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United Way
Celebrates Volunteerism
 The
United Way of Summit County Volunteer Center, in conjunction with
National Volunteer Week, celebrated the spirit of volunteerism
through its 7th annual Volunteer Celebration "Volunteers...Priceless!,"
on Thursday, May 1st. Guest speaker was Theresa Carter, President
of OMNOVA Solutions Foundation and Volunteer Chair of the 2008
United Way/Red Cross Campaign.
Over 325 people
attended the event celebrating volunteerism in our community.
As
part of the Volunteer Celebration, four volunteer stories of those
who
displayed extraordinary volunteer
 services within their
organization were represented in a profile video. Alex Reynolds,
Bryan Schapiro and Earl Thomas, III, students from Professor Gabriel Giralt's class at the University of Akron's School of Communication,
created the video stories as a class project. To learn how you
can volunteer, contact Pam Beals, Director, Volunteer Services with
the United Way at 330.643.5512 or email
pbeals@uwsummit.org.
Pictured above
is Cindy Kellett, Volunteer Celebration Committee Chair.
check out volunteer opportunities on our website >
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LAST CHANCE to Sign Up for Day of Action
 The
United Way of Summit County Day
of Action (formerly Day of Caring) will be held on
Friday, June 20th from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Join over 1,000 corporate
volunteers in this day of painting, yard work, cleaning and general
assistance for non-profit agencies in our community. Deadline
for signing up is today! You can find
more information about
Day of Action on our website or sign up your company
now with this link:
Companies that would like to volunteer on Day of Action fill in this
form >
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Winners of Youth
Creative Arts Contest Announced
United Way is pleased to announce the winners of our Fourth Annual
Youth Initiative Creative Arts Contest. A total of 171 entries were
submitted from all over Summit County illustrating the theme:
'Everyone Can Make a Difference.' Winners will be displayed at
the Main Branch of the Akron Public Library from May 4th to 17th and
at Chapel Hill Mall from May 18th to 31st.
First, second and third place winners were selected in three
categories -- elementary, middle school and high school. The winners
are:
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Elementary |
First Place
Maci Woyat
Grade 5
Norton Middle School |
Second Place
Aubriana See
Grade 4
East Woods Elementary
Hudson City School District |
Third Place
Michael Bellman-Loper
Grade 1
Turkeyfoot Elementary
Coventry Local School District |
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Middle School |
First Place
Maureen Moffitt
Grade 7
Hudson Middle School |
Second Place
Hailee Sellers
Grade 8
Coventry Jr. High School |
Third Place
Briana Saffles
Grade 8
Coventry Jr. High School |
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High School |
First Place
Brandon Campbell Grade 10
Buchtel High School |
Second Place
Ellen Wood
Grade 9
Barberton High School |
Third Place
Johnathan Coleman
Grade 10
Buchtel High School |
The winning artists will be
acknowledged at United Way's 'Day of Action' (formerly Day of
Caring) kickoff breakfast on June 20 held at the Shaw Jewish
Community Center, and will receive a gift certificate for art
supplies.
VIEW
THE WINNING ARTWORK >
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Remember the Letter Carriers Food
Drive
 Letter
Carriers Branch #148 in conjunction with the Postal Services
will be collecting food on Saturday, May 10th in Akron, Tallmadge
and Mogadore. All food collected will be donated to the Akron/Canton
Regional Foodbank.
This is the largest food drive in the world and last year netted
over 7 million pounds of food for distribution to the hungry.
Locally, since the beginning of this program in 1993, more than a
million pounds of food has been collected. Thanks for your support
and don't forget to place your canned goods/non-perishables in a bag
by your mailbox on May 10th.
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Project Homeless Connect Draws Over 500
Clients
 More
than 500 homeless men, women and children participated in the
region's first 'Project Homeless Connect' on Tuesday, April 29.
Lois Foster, Vice President of Community Impact for United Way of
Summit County, was a leader in the planning and execution of Project
Homeless Connect, sharing her knowledge and expertise regarding the
needs of the homeless and the services available in our community.
The first-time event held at the Salvation Army of Summit County was
designed to give homeless and nearly homeless people easy access to
a variety of services in a comfortable, non-bureaucratic
environment.
