There's a New VISTA Face at the Community Center!

Erica

I'm the new Americorps VISTA working at the South Franklin Community Center! I'm excited to get started and interact with this wonderful community. I was previously working with Welcome Baby, another United Way program, which holds their playgroup at the community center every Friday from 11 am-12:30 pm. 

I graduated from Brigham Young University-Idaho with a B.S. in Child Development, and a minor in Communication. I interned at United Way and loved it so much that I decided to stay! So here I am at the community center. I've always wanted to help people and I love working with youth, so it seemed like a perfect fit. Though as adults we have much to teach the youth, they in turn have a lot to teach us. 

I was born and raised in Ecuador, and moved to Colorado when I was 9 years old. I love Ecuador and living there has given me an appreciation for life and has helped me with my outlook on the world. All my life I've wanted to lift others up and help them get to a better place than were they were before. Every person has something to offer and at the community center, we are able to learn from other people's talents. South Franklin gives opportunities to those in the community to grow and gain knowledge. 

10 Facts about ME!  

1. I loved playing hide-and-seek as a child.

2. I enjoy photography and went to Photoshop World in Vegas.

3. I once got my foot stuck in the mud in the Amazon Jungle. 

4. I have climbed 7 fourteeners (mountains).

5. Watermelon is my favorite fruit.

6. I am the baby of the family.

7. I love finger painting.

8. I played the clarinet for 8 years.

9. I have been to the middle of the world where I've straddled two hemispheres. 

10. I swam with sharks...and didn't die.

Day of Caring

United Way Day of Caring is for local businesses and organizations to provide service to their community. Yesterday was Day of Caring in Utah County and over 1200 volunteers came to 31 project sites to help with landscaping, painting, repairing, and cleaning.

South Franklin Community Center was one of the sites that received help from over 25 volunteers to help organize and categorize the library catalog. We now have about 4,000 books sorted and labeled into 17 different genres.  This system will improve the kids experience in our library. They can now come in and find a book within seconds.

Thanks to all those who came and helped from Brigham Young University's MPA program and Utah Community Credit Union. We couldn't have done it without you! 

Hooray for soccer!

We are now officially in our 6th season of the South Franklin Soccer League! Our first set of games was last Saturday (August 20). Games were going on at The Boulders and Franklin Elementary in Provo from 9am-1pm.

After two scrimmage days for youth to come sign up we currently have 109 kids playing in the program. There is still space to register but time is running out. Last day to register is August 27th. You can register by going to Centro Hispano (817 South 200 West Provo) or United Way (148 North 100 West Provo) and asking for a form. Any children from ages 5-18 can sign up and remember it's free!

Every weekend we look forward to a successful game day. Come join us and see what all the fun is about!

If you have any soccer experience, we are looking for referees to help during games on Saturdays. Please contact us if you're interested.

Teen Adventures

Becca, an AmeriCorps member with United Way of Utah County, has spent almost 300 hours at South Franklin Community Center this summer running Open Hours, refereeing soccer games, and putting together activities for the neighborhood youth. She wanted to share a few thoughts and memories from her interactions with the teenagers.

I have a blast when the teens come to soccer, girls’ night or whatever activity we may be doing at the time.  Although we’ve only had a few teens show up to soccer, it’s to still fun to play Meta el Gol and just get to know each other better.  Girls’ night was really fun!  I brought my fingernail polish that changes color in the sun and we had a blast watching it work.  

 

At the Bonfire Night we had tons of fun, but it wasn’t the fun I was expecting:  We drove up to South Fork Park just to find out that no open fires were allowed, so we played games the whole night!  We played Dynamite, which is played with a Nerf football, practically the whole time! After awhile another group cleared the field to play Ultimate Frisbee and they told us we could play with them if we wanted to.  We decided to go with it!  Those people were a blast to play with!  Then when it started to get dark we played some soccer with another group of people.  I’d say we made the best night we could without a bonfire.  

I have fun hanging out with the teens and so do the other AmeriCorps volunteers like Lindsey and Dallin.  I hope the teens have had as much fun as I have, and more.  I wish them the best in their life goals and I know they can reach them.

Day Camp: A Message from Noelle

Noelle Olivete is an AmeriCorps VISTA Summer Associate with United Way of Utah County and served as director of the South Franklin Community Center's Summer Day Camp for 2011.

There were seven weeks of camp…and it was questionable if I would survive those weeks! Looking back, I have to say that camp was a success! As each week passed, I learned so much about what activities to do and what worked best for the entire group. 

My favorite part of camp was getting to know each child on a personal level. In addition, being able to improve and teach them new skills was really rewarding. Whether it be on field trips, at the community garden, or just at the community center, I felt that it was important to focus on having a goal for them to reach. Some of the goals included giving the group challenges, teambuilding activities, developing the feeling of self-accomplishment, exploring new ideas and concepts, doing service, and so on. I have to say that preparing these activities presented a challenge for me but I would not trade this experience for anything! To see the facial expression of each child enjoying themselves during an activity or thinking things through during a challenge makes my job so fulfilling.

During these seven weeks, I know that I have gained so much insight as I interacted with each child; I have learned so much from them.  I hope that they were able to have a good experience during camp and that they have gained something from coming. I love that I was able to be small part of their lives! I hope that by working with them as well as our amazing volunteers, that together we have instilled in them to keep moving forward in life—to make good choices and know that each and every one of them has so much potential.

