‘Passion’ for partnerships: United Way leader seeks community collaborations
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Adam Dolce has served Chautauqua County in various capacities for many years that are rooted in service. In his current role as executive director at United Way of Northern Chautauqua County, he continues to promote involvement and partnerships in the area.
Dolce went to college at Jamestown Community College where he graduated with a degree in social sciences, and according to him, he wasn't sure human services were for him. With his first real job coming as an resident assistant at Cassadaga Job Corps, it paved the way for a human services position at Job Corps.
He quickly realized he was on the right path. "What started as just another job quickly turned into a career path, a passion," Dolce said. "A lot of the people there at the time were my age or a little older and I saw those success stories, hearing about career victories after a student left and continuing to watch their career pathway. It's their effort, they do all the work, but to know that you were there to see them early on, and to see them win and catch that fire, that's contagious. You get involved with something like that and it's something you want more of. It can be hard to keep that in perspective."
Working at Job Corps gave Dolce a strong sense of fulfillment, but it also helped pave his way into the future as well. He became familiar with the needs of Western New York and worked with youngsters from all walks of life -- city, country, and everything in between. And while many often think of city youth when it comes to children in need, Dolce said rural areas have needs as well.
"We think often about city kids and what's going on there but there's not as much of an emphasis on rural," said Dolce. "Rural areas have real needs. There has to be a continued desire to make a difference in the community."
Dolce spent several years at Job Corps, eventually working as a community liaison for seven years where he created partnerships to benefit students and the campus as a whole, while also working hands-on in surrounding communities. "The best day at work is when I can put on sneakers and a t-shirt and get dirty," he said. "Whether it be in Cassadaga, Lily Dale, Heritage Village, painting street pole signs in Dunkirk, I was proud to help facilitate that and thousands and thousands of other hours of community service. It was an opportunity to get students involved and give them practical use for what they learned in the classroom."
In 2018, it came time for Dolce to make the move to United Way. While he had an opportunity to move into a different position at Job Corps, he saw a good opportunity for himself at the non-profit based in Dunkirk, and took it. In his time at the agency, he's been able to serve both the organization and the community as well.
The skills he learned during his time at Job Corps and before have stuck with him as he continues his work. "One thing that came with me, and I still see it as the central way, is work from a customer service mindset," said Dolce. "Whether it's building relationships, soliciting donors, finding people to get behind the mission. Not just about asking, it's finding partners and finding organizations and people who want to make a difference in the community and I view work here that tries to put us in a position that we're in the best position to make best use of donor dollars and make it have the biggest impact. That's important to me."
Dolce's work at United Way has included a number of accomplishments. The Jamestown Learning Council has a rented office area at the Dunkirk office at 626 Central Ave., giving them a fixed location in the north county. This rented office helps generate some revenue for United Way, while also providing a community partner that provides services for parents in the area. Dolce is trying to get more outside groups into that building to provide them space.
"We offered the building to other partners and some have taken it up for meetings," said Dolce. "We started using the space for local Girl Scout troops, who use the building off and on."
One of the biggest changes Dolce has made to the United Way in this county is creating the shared services position. Dolce said Lisa Sunday has been the finance director for many years, and is a driver behind what happens at United Way, and this position is a win-win for everyone.
"When the opportunity came up and the south county was looking for a director of finance, we recognized the win-win-win of making her leap to the south county," said Dolce. "It's a much larger United Way than us, so it's more challenging but more rewarding, and we structured it in a way where we still have benefits in North County thanks to Shared Services."
Dolce also mentioned the COVID relief fund as work he is proud of. During the pandemic, United Way helped create a COVID relief fund, mentioning community foundations and the south county United Way as critical partners.
Dolce stays motivated because he sees the opportunity that lies within the community. Though it has taken a lot of hits and seen decline, the opportunity is as strong as ever. Dolce said there are several large area employers they are attempting to strengthen ties with to contribute to community needs. Dolce also said the board of directors is are looking for other ways to diversify streams to create direct services.
"Things like a tax refund program, coat drive program, and other ways we can continue to fill holes in the community are important to us," said Dolce. "We're somewhat unique in that we're a hybrid between grass roots needs and a foundation atmosphere. We're trying to get the word out that we exist in the county, and we can only grow as people get more involved.
"We're part of the largest charity in the world, but what happens and what drives networks forward is the work that happens at the local levels," he said. "We're always looking for new ways to expand and bring in different groups."