Hundreds of volunteers, wearing LIVE UNITED t-shirts donated by
United Way of Summit County, shuttled clients between a variety of
services.
Clients could take a shower and get a change of clothes.
Dentists and hygienists with the Summit County Health Department
cleaned and pulled teeth and checked for oral cancer. Tiffany's
Breast Care Center of the Youngstown suburb of Poland offered
mammograms.
Agency representatives handed out vouchers for eye care, screened
for depression and checked cholesterol.
Grooming services also were provided. Manicures were offered and
area barbers and stylists cut hair.
Clothing, food and school supplies were available for the clients,
but in many cases it was the information that was of most value. The
Akron Bar Association provided lawyers to answer questions about
criminal, civil or domestic relations matters. The Humane Society of
Summit County was on hand to spay and neuter pets.
The Board of Elections volunteers were present to help people
register to vote.
According to United Way of Summit County President Bob Kulinski, "We
were very pleased to be a partner in this innovative and important
project. It was heartening to see our mission -- to improve lives by
mobilizing community assets -- brought to life in such a meaningful
and concrete way."
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United Way's Lois Foster
Appointed to State Board
Lois Foster was appointed to serve on the Ohio Advisory Council
for Aging by Gov. Ted Strickland last week. Lois is the
Vice President of Community Impact for the United Way of Summit
County and a program development chair for the Summit County Older
Adults Coordinating Council. Her appointment was among 30
recently made by Strickland to state boards and commissions.
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Nominate the Woman
Philanthropist of the Year
 The Women's Leadership Giving Society is now accepting nominations
for the Woman Philanthropist of the Year. This award is presented
annually to recognize a woman who has demonstrated a passionate
desire to help others through her financial support and service to
nonprofit organizations and institutions, including the United Way,
within Summit County. Any woman who is a resident of Summit County
and demonstrates philanthropic support in a variety of areas of the
community including United Way of Summit County is eligible for the
award. Previous winners include Rochelle Stone, Carol Yassine,
Laura Culp, Susan Summerville and Elizabeth Bartz. Nomination
deadline is May 23, 2008. The nominating committee will make their
decision in June and the award will be presented on July 9th at the
annual Power of the Purse luncheon. For more information on the
Woman Philanthropist of the Year, the Women's Leadership Giving
Society, the Power of the Purse luncheon or to request a nomination
form, contact Carol at 330.643.5519 or
clesperance@uwsummit.org.
Nominations can also be made on our website >
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Using Your IRA Wisely
The most common way to
transfer IRA assets is an outright gift to children. On the surface
this seems to provide loved ones with a nice inheritance, but keep
in mind these funds have never been taxed. An outright gift
from an IRA can result in the highest levels of taxation and
significantly shrink the actual inheritance realized by family.
Even families with
modest estates often have multiple assets -- real estate, savings
accounts, other cash investments, etc. One option is to use IRA
funds for charitable bequests and leave loved ones other assets
-- assets NOT subject to federal estate taxes, state death taxes,
income taxes and other penalties. A bequest to United Way of
Summit County from your IRA will make a lasting impact in the
community, and can provide various tax benefits to you and your
family.
Your personal
wishes should determine how you distribute your retirement plan
funds. However, always seek the advice of financial professionals
so your decisions include consideration of tax implications. This
will help insure that your retirement assets are transferred
wisely. For a confidential discussion about making a bequest to
United Way, please contact Charlene Corlett 330.643.5537 or
ccorlett@uwsummit.org.
visit our website FOR MORE INFORMATION ON PLANNED GIVING >
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CYO
Seeks Volunteers for Home Service Project 2008
Volunteers are needed 9 a.m.- 1 p.m. May 17 to participate in CYO
and Community Services Home Service Project 2008, Neighbors Helping
Neighbors, providing assistance to senior homeowners with spring
clean-up, yard work, planting flowers, trimming bushes, raking
leaves and window washing. Minimum age: 18, 13 with adult
supervision. For more information, contact Pam Beals with the United
Way of Summit County Volunteer Center, 330.643.5512 or
pbeals@uwsummit.org. |
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