Cooking Classes! Sign up soon!

The Cornell Cooperative Extension will offer healthy cooking classes at the Overlook beginning March 17th! Sign up today!

Cooking Classes:

*Taught by a professional chef

*Nutrition and cooking education

*Free groceries to take home to make recipes for your family

*Free child care available

*Learn new ways to prepare nutritious meals

*Tuesdays: March 17^th to April 21^st 6:00-8:00 PM. Six Sessions.

Call Julia or Karen at the CCE for more information 607-272-2292

***Classes are limited to 12 participants, so sign up early!***

We Received A(nother) Grant!

Last year, Ithaca Neighborhood Housing Services and Megan Begert partnered to apply for a grant to create the Overlook Resident Services program. We were awarded the grant funds January 2008 and have continued to develop a strong resident services program ever since. Our biweekly food pantry, educational presentations, holiday events and a number of other programs are the products of this grant.

Once again, we have been awarded a grant to support our efforts. The Friends of the Tompkins County Public Library has granted us an award to create a Lending Library for the Overlook. We will use the grant funds to purchase and make available a small library for Overlook residents to use and return individual books. The books will include children’s stories, novels for teens and adults, and books to help residents further their education or improve the quality of their lives.

The Friends of the Tompkins County Public Library has been very generous, and we are very appreciative!

Look for the Lending Library at an upcoming Food Pantry!

Overlook Residents are Natural Leaders!

Three of our fellow Overlook residents were nominated by Ithaca community members to join the Natural Leaders Initiative, a leadership development program coordinated by Margo Hittleman of the Cornell Cooperative Extension. The natural leaders participate in 8 group sessions for 5 months, work on a community project and meet and learn from experienced leaders. Thus far, we have been lucky enough to meet the leaders of several local non-profit organizations, human rights activists and nationally-known motivational speakers.You can find more information here: http://counties.cce.cornell.edu/tompkins/nli/

One of our community projects will include bringing a Healthy Eating and Cooking class to the Overlook: You’ll find more information on this site and on your door soon!

Congratulations to the Natural Leaders!

Voter Registration this Tuesday at the Overlook, Ithaca, NY

Are you registered to vote?

No?

Then you should come to our Voter Registration Table this Tuesday, September 30th at 5:30 PM until 7:30 PM in the Overlook Classroom next to the Fitness Room.
A representative from the Finger Lakes Independence Center will be here, at the Overlook, to help residents register to vote. If you have moved since the last time you voted, you will have to register again. This is a fast, easy and free way to get ready to ‘Voice your Choice’ this November.

We are lucky enough to have a polling place right across the street at the Museum of the Earth, so it’s never been easier to register and vote than for this 2008 Presidential Election.

If you are not registered, you have changed your address, or you are just not sure, please stop by this Tuesday at 5:30 in the Classroom. If you would like more info, or if you have questions please call or email Megan.

Overlook Neighborhood Food Pantry Needs Volunteers

For the past year, our generous volunteers and Overlook residents have been picking up food from several local grocery stores, delivering the food to the Overlook, setting up before and cleaning up after the Overlook Neighborhood Food Pantry. But, now the food pantry is at risk! Our 3 main drivers are moving out of the Overlook and will not be able to pick up the food anymore.

We need reliable volunteer drivers to step up and help out. If you have a car and are willing to drive to either the Tops on rt. 13 and GreenStar, or the Tops and P&C by the Ithaca Mall, then please call Megan! We need drivers for every other Sunday, but you do not have to commit to all of the pantries. If you volunteer just once a month, you would help provide food to the 30+ families who depend on the pantry. You don’t need to worry about gas prices, either! Our drivers receive $5 for every pantry that they deliver for.

The Overlook Community Food Pantry is open to all Overlook residents and community members. Please don’t hesitate to come. We always have leftover fruits, vegetables, breads, sweets and much more! There is plenty for everyone.

If you can help out, or if you have any questions, please call Megan at 607-319-4887 or MSBegert@aol.com. We need at least 3 drivers, so please call!

Ithaca Area Resources

For help finding child care, Ithaca events, Housing Services and much more check out our Resources page! If there is a website or organization that you think we should add to the list of local resources, please leave us a comment or email Megan.

Thanks!

Child Care at the Overlook

Several parents living at the Overlook need care for their young children. If you offer child care or would like to provide care for children in our neighborhood, please check your door for a Child Care Provider Form. Megan will be putting together a list of child care providers living at the Overlook for parents to contact. Certified child care providers preferred, but not necessary. And, we can help you get certified!

If you are interested in providing child care, whether full-time or a couple of hours a week, please fill out the Child Care Provider Form. When you have completed the form, please drop it off at apartment 130 #6.

If you would like the list of child care providers, please call or email Megan at 607-319-4887 or MSBegert@aol.com. And, if you have questions about providing or finding child care, please call or email.

Child Care Provider Forms will be on your door soon!!!

Lemonade Stand Today!

Fresh Lemonade! Come on down to the lower neighborhood for some fresh-squeezed lemonade! It’s supposed to be hot today, some come down and cool off! A few of the neighborhood kids have been working hard this afternoon to squeeze all the lemons, so you know it’s fresh!

Cups are only $.50, and with today’s inflation rates, that’s a pretty good deal!

We are set up in front of building 130, so come on down and support the kids!!!

How Are We Doing?

As you may have noticed, the Neighborhood Association is in a little bit of a down period. We have all had a busy Spring and Summer and have let the Association slide down on our list of priorities. The Food Pantry is going very strong, however, with new residents coming each week and plenty of volunteer help. So, I’m wondering; what do you think should be our next step? Is there anything that we could do better? Anything that we are doing well? Or, is there anything that you would like to help us do???

To leave a comment and to let us know what you think, click on the title “How Are We Doing” above. Then scroll down and enter a comment.

Thank you! Your opinion helps us meet the needs of the community!

Reminder: Food Pantry 12-1:00 PM

Hey Everyone!

The food pantry starts early again this week. We will be getting everything ready starting at 11:30, so if you want to volunteer you can come by around then. We will also be asking all our residents to fill out a survey. And, if you have children and you didn’t get the summer camp and activity packet, you can get that at the pantry as well. See you tomorrow!

And, to all the neighborhood Dads: Happy Father’s Day!!!