Register today…

1. ONLINE (here)
2. Buy tickets (contact helpline@helplinedelmor.org)
3. Register by phone 740-363-1835

Enjoy a lovely evening outdoors and support HelpLine – if you enjoy golf come early for a couples tournament. We’ll see you there!

Register today…

1. ONLINE (here)
2. Buy tickets (contact helpline@helplinedelmor.org)
3. Register by phone 740-363-1835

Enjoy a lovely evening outdoors and support HelpLine – if you enjoy golf come early for a couples tournament. We’ll see you there!

Download the full press release HERE

Buckeye Valley West Elementary Students to host “Meet Your Pen Pal Party”
5th grade students will meet senior pen pals face to face after a 3 month letter exchange program

Delaware, OH – On May 10, 2012 Buckeye Valley West Elementary 5th grade students will
host a party to meet their senior adult pen pals. The students and their pen pals have been
participating in a intergenerational Friendship Book Club over the course of a 3 month letter
exchange program made possible by Connections Volunteer Center, a program of HelpLine of
Delaware and Morrow Counties, Inc. (HelpLine) .

Students will perform for their guests, give a tour of the school and the Delaware District Library/
Ostrander branch, complete their book discussion with their pen pal and take time to build on
the relationship they have developed since the beginning of February. Refreshments will be
made and served by parents of the student participants.

HelpLine would like to send a special thank you to Lisa Rose, 5th grade Literature teacher who
heads up the program, Joan Hatcher of Senior Citizens, Inc. and Margie West of Connections
Volunteer Center who all spend endless hours recruiting senior volunteers, sending important
information and student letters to the seniors and carrying out a wide variety of miscellaneous
duties to ensure the success of the program.

We would also like to thank Buckeye Valley West Elementary for hosting the event, Delaware
District Library for organizing and obtaining books for students/seniors in the program, Mike
Rose and Superintendent Jamie Grube for providing transportation for our seniors at the school
and the Delaware County Sheriff’s Department and the Delaware City Police Department for
completion of background checks for our senior volunteers.

Susan Hanson, Executive Director of HelpLine expressed, “This is truly a community wide event
that helps to encourage the reading and writing skills of our young people as well as creates a
special bond between generations.”

If interested in becoming a pen pal in January 2013, please contact Connections at 740-363-
5000. Participates must be over 55 years of age and willing to read and share a book chosen
by students. Generally 5-6 letters are exchanged over the course of a few months. This is an
exciting opportunity to reach out and make a difference in the lives of others.

Download full press release HERE

Mayor Milner Proclaims April 20, 2012 as a Day of Awareness for the City of Delaware, OH

Delaware is joining the national effort to raise awareness about discrimination and harassment experienced by  Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Questioning and Intersex (LGBTQI) students and show our support of those who’ve experienced it.

Delaware, OH - In addition to declaring April as both Child Abuse Prevention and Sexual Assault Awareness Month, Mayor Gary Milner is proclaiming April 20, 2012 as a Day of Awareness for the City of Delaware, OH.

The Day of Awareness is the day for community members to show their support for LGBTQI youth.  Community members can show their support by learning more about the Day of Silence and this topic, speaking out about this problem, and participating in our community event on April 21, 2012.

The National Day of Silence is a special event that is a student-led effort where those who support making anti-LGBTQI, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and/or questioning, intersex bias unacceptable in schools take a day-long vow of silence to recognize and protest the discrimination and harassment experienced by LGBTQI students. Middle school to college students will pledge a vow of silence in an effort to encourage schools and classmates to address the problem of anti-LGBTQI behavior by illustrating the silencing effect of bullying and harassment can have on LGBTQI students and those perceived to be LGBTQI.

HelpLine’s Safe Youth Initiative (SYI) is a new project, formed to support The Day of Silence activities in Delaware County and to provide community awareness about the harmful effects of bullying on those who are or are perceived to be LGBTQI.  Recent research supports the idea that by making schools and our communities a safer place for LGBTQI youth creates a safer environment for all students. That is by focusing on decreasing incidents of bullying with this population, reports of bullying amongst all students decreases. It is an important way that adults/community members can support the message that bullying is a serious problem and we will not stand by but stand up for the youth in our lives.

For more information on The National Day of Silence and to learn more about how you and your school can participate please visit www.dayofsilence.org.

On Saturday, April 21, 2012 HelpLine will host a follow-up event to “break the silence” and allow the community to take the opportunity to speak out in support of LGBTQI youth and celebrate our efforts to transform our communities, visit www.helplinedelmor.org for additional details.

Thank you Mayor Milner for leading the way on raising awareness for issues concerning abuse and violence. All of us at HelpLine firmly believe that by working together we are that much closer to ending violence and abuse within our communities.

# # #

“On May 3, the delegation will visit the PEACE Collaborative of HelpLine of Delaware and Morrow Counties to meet with Collaborative Coordinator Ben Schenko.  This session will focus on preventive education and positive youth development in Delaware County Schools.  The goal of the PEACE Collaborative is to have local primary prevention agencies work together, with schools, to provide comprehensive, age-appropriate programming to best meet the needs of all youth and school curriculum standards.”

Read the full press release HERE.