UNI-PRES
Kindercottage
Home of the Busy Bees!
October 2009
Volume 4, Issue 3
Inside this Edition
A Dedicated Servant, pg 3
Board of Directors
Brenda Crisp, Executive
Director
Jerie Artz, Chair
Carla Monroe-Posey, Vice
Chair
Johann Ellerbrake, Secretary
Tim Boyce, Treasurer
Judy Brickey
Jane Buck
Fred Cornell
Alexandra Hendrickson
Flo Jeffreys
Tom Kuergeleis
Milton Walter
Jim Younger
Mission Statement:
Uni-Pres Kindercottage is
a quality early childhood
program in East St. Louis
serving low-income families
with at-risk infants and
preschool children six months
to five years old.
564 Veronica Avene, East St. Louis, Il. 62205, www.unipreskindercottage.org
Autumn at Uni-Pres Kindercottage
By Brenda Crisp, Executive Director
Children and their parents are back in school.
Our children are back in their Kindercottage
classrooms. Activity abounds. The parents and
teachers are preparing a Halloween party. What
creatures and characters will we see this year?
We want our children and yours to be safe this
year as they Trick or Treat.
The good news is that the State of Illinois
has made some payments to us but the latest
discussions tell us that there may again be cuts
in November. We made a plea to all of our UCC
and Presbyterian churches to support a child for
one year at Kindercottage so that we do not have
to be so dependent on the State in its’ financial
crisis. The cost per child for a year is $6000.
Please read Johann Ellerbrake’s article sharing
the creative ways that churches have found to
fund us. Realizing that all churches cannot make
this goal, we have accepted a one-time yearly
commitment from some. We appreciate other
donations such as monthly food gifts from St.
Paul UCC, Columbia and Zion UCC, New Baden.
They fill our food pantry when it is bare. How is
your church planning to meet our challenge?
We were so very pleased to receive a gift from
the estate of Miss Martha Mae Schmidt of
Lenzburg. Martha Mae was an active supporter
of Kindercottage, the UCC Illinois South
Conference, and her
church, St. Peter’s UCC
in Lenzburg. We extend
thanks to her family.
Have you considered
remembering
Kindercottage in your
will?
Dr. Ray Landis, Director of the Arts Ministry at
First Congregational UCC in Webster Groves, Mo.,
has had his hours cut and is currently looking for
more work. He has come to us to share music
with our children for one hour per week. His
“salary” is the lunch that we share with him.
Have you considered volunteering your talent to
our children?
Christmas is coming! My phone rings with your
generous requests for the names of children to
adopt for Christmas. That information is in the
mail. If you have not received a name or adopted
a child in the past, would you consider making a
child’s Christmas bright this year? Gifts must be
delivered to Kindercottage by December 21st.
In the GOOD NEWS department, we have a
part-time secretary. Mrs. Wooten, is a parent, a
student majoring in Accounting and is computerproficient, so is a big help to me. She has created
a wonderful monthly newsletter for our parents.
We are still in need of a volunteer to help with
Development. Do you have that skill to share?
Members of the Kindercottage Board of
Directors are happy to speak with your
congregation. When would you like for them to
speak to your group? Contact me to schedule a
date.
Remember that it takes a village to raise a child
and sometimes, to raise an adult. It was good to
see many of you at the UCC Conference meeting.
It warms my heart to know how you pray for us
and see the need for your help with our children.
Thank you for all that you do in the name of
Jesus for our children.
Working Hands, Caring Hearts, and
Creative Minds Respond
By Johann Ellerbrake, member of O’Fallon UCC and the Kindercottage Board
Once again the response to Uni-Pres Kindercottage’s request
for regular and generous funding from individual churches
has shown how creative churches can be when they respond
with love to the needs of others. While many churches are still
working on methods for helping with regular budgeted monthly
gifts, others have shared alternative ways of helping.
At O’Fallon UCC, the plan is for 25 individuals each to
give $20.00 per month to support one child. After one
announcement, 19 individuals or families stepped forward to
sign up and others have since expressed interest. This is in
addition to regular church support, OCWM and other mission
support. The bookkeeper has set up the accounting system
so checks will be recorded and individual contributor reports
will include these gifts. A monthly check will be forwarded to
Kindercottage.
O’Fallon UCC MATTERS group, consisting of moms and
toddlers, was the sponsor of a Trike and Bikeathon to raise
funds for UPK. An after church potluck luncheon was followed
by an hour of riding laps on two routes, one for those 6 and
under and one for 7 year olds to teenagers. Sponsors signed up
and may be hard pressed to pay off because even the youngest
completed 134 laps. The older group completed a total of 93
laps. Besides raising $449, with pledges still being received;
it was fun for the families who participated on a sunny October
Sunday afternoon.
St. John UCC, New Athens, will have a special Uni-Pres
Kindercottage Trivia night. Participants will be trying to answer
important questions like “ When did UPK first begin?” “How
many children are enrolled at UPK at the present time?”
