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VOLUNTEERISM and its history in Rochester NY • …The city by the Genesee was very fortunate in having a populace which contributed to agencies and volunteered their time to good causes.

Volunteerism in Rochester

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Page 1: Volunteerism in Rochester

VOLUNTEERISMand its history

in Rochester NY

• …The city by the Genesee was very fortunate in having a populace which contributed to agencies and volunteered their time to good causes.

Page 2: Volunteerism in Rochester

• From the days before the Civil War, there were organizations which attempted to help the sick poor, orphans, and others needing help.

• In 1873, the Benevolent Association sent volunteer visitors into needy homes to assist with food and other necessities. This also occurred after strikes and depressions in the late 1800s.

Page 3: Volunteerism in Rochester

Help from those at the top

• In 1918, George Eastman and Hiram Sibley launched a combined united drive for funds to assist those in need – and raised 5 million dollars!

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Continuation:

• Eastman personally gave $150,000; there were over 100,000 contributors. Even though they all did not volunteer at projects, there was a large base of support.

Page 6: Volunteerism in Rochester

Women’s Volunteer Motor Service

• This began during WW I, and continued thereafter with the startup organized by the Federation of Churches, Catholic Charities, and Jewish Women’s League.

• Subsequently the Rochester Female Charitable Society managed the volunteer service.

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• It’s successor today built upon the 2500 trips per year in the 20’s to over 250,000 trips annually in recent years.

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During the Depression…

• Over 10,000 people contributed over 6 million dollars for local work projects. Again, the spirit of assisting others even during times of great strain showed the spirit of the city.

Page 9: Volunteerism in Rochester

Libraries were an integral part of early Rochester

The early Reynolds library became part of the current Rochester Public Library. The Reynolds family were successful businesspeople who felt

they city needed a free public library.

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Reynolds Library

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The medical reading room of the Reynolds Library, located on Spring Street in the former home of Mortimer Reynolds. The library had previously operated out of the Reynolds Arcade. Made from a photograph dated 1895-1933.

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Bookmobile and Outreach

• Short history – started in 1923, taken off road in 2003. Oldest bookmobile service in NY. The department coordinated volunteer outreach to shut in’s, physically challenged, etc.

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The BKM:

•                                    

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Community groups participation in library outreach

• Activities included volunteer presentations about sight issues, hearing impaired, physically challenged, newsletters, home visits, etc. coordinated and arranged by the staff, with the participation of volunteers from the community.

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The Big Yellow Box Rocks…

• George Eastman and the Community Chest – already mentioned.

• Involvement of Eastman Kodak in the community – they provided funding for libraries, the photography museum, supported the sister city program and sponsored the "Kodakid" evacuees during WWII; they gave stock as gifts; they assisted in the UR acquisition of River Campus, and purchased WWII war bonds.

Page 16: Volunteerism in Rochester

U of R aerial view

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Kodakids

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Health Association

• Activities include many health related programs, from fresh air activities to informing parents of childhood diseases and how to avoid or treat them.

• Archives are at the library showing activities including volunteers.

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Parks

• Durand-Eastman Park, a large park along the shores of Lake Ontario, was given by Henry Durand and George Eastman as a joint project to improve the lives of the citizens. This was given to the city by the two wealthy men before Dr. Durand's death in 1929 (and Eastman’s in 1932).

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…one mile along the shore

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Children

• Mother Dorsey – she founded the first orphanage for dependent colored children. It was in operation 1918-1928, and began as a volunteer operation, later to become funded. She died in 1932.

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Hillside Home for Children, Pt. 1

Hillside Children’s Center originated at a meeting of Rochester women at the home of

Mrs. William Atkinson on February 28, 1837. The women named the organization "The Rochester Female Association for the Relief of Orphan and Destitute Children."

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Hillside Home for Children, pt. 2

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Labor movement and issues

• Conditions – Lifestyles - Strike and aftermath

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Students

• Many of the local colleges have programs for their students to volunteer in the community, whether one time or as an ongoing project.

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Citizens and Churches

• Cultural organizations from various groups representing cultural backgrounds often have volunteer opportunities available.

• Churches are well known for their participation of social projects, whether they are tutoring, food kitchens,. Clothing, or other activities.

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Special Interest

• History and genealogy is attractive to some people, and a long standing group from the area has stepped up to work on various projects.

• These are topics of interest to many people who are interested in their community, their families, and how the two interacted to make them who they are.

Page 28: Volunteerism in Rochester

Sample projects from the RGS

• Docent program at the library – volunteers on weekends and nights to help people search their families. Well received,

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Cemetery records projects

• Compilation of records from Mount Hope –

• Many thousands of items from 1837 to 1892 have been extracted and printed to help with the use of these records. This has been entirely a volunteer project, taking a total of 12 years, but the 3rd volume took only two years.

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RGS continued

• Presentations at local gatherings – ethnic festivals, historical gatherings, museums, and libraries

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And more from them

• Church records copied and preserved for future research purposes.

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Women’s movements

• Suffrage

• Abolition

• Temperance

• Religious activities

• Groups

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Current philanthropy

• Digitizing – The Gleason Foundation has given $300,000 to the Library for the purpose of digitizing valuable and important records.                      

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Tate bequest

The late Josephine Tate felt that local history was of great importance to the

community and left funds for the collection and outreach of materials

in that subject.