December 14, 2007
News from the United Way of Summit County
|
IN THIS ISSUE |
|
Happy Holidays from United Way United Way Tackles Issue of Increased Homeless Outstanding Volunteer Stories Sought For Volunteer Celebration |
|
|
|
Community Investment Volunteers Needed for Online Process |
|
SAVE THE DATE |
| MAKE A CONTRIBUTION |
|
You can donate securely online or call 330.762.7601 for more information. |
| UNITED WAY BROWN BAG SEMINARS |
|
Brown Bag Seminars are a great way to provide informational and educational seminars to your employees in the workplace. They work well as an addition to your United Way campaign, or can be held any time of year. Click here to learn more! |
| ARE YOU A DIAMOND DONOR? |
| You are if you have been giving to United Way -- any United Way in any city, in any amount -- for 25 years or more. It doesn't matter if you have given individually or as a couple. If you are a Diamond Donor, United Way would like to know so you can be recognized as members of this outstanding group. For information about the Diamond Donor Society, contact Charlene Corlett, Vice President Major Gifts at 330.643.5537 or ccorlett@uwsummit.org. Click here to enroll online. |
| TAKE OUR SURVEY |
| United Way of Summit County is conducting an ongoing survey to help determine United Way marketing plans in the future. Please complete the brief survey online. Thank you. |
| Looking for Volunteer Opportunities? Check out the United Way of Summit County Volunteer Center listing on our website. Updated Weekly! |
|
CONTACT |
|
what
matters President: |
 |
|
|
|
TO UNSUBSCRIBE If you do not want to receive this newsletter, kindly return this email and enter "remove" in the subject line. You will be promptly removed from our list. |
|
|
|
Please forward this newsletter to your
family, friends, and employees in your workplace. Want to be added to our email newsletter list? click here |
2007 Campaign Progress Our Goal: $11,372,000 We are currently at 80%. THANK YOU! |
|
|
|
Happy Holidays from United
Way
 No matter what holiday you're celebrating at this time
of year --
Hanukkah, Christmas, or Kwanza -- we know how busy you can get. And as much
as we'd all like to make a charitable gift to help those less fortunate, we
just don't have the time to research where our gift can make the greatest
impact. Your United Way makes it easy for you. When you invest in your community through United Way of Summit County, you can be confident that you are improving people's lives right here at home. Because of your generosity, we're able to help our affiliated agencies to do more of what they do and do it better. Donate securely online here. |
United Way
Tackles Issue of Increased Homeless United
Way of Summit County,
Info Line and
Continuum of Care for the Homeless recently hosted a 90 minute public summit
on Friday, December 7th on the issue of the increasing prevalence of
homelessness in and around the Akron area.
More than 50 concerned individuals attended and shared their views on why we're
seeing a spike in the numbers of homeless, how we've addressed this problem in
the past, and what we should be looking to do now.Lois Foster, United Way of Summit County's Vice President for Community Impact, will look to United Way's Basic Needs Council to set up and host the next meeting. They will seek to determine which of the suggestions are viable and who needs to be 'at the table' in order to make things happen. The meeting is expected within the next 30 days. "If we wait any longer than that," Lois said, "this whole thing could be doomed. And we can't afford to lose in this battle." Thanks to Sue Pierson and Info Line for hosting this vital meeting. In a Beacon Journal article published last Saturday, Sue was quoted as saying, "I was incredibly pleased with the turnout. What it says is that Akron, as usual, pulls together when we have a problem." |
|
|
 Outstanding
Volunteer Stories Sought for Volunteer CelebrationUnited Way of Summit County Volunteer Center is seeking stories of volunteers, individuals and/or groups to celebrate during its 7th Annual Volunteer Celebration. This year's theme is "Volunteer...Priceless." The Celebration will be held Thursday, May 1, 2008 at St. Joseph's Family Center, 610 W. Exchange Street in Akron. This event celebrates outstanding volunteer efforts of individuals and groups in our community. As part of the festivities, various "Volunteer Stories" of individuals or groups who have displayed extraordinary volunteer services within organizations and/or within their own neighborhood will be acknowledged. Stories must be submitted by 3 p.m., Thursday, January 10, 2008. Volunteer Story Submission Forms are available by contacting the United Way of Summit County at 330.762.7601 or you can submit your story online. |
|
Your tax-free gift can be any amount up to $100,000 for tax year 2007. If you are married and each spouse has an IRA, both can use their IRA assets to make charitable gifts. Just contact your IRA office and request that your gift be transferred directly from your account to United Way. You continue to support United Way as you've done in the past, but you avoid additional tax because the amount taken from your IRA is not reported as taxable income. If you are considering such a gift, contact your IRA office now so you have sufficient "turn-around time" for your funds to be requested, processed and postmarked no later than December 31, 2007. As always, we encourage you to consult with your professional advisors in advance. For additional information visit our website at www.uwsummit.org and click on "Planned Giving" or contact Charlene Corlett at 330.643.5537 or ccorlett@uwsummit.org.
|
| Campaign News |
|
Summa Health System held various exciting activities to
create enthusiasm for the campaign and it was a rousing success. United Way would like to thank Tom Strauss and
|
|
|
Wernig, Wernig, O’Connor Group
of Smith Barney The
financial investment team of Wernig, Wernig, O’Connor Group has recently
finished their strongest United Way campaign to date. With an increase of over
20% they raised over $10,000! Special
thanks to Sean O'Connor for leading the valiant effort to help in our community. Thank you Wernig,
Wernig, O'Connor for your generous support of United Way! |
|
|
Viox Services
Triples Campaign Goal! Congratulations
to the employees at Viox Services, Inc. for their enthusiastic campaign which
raised over $10,000 and more than tripled their original giving goal!
