Compeer Rochester

Artest raffles championship ring to raise money for mental health advocacy

compeerrochester — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 18:46:51 +0000

Lately, Ron Artest has been such an incredible advocate for an open forum to discuss mental health issues. He has unapologetically admitted to suffering from mental illness himself, and publically thanked his psychiatrist for helping him through his tough times. Just when it seems like Artest couldn’t possibly be more of an advocate for mental health, I find this story that takes it to another level. Artest recently announced that he will be auctioning off his championship ring in an effort to raise money for mental health organizations. Specifically, Artest wishes to provide funding for more psychiatrists and counselors in schools. By donating just two dollars, you can be in the running to receive the ring while simultaneously advocating for better mental health treatment in our schools. The winner also receives an all expense paid trip to LA to watch Artest play at the Laker’s stadium in two ‘premium seats’. Click Here to buy a raffle ticket in support of mental health advocacy for our youth!j

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Erasing the Stigma

compeerrochester — Tue, 19 Oct 2010 14:36:40 +0000

A couple weeks ago, I highlighted Ron Artest as an advocate for mental health awareness. Artest makes it a point to be quite candid on the issue, which in turn helps to reduce the stigma surrounding mental illness. In this clip, we meet his therapist and find out how beneficial her support is to his mental health. Take a moment to witness his outspoken approach in this ESPN highlight of the mental health advocate.

http://sports.espn.go.com/los-angeles/nba/columns/story?id=5698248

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Compeer in the News!

compeerrochester — Wed, 13 Oct 2010 17:37:15 +0000

Yesterday, Compeer’s Mentoring Children of Promise (MCP) program was featured on the chanel 8 news. The MCP program matches volunteers with youth who have one or more parents incarcerated in a state or federal facility. The story highlighted a grant we have recently received from the federal government totalling $250,000 per year for three years. Follow this link to watch the segment online! http://rochesterhomepage.net/libraries/nxd/media/?data=media_player&v=520685

If you would like more information on the MCP program, or are interested in volunteering, contact Laura Ebert at lebert@compeer.org, or Sara Passamonte at spassamonte@compeer.org .

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Perfection

compeerrochester — Thu, 07 Oct 2010 13:53:32 +0000

I received this link from a co-worker, and would like to share it with all of you. As she put it, “it is interesting how we see this happening in everyone’s life and how everyone does face mental illness, how we are much more pressured in this generation.”

http://www.danoah.com/2010/09/disease-called-perfection.html

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What We’re Reading

compeerrochester — Thu, 23 Sep 2010 20:44:20 +0000

Since April, two football players have committed suicide. The first was Owen Thomas, a junior at the University of Pennsylvania. An autopsy done by Boston University revealed that Thomas had suffered from chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a condition that causes “poor decision-making, impaired memory, erratic behavior, use of drugs and alcohol, depression and suicide.” Researchers claim that they cannot draw a direct connection between CTE and Thomas’ suicide, but efforts to increase awareness about the dangers of head injuries are underway at the University of Pennsylvania. The happy-go-lucky linebacker was ‘the most popular player on the team’ according to his coach, making the death a complete surprise to friends and family of the star athlete.

This past week, suicide took a second life of Denver Bronco’s wide receiver Kenny McKinley. Friends of McKinley blame the suicide on a depression caused by a recent knee surgery. McKinley had told friends that he wouldn’t know what to do with himself if he couldn’t play football, and announced that he should just kill himself during a game of dominoes. The warning signs, however, were not taken seriously by his teammates. Those closest to McKinley had all seen him recently, and note that he was happy and ‘had a huge smile on his face’. The suicide of McKinley shocked friends and family, just as the death of Thomas came as a complete surprise to those closest to him.

Being a star athlete carries a lot of responsibility. Children and peers alike look up to these individuals, putting them on a pedestal of strength and invulnerability. It is clear, however, that these individuals were hurting and needed help. I cannot say that the stigma of mental illness prevented Thomas and McKinley from seeking council, but something did. Just as I was learning about these suicides, however, I did come across one article that promises hope for athletes going through similar struggles. Lakers star Ron Artest is speaking up about mental health issues, and in a big way. He is showing support for Representative Grace Napolitano as she presses for more mental health services in schools. Artest has made it public that he himself has struggled with mental wellness issues, which were compounded by a lack of communication. Artest claims that he ‘bottled up his emotions’, causing them to ‘come out in the wrong way’ from time to time. While he does not outright state his condition, he is surely advocating for those in need to seek professional help when something is just not quite right. He admits hesitation due to an inevitable backlash, but states, “I felt kind of bad, I felt kind of stupid. But then I say, it’s not about me. It’s about the kids that I was trying to reach out to. That’s what was most important. I’ll just use myself and all the backlash and laughs, I worry about that later.”

