NAR Community Partnership Initiative
This year, Rohm and Haas Company is celebrating its 10th anniversary of making a sustainable impact in the lives of people who reside near our facilities through the Community Partnership Initiative. Rohm and Haas-sponsored grants will soon reach approximately 75 organizations with $2.1 million dollars contributed.
The sites are once again offering the CPI grant -- an opportunity for nonprofit organizations in our community to apply for a $30,000 award. Its focus seeks programs best able to impact our surrounding communities. A survey of the community identifies the pressing local need.
What's unique about the CPI process is that it empowers committed volunteers from the community (who serve on our Community Advisory Council) to guide the program by evaluating grant applications and ultimately making the grant award to the winning nonprofit organization. This partnership enables Rohm and Haas to improve the lives of neighborhoods closest to us.
Seven Rohm and Haas host communities in the United States now conduct the CPI program. Our goal is to help support the needs of the community. Through this partnership, we help improve the quality of life in the communities were we operate.
See the organizations that won Grant Awards in 2007
ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION
In celebration of the Rohm and Haas Community Partnership Initiative’s 10th Anniversary, the Company offered a special CPI Impact Award in each community to the organization who achieved the best results from the original CPI grant and their proposal for a special project related to our focus.
Impact Award grant winners were the following programs:
Franklin Towne Charter School: Philadelphia, PA 2006 – Performing Arts Program: The School has established a Vocal Music and Theater program, which includes community performances. The grant covered purchase of basic equipment including a sound system and electric piano and hiring a Theater Director to organize the first musical. Franklin Towne met or surpassed all of its original goals, which included establishing the Performing Arts Program, involving over 100 students in the productions and promoting the performances to the broader community and attracting over 400 parents and community members to attend. Additionally, the school went beyond the original grant by establishing a Glee Club that has presented two concerts. The Performing Arts program has become an integral part of the school.
Mount NotreDameHigh School: Reading, OH, 2006 – Big Sis/Little Sis Mentoring. The School has expanded its Big Sis program to include more students from Reading-area grade schools, developed programming for girls in grades 1 through 6 that focuses on diversity, literacy, self-esteem, fitness, and nutrition and provided creative and physical activities. As a result of the initiative, the total number of participants has increased by 28% and family participation in the Reading Community Schools has increased by 260%. Over the past 2 years, over 185 students and their families have been reached. Two programs were added: Reach for the Stars for sixth grade and a fitness program (Fitness Friendzy) for 4th and 5th graders. The School will use its Impact Award to launch a literacy-based reading program that encourages reading at home, with caregivers and peers, and helps children become lifelong readers by providing them with ready access to quality literature.
 Ijams Nature Center: Knoxville TN, 2001 - Restoration of Mead’s Quarry: A former quarry has been transformed into a park and wildlife sanctuary. The Initiative’s grant was used to clean up the Quarry, construct trails, a parking lot and entrance, remove hazards, install signage and fencing, and restore the wildlife habitat. To support the massive project, the Center organized a series of volunteer work days. The park opened to the public in 2005.
Greater Newark Boys and Girls Club: Newark, DE 2006 – Positive Place Café: The Club has create the Café, self-sustaining facility, which produces an income to support team and leadership club programs as well as the operation of the Café. Beyond providing an income stream, youth members learning how to manage money through a financial literacy training program. They also acquire the skills needed to operate and work in a retail business. Since its launch, the Club has recruited 100 children to run the Café, offered financial literacy training to 250 children through Money Matters, raised over $10,000 in funds for Club teams and activities and collaborated with University of Delaware and other organizations. The Club will use its Impact Award to furnish a Café Dining Room that will offer a gathering spot for Club members.
Library Company of Burlington: Bristol, PA/Burlington NJ, 2005 – Homework to Hangout: Teen Central: A new technology center has been established with 12 computer workstations and accompanying software geared to teens. Over 100-150 at-risk middle and high school students per week are using Teen Central as a safe haven to hang-out, socialize and do their homework. The Library staffs the program every day after school from 3-6 p.m. to provide homework help, assistance with using the library’s resources, and oversight of Internet usage. The Library surpassed its original goals for Teen Central by establishing a teen committee, recruiting teen and adult volunteers, building strong partnerships with organizations, such as the Rotary Club, and making it self-sustaining. The Library will use its Impact Award to launch a Teen Film Festival.
Ambler Area YMCA: Spring House, PA 2005 – KidPower/HIP. KidPower is the Ambler YMCA’s umbrella Health and Fitness Initiative for youth. Health Intervention P rogram (HIP),part of the KidPower initiative, is a 12-week referral based nutrition,exercise and behavior modification program for approximately 190youth with Body Mass Indexes of 85% or higher. Through the KidPower and HIP programs, the YMCA has reached over 1,000 children and is helping them to learn how to make good nutrition and regular exercise a natural part of their lives. Equally important, staff members have been trained to integrate the concepts into their individual programs. Both programs are now a permanent part of the YMCA’s youth health initiative.
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