Viox Services provides facility management services to Goodyear's Akron campus. Over 130 employees serve as maintenance technicians, custodians, shipping & receiving clerks, grounds crews, and administrative support. Though based in Cincinnati, Viox is proud to support the United Way of Summit County, improving lives and communities where their employees call home. Special thanks to General Manager Paul Noltemeyer for his leadership and to the committee members Emily Dierig, Darrin Semick, Laura Clay, Al Alwine and Lavonne Schinke for their enthusiasm. The success of this campaign is only made possible due to the generous giving spirit of all the employees who participated. Thank you! |
|
|
City of
Cuyahoga Falls Finishes Generous Campaign Although
they missed their $20,000 goal by less than $800, the City of Cuyahoga Falls
increased average employee contributions by 3% during the campaign. The United Way Committee of Margo Tauber, Mike Mellinger, Brent Frazee and Bill Waters cooked up some special incentives including several bake sales, hosted by numerous departments within the Service and Finance divisions, plus reserved parking! For every $100 pledge, employees earned a chance to win a designated parking spot for one year. Three spaces were designated at City Hall and three were reserved for employees working elsewhere in the City. Employees in the City's Street/Sign Shop created and produced the signs, which were installed in the winners' home departments. Mayor Don Robart congratulated the parking space winners (pictured above left to right) Debi Megenhardt/HR, Mayor Don Robart, Hope Jones/Law, Frank Fire/Fire, Kevin Beattie/Electric. Other winners not pictured are Barbara Reid/Police Dispatch and Rick Bissonnette/Fire. |
|
|
|
|
|
Congresswoman Betty Sutton Featured at United Way Public Policy Luncheon  United
States Representative Betty Sutton (13th District) was the featured speaker at a
luncheon sponsored by United Way of Summit County's Public Policy Committee held
on Monday, November 19 at the Jerry Shaw Jewish Community Center.After introductory remarks by United Way President Bob Kulinski and Shaw Jewish Community Center Director Todd Rockoff, the irrepressible Frank Comunale, chair of the Public Policy Committee and Summit County Council Member, introduced his friend Betty Sutton in his 'one-of-a-kind' fashion. Rep. Sutton began her remarks with high praise for Bob Kulinski, Board Chair Thom Mandel, and everyone affiliated with United Way. She reflected on her first 11 months in office and shared what she feels are some of the successes and some of her frustrations. Among the accomplishments of the 110th Congress to which she pointed with pride were the Lobbying Reform measures, increasing minimum wage, and fully funding the Veterans' Administration -- amazingly representing the first time the VA has been fully funded in 70 years. One of her main goals as she looks to the future is controlling college costs, which have risen 40% in just the past five years. She answered questions from the crowd of more than 60 community leaders focusing on everything from healthcare to homelessness. Our thanks to Rep. Betty Sutton for sharing her time with us, and to the Public Policy Committee for bringing this event to fruition. Pictured above left to right, Bob Kulinski, Frank Comunale and Betty Sutton. |
|
|
 Be
A Holiday Angel!Many Summit County non-profit organizations have special needs during the holiday season. The United Way of Summit County Volunteer Center wants to match up those needing help with companies, groups, families and individuals who want to spread some holiday cheer. Here are some of the things you could do to brighten someone's holiday:
Browse our online list of holiday volunteer opportunities. For more information, please contact Pam Beals at the United Way of Summit County Volunteer Center, 330.643.5512 or email pbeals@uwsummit.org. |
|
|
|
Community
Investment Volunteers Needed for Online Process  United Way of Summit County is
looking for volunteers for the 2008 Community Investment Process. The Investment Process
allocates money raised in the United Way fundraising campaign to community programs.
The
process will take place in February and March of 2008 with trainings in December
and/or early January. New for this year, the 2008 process will take place primarily through online application review allowing volunteers and agencies more efficient use of their time. Investment team meetings with agencies will only be scheduled where necessary and will occur to finalize program and funding recommendations. Program outcomes will be the major focus of the 2008 process with agencies providing the status of outcomes identified for 2007. If you are interested in being a Community Investment volunteer, fill in the application online or call Sue at 330.643.5510. |
|
|
.Volunteers
Needed for Tax Program Each
year the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) Coalition of Akron works to files taxes,
free of charge, for low and moderate income individuals and families.
Their goal is to ensure that families and individuals are aware of the Earned
Income Tax Credit and the Child Tax Credit that they may be eligible to receive.
And also that filers receive these dollars free of tax filing charges and become
aware of services that can help make them financially
stronger. The EITC program can assist working families with receiving up
to $4,700 in funds if eligible.The EITC Program is in need of volunteers for the upcoming tax season:
Training will be provided for all volunteer positions. If you are interested in volunteering contact Pam at the United Way Volunteer Center at 330.643.5512 or email pbeals@uwsummit.org. |
|
|
Summa
Health System for running an immensely successful campaign and showing
outstanding support for our community!