25 years. 

This non-profit started with a simple idea—to provide a summer camp experience to at-risk kids.  Through effective partnerships with local, county, and state agencies, dedicated volunteers, creativity, and a lot of fun and hard work this charity is truly making an impact on young lives in the Portland metro community.  Jeane Gorgone believes that all the work is worth it:  “I can’t imagine ever not being a part of this,” she says of the camp.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Do you have a story you'd like to share?  We are looking for federal employees who would like to share their experience with the CFC or our member charities.  If you volunteer with a charity, if you or your family has benefited from a charity, if you would like to share a CFC story, or if there's something else you would like your federal colleagues to know about the CFC and its member charities, please contact Leslie Morrison at (503) 226-9557 or lesliem@unitedway-pdx.org.