LIVE UNITED Y’All!

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

You may modify the recipe ingredients and feel free to substitute based on your desired results and the number of people you would like serve…

1 gallon of inspiration

2 cups of determination

2 cups of confidence

1 1/3 cup creativity

1 ¾ cup of gratitude

1 ½ cup of stick-to-it-iveness

1 ounce of prevention

Smidgeon of luck

Dash of all-spice

Pinch of encouragement

Mix

Stir

Shake

Knead

Whip

Allow the mixed ingredients a brief time to stew and simmer, check on your consistency and then bake–check midway through to make sure the result is looking good.

Share with your neighbors and celebrate!

What ingredients help you to be successful in your life? Work? Are they much the same or different?

General, Giving, Volunteering Community, Metro United Way, motivation, success

For today’s look into the Metro United Way team, I spoke to one of our talented and tireless team members in Donor Relations, Jennifer Humphreys. Watch the video the learn a little bit about her!

General Metro United Way, staff

To continue our series of Meet the Staff videos, I visited Lynn Smith to learn a little more about what she does in a day.

Check out her video to hear her answers to what she does, what is most challenging in her job, and when she enjoys her job the most!

General Metro United Way, staff

Education is an essential building block that leads to a better life for all and is key to improving our community. In an effort to improve the quality of education in our community, Metro United Way and Success by 6 unveiled two new tools at a press conference this morning.

The first is the Common Good Forecaster. It allows people to look up any county in the U.S., shows them the current education levels for that county and state. Using a sliding scale, the Common Good Forecaster also shows the direct correlation between increased levels of educational achievement and improvement in that community.

The second tool is the Ages and Stages Questionnaire, a part of the Help Me Grow initiative. The questionnaires are age appropriate surveys that a parent/guardian can fill out concerning their child and send back to Metro United Way to be scored. This questionnaire allows you to see how your child is developing and if they are on track for all the major milestones they need to accomplish in their childhood. To request your Ages and Stages Questionnaire, please visit the Metro United Way website or call 502-292-6211.

Education, Events, General Ages and Stages, Common Good Forecaster, Help Me Grow, Metro United Way, Success By 6

A recent survey of Metro United Way agencies indicated that many people in our community are struggling for a basic necessity- food. Our agencies that provide food assistance have seen a 40% increase in “first-timers” or people who have never sought food assistance before.

The statistics are astounding, but what really makes my heart ache is seeing how this affects so many people in our community- three children splitting one “happy” meal at the local fast food restaurant, seeing an elderly man dig through a garbage can on my commute home from work, hearing that a family friend lost his job, then his house, and ultimately his ability to feed his family of five. Its easier to read faceless statistics than to remember that this isn’t about numbers-its about people, right here in our community who don’t have enough to eat, and I’m sure you will agree that even one child in our community going to bed hungry is one too many…

You may be wondering, what can I do to make a difference?

Volunteer

In an effort to provide more food to more people, Metro United Way has partnered with Dare to Care to supply volunteers for additional Dare to Care Mobile Food Pantries around town. We are looking for groups of 10-12 to help distribute food at local Dare to Care mobile food pantry sites- please visit our website to sign up your company, church group or club.

Speaking of, the first pantry as a result of this partnership is happening today!! A big thank you to Youth Build and D.D Williamson & Co. for volunteering!

Advocate

Do you know someone who is struggling to feed his/her family? Whether it is food assistance or foreclosure advice, tell them to dial 2-1-1 for Metro United Way’s free, confidential health and human service assistance line. Help is available 24/7 in over 100 languages.

Give

To help families in our community who are in crisis, please consider a donation to Metro United Way. Did you know that a donation of $5.00 per week will provide one hundred warm meals to individuals at the Salvation Army Louisville Center for Hope?

For more information on how you can Live United please visit metrounitedway.org.

Photo by petit plat by sk_

Advocacy, Events, Giving, Income, Volunteering 2-1-1, advocate, Common good, Community, Giving, Live United, Louisville, Metro United Way, Volunteer

Hi!  Let me be upfront with you. I am pretty easily amused. I also am a curious person. Curious about people and what makes them tick…interested in what inspires people as individuals and groups to care - about our community, a particular cause, the greater good - and what is important to them personally when they give, advocate and volunteer. I also enjoy keeping an eye on what others are doing that’s a little …or a lot…unusual but reaching masses and raising funds for a worthy cause.

