LIVE UNITED Y’All!

Every year we celebrate the successes of the campaign through our many lists – our Top 25 (most dollars raised) and Terrific 25 (most dollars raised per capita) celebrate mostly big businesses, and some smaller ones, too. We also celebrate our Wow Campaigns – those with a 10% increase over last year and new campaigns.

I’d like to use this space, though, to celebrate all the truly small businesses, many of them locally owned and operated, who contribute more modest yet important amounts to our campaign. I recently put out a challenge to local busineses to give $100 and here’s who accepted. Many gave much more than this, but all who gave are appreciated:

Parsons Corporation
Amazing Products, Inc.
OVASCO Industries
W.R. Willett Lumber Company
B-Dry Systems of Louisville, Inc.
Jake’s Natural Lawn Care
LSE Engineering
US Specialties
Cox, Allen & Associates Architects
Bironas, Inc.
Embry Bosse Funeral Home
Twinbrook Nursing Home
Cecil & Cecil
UHL Truck Sales of Kentuckiana
Budget Business SErvice
Ratterman & Sons, Inc.
Old Kentucky Insurance, Inc.
Godsey Associates Architects
Klarer Construction Co., Inc.
Bob’s Deck Refinishing, Inc.
Video Kitchen
Ted McCain Company, Inc.
Spindletop Draperies, Inc.
Trinity Presbyterian Women
Mirror Glaze Distributors, Inc.
The Prudential Parks & Weisberg Realtors
A M Electric Company, Inc.
Hunt Tractor
Sparkle Brite Car Wash
ICCO
Eline Develpment Company
A.I.A. Agency, Inc.
Premium Foil Products Company
Vari-Comp, Inc.
Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of KY
A.J. Seibert Company, Inc.
Editorial Services Company
Tamplin & Company
Eyedia
Bilancia

If you are a customer of one of these businesses, please be proud and thank them for their commitment to our community!

Giving Community, Giving, small business, thank you

By David Caldwell

I’ve never been a big fan of New Year’s resolutions. I always figured that if you really want to make a change in your life you should just do it – don’t wait for a “special” day to make it happen. That changed for me last year.

Since college I’ve been a non-smoker…sort of. I’ve always been that guy who might have a pack of cigarettes in his truck while he tells you he doesn’t smoke. I know how horrible the habit is for your health – I saw the black lung in science class too. I know how addictive the practice is – my dad smoked for 30 plus years. None of that ever stopped me from “kinda” smoking. I justified it to myself because I wasn’t a “real” smoker. I just smoked when I drank, or was really stressed, or it was Tuesday – you know, just a little. I was the familiar stranger in the smokers’ circle.

As the ball drops this year, I’ll be kissing my sweetheart with smoke-free breath, and celebrating 365 days without a cigarette. My goal is a lot more years of the same, but for now I’ll celebrate the first one.

So what are you resolving to do this year? If you haven’t quite decided, let me make a suggestion. Make a resolution to make a difference in the life of a child.

You could donate some books to the child care center down the street. You could volunteer to teach an art activity at your child’s school. You could find a way to be a role model for the kids across town and across the street that need a few more caring adults in their lives. You could write a check to your favorite child focused agency. You could call your legislator and tell them to make children more of a priority when they make decisions.

Think about all you’ll have to celebrate after a year of working to improve the life of a child. If you want to give, advocate, or volunteer, you can visit our website. If you want a few more ideas or some help in making your resolution a reality, let me know. Have a wonderful holiday, and ring in the New Year in a meaningful way!

Photo Credit: maxxtraffic

Advocacy, Giving, Volunteering Children, Live United, making a difference, opportunity, Volunteer

To volunteer is to freely give of your time to others, a pretty obvious concept to grasp. I find it hard to come up with an example of when that statement isn’t, at least in part, true. Even if you are volunteering because you “have-to” or if you are volunteering because you think it looks good on your resume, you can’t avoid the fact that you are sharing (for free!) your time and your talent.

Of course, most of the people I come in contact with in my role as the Volunteer Engagement Center director don’t fall into the categories of “have-tos” or “resume-builders”. The volunteers I know give of their time and talent for more reasons than I can account for in this very short blog. Some of the reasons why they are called to volunteer are related to their passion, gratefulness, good feelings they get when they are helping, and their desire to be a part of positive change. 

Hurray for them, I say. Bravo!  However, I have one beef with these benevolent beings, these angels among us: they don’t like to brag about themselves or take credit for the work they do…ever.

