LIVE UNITED Y’All!

By: Mary Ann Steutermann

This time of year, thoughts turn to festive holiday gatherings. I have warm memories of family gathered around the Christmas tree laughing as presents were exchanged. Sometimes these gatherings were the only times during the year we’d see out-of-town relatives, and the opportunity to catch up with them was sometimes more fun than opening the gifts they brought.

Just this week, Metro United Way hosted a gathering of sorts. Fellow United Way personnel from Atlanta, Richmond, Nashville, Chatenooga, and Cincinnati joined us here in Lousiville. Each of our United Ways is working on developing plans to increase educational attainment in their communities through an initiative called Ready By 21. And the focus of this gathering was, well, gatherings.

We spent 3 days with our colleagues learning about new strategies for leading community gatherings that will help us learn much more about our communities aspirations for itself and how education connects to it. Sometimes in community work, we gain tons of “expert knowledge” at the expense of collecting “pubic knowledge.” The gathering this week taught us about how the very nature of gathering people together to share that goals and concerns has a power in itself.

This week’s gathering of United Ways had no real gift-giving and certainly no spiked eggnog, but being able to bring people together to learn new and better ways of bringing people together was itself a wonderful present.

Advocacy, Education, General advocate, Community, community change, Education, Live United, Metro United Way, Neighborhoods, United Way, youth

Judy Schroeder

Thanks-Living.  Did I get your attention?  I’m not trying to be cute. 

It just occurs to me that this wonderful holiday event of  Thanksgiving is small compared to the “thanks-living” opportunity we have every day of our lives.   

That might not be the best thing to say right now if you are running to get your house set up for the family or cooking the turkey and fixin’s all night! Quite big enough?  …YES, and much appreciated!

Just know that from here at Metro United Way we get to see the work y’all do all year long as volunteers, donors, and advocates for others.  You are so important!

The last time I was at Parkway Place Housing,  I saw the Dare to Care Mobile Pantry delivering staples. The delivery crew was down to only potatoes, but the remaining Somali-Bantu women gathered pounds and pounds of those up in the folds of colorful scarves and skirts, carrying them home wrapped on their backs like babies, planning the next few weeks’ meals. 

Yesterday I was there again in the home of the president of the Somali-Bantu Association, plotting how we could extend their self-help organization even further.  This time, I am even more impressed at how circles of caring people wrap around each other:   our broad community of donors, advocates and volunteers in business and labor ~ wrap around the donors, advocates and volunteers in our agencies and community efforts ~ which wrap around more donors,  advocates and volunteers in community organizations and families ~ who want to be strong enough again to “give back” as healthy, smart, hard-working community members.

That’s what I mean by Thanks-living, the caring community.  All year, every day that we work together is a way of giving thanks for gifts shared. 

So, prepare the feast!  Especially if, for now, it’s potato and turkey stew.  Eat United! LIVE UNITED!

General, Giving, Volunteering Community, community change, Giving, immigrants, Live United, Neighborhoods

By Jan Sherrell

It is November. November is the month we are more intentional about giving thanks. Heck, they named a holiday after it.

I thought I’d share some stories of Metro United Way agencies and their thankful clients.

Three year old Colten’s parents are thankful for Visually Impaired Preschool. When they were told at two months that their son Colten had significant vision impairment, Colten’s parents were scared. Now they are thankful that visiting VIPS allowed them to meet toddlers without sight learning to adapt and play and live to the fullest. They had millions of questions regarding Colten’s diagnosis and prognosis. They are thankful VIPS staff helped them find the answers.

Mrs. C is thankful for the daily phone calls she receives from Multi-Purpose Community Action volunteers. She is very appreciative of someone showing an interest in her and being available to offer other resources when she needs them. Mrs. C looks forward to the phone call daily; they are her window to the world.

Patrick is a 45 year-old male with mental challenges. In 2007 he was living in a homeless shelter. Now Patrick knows how to do numerous industrial tasks at Custom Quality Service’s sheltered workshop. Patrick is thankful for his own place and for Custom Quality Services giving him a chance at independence.