It is my hope that the South Franklin Community Center's Summer Day Camp keeps improving as the years go by. I hope that it will continue to impact and unite the families within the community.

Day Camp: Teamwork Field Day

Day Campers continued their summer of learning and fun at Tuesday’s combined field day.  The special guest was U.S. Army Lieutenant Dane Sawyer who came to camp to teach about teamwork and discipline.  Lt. Sawyer demonstrated the proper way to do push-ups, and helped the campers understand why discipline and teamwork were important in the Army.  

Following his presentation, the campers split into teams and prepared for a day of field games.

The outdoor portion started with some stretching and instruction, after which the games began! First up was a pushup and situp competition, followed by a relay race, an obstacle course, and a three-legged race.

While the day was exhausting, the campers loved it and repeatedly asked for another day like this in the future.  Thanks to Lt. Sawyer, our staffers, and our volunteers for their help in making this day possible!

For more photos from Teamwork Field Day, be sure to visit our Facebook page.

Photos by Mark Hartman

We LIVE UNITED!

South Franklin Community Center was started by United Way to create opportunities for a better life for all. United Way advances the common good by focusing on education, income and health in the community. To promote healthy living within Utah County, United Way employees participated in "Bike to Work Day". Provo City and UTA teamed up to host this event that began at 8am on Tuesday, May 17th at the Historic County Courthouse. A bike and helmets were given away, and the city provided free registration for bike licenses, free bike tune-ups courtesy of Bingham Cyclery, and a free breakfast sponsored by Jamba Juice and Einstein Bagels. Over 100 people participated in this 3-mile bike ride around Provo with Mayor John Curtis.

By reducing pollution and increasing exercise all across the community we can LIVE UNITED. We invite you to join us. You can give, you can advocate and you can volunteer. To find out more call 211.

Soccer games cancelled last Saturday

Even though the weather wasn't looking good, we still all hoped it would clear for our first games on Saturday. Sadly enough it didn't and we were forced to cancel all the games. We appreciate everyone who had plans to come out to play, volunteer, or watch. Luckily, this weekend is looking good and we are looking forward to the start of the season...again.

If you are interested in signing up for a team, you can pick up a form at Centro Hispano (817 S 200 W Provo) or United Way (148 N 100 W Provo). If you are interested in volunteering please call 801-374-2588. It's a free soccer league for kids from ages 5-18, and it's run entirely by dedicated volunteers.

Game Day

Though the weather is still flirting with winter, spring is in the air and soccer season is here. Mark your calendars because the South Franklin Community Center’s Soccer League has its first game day on April 9th. Run completely by community volunteers and donations, the program is a part of United Way of Utah County’s focus on education and helping children succeed in school and beyond. The South Franklin Community Center is in its 5th season of providing a free soccer league to families in Utah County. On April 9th, eight games are scheduled and soccer players, ages 5-18, are eager to start the season off with a win. Don’t miss out; grab a blanket, a poster, your favorite fold out chair and your best friend. See you on the sidelines!

POSTER IDEAS:   GOAL!! -GO, FIGHT, WIN!- Nice Shot- Beckham’s got nothing on YOU!

The soccer league is still in need of volunteers, specifically referees. If you are interested in volunteering, visit http://bit.ly/ehcNB2 .

When: April 9, 2011

Where: Boulder Apartment Field & Franklin Elementary Field

Time: 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.

By: Allyse Robertson from United Way of Utah County

Soccer Registration!

Hello, sports fans!

Last Saturday, March 26, we kicked off our spring soccer season with a scrimmage and registration day. From 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., families from around the Franklin South neighborhood--as well as friends from as far away as Orem and Springville--convened at the Boulders field to dust off their dribbles for the new season. So far 73 kids between the ages of 5 and 18 have signed up to play.

The skill and enthusiasm of the players who came impressed us onlookers, and passers-by of all ages stopped to watch. The coaches who came to meet their teams also had a lot of fun. Can you find the three coaches in the photo below?

Adam, Brittany and Adella are 3 of 32 coaches who have committed to leading the South Franklin Soccer League this spring. We know our players will have an incredible experience because all the coaches are such incredible people!

The best news of all? Soccer registration is not over! If you or someone you know would like to play, fill out a form at Centro Hispano (817 S. Freedom Blvd., Provo) or United Way of Utah County (148 N. 100 W, Provo). The first game is Saturday, April 9, but you can register any time during the month of April. As always, participation is free. Call us or email us with any questions. See you soon!

Sub for Santa Sponsors

With all the hustle and bustle of the holidays, it’s easy to get caught up in the stress of the season. Sometimes it’s easy to  worry more about what Christmas ISN’T than what it IS – encouraging peace on earth and good will toward men.

There are plenty of things that can be done to touch the lives of those around us. You can visit a nursing home and the residents there. You can also drop off a plate of cookies or a thoughtful card for a struggling neighbor.

 If you or someone you know is looking to make a financial contribution this holiday season, you can also become a sponsor for United Way of Utah County’s Sub for Santa program. About 280 families with approximately 700 kids still need sponsors. Sub for Santa not only helps provide children with Christmas presents, but it helps fosters financial stability through workshops where applicants learn about low-cost Christmas traditions, budgeting and other community resources that are available.

For more information about becoming a Sub for Santa sponsor, visit www.unitedwayuc.org/subforsanta or call 801-356-6300.