The OTC Fine Art Gallery, located on the 3rd floor of the historic Gillioz Theatre in downtown Springfield, will proudly host the opening reception for the First Friday ArtWalk 10th Annivesary Art Contest and Exhibit.  The event will be held Friday, October 7, from 6-10 p.m.  

In celebration of 10 years of this monthly community event in Springfield, the First Friday ArtWalk Council has taken submissions of local art for competition.  Entries have been juried, and selected artists have been invited to display their work at the OTC Fine Art Gallery for the month of October.  The community will select the winner of the "People's Choice" award during the October ArtWalk. 

The 10th Anniversary contest winners will be featured October 7-28.  The OTC Fine Arts Gallery is open Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Fridays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.  For more information contact Kat Allie at 417-447-8977, alliek@otc.edu, or finearts@otc.edu. 

Members of the OTC SIFE (Students In Free Enterprise) team are working to help fight hunger by implementing the 2011-12 "Let's Can Hunger" challenge.  The food drive efforts will occur on the Springfield, Branson, and Richwood Valley campuses.  Donations of food items will go to the Christian County Family Crisis Center, the Least of These Food Pantry, and the Ozarks Food Harvest. 

Donations will be collected October 4-18. This semester, the OTC Springfield and OTC Richwood Valley Campuses have set a goal of 15,212 pounds of food - one pound per student enrolled (as of opening day).  SIFE members at the OTC Branson Center have also set a high goal, and are working with businesses and organizations in surrounding communities for a successful food drive on upcoming weekends.

Food items from the OTC Springfield campus will be sent to the Joplin area via the Ozarks Food Harvest. OFH serves 29 counties, and has been delivering three semi-trucks to Joplin daily. 

SIFE participated in the community-wide food drive that benefited Joplin immediately after the tornado.  In addition, the SIFE team collected and distributed over 21,000 pounds of food last year.   

Watch for posters on OTC bulletin boards to identify donation drop off locations, days and times.  

Thursday, October 6, is National Depression Screening Day.  This will be the fourteenth year that OTC has been a partner in this nationwide event.   

The staff of Counseling Services will be offering literature, videos and anonymous screenings for depression, bi-polar disorder, generalized anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder free-of-charge from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. on the OTC Springfield Campus (in ICW 219 P) and OTC Richwood Valley Campus (in LSC 122).  They will also have literature and screening information available at each of our Centers.  Faculty, staff, students and community members are welcome to participate.  

Counseling Services is also continuing to make available free, year-round access to on-line mental health screenings.  To access the on-line screenings or to locate more extensive information concerning depression, please visit the Counseling Services web page. 

In addition to our screening opportunity, we will join Drury University Counseling staff to offer an "Out of the Darkness" awareness walk and vigil on Tuesday, October 4, from 6:30 - 8 p.m.  The awareness walk and vigil event will begin on the OTC campus and end at Drury University.

The Vigil is a solemn occasion of respect and remembrance, an opportunity for all those in the community who have been touched by suicide to come and light a candle of remembrance in silent vigil, and to lend support for action, intervention and prevention at all levels of our society. If we are to turn the tide of suicide in this country then it is critical that people realize that suicide isn't someone else's problem, it is everyone's problem.

Participants will meet in Parking Lot C on the OTC campus (just south of the OTC campus bookstore) at 6:30 p.m., and will walk together to the Drury University Findley Student Center.  At the conclusion of the walk, participants will have the opportunity to pick up literature concerning depression, suicide prevention and related topics, decorate bags in remembrance of loved ones lost to suicide, listen to a local mental-health professional speaking about suicide prevention and awareness, and light a candle of remembrance of loved ones lost to suicide.

For more information on any of these events, contact Counseling Services at (417) 447-6974. 

"There was a little boy who was going to be held back a grade in school because he was doing so poorly.  He didn't pay attention and was falling asleep in class.  He was failing fourth grade.  His teacher wanted to provide a tutor afterschool but in order for him to stay he would have to be in the Y Prime Time afterschool child care program and his single mother couldn't afford it.  We came to find out that his father was in prison.  His mother worked 2 jobs - one late at night to support their family and he was taking care of two younger siblings in the evenings and couldn't get any sleep!  Because of generous donors to our financial aid program we were able to provide a full scholarship so he could attend Prime Time.  He did get a tutor and his grades improved dramatically so he did not have to be held back but went on into fifth grade with his friends." - Ozarks Regional Y

United Way of the Ozarks is committed to increasing the understanding of human needs and to mobilize resources to meet those needs.

More than ever before, United Way is working to address our community red flag issues that are identified in our Community Focus Report.  Our Annual Campaign raises funds to support 40 programs in our 23 partner agencies and eight initiatives.  These funded programs work to find solutions, not just temporary fixes for these issues.

Our goal, along with our partner agencies, is to create long-lasting changes that prevent problems from happening in the first place.  Through our Community Investment process, United Way volunteers study those critical issues and the agency programs that address them, and then direct funds where they will have the greatest impact in finding solutions.

By GIVING, ADVOCATING and VOLUNTEERING, you become part of the changes.  Together, as we LIVE UNITED, we can inspire hope and create opportunities for a better life for all in our community.

Our sincere thank you to the OTC staff and faculty for your generous gifts to United Way and our partner agencies.  You have made a tremendous difference in our community and with your support, United Way will continue to make a difference in the lives of our family, friends and neighbors.