How are YOU Serving your Community?

I thought I would share with you some things that people are doing around the state to be involved in their communities.

Michelle Capone from Greater Watertown is helping to run Emerge Northern New York, which is a large YP conference to increase awareness on issues for Northern New York young people;

Patty Benda from Johnson City has been attending meetings of other young professional groups to make sure they know about the Jaycees and to create partnerships;

Jonathon Kim from the Korean-American Junior Chamber is running the Korean-American community event with thousands of attendees again in New Jersey this year;

Yonel Lettieri from JCI Hispanic led a rally to reduce prostitution along Roosevelt Ave. in Queens, partnering with Assemblyman Peralta;

Melinda French and Christine D'Andrade of JCI Carribean are holding a social fundraiser to help clothe and shelter needy families in Ghianna;

Philippine NY JC members are participating in their annual independence day parade this year, BUT are also celebrating their 45th year milestone and sharing it with the community;

Orchard Park Junior Chamber held an Easter Egg hunt for 100 local children, made the newspaper, AND donated leftover candy to the Galisano's Childrens Hospital thanks for Jen Fiegel;

Buffalo Junior Chamber will be hosting Buffalo Mayor Brown as part of their guest speaker series at their May membership meeting;

Greater Rochester Junior Chamber is participating in a fundraiser for a cancer support group designed specifically for young adults (imtooyoungforthis.org) at their first annual "Stupid Cancer Happy Hour;"

Batavia Area Jaycees are hosting YOU, affecting the statewide young professional community;

JCI @ U of R is holding an informational meeting to organize a student rally to try and get student loan benefits on next year's state budget;

And JCI Greater Saratoga is working on their first golf tournament!

Great things happening in New York State!

New York State Budget passes

The New York State Budget for 2008-2009 passed and was signed by new Gov. Dave Paterson. To see the budget, you can go to http://www.budget.state.ny.us

Some Highlights:

• Investment in UpState Economics
• Housing developments for UpState AND DownState
• Investment in Park Revitalization, including the NYC waterfront area
• Pre-K and after school education programs
• And even money for CHIPs (it's the 70s all over again)

This gives us a year to plan what we would like to see in next year's budget, such as our student loan initiative.

New Marketing Ideas for the Junior Chamber

Another round of recruiting ideas:

• action-oriented URLs pointing to the main website like "domorewithyourlife.org" or "startbeingaleadernow.org"
• beer-coaster URL prints distributed to local pubs
• Dry cleaner hanger covers saying like "All Dressed Up? Here's the Place to Go" or "Dressing for Success is only Half of the Solution" or "Pristine Clothing Deserves a Great Acoomplishment: Be Better"
• At your next event, video-tape members in an interview like format stating why they joined and why they stay
• News-oriented spoof - I like the Onion type series