Artest’s courage could not have come at a better time. Hopefully his blunt approach to mental wellness will encourage everyone, athletes or not, to seek professional help as needed. Any time a public figure steps up to speak about their personal struggles with mental illness, stigma is reduced a little more. Let’s just hope that his bravery prevents any future suicides amongst professional athletes.

If you want to help Compeer fight the stigma of mental illness follow this link to join our team as we Walk to Prevent Suicide with the AFSP.

Click Here for a link to the article concerning Owen Thomas

Click Here for a link to the article concerning Kenny McKinley

Click Here to find out more about Ron Artest’s attempts to reduce the stigma of mental illness.

Filed under: Community Events, What We're Reading

What We’re Reading

compeerrochester — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 14:02:35 +0000

Many people who volunteer will tell you that the time they spend serving others ends up meaning more to them than it does to the people they serve. There is no doubt that volunteering leads to a feel good sensation, but these selfless individuals may be onto something more than they imagine. The Democrat and Chronicle recently published an article titled the “Health Benefits of Volunteering”, in which they outlined the various ways that volunteering really does produce countless benefits for the selfless individual. “The happiest and most satisfied older adults are those who find purpose in their daily lives”, they note, and volunteering is one way many find this self realization. The article continues to list the various benefits of volunteering, which include: a lower mortality rate, greater functional ability, lower occurrences of heart disease, chronic pain, isolation & depression. The article lists mentoring among the various ways individuals choose to give back, and volunteers at Compeer will tell you that the experience is incredibly self-rewarding. Regardless of your background, work schedule, or other obligations, there are ways for you to get involved as a Compeer mentor & friend. For more information, call the Compeer office at (585) 546-8280, or e-mail Sara Passamonte (Youth 1:1 Coordinator) at: Spassamonte@compeer.org, Laura Ebert (Mentoring Children of Promise Coordinator) at: Lebert@compeer.org, or Renee Bryant & Mary Ellen Hecht (Adult 1:1 Coordinators) at: Rbryant@compeer.org & mfhecht@compeer.org, respectively. For those of you already involved with Compeer, please take a moment to comment with your personal experiences as a volunteer. We sincerely appreciate your time and effort as Compeer Friends!

Click Here to read the entire article.

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What We’re Reading

compeerrochester — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 17:17:33 +0000

Halloween is one of my favorite holidays of the year. The air is crisp, the food is good, and dressing up in costumes never gets old. Haunted houses are one of my favorite parts of Halloween, but a recent trend is stirring up quite a controversy. I received an article from NAMI: National Alliance on Mental Illness | Fight Stigma that highlighted a few places that are exploiting mental illness to promote fear amongst haunted house patrons. Amusement parks are creating ‘Insane Asylums’ in place of Haunted Houses, where characters in straight jackets are used instead of ghosts, for example. This trend is extremely counterproductive to stigma reducing efforts by agencies like NAMI and Compeer. Click Here to read the entire article and find out ways that you can become a ‘stigma buster’ and fight the exploitation of mental illness this Halloween!

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Community Events

compeerrochester — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 20:19:55 +0000

Looking for something to do in September? Here are a ton of activities you can attend with your match:

1) M&T Bank Clothesline Festival: 09/11/2010 ,10:00 am to 6:00 pm .Memorial Art Gallery, 500 University Avenue. Save the date for the M&T Bank Clothesline Festival, Rochester’s largest and longest-running fine art and crafts festival! Now in its 54th year, Clothesline is the place to experience all-day live entertainment, sample food from some of Rochester’s favorite vendors, enjoy free family art activities, visit the museum, and of course, browse and buy original artwork throughout the grounds. Phone: (585) 276-8903 Admission: $5

2) Brighton Farmer’s Market: 05/30/2010 – 10/31/2010 Recurring weekly on Sunday Times: 9 am to 1 pm Location: Brighton High School parking lot, 1150 Winton Road South, A popular Sunday morning market featuring a wide variety of products from local farmers and producers. Organic and sustainably-grown fruits and vegetables, plants, meat, chicken, eggs, dairy, honey, jams, baked goods, fine chocolates, fresh pasta, and more. Live music, kids’ activities, community organizations, fun.

