NATCA Bookshelf

��� NATC A Featu re Building a Community of Hope Have you ever wanted to start your own nonprofit, but weren���t quite sure how? NATCA member Bob Szymkiewicz and several of his friends were in the same boat over 12 years ago. Today their nonprofit, the First Ward Community Fund, is a testament to their hard work. Stan Washington and Bob Szymkiewicz with an FWCF-funded art installation at the CMPD Central Division offices. First Ward is a Hope VI neighborhood community located in uptown Charlotte, whose residents are ethnically and economically diverse. Hope VI is a Housing & Urban Development (HUD) initiative that seeks to revitalize public housing projects throughout the U.S., and create mixed income neighborhoods. The First Ward Community Fund aims to strengthen the community and help the less fortunate residents; with 131 units of public housing, there���s always someone in need. Szymkiewicz and his wife bought a house in First Ward in 1998. He and several other residents wanted to find a way to give back to the community. FWCF board members VK Simpson, Bob Szymkiewicz and Stan Washington deliver donations to be auctioned at a Take a Slice Out of Cancer event in Charlotte. ���We tried to find a lawyer who would help us form the charity,��� said Szymkiewicz. ���But in the end we bought a book about how to start your own 501(c)3 nonprofit, and on Feb. 24, 2000, the First Ward Community Fund was incorporated. We received preliminary IRS approval in November of 2000 and final approval July 2005.��� Szymkiewicz said they tried to form an organization that could aid the community more than just monetarily. They provide school supplies and recreational items to the children living in the neighborhood, and give incentives for good behavior, such as Charlotte Bobcats basketball tickets, for the young residents. ���Children look up to professional athletes, and it���s definitely a nice incentive for them to keep doing the right thing,��� said Szymkiewicz. The First Ward Community Fund is more than just aiding the residents. It���s about helping to shape a neighborhood where people can live and grow in a safe environment. Bob Szymkiewicz and fellow NATCA member AnnMarie Taggio hit the campaign trail in North Carolina. ���We bought a couple of bikes for our Community Police Officers to patrol the neighborhood. Officers take time to meet the residents and talk with the kids to help teach them right from wrong,��� said Szymkiewicz. ���We���ve held cool basketball camps where college-level players came to work with the children. The youngsters got to learn skills and hear about the importance of education.��� The NATCA Charitable Foundation (NCF) supports the First Ward Community Fund and recently donated $500 to the charity. ���We are finalizing a plan to purchase sports equipment, hula hoops, jump ropes, etc., to push a goal similar to First Lady Michelle Obama���s of a healthy, active lifestyle,��� said Szymkiewicz. He talked about some of the kids who have really benefitted from the community. Many have gone off to college and those who have come back to visit try to give back in their own way to the community where they grew up. ���Starting a nonprofit, or starting a charity, seems like a huge task; but honestly, anybody can do it,��� said Szymkiewicz. ���Don���t be discouraged by the amount of paperwork or navigating the maze of IRS rules. Just do it!��� A NATCA member since 1988, Szymkiewicz currently serves as a Group Representative at Charlotte Douglas Tower (CLT). He���s also the Article 48 Team Lead for the Charlotte OAPM Design and Implementation project, which he said takes a lot of work, but is an extremely exciting and fun project. ���Everything we do is with limited resources and we do it in a way that 100 percent of donations go toward our mission,��� says Szymkiewicz, of the First Ward Community Fund. He encourages online donations at fwcfinc.com. The organization is also in need of volunteers at times. Email szymkiewicz@ natca.net for more information. ��� by Hillary Stroud 18 Air Traffic Controller Fall 2012

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