Xerox granted the sabbaticals under the company's Social Service Leave program, which was started here in 1971. Six Xerox employees in the United States were selected to participate in the 2007 program; of those, three are from the Rochester area.

Patrick Waara has already started work with the St. Joseph's Neighborhood Center. In March, Robyn Chase will begin a six-month stint with Gilda's Club Rochester, and in April, Carolyn Steinkirchner starts her leave with LDA Life and Learning Services.

All the projects leverage the skills of the Xerox employees in projects that are designed to leave a lasting legacy with the organizations.

St. Joseph's Neighborhood Center
Patrick Waara, a Design for Lean Six Sigma manager who works in Webster and lives in Fairport, will spend a full year with St. Joseph's Neighborhood Center. Waara is rolling up his sleeves and using his IT and project management skills to conduct a "technology office makeover." He plans to create a new system to automate patient care records, automate appointment and volunteer scheduling, track patient medications, and track donor contributions. He'll also be enhancing network computer systems and training people on how to use the new system.

St. Joseph's Neighborhood Center, located on South Avenue in Rochester, provides primary health care, mental health services, adult education and social service advocacy for those in the Greater Rochester area who are uninsured and underinsured. The center relies on a small staff and 160 volunteers - including physicians, nurses, counselors, office staff, and student interns - to provide "holistic" care, attending to all aspects of a person's life, in a way that is welcoming, safe and comfortable.

"I don't know how they do it, but the center currently keeps track of the schedules of not only the 160 volunteers but also the appointments for approximately 3,000 patients using a small paper day planner," said Waara. "Implementing an electronic scheduling system should reduce redundant data entry and improve overall office efficiency. I'm looking forward to making things easier for the volunteers and staff. They are so busy there; anything I can do to help I'm sure will be appreciated. "

Waara will also design a Web site and improve the center's data collection and management with a computerized system to keep track of patients and client records (which total to over 18,000 visits annually) as well as center donations. St. Joseph's Neighborhood Center is a ministry of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Rochester and funded exclusively by community and individual support, fundraising and grants.

"Not only will he bring us into the 21st century technologically in tracking and analyzing patient and client data, but his work will aid our research efforts aimed at providing better health care overall," said Sister Christine Wagner, St. Joseph's Neighborhood Center executive director.

LDA Life and Learning Services
Carolyn Steinkirchner, a Rochester resident and project manager in Xerox's Global Services organization in Webster, will spend six months with LDA Life and Learning Services. LDA Life and Learning Services is a nonprofit that helps people with learning disabilities, Attention Deficit Disorder, and other developmental disabilities seek success in school, work, relationships, and independent living. Steinkirchner hopes to give back to the agency that has helped her with her two sons. She also wants to live her passion for advocating for children with learning disabilities.

Beginning in April, she'll use her project management and graphic arts skills as well as her personal experience to bring a new initiative called Project Connect to fruition. The agency hopes to pull together several existing services into a single program to make it easily accessible to the community.

"Years ago, when my two boys were young, LDA helped me as a single mom find the right educational support and as a result I have been a LDA volunteer for seven years," said Steinkirchner. "I know that with my dedicated full-time support, I can really make a difference to parents, kids and our community. I just can't wait to get started."

"There is a clear need for Project Connect in this community, but we just haven't had the bandwidth to bring it to life. Receiving this grant of Carolyn's time and expertise is a godsend. With Carolyn's leadership, community connections, deep understanding of the issues around learning disabilities, and project management skills, we will finally be able to get Project Connect off the ground," said Lisa Bayer, deputy director, Community Services, LDA Life and Learning Services.

Gilda's Club Rochester
Robyn Chase, a product manager in the Xerox Production Systems Group in Webster, is eager to start her six-month Social Service Leave in March to design a state-of-the-art volunteer program and to secure grants, additional funding and sponsors. She is ready to put her MBA, software training and product management skills to good use at Gilda's Club, a free not-for-profit social and emotional cancer support center, located on Alexander Street in Rochester.

Since 2000, the center has seen a major increase in need for its services that include group meetings and sessions. According to executive director Veronica Lee, the center had 600 visits to the clubhouse in 2001. Last year the center hosted over 11,500 visits. "We are growing by leaps and bounds, and Robyn's help in harnessing the potential of 135 volunteers and seeking additional funding will help us keep up with this urgent need," said Lee.

Gilda's Club Rochester, one of 22 Gilda's Clubs across North America, offers wellness and networking groups, lectures, workshops and social events in a non-residential, homelike setting.

"I've seen first-hand what it means for people to have a place to go to feel supported, whether they are struggling with cancer or know someone who is," said Chase. "The club bridges the gap between medicine and the human spirit. In fact the motto at Gilda's Club is - 'No one should have to face cancer alone' - and my goal is to make sure the club has the financial and community support to continue to offer a warm, friendly and comfortable place for people to go."

About Xerox Social Service Leave
Xerox began its Social Service Leave program in 1971 to foster employee involvement and provide special volunteer assistance in communities where Xerox does business. Since then, 475 leaves have been granted. Employees who have been with the company at least five years are eligible to apply for fully paid leaves of up to one year.