Eighty-three year old Mr. G admits he sometimes has to force himself to attend the Arthur S. Kling Center. His poor health and no energy can make it a struggle to get motivated. But he knows that when he gets there he will enjoy the camaraderie. He enjoys a hot lunch, plays pool, exercises and uses the computer. He is thankful for the social workers available there to help him and their care for him inspires Mr. G to visit others in poor health.

And me?  I’m always thankful for the contingent of agencies serving our community and improving lives. What are you thankful for?

General, Health, Income Agencies, community change, Give Thanks, Live United, parenting, United Way

By Mary Sullivan

What do wide eyes and laughter have in common?  Let me go a little further in my explanation. Recently 240 students from Holy Cross High School spent the day volunteering. Two of the sites I visited were Iroquois Child Care Center and California Area Family Development Center. I heard laughter from both children and students as they were bouncing balls up into the air. Children were wrapped around the legs of these students, and in another room three little girls wanted to show their dolls to one of the boys.

Today, we often read or hear about how young people aren’t engaged, but in one day Holy Cross students volunteered at nine different organizations, provided 1320 service hours, and gave back $27,522.00 of in-kind service to our community. Holy Cross High School certainly isn’t the only school that does volunteer work. So far this school year, Metro United Way has coordinated volunteer projects for Barret Middle School, Moore Middle School, Spalding University, Bellarmine University, IUS and U of L.

Metro United Way has been supportive of youth volunteering for many years, and for 22 years, Metro United Way has recognized a high school senior for their volunteer effort by awarding a $3,000 scholarship.  In fact, Volunteer Engagement Center origins began from a partnership with U of L School of Recreation, the Junior League of Louisville and Metro United Way (Community Chest). Since the 1930’s until today, helping youth map out their career choices or exploring interests through volunteering has always been part of what we do. So if you a student or a group looking to do something this summer, need to do community service hours for school or your faith based organization, want to meet interesting people, or just have fun, please contact the Volunteer Engagement Center’s website at metrounitedway.org/volunteer.

Education, Volunteering community change, early childhood, future, making a difference, Metro United Way, scholarship, youth

Let me be clear—I know that a sudden need to volunteer isn’t the first reaction most of us have to losing a job. The most typical first reaction is,

“I CAN’T BELIEVE I JUST LOST MY JOB!”

Then comes the subsequent panic of,

“What exactly do I do now?”

So now maybe you’re wondering what makes me such an authority; the fact is, it hasn’t been that long since I experienced losing a job firsthand, and I’m here to report that there usually isn’t anything inspiring or uplifting involved. Mostly, if I’m any kind of example, losing a job leads to full-on panic (i.e., How am I going to pay the mortgage?) and levels of self-doubt I hadn’t experienced since I had braces.

How will becoming a volunteer help with any of this? Consider that volunteering can help you…

1. Reclaim your sense of purpose.
Sleeping in and spending the day in your pajamas can be a welcome benefit at first, but soon, one day of scanning job listings online and eating cereal for every meal can begin to run into the next. Finding a consistent, satisfying volunteer opportunity can help you, at minimum, build structure and meaning back into your days. Being unemployed can be isolating, and volunteering can keep you connected to the world outside your computer screen, making it much easier to have a positive outlook on your future.

2. Make (and renew) connections.
It goes without saying that when you’re looking for a job, going to your network of connections is the first and best way to uncover the next opportunity. But sometimes those networks can be limited; volunteering is one of the best ways to expand your network of connections. So seek out volunteer opportunities that apply to your interests and goals, work hard, and it’s very likely that you’ll build ties that can help you move forward in your career, all while making a positive contribution to an organization or cause you care about.

3. Build your job experience.
Just because you lost your job doesn’t mean that you can’t put your hard-earned skills to work. Almost all non-profit organizations need volunteers because they have to make the most out of every penny. Chances are that your skills will be incredibly valuable to a non-profit and the opportunity to keep those skills sharp is just as valuable to you. Seek out opportunities to use, or to even improve your abilities, and you’ve created a winning situation for everyone involved.

