Service
Believing our mission is to make a positive impact on our community, YPA participates in serveral Service Projects. Service Projects have included a Christmas Food Drive, participation in Ashland's Community Rehabilitation, and our Annual Backpack Program.
Backpack Program
Each year YPA coordinates an annual backpack program for children in Boyd and Greenup counties. The primary goal of the program is to ensure that each elementary school student starts the school year with the necessary school supplies and at least one new outfit. Through the involvement of our membership and many other members of the community, each year has been extremely successful.
Program History
In the YPA.s first year of existence, it was decided that this would be our primary community service project. In 2004 the organization met its goal by supplying 400 backpacks to elementary school students in Boyd and Greenup counties. Throughout each new campaign, YPA has been able to increase the number of backpacks delivered to children in the community. In 2005, YPA was able to increase its goal by supplying approximately 600 backpacks. Due to increased demand from the areas schools, YPA supplied 670 backpacks in 2006. Fortunately, since 2005 the organization has been able to fill all of the requests from the areas schools.
Program Description
Instead of relying heavily on corporate donations, this program is designed to get individual employees involved. The YPA begins each year by meeting with counselors and youth service center directors at the elementary schools within Boyd and Greenup Counties. After being supplied with a list of school supplies and clothing sizes, YPA members are responsible for finding individuals to sponsor the children. Backpacks are returned to the Ashland Alliance office prior to the first week of school.
How to Get Involved
Participation in the backpack program can be achieved in one of the following four ways:
- Sponsor a child on your own. Pick one child and purchase all of the needed supplies.
- Sponsor with a group. Instead of taking on the responsibility for all of a child's supplies, join with a coworker to sponsor a single child.
-
Become a Business Coordinator. As a business coordinator you are our
primary contact for your group or business. While this does carry
some added responsibility, the most important part of the job is to
help generate interest within the workplace. Ideally, you would
generate a list of interested participants, and facilitate the
sponsorship of children within the organization.
Many organizations in the area provide excellent examples of the results that can be achieved by having a business coordinator within the organization. Employees at Marathon Petroleum have taken on the responsibility of providing all of the requested backpacks at two elementary schools. Peoples Bank employees have been a vital part of the programs success over the past three years by setting goals and encouraging the involvement of associates and customers. The bank's management has participated by sponsoring a contest in which teams are formed with the goal of finding sponsorship for the most backpacks. The employees at Kings Daughters Medical Center and Our Lady of Bellefonte Hospital were also actively involved in the 2006 program due to excellent coordinators within the organization. - Provide a monetary contribution to the Ashland Alliance Foundation for the benefit of the program. All contributions to the foundation are tax deductible.
Contact the Mary Kay McGinnis-Ruark at (606) 922-8283 for information on joining this years program.