3) South Wedge Farmer’s Market: Closes 10/28/2010 Recurring weekly on Thursday 4pm – 8pm. 100 Alexander Street. A lively farmers market in the vibrant urban village of the South Wedge, close to downtown Rochester. Offering abundant, sustainably-grown and organic fruits and vegetables from local farms, plus pasture-raised meets, eggs, dairy, wine, honey, baked goods, fresh pasta and more. Live music, activities for kids, fun for all. Visit the Compeer table on 9/16!

4) Foodlink’s Washington Square Farmer’s Market: Wednesdays 10am – 2pm through September 29^th. FREE. Helps support the downtown community, local farms and Foodlink’s fight against hunger. St. Mary’s Place at Washington Square Park.

5) Strong National Museum of Play: One Manhattan Square is recognized as one of the nation’s top museums for families and children. Strong National Museum of Play® is home to the National Toy Hall of Fame®, the National Center for the History of Electronic Games™, and the world’s largest collection of toys, dolls, games, and other items that celebrate play. You’ll want to play all day in the dynamic, hands-on exhibits: Stroll through Sesame Street, shop in a kid-sized market, perform onstage, investigate the Mystery Mansion and more.

-Mindbender Mansion – Through 9-6-10. Explore a quirky mansion filled with brain teasers and activities to test the problem solving skills of even the most experienced puzzle-solvers. Interactive challenges, hidden clues and secret passwords scattered throughout each “room” in the mansion.

-Comic Book Weekend – September 25- September 26. Enjoy personal appearances by Word Girl and Iron Man and interactive presentations by Air Force Five: Alfred University Art Heroes.

-Talk Like a Pirate Weekend – September 18-September 19. Celebrate International Talk Like a Pirate Day with Pirate elocution lessons, music, dancing and craft activities.

-Deaf Awareness Day – September 24. Learn about Deaf Culture through games and activities.

Admission for Compeer Volunteers, including your match, is $5.00 with the Compeer Volunteer ID Card.

6) North Winton Village Festival of the Arts: September 25^th 10am – 5p. Arts and crafts from local artisans. Music from local groups, and food from our local restaurants. Events and performances throughout the day. North Winton Road and East Main Street.

7) Harvest Jamboree and Country Fair: September 26^th 10am – 2pm. Rochester Public Market.

8 ) Free Laser Shows: Saturdays. Each free laser show begins at approximately 10 p.m. The show is about 20 minutes in length and best viewed from the Pont de Rennes pedestrian bridge in the High Falls Heritage District on Platt Street off State Street.

“Celebrate One City!” celebrates the best of Rochester by featuring such historic legends as Susan B. Anthony, Frederick Douglass and George Eastman. More contemporary luminaries include Rene Fleming, Cab Calloway and baseball Hall-of-Famer Cal Ripkin, Jr.

All shows are projected onto the wall of the Genesee River gorge. Three powerful laser beams from below river level trace animated figures onto the gorge wall, while another laser at the top of the cliff spreads light above and below the audience. Fireworks add to the visual and auditory splendor of the evening.

Parking is available in the High Falls Parking Garage located on State Street. For more information, call 311 (outside the city limits, call 585-428-5990) or go to www.cityofrochester.gov.

9) Family Fun Night: September 17^th, 5-7pm The Mall at Greece Ridge. FREE. Friday Family Fun Nights are every 3^rd Friday of the month and hosted in the Center Court. There are free events for kids hosted by local businesses and tenants in the mall. The events range from free movies at Regal Cinemas, to free story time by Barnes & Noble, to free cooking lessons courtesy of Tops Cooking School.

10) AMF Gates Lanes: Present your volunteer ID card and receive a “Bowl One Game” gets “One Game Free” offer for our volunteers and their friend. This includes free shoe rental as well. We are able to offer this discount due to the generosity of AMF Gates Lanes.

11) AMF Terrance Gardens Lanes: Present your volunteer ID card and receive a “Bowl One Game” get “One Game Free” offer for our volunteers and their friend. This includes free shoe rental as well. We are able to offer this discount due to the generosity of AMF Terrace Gardens Lanes.

12) Seneca Park Zoo: 2222 St. Paul Street. Visit Monroe County’s Seneca Park Zoo and reconnect with nature by rediscovering one of Rochester’s most popular cultural attractions. Rocky Coasts Gallery features polar bears, sea lions and penguins in exciting underwater habitats. Your zoo is home to several dozen species of animals from New York’s only African elephants and Bornean orangutans to the U.S.’s only Eruasian Arctic wolves. When our volunteer pays full price and shows their Compeer ID card their match will get into the zoo FREE. Adult ticket price is $8.00. For more information go to www.senecaparkzoo.org.

