While growing up in Batavia, Lindsey Dailey came to learn just how important a school community could be for a child, she says.
Her mom, Debbie, had been sick and battling cancer on and off throughout her daughter’s early years, dying when Lindsey was 21.
“So, throughout my young, adolescent years, it really was my school, and my community, that was there to support me and my family. And so growing up I always wanted to give back, that's the type of person my mom was. And what she instilled in me is giving back, just giving back. And I feel like, through my struggles growing up through having a sick mom and trying to navigate life, I really wanted to grow up and give back to the community that once served me, and I felt safe and protected by and supported by."
Dailey, a 2009 Batavia High School graduate, said that she feels as though she’s been coming full circle with her career, which has now taken her to the position of community relationship manager at United Way of Greater Rochester and Finger Lakes. Having worked at Le Roy Central School and then Batavia City School District, she is now working with districts in a six-county area.
The 33-year-old began her professional journey at Le Roy Central School, ending up as district social worker and working primarily with students in grades seven through 12. One of her give-back gestures while there was to create the Knights Closet based on a poverty simulation experiment, which is still alive and thriving, she said.
“I collected clothing, hygiene, and school supplies from staff members and community members. It once started out on the stage of the auditorium, that was our first initial push during our Thanksgiving drive. And from there, it grew,” she said. “I mean, there were so many students that utilized the closet and utilized that initial drive, that I went to the school principal at the time, Tim McArdle, and he was all in to support this initiative and supported me in that, and it grew, and now has its own classroom in the high school.”
What were some takeaways from that experiment and resulting real-life closet that helped Le Roy families?
“I guess the feeling of needing, our basic needs are so important for students to have, and having that feeling of panic during the simulation of — my parents lost their job, how are we going to pay our bills — and again, my goal has always been to help support students get their basic needs met,” she said. “I really have always kind of considered myself a bridge between home, school and community. And because of that, I wanted to find what the gaps were, where I could support and help these students reach their full potential by setting them up for success, if there was anything that I could do to support the students or the families to remove some barriers, that was really my goal, or my mission.
“And from there, I transitioned over to Batavia City School District, the school that once helped and supported me, which was really an exciting time for me," she said. "And I was initially hired on as the My Brother's Keeper program director.”
Much of her work was with the Men of Purpose, a program for young men of color. Her objectives were to develop activities and educational programs to drive improve early learning measures and increased retention.
She arranged for men of color in the community to serve as mentors for these students and help support them while they worked on “pursuing goals and overcoming obstacles and how to manage different experiences in their lives,” she said.
And now she’s in this new role yet still focusing on schools and the needs of their diverse populations.
“United Way is trying to show up differently to schools. We'll be working with all school districts within our six-county footprint. And really, on one end, I'll be working on resource development, which is helping raise the funds through campaign, but then also being able to work on the community impact side to develop those meaningful relationships and implement new initiatives and strategies for United Way to show up differently within the schools,” she said. “So I'm really excited for that. I think, again, my lens has always been through community, this Community Schools Initiative, and it's going to look different, but I'm still essentially going to be able to help students and families in a different lens in a different way.”
She’s been on the job for eight weeks, and plans to be part of future collections and donations, such as recent hygiene kits, solar glasses given to Batavia Middle School students, and other needs that she encounters that she can help to fulfill, she said. Dailey was part of a trauma support team that assisted with support after a recent crisis, which illustrates the diverse ways in which she may step in to provide assistance, she said.
“I'm beyond grateful for this opportunity to be a part of the United Way team,” Dailey said. “I truly value connections and strive to help individuals reach their full potential by providing them with opportunities to be successful. I feel my new role at United Way will provide me with opportunities to continue to connect with people and make a positive impact in our mission to mobilize the goodwill and resources of our community so everyone can thrive.”
Dailey has a Bachelor of Science-Social Work from Buffalo State College and a Master of Social Work from the University at Buffalo. She lives in Le Roy with her husband Colin and their two daughters, Everleigh, 6, and 3-year-old Elsie.
In addition to wanting to give back and honor her mom’s memory — “I think being a mom and showing up and being there for my kids, and how close I was to my mom, is really important to me,” she said — Dailey enjoys spending time with her family.
“We are excited to have Lindsey join our team expanding our depth of community support,” said Kari Buch, regional director at United Way of Greater Rochester and the Finger Lakes. “With her background as a school social worker, she will focus on relationships between school districts and community-based organizations fostering connections and strengthening ties to improve resources for individuals and families across our region.”
If a school district in one of the six counties of Genesee, Livingston, Ontario, Wayne, Monroe or Wyoming has a need, you can contact her at lindsey.dailey@unitedwayrocflx.org or 585-242-6579.