“ When did Kindercottage move into its present building?” etc.
So while you learn about UPK, you raise some money to help
UPK. Now there’s an idea.
St. Paul UCC, Lebanon, is asking church members for
donations and fundraising efforts to match gifts to be budgeted
from the church’s Memorial Fund.
First Presbyterian Church, Belleville, is responsible for
plumbing, painting, sidewalk paving and building a storage
shed. The new colors and other improvements add greatly to
the caring environment of Uni-Pres Kindercottage.
There are so many things happening that we cannot possibly
report them all. We share a few ideas and stimulate your
creative thinking so you can give expression to your concern
for the children, families and staff of Uni-Pres Kindercottage.
Working Together
After doing much good work at Kindercottage, First United
Presbyterian Church of Belleville is actively organizing
Clean-Up Days in East St. Louis. With the approval of
Mayor Alvin Parks, they meet with East St. Louis residents
to cut grass, pick up trash, cut down weeds and trees. They
are also rehabbing a roach-infested house in East St. Louis.
They invite you to bring your lunch, your own equipment
and help them. They plan another “Clean-Up” on Nov. 14
from 7:45 until 2.
A Dedicated Servant
By Brenda Crisp, Executive Director
On September 29, we celebrated the 77th birthday and
retirement of former teacher and foster grandparent,
Mrs. Zola Aldridge. Zola, the mother of 4, grandmother
of 9, great-grandmother of 2 and foster mother to too
many to count, joined the Uni-Pres Kindercottage
family in February 1982 as a childcare teacher.
Leaving the employ of another
center to join us, and being told
that the salary was $3.25 an
hour, she said, “Wow, that’s a
lot of money. When do I start?”
She began working with 3 and 4
year olds and always favored the
boys. Her quote: “Girls always get
loved and boys get left out!” Zola
had her Associate’s Degree when
she came to us and then completed her CDA. She became
everyone’s Mom, Grandmother, Advisor, Counselor, Financier,
Nurse and more. She always talked and always listened. In
2002 Zola came to me and said that it was time for a younger
person to take her position. One month after retiring, she
joined the Foster Grandparent program
and was back! She arrived earlier than
the teacher, was always prepared, led
classroom lessons and asked if she
was doing too much. She was always
told, “No,” Two weeks before her 77th
birthday, she came crying to me and I
knew this was another “sit down and
listen moment.” She said that the time
had come for her to go home and rest.
Of course, my mind filled with fear but she simply said
that she wanted to stay home to care for her elderly
mother and to get the last of her adopted children out
of high school and college. Zola is truly a remarkable
woman who enjoys life and works to improve the lives
of others. We miss her each morning at 7:30 when she
is not here to say, “Okay, Zola Mae is here and now everybody
can get to work!” Giving her a surprise birthday party was not
as difficult as we thought. She enjoyed her celebration and is
ready to begin a new journey in life. Thank you, Zola Mae, for
your many years of dedication to Uni-Pres Kindercottage.
Metro-East Patriots Day
Patriots’ Day was founded by and is chaired by Kindercottage Executive Director, Brenda Crisp. It began in 2004 on the
Saturday nearest September 11 to honor First Responders and families. An “Hour of Honor” is held at which time as many as
45 First Responders from various municipalities are honored with a Certificate
of Appreciation. Vendors from Social Service agencies are present to help
families. Activities such as horse riding, face painting, bounce houses etc. are
available as well as a “hot dog meal” for each person attending. The biggest
event is the Fishing Tournament for children ages 4-13. NO adults are allowed
to help catch the fish. Fish are donated from the Illinois Department of Natural
Resources, which also provides educational demonstrations on how to cast for
fish, tie knots, fishing safety and the types of fish in this area. Drawings are
held for donated items as well as prizes, including bikes, being given to those
catching the largest, smallest and most fish. The event has been held in East
St. Louis’ Jones Park until this year when it was moved to Horseshoe Lake so
that children and First Responders from other communities might participate.
330 children attended Patriot’s Day this year.
UNI-PRES
Kindercottage
Uni-Pres Kindercottage
Home of the Busy Bees!
564 Veronica Avenue
East St Louis, Il 62205
PHONE:
618.874.6505
FAX:
618.874.6535
E-MAIL:
[email protected]
Kindercottage Wish List
Our “Wish List” at this time includes educational toys and games for our classroom. Perhaps
you might purchase a gift for us while doing your own Christmas shopping!
Diapers & Pull-Ups --all sizes
Baby Wipes
Plastic Baby Bottles
Child-sized toothbrushes and covers
Toothpaste
Large Multi-Cultural pictures
Primary Writing paper
Construction paper—variety of colors
Multi-cultural baby dolls
Baby doll strollers
Clothing for baby dolls Dress-up costumes
Durable plastic trucks and cars
Play dough
Memory Games
Board games for ages 4-12
Are you interested in joining a new Board—“Friends of Kindercottage”? Contact us.
Are you a grant writer or a great website administrator? Contact us.