Ready to jump in and volunteer? Metro United Way is the place to get started. Just visit our website and explore our volunteer opportunities. You can also call 2-1-1 for more information.

General, Volunteering 2-1-1. "job loss", community change, job search, Volunteer, Volunteering

By Sommer Lally

The first day of Spring is tomorrow and I don’t know about you but, for me, it can’t get here soon enough!  Maybe it has something to do with my name but I hate cold weather like a cat hates water so, the arrival of Spring is always something I look forward to.  But this year I am especially excited.  You see, I bought my first house last fall and I’ve not yet been able to enjoy basking in the sunshine in my new yard. 

My husband and I already purchased and assembled (okay, okay, he assembled) a grill and have plans in the works for patio furniture.  Even better, I’ve talked him into making improvements to our landscaping.  As you can see, right now the landscaping leaves (no pun intended) a little to be desired.

I’m thinking some nice evergreen shrubs and some leafy bushes might do the trick.  There’s just one little catch.  As I’ve been reading up on landscaping tips, it has become clear – much to my chagrin – that we won’t reap the benefits immediately.  It will take years for the shrubs and bushes we plant this spring to grow and mature into the beautiful landscape of my dreams.  Slowly but surely, it will get there.  I just have to be patient, which is not my strong suit.

When I think about it, landscaping is kind of like the work around community change that we’re doing here at Metro United Way.  Community change doesn’t happen over night, it takes years to see the results of the work you’re putting in today.  But you better believe when 2018 rolls around and all of the children in our community are prepared to enter kindergarten and half as many high students are dropping out, we will know that our efforts were worth it.

What about those of us who need to see the immediate results?  I would put myself into this category which is where the grill and patio furniture come in.  They’ll allow me to enjoy my yard immediately, albeit in a different way.  The same is true for our focus on basic needs here at Metro United Way.  Our investments in early childhood education and drop-out prevention will pay-off in the future while those in basic needs help the community right now. 

It helps me to think of our work in this way.  How do you think of Metro United Way’s work?  What helps you to better understand and communicate to others what we do?

Education, General Children, community change, early childhood, making a difference, Metro United Way

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

by Kelly Hutchinson, Donor Relations

I would like to take a moment today and congratulate all the fine people who have made the switch from analog to digital. Once again, we as Americans have survived another important milestone. It seems if we ban together we can accomplish anything!

I laughed out loud recently at this FB post made by a friend. I also quickly thought about a deeper message that entered my mind. I thought to myself, so the big day finally arrived, passed and went unnoticed. Sort of like the Y2k bug that never really reared a pesty head but the hype leading up caused such a stir.

Then, I thought a little bit more….One of the real challenges we have in our work at Metro United Way is in getting the message of our work out into our community. If you are a volunteer, donor or both then I would want to say THANK YOU as that is always a most important message. I know have along the way learned the value of lending your time, talents and treasure the United Way.

However, if you are in the pool of people who aren’t quite sure about the value of United Way, what we do, or the opportunities created, well then you need to know more.

Our goal is to advance the common good and share opportunities to give, advocate and volunteer for vital health and human services that will impact education, income and health in our community. At Metro United Way, we change the lives of those who walk by us everyday and we can change what we see in our world.

Stay with me on this… Think about it…What a difference it would make if the same dedicated messaging, and urgency -I recall for at least a year no less watching the scrolls, commercials and reminders to be ready for the impending switch from analog to digital TV- could be applied to helping our community.

Hmmm…I wonder what would happen for our neighbors, friends, and community if the same effort and level of importance this constant messaging created in citizens could be used to advance the common good and inspire people to get involved, and prepare to create some community change?

We would see progress toward bold goals and we would help make things better for all of us. Because we all win when families are financially stable, when children succeed in school and when we enjoy good health.

You too can share the good news, spread an important message and create a ground swell of awareness and support. You can also join with me in an easy, affordable way to make a big difference today by joining the Give 5 Now virtual campaign for Metro United Way. Check it out, share the message and Thanks!

Advocacy, Education, General, Giving, Health, Income advocate, Common good, community change, give, Give 5 Now, United Way, Volunteer