Behind the Headlines

During the past two days, I’ve run into three situations where fundraiser and club announcements arrived so late to The Monroe Evening News that the available publicity options were very limited.

The busiest time in the charity and civic year in Monroe County is the six weeks leading up to, and including, Easter. If you have any event taking place this spring that will be listed in the Community Page section, please get the notices to The Monroe Evening News as soon as your dates and locations are confirmed. A week before the event or reservation deadline usually is enough time to schedule our notices on the schedules you expect. But if the notice is sent only two or three days before the date, the chances increase greatly that a publication deadline could be missed because of an e-mail being misdirected, someone being out of the office and not able to take the call, etc.

With the current technology, it is to your advantage to get all publicity notices to the newsroom as early as possible anyway. All fundraisers, charity events and civic club meetings are posted in the on-line calendar at www.monroenews.com within a day or two after arrival, regardless of when the notices are scheduled in the print edition of The Monroe Evening News.

Tonight I was on assignment, covering the American Red Cross Everyday Heroes Awards program at Ambassador Hall. It’s the fifth year of the program, so I’ve become familiar with the format and what to expect.

One thing that is never scripted, but very predictable at this event: The audience always gives the military hero winners a standing ovation.

I covered the Project Homeless Connect dinner the other night and was unsure what to expect at first. Whenever going on assignment there are a number of unknowns, which is something you get accustomed to after awhile. (Which, incidentally, has improved my ability to walk into parties and feel comfortable even when I don’t know anyone. Perhaps I should market this…) What I found was a mass of people mostly willing to talk about their experiences, very welcoming and open.

What one man said, a guy who volunteers regularly at the Salvation Army Warming Center, left an impression on my brain – we’re all about one argument away from being homeless. The more I thought about it, the more it seemed accurate. Whether it’s with a significant other, the bank, a landlord, etc.

Though, a coworker pointed out as I was relaying this story, that we’re all one bullet away from dead if you want to think about things that way.

from Paula Wethington, community page reporter / paula@monroenews.com

For various reasons, I occasionally get calls or e-mail queries from people who want a list of all clubs that meet in the area, along with their addresses and other contact information. I received one such call the other day.
That information can be found in our calendar section at www.monroenews.com. If a club announces its events and meetings in The Monroe Evening News Community Page, and has provided us with public contact information such as a phone number or Web site, I will include those details in the on-line calendar entries.

I was one of the “behind the scenes” people at a charity banquet Thursday night, working on kitchen crew for the annual Madrigal Dinner hosted by the Monroe High School choir department at St. Paul United Methodist Church.

This is the second year I’ve helped at that dinner theater event. The logistics for the kitchen are amazing. But previous volunteers had compiled a detailed to-the-minute checkoff list with instructions such as exactly when to start cutting the pie. There’s also a binder with all the traditional recipes and instructions. Yes, the kitchen crew and leaders were constantly referring to the board and the binder. Some instructions were handed down word of mouth, “don’t do this, do that instead,” but everyone knew where to find or look up the most critical directions and what happens next.

Kudos to whomever dreamed up that list, and to those who have maintained it over the years! It really does help!

We survived another Goodfellow Sale this past weekend despite the frigid, windy and wintry conditions. It never ceases to amaze me how generous people can be at this difficult time of year. People of all ages and sexes willingly rolled down their windows to donate to our charity (the Erie Food Closet). One man stopped in a van at Sterns and Crabb Rds. and asked me why I was soliciting. When I answered him, he promptly pulled out his wallet and dropped a $100 bill in my jug. I asked for his name and address so we could send a proper thank you, but he politely refused. He just said “God is the one to thank because he is good.” I couldn’t agree more. I actually ran into the man again about an hour later at the intersection of Dixie and Manhattan St. in Erie and he donated again, this time about $8 or $9. He still wouldn’t tell me his name, but he did say he lived just north of town. There was another man who dropped in a $20 bill who said he was criticized by someone for not donating more the first time. He, too, wouldn’t give me his name. There were many other folks who kindly gave. Even a young lady on a cell phone donated while still talking (which is a good lesson for others who think they can’t do that). There’s always a few elderly men and women who dig deep into their pockets or purses to find an extra coin or two. I’m sure many of the Goodfellow salesmen and women froze this year, but it was worth the effort. I felt bad for the ones who worked early Friday in the cold rain. The afternoon wind was terribly strong, often moving me from my perch on the yellow dividing line in the middle of this four-way stop. Someone must have been concerned about my safety because a sheriff’s deputy rolled up and activated his emergency lights. He wondered what I was doing and if I had a permit. I showed him my driver’s license and then told him we’ve been covering this corner for 25 years and never had a problem. The deputy was young and probably not familiar with the longstanding tradition of the Knights of Columbus to sell at street corners. He said okay, but advised me not to sell too much longer. So a half hour later I left and found a new spot in downtown Erie. It wasn’t as windy, but still very cold. I met a lot of nice folks there, too. God bless them all for donating to a worthy cause.

By Paula Wethington / paula@monroenews.com

Today’s Monroe Evening News (Nov. 29) on page 5B has an article about charitable giving in America, “Study: Donating to charity fuels greater societal, economic good.” I recommend this article as a good read and food for thought.
The piece, written by Mark Trumbell of Christian Science Monitor and referring to a book by Arthur Brooks, “Who Really Cares?”, explains how increased charity efforts are statistically connected to a healthier and wealthier society. “It pays off for society in ways that may transcend the rates of return on many traditional investments.” the reporter writes. “It’s not just that charity helps those on the receiving end …. it also strengthens the cohesion of society at large.”
I have been very impressed with the strong tradition of the Monroe County community in both organized and grassroots charitable efforts. Even when financial donations cannot be as much as in previous years, the good will and intent remains. I cannot recall meeting anyone in this community who led a charitable effort soley to get their name in the newspaper. I also know of many good gestures that were done from one friend or neighbor to another, with no public attention at all.
So I find it quite interesting that academic researchers have devoted time and attention to something that is literally an everyday occurrence here at home, and praised its significance and impact on society as a whole.

By Paula Wethington / paula@monroenews.com

So … you’re planning a fundraiser event for a favorite cause or charity. You need to recruit business sponsors, vendor reservations or customers. But it can be hard to attract attention from the public for a new or first-time event and make it a success.

In my job as Community Page reporter, I often speak with fundraiser and event chairmen on how best to publicize their fundraising activities. Some events sell out well in advance, or become so popular they move to larger locations. But I also hear about events that get canceled or fall short of their goals because donations or ticket sales were disappointingly slow.

Sometimes, the problem is a schedule conflict with another event. (Hint: check out our calendar section at www.monroenews.com before firming up your date, and send us the information as soon as possible so other groups know what you’re planning for that day.) Sometimes there is bad luck with the weather. (Even indoor events have been hit with this problem, because potential customers didn’t want to leave home.) Sometimes the appeal letters and event fliers get misdirected or missed a critical deadline. (Clubs that meet once a month need publicity notices five to six weeks before the event so they can discuss plans at their next meeting.)

But I don’t have all the answers. So I’d like to get a conversation started among our veteran and rookie community volunteers. Some thoughts:

What are the logistics to consider when you are working on such a project?

How do you recruit enough volunteers or sponsors to make a fundraiser event happen?

How do you turn initial interest and attention into customers calling in with reservations or showing up at the door?