So with a preface stated, here are a few oddly funny things I recently came across that caused me to pause and say to myself WOW (remember we like that word at Metro United Way ) and hmmm.

Gorillas ….Ask people to raise $350 and dress like a gorilla to run 4 miles…nearly 1,000 people dressed up like a gorilla and ran… the 7^th annual Great Gorilla Run raised over $400,000. WOW!

Santas….Same premise but another visually entertaining sight while helping a worthy cause. Some 7,000 donned a red suit and white beard, laced up their running shoes and raised money for charity in New York.  There was even a Santa Speedo Run charity event that draws red hat revelers by the thousands and made for …um…funny photos as well!   Hmmmm.

And then there is Romeo the blogging cat. Yep, Romeo the Cat raised over $3500 via his blogging and Twitter activities. Really?

A recent New York Times submission to David Pogue’s blog reads in part…

Dear David:” My cat is on Twitter and he’s raised almost $3,500 in a little over THREE WEEKS for animal rescues… I launched a Twitter account for my cat…to make one of my colleagues laugh, but something interesting happened: Romeo started getting followers. There are a lot of humans, A LOT of other Twittering cats, some dogs and even hamsters, horses, turtles and birds.”  Caroline Golon

Metro United Way provides a highly efficient, easy path to increase the force of your charitable giving in our community. We leverage your giving to reach some 150 program at 90 organizations that will touch the lives of 2 of every 3 people in their lifetime.  We recently announced the 2008 annual campaign saw some 80,000 donors in our community collectively give/pledge $28.5 million to advance the common good.  It is here with us at Metro United Way where you can create lasting change, get help and give help, and make a significant lasting impact for children, adults and our community. 

If you also want to dress up in something unusual, run in your skivvies, or dance the night away like Cinderella then let us know. We want to hear from you. To our legion of 80,000 donors who have given from their hearts during these changing times to help their neighbors, co-workers, and people you may never meet,  THANK YOU for partnering with Metro United Way to change things for the better for all of us.

 Kelly Hutchinson, Donor Relationship Manager

Events, General, Giving blogging, fundraising, Giving, Metro United Way

This year’s ice and snow storms affected our community in a devastating way.  Many in our community were without power or heat, had down power lines in their neighborhoods and garbage bags full of spoiled food.  One Friday during the last ice storm we were able to leave work early due to the sleet and freezing temperatures that continued to drop as the day went on.  I was very excited to leave early and get home to start repairing the damage the storm had caused so that my family could get back to our normal life.  I never thought my life would be changed on the way home.

As I drove down Bardstown road I was putting my “to do list” in my head of all the different chores that needed to be done and also trying to drive through the sleet, snow and ice that was not forgiving.  I noticed a young man, braving the elements and holding onto his childrens’ hands as they walked through the sleet and snow on the other side of the street.  Each time he would take a step forward, one child would slip on the ice and fall down.  He’d pick them up and try it again and the other toddler would go tumbling down onto the ice and snow.  I watched this happen time and time again while I sat in traffic with my seat warmer on, listening to NPR, and the heat blowing ever so gently to make my grueling commute as comfortable as possible. I couldn’t stop looking at this young man.  He reminded me of my own struggle, divorced, raising my daughter alone and doing whatever I could to create a better life for my daughter.  I put myself in his shoes just for a moment and I could only imagine what he was going through. I could tell he was determined to get to his destination, rain, sleet, or snow wasn’t going to stop him.  I could also see that he would not let go of his children.  If they fell down, he would pick them up, dust them off and try again.  He never gave up on himself or his children even though his journey was difficult.  At that moment, I made a u-turn in the street and stopped to ask this young man if he would like a ride.  He eagerly said “Yes!”