13) Rochester Museum & Science Center: Present your Compeer ID card for free admission for you and your Compeer friend. March exhibits include: Be the Dinosaur, Life in the Cretaceous. Introducing the world’s first dinosaur simulation! An innovative blend of traditional exhibits and advanced computer simulation takes you 65+ million years back in time to” Be the Dinosaur.”K’Nex, Object Theater in Expedition Earth, Discover Pour Weather, and Rochester Business Hall of Fame.

14) Strasenburgh Planetarium: 657 East Avenue. Volunteer should show his/her Compeer ID card for free admission for themselves and their friend. Call for show times 271-1880.

15) George Eastman House: 900 East Avenue. Volunteer should show his/her Compeer ID card for free admission.

16) Giant-Screen Film “Dolphins”: Runs through March of 2011. Recurring weekly on Saturdays and Sundays. RMSC Strasenburgh Planetarium, 657 East Avenue. Using exotic locations, current scientific research, and encounters between people and dolphins, this beautiful film presents a rare and close-up view into the world of our favorite ocean animal. Special Family Day activities on Sunday, September 12. Free for volunteers and clients with Compeer Volunteer ID Card.

17) Gathering of Gardeners Plant Sale: Eisenhart Auditorium, Rochester Museum & Science Center Campus. 657 East Avenue. September 11, 9am – 4pm. If you love to shop or browse for plants and want to find something special or unusual for your garden, this is an opportunity that you don’t want to miss! Several specialty vendors will be featuring the best and most unusual in plant and garden related items. Free for volunteers and clients with Compeer Volunteer ID Card.

18) Weddings of a Century (1840-1940): Through September 30, Recurring weekly on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday 10am – 3pm. Rochester Historical Society 115 South Avenue. $3 adult, $2 children. Come see wedding gowns and apparel on display from the 1840’s – 1940’s.

19) URMC Second Annual Women’s Health Fair: September 11, Rochester Public Market 10am – 2pm.

20) Huckleberry Swamp Family Fall Festival: 09/18/2010 – 09/20/2014 Recurring on the 3rd Saturday of September. Times: 10am-3pm Location: Huckleberry Swamp, Catchpole Road Phone: (585) 766-8643 FREE The Huckleberry Swamp Family Fall Festival is a fun and free event perfect for families. Enjoy a day of family fun with outdoor games, crafts, face painting, and fairy houses. The trails will be open all day, come and experience a walk through nature. Huckleberry Swamp trails start with an easy foot path and then graduates to a boardwalk that goes right through the middle of the swamp and past a Great Blue Heron Rookery. Huckleberry Swamp is located off Route 104, turn south onto Brick School House Road. Take Brick School House Road until it ends at Catchpole Road then turn right. Huckleberry Swamp is just ahead on the left.

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September News

compeerrochester — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 17:01:16 +0000

I know it’s hard to believe this during a week of ‘tropical weather’, but September is here! September is ‘National Alcohol & Drug Addiction Recovery Month’, and Compeer is here to spread the word and offer support to our clients who are in recovery. Visit the Recovery Month’s Official Website to find further information, success stories from recovering addicts, a recovery month kit, and many tools and resources to help you get involved.

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What We’re Reading

compeerrochester — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 14:13:49 +0000

DID YOU KNOW the National Conference on Volunteering and Service estimates that around 1.3 million youth drop out of school every year? Also, 1/3^rd of youth will fail to finish high school on time. That number jumps to 50% when considering poverty stricken and minority families! Out of every 100 high school graduates who enter college, only 10 will complete a degree. Combine this with the fact that only 3% of jobs in America cater to unskilled workers, and you can see that we have a serious problem. Even more alarming is the fact that Rochester, NY (14609) falls under one of the 170 lowest performing schools in America.

The good news? You can help solve this problem! Research shows that mentoring youth has countless benefits. Youth with a mentor have lower levels of school absenteeism, less behavioral issues, better attitudes, and are more likely to finish high school and go onto college! The key is to connect with youth while they are still young. Youth who receive mentors between the ages of 12 and 17 have the highest chance of benefiting from such services. So, what are you waiting for? Contact Compeer Rochester today and begin making a huge difference in the life of a local youth while building up the Rochester community! Call us at (585) 546-8280, or e-mail Sara Passamonte at spassamonte@compeer.org.

Read the entire article at: http://www.mentoring.org/mentors/academic_achievement/

Filed under: What We're Reading