Best Buy and Positive Images

Best Buy WOLF Pack at Rizzo Positive Images
Representatives from Best Buy’s Women’s Leadership Forum (WOLF) came to Rizzo PAL’s Positive Images Girls Mentoring meeting on Monday, March 19th. Melody Hollander, Linda Thomas, Lisa Tyson and Diana Santos shared their personal experiences about how they achieved prominent positions in a male-dominated company and industry.

The women inspired the young ladies to taking part in conversations and have their voice heard by “always sitting at the table.” Melody, Linda, Lisa and Diana followed this advice and continue to benefit greatly. They led a networking exercise with Positive Images participants in which each person wrote a list of both short and long-term goals and brainstormed people in their lives who can help achieve them.

PAL Board Member and Best Buy District Manager, Marc Michetti, provided advice to the young ladies on the importance of mentors. The girls’ networks grew by at least five valuable contacts last night, as each WOLF representative and Mr. Michetti left an open invitation for all PAL participants to get in touch with them any time.

A special thanks to Melody, Linda, Lisa, Diana, and Marc Michetti for providing such indispensable information to Rizzo PAL Positive Images!

Lockheed Martin PAL Day at City Hall

Future Leaders Run City of Philadelphia for a Day

PHILADELPHIA, PA – February 28, 2011 -Twenty-six deserving PAL students who have achieved success both in school and in their PAL centers were rewarded for their hard work, dedication and efforts. Lockheed Martin PAL Day at City Hall, a 40-year tradition in Philadelphia, took place on February 28, 2011. Joey Bozzelli, a Gibbons PAL youngster who was selected to be PAL Mayor for the day, has been involved with PAL since he was a child and has participated in all that PAL has to offer. The 26 PAL students were then transported to City Hall where they met with their Government Representatives and were appointed their positions for the day Mayor Nutter spoke to the youth, congratulated them on their achievements and let them know they had their work cut out for them. Nutter’s speech was followed by Bozzelli’s speech, which focused on the wonderful opportunities that PAL provides for youth and echoed Nutter’s sentiments of congratulations. Bozzelli also encouraged all youth to get involved with PAL, mentioning that he doesn’t know what he would have done without PAL.

Following Bozzelli’s speech, the students took the Oath of Office and were called up individually with their representative to be recognized for their accomplishments. Nutter spoke personally with each of the “new government officials” and presented them with a glass plaque commemorating the occasion. Jokingly, Nutter asked the new head of the Philadelphia Parking authority to “help him out with a few old tickets.”

After a meet-and-greet lunch, students were off to work for the day, tackling real issues and running the City Government. PAL Day at City Hall was a huge success, and PAL’s youth constituency deserve to be commended for a job well done. Thanks to Lockheed Martin Corporation for sponsoring this wonderful event, the City of Philadelphia for its partnership with PAL and Charming Shoppes, Inc. and Tate’s Menswear for providing the young women and men with business attire for the day.

Rizzo PAL Alumna Shares PAL Experiences

Guest Blogger: Jessica Madden

 

PAL Alumna, Jessica Madden

When I was in seventh grade, a friend of mine who was involved with Positive Images, a girls group at PAL, asked me if I wanted to come with her. I willingly accepted her invitation, although I had no idea what the program was about. For the next three years, I was involved with Positive Images and PAL Challenge.
PAL gave me so many opportunities that I wanted to give back. I was not big into sports, so I could not help out with those programs at PAL. When I approached Officer Ernie, I had two main concerns: How could I help? And how could I create more girls programs? At the time, I had been dancing for fourteen years, and that was virtually all I knew. Officer Ernie gave me the opportunity to start the Rizzo PAL Dance Program. I held registration that fall, met with parents, and got a feel for how I wanted to run my program. It was a huge responsibility, and I am still thankful to Officer Ernie for taking a chance on me. At the end of the season, the girls put on their first recital for their parents-

Rizzo Dance warmups

a really exciting experience. I ran the Rizzo Dance program for the next four years until I graduated high school.
Officer Ernie’s role in my life was huge. He gave me opportunities that I would have never gotten otherwise – a chance to shadow Philadelphia’s Managing Director at PAL Day at City Hall, and the chance to be awarded the PAL Scholarship and the Union League Scholarship for college. I am so thankful to have someone in my life that has helped me as much as he has. He taught me how to be a caring person, especially

Practice makes perfect!

when he trusted me with running the dance program. I cannot imagine my life without Officer Ernie and the experiences he provided for me. I will forever be thankful to PAL and all that it has done for me.
I am now a sophomore at Immaculata University, and I am still dancing. I know that

Fun at Rizzo Dance!

PAL is not the end of my journey with helping kids – I am an education major and hope to help at least one kid the way PAL and Officer Ernie helped me.

Note: The Dance Program is still being offered at Rizzo PAL, and is currently led by Little Flower High School students, Kristin Kahlert and Veronica Fresta.

Inside Rizzo PAL

Kickin’ it at the Rizzo PAL Center

PHILADELPHIA, PA – May 5, 2010 – “PAL is one of the crime prevention units of the police department where we offer young boys and girls between the ages of six and 18 after school activities, to make the right choices and stay out of heading down that path of crime and juvenile delinquency,” says Officer Rehr, the director of the Rizzo PAL.