By Julie McCay Turner
Shining behind the scenes of the Citizens Scholarship Foundation (CSF) annual student Phone-a-thon, Bedford’s 2014 Citizen of the Year Alma Pomponi has volunteered in the program since 1987, first working to increase business donations, and for the past 20+ years working with her husband Sal to make the Phone-a-thon an outstanding success. “We’re a partnership,” Alma declared.
Neighbor Muriel Shapiro was the general scholarship chair who suggested that the couple become involved in CSF. They worked on business solicitations for several years, but the prospect of making a more significant community impact through the Phone-a-thon captured their imagination.
During her first Phone-a-thon foray, Pomponi discovered that nearly 30% of the inherited calling list was inaccurate. Understanding that her husband’s professional and technological skills could be helpful in creating a more useful calling list and database, Alma set out to create an accurate list.
Pomponi notes that lists reflect “just a point in time,” so she consults multiple sources – telephone directories, the Bedford’s List of Residents and the real estate transfers published in Banker and Tradesman – to create a powerful list and to keep it current as residents come and go.
“You don’t want to discourage the students who are making calls,” Pomponi noted. “If they get wrong numbers, or ones that have been disconnected, their motivation drops off.” The proof that her diligence has paid off? For each of the past four years, student callers have garnered more than $50,000 in Phone-a-thon pledges.
The Pomponi’s collaborate in preparing a packet for each of approximately 80 student volunteers each year, and in coaching them in successful calling techniques. Both efforts, and the program’s automated folding machine that freed volunteers to take on more important tasks, have added to the Phone-a-thon’s success.
Annually, dozens of adult volunteers support the Phone-a-thon. Outside the Mitre Corporation conference room where students are busily making calls, multiple 8-foot tables groan under stacks of paperwork and boxes of envelopes. At the end of each shift, the student call sheets go to adult volunteers who prepare three sets of follow-up mailings: one to families that have pledged funds, another to families who couldn’t be reached by student callers, and a third to households for which no telephone number could be found.
In an intersection of art and technology, Alma Pomponi’s quiet but persistent attention to the detail that makes a good phone list and her year-round commitment to perfecting the database are legendary within CSF, and now within the town at large.
Rewards
Alma Pomponi is dedicated to helping fulfill the further educational aspirations of Bedford students, and she quotes “Pete” Eagles: “CSF scholarships are like a pat on the back from the town to each recipient.” She finds reward in reading the messages that often accompany donor checks[?], appreciative comments from the parents attending CSF’s annual awards ceremony, and follow-up thank you notes from the recipients themselves.
Meeting CSF/Dollars for Scholars founder Dr. Irving A. Fradkin when he visited Bedford at Mike Rosenberg’s invitation to celebrate CSF/Bedford’s 40th resulted in a change that stands today. Alma Pomponi suggested that the “Student Volunteer Scholarship” be renamed in his honor. The award is now known as the Dr. Irving A. Fradkin CSF Volunteer Scholarship, a permanent, endowed fund.
Community Appreciation
Editor’s Note: Because The Bedford Citizen was sworn to secrecy about the Citizen of the Year’s identity until the publication of this article on September 4, we asked the following individuals for quotes about the program itself.
Bedford Schools Superintendent Jon Sills: Bedford’s Citizens Scholarship Fund is the quintessential expression of the oft cited saying, “it takes a village to raise a child.” The generosity of spirit that spurs the CSF volunteers to spend countless hours reading applications, organizing phone-a-thons, and coordinating the annual celebration is awe inspiring. So very many Bedford Public Schools’ graduates are the lucky beneficiaries of this largesse- the hard work of the organization, the charitableness of the donors. For them, as important as the actual scholarships are the examples of civic responsibility and altruism that this yearly giving so powerfully provides.
Bedford High School Principal Dr. Henry Turner: Our community and students are so blessed to have a wonderful organization like CSF. The Scholarship Awards night is a beautiful community event where citizens, many of whom no longer have children in the schools, recognize the many accomplishments of our students.
CSF volunteer since 1987, Past President and long-standing Master of Ceremonies at CSF’s annual award presentations Mike Rosenberg: “I am so proud of my association with Bedford Chapter, because through scholarship awards it reflects not only the town’s unity in diversity but also the community priority on education, as reflected by the generosity of individuals, businesses and organizations.”
Past President Betsy Anderson: CSF is one of the best organizations in Bedford. It has helped so many students over so many years, and not only high achievers but any student going on to higher education.
Former BHS Social Studies teacher and early CSF volunteer Pat Pellegrini: Reflecting a bit more on CSF I asked myself,” Why did I keep doing it for so long?” Answer: I really believed in its worth. Kids get recognized for sports and activities, shouldn’t they be honored for scholarship? … It was good to see the community pull together to do what they could to help. It was Bedford at its best. Bless CSF. They are still at it. Three cheers.
Click here to learn more about CSF’s history.
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