Oh, I can understand, it can be hard to talk about yourself, and your friends might get really annoyed when you go on and on about how wonderful you are, but you have got to get OVER it.  Saying things like: “I don’t do it for the notoriety or the attention” or “I don’t want a special acknowledgement for my efforts” are understandably noble postures, and are much more preferable to saying “I am so awesome, they ought to erect a statue in my honor”. You get the point.

All I am saying is, if you don’t brag a little or share a story or two about the time you provide as a volunteer, how are you going convince non-volunteers to volunteer? Telling stories about your volunteering can be compelling, and down right entertaining. It may be just the right motivation someone needs to get out there and start volunteering on their own.

Next time, I will be sharing some FlipVideo footage of some volunteer stories. In the meantime, here is a link to some great volunteer stories: http://www.networkforgood.org/volunteer/volunteerstories.aspx

Advocacy, General, Giving, Volunteering recruitment, stories

By Kelly Hutchinson, Donor Relationship Manager

I will admit that I love how Hank can bellow….Are you ready for some FOOTBALL? And, I am. I am ready and excited about the hiring of Coach Charlie Strong for the University of Louisville so I will attribute this seemingly football inspired United Way blog to this fact. The recent press conference introducing the new Coach won me over when he shared his heart and emotion over the joy of attaining his career dream of a head coaching position and the opportunity to lead a program. It was so easy to feel his sincerity when he spoke and now it will be even easier to pull for his success both on the field and in the community.

It continues to be an exciting time of year in NFL football also as the Indianapolis Colts and the Cincinnati Bengals continue to rack up the W’s. While these two teams are perhaps the closest we have in our region to a home NFL team, it doesn’t matter whether you are a Colts fan or on the “Who-Dey” train right now, the NFL is deserving of recognition for the longstanding partnership and support of the United Way movement. Did you know that for 35 years, thispartnership has been a shining example of the tangible good that can be leveraged into a powerful vehicle for real change in people’s lives and the community?  Check out how the NFL LIVES UNITED and see if you can find one of your team’s favorite players too!

Yes, Tis the season for football and also for giving thanks and sharing. The words THANK YOU are two of the most powerful words you can speak, share and that you can hear. Thank you for helping make our community a better place to live and work.  If you gave in your campaign at work for United Way, thank you for caring and sharing to help change the lives of those who pass by you every day. The change we strive to create at Metro United Way doesn’t happen without you. Don’t just take my word for it….take a quick look at our recent field trip. It was a LIVE UNITED thank you tour. Check it out and you will see how we surprised a few loyal donors while they were working. I think you can imagine their surprise and you can also see the strong feelings created with an in-person and heartfelt thank you.

Advocacy, Events, General, Giving, Volunteering Charlie Strong, Common good, community change, Football, Live United, Louisville, NFL, passion, thank you, United Way

Okay, so it was one of those things that sounded great when you agree to it but as it draws nearer you start begrudging the loss of a Saturday afternoon to a work event.

Through my role at Metro United Way, I work with our agencies around their outcomes and change in client’s lives in a formal review process. So I also try to find non-traditional ways to interact with our agencies; like squirt gun fights or cornhole tournaments as the opportunities arise. Kids Center for Pediatric Therapies invited me to be a “Community Escort” for their 7th Annual Holiday Fashion Show. I agreed.

Upon arriving at DuPont Manual High School it looked like disorganized chaos. Lining the hallways were dolled up youth, uniformed cheerleaders, spiffed up escorts and family with gobs of flashing lights and hugs for models. But as show time approached and the parents got out of the line-up of models and into their seats the chaos abated. It was now 4 schools worth of cheerleaders, 30 plus models and 30 plus escorts.

The darling model I was paired with, Summer, had on a purple swishy dress, black fur cape, sparkly sandals and a grin from ear to ear. Cheerleader and I kept her distracted as we waited our turn. Summer had perfected her stage move. Upon cue she would raise her left arm and wave, raise her right arm and wave, drop both hands to her ankles for her bow – all while seated in her wheelchair. This movement was quite a feat considering her physical limitations. All went well – she was a superstar and we parted ways.

Jan and Summer

More than once I was brought to tears by how excited these kids were to be on center stage. They had not had the chance to be star basketball player or cheerleader or last man standing in dodge ball or the lead in the school play. This was their moment to strut their stuff and they had a plan. One after another had their signature way to greet the crowd. Some broke out in a dance, some did pirouettes and spins, others did bows and hip throwing poses. I was especially touched when they noted a model that 2 years ago arrived on stage in a wheel chair, one year ago was on stage with crutches and this year was walking freely.

These are some fragile kids and it took a lot of effort for parents to get them outfitted though Macy sponsored clothes, practice the night before and time all their needs so they could be ready to strut their stuff. Seemed like everyone had a ball and I quickly forgot about my alternate Saturday plans and stayed until the end to enjoy all the stars for their moment of fame.

General

I have been out of the blogosphere for a while, hit with a terrible case of writer’s block that has lasted months. What on earth can I write about that hasn’t already been blogged over the past months? As the director of the Volunteer Engagement Center at Metro United Way, I should have these enlightened pearls of wisdom to share related to volunteerism, to service, to making a difference, but nothing I come up seems new or fresh.

I am frustrated. It is time to get out of my own head and look outward for inspiration, when I finally reach this point, as I often do; I never have to look far for it. Everyday, I hear the stories of our volunteers…why they give their time, their inspiration, their commitment to a cause.

I am capturing those stories on video now, with my new Flipvideo camera. Sometimes, words cannot express the feeling of giving, the look of dedication, and the sound of caring.

I hope you enjoy meeting Mike and Michele, two of our local volunteers who helped with our recent flood cleanup efforts.

Volunteering Flood volunteers

I attended an excellent event last night at the HDB Service Group, Inc. in LaGrange, a Metro United Way- funded agency that provides non-emergency medical transportation and runs a free health clinic.  It was a volunteer appreciation event, thanking the dozens of volunteer drivers, interpreters, clinic administrators, physicians and nurses who make HDB and the clinic possible. 

The director of HDB also took the opportunity to thank the folks at Makespace! Media + Design Lab for donating their time to create a revamped website for HDB, as well as getting them plugged into Facebook and Twitter.  As the representative from Makespace! Media walked the audience through the new website and gave a tutorial on using Twitter and Facebook, I could see heads nodding around me.  There weren’t actually that many laughs when he said “No one uses email anymore!” 

I, myself, was impressed- although not really surprised- at the capabilities of HDB’s new website.  More and more non-profits are using social media to fundraise, recruit volunteers, organize events, provide services, and reach the community with news and information.  Check out HDB’s new website and social network: http://www.hdbservicegroup.com/ and encourage others to get connected!

General, Volunteering HDB, social media, social network

So, I hesitate to write this appeal just after Kerri has explained how not to go into debt this year….but if you’re still looking for unique and ridiculously nice gifts at a great price (and from a local retailer!), come out on Sunday, December 12th to both Louisville area Two Chicks & Co locations:

- 409 Spring Street in Jeffersonville – right next to Come Back Inn

- 12121 Shelbyville Road in Middletown

They’ll donate 15% of purchases that day to Metro United Way. Go ahead, buy yourself something nice, too!

Events, Giving Giving, local partnership, shop for a cause

By: Kerri Cokeley

There is no doubt about it, the holidays are upon us. If you are like me, you are thinking where in the heck did this year go?!? Not only that, but I just finished paying off my expenses from last Christmas. This is the point where I start to stress out, bleh. (Insert hair pulling, eye crossing, and vigorous Nicorette chewing here.)

However, I am determined to find ways to let my friends and family know how much I care about them without breaking the bank this year. I’m also determined to become debt free in the new decade, and entering the New Year with a boatload of holiday debt is out of the question. But yet I ask myself, “Will I find a way to do this without feeling guilty?”

Just a few weeks ago, as my annual holiday stress started to ensue, I was happy to learn about a new workshop from our friends at the Southern Indiana Asset Building Coalition, “Have a Debt Free Holiday! Give more for less.”  Each attendee will receive:

• At least one gift to give or to keep from their display of over 50 holiday gifts
• A list of over 250 ideas for holiday gift giving for $5 or less
• Holiday Spending Plan Worksheet-one for you and several to share with friends & family
• Fabulous refreshments
• A chance to win door prizes, and
• Great company!

No matter which holiday(s) you will be celebrating over the next few weeks, if gift giving is a part of your tradition, this is a great opportunity to learn and share ideas to do so in a more financially responsible way. This workshop will be held on Tuesday December 8^th from 5:30-7:00pm at Community Action of Southern Indiana. RSVP’s can be made by calling Whitney Bishop at 812.206.7514.

As I think further about reducing my Christmas spending, I realize that have nothing to feel guilty about after all. Just because I will work to be more frugal, it doesn’t mean that I will be less thoughtful or that I care less about my loved ones. –What a blessing, and a gift, it would be to pass on to the children in my life (and remind the adults) that this holiday isn’t about material things.

My wish for us all is to enjoy the cheer and true spirit of the season!

Income Southern Indiana Asset Building Coalition