As this young man approached my warm, cozy car, I began to get excited that he and his children could get out of the cold into a warm car. Then I turned to look at the children that I so eagerly wanted to help and I saw the most beautiful, inquisitive, and full-of-promise-and-potential little faces of Jayln, 2 years old, and Khamani, 4 years old.  They were holding on tightly to their father, waiting to be picked up and placed in my son’s booster seat.  As I looked at Keith securing Jayln in the car seat, I noticed her beautiful blue gray eyes transfixed on her father.  She gazed at him as if he were the strongest man on earth!  Keith’s love and fierce dedication to his children and wanting the very best for them was clear to me.

It’s not often that we hear of young men solely caring for their children.  Often times the media portrays young men that are dead-beat dads and not instrumental in the nurturing of their children.  I am proud to say that I know several men who are great fathers and Keith would be added to the list!  Once our trip was over and it was time to say our goodbyes, I gave Keith my business card to get in contact with me so that I could refer him to programs and services that could benefit him and his family.  I drove away thinking of how this family had reminded me of why I believe in the work we do here at Metro United Way.  Keith was not looking for a hand out; he was looking for a hand up!  Many times we are in situations where we could help in some way and we convince ourselves that it’s none of our business and never stop to help.  I can honestly say that I was blessed to meet Keith, Jayln, and Khamani.  This family renewed my spirit in giving, advocating, and volunteering to help somebody.  Since meeting Keith, he has been in contact with our 2-1-1 service, Operation Self Help through Metro Government and possible employment opportunities coming soon.  We continue to stay in touch, if only to encourage him to keep striving for the life he so desperately wants for his children.  We can all give, advocate and volunteer in many ways.  This was an opportunity to not only talk the talk but walk the walk. If I can help just one person, then my living will not be in vain. It is a blessing to be a part of an organization that cares about the people in our community like I do!

Photo Credit: sparktography

General Common good, Community, Live United, Metro United Way, Success By 6

Nothing weighs on my heart more than when I go about my daily life and come in the path of adults who are negligent or abusive to children. I feel like I encounter this too often. From when I shop, go to the grocery or even sometimes just outside my office window on Broadway as I am working and I can hear people as they wait for a bus.

Wherever life is, too often my ears hear an adult who has met the end of the rope and is berating, threatening or diminishing a child. Our future.  Don’t get me wrong, I am not referring to normal, healthy, loving correction. It’s the situations where tired, crying children are being ridiculed, threatened, and in some cases what I consider assaulted by an adult who is clearly at the end of their rope. I have seen this, and heard this while passerbys seem to tune out the tragedy or just not get involved. 

As our community and our neighbors face unprecedented challenges, daily stress and tensions rise. It is our children that are going to have to bear the costly burden of our solutions, bail outs and mistakes. I hope they are able. 

I had this poem on my bedroom wall as a little girl and I read it often. It reinforces for me that children are born learning.

Children Learn What They Live by Dorothy Law Nolte

If a child lives with criticism, he learns to condemn.
If a child lives with hostility, he learns to fight.
If a child lives with fear, he learns to be apprehensive.
If a child lives with pity, he learns to feel sorry for himself.
If a child lives with ridicule, he learns to be shy.
If a child lives with jealousy, he learns to feel guilt.

BUT

If a child lives with tolerance, he learns to be patient.
If a child lives with encouragement, he learns to be confident.
If a child lives with praise, he learns to be appreciative.
If a child lives with acceptance, he learns to love.
If a child lives with honesty, he learns what truth is.
If a child lives with fairness, he learns justice.
If a child lives with security, he learns to have faith in himself and in those about him.
If a child lives with friendliness, he learns that the world is a nice place in which to live.

Find your voice. Open your heart. Reach out a hand to one and influence the condition of all.  Metro United Way provides an efficient, easy path to create change, get help, give help, and make an impact for children, adults and our community. And it isn’t just good for the people that are helped. It’s good for you, your family, your company and our community. Wouldn’t you agree that we all win when children succeed, when families are financially stable and when people have good health? We believe it takes everyone in our community working together to create a brighter future. Will you join the Live United movement?

Now more than ever you will find hundreds of rewarding volunteer opportunities and see how easily Metro United Way can connect individuals and groups. If you have a passion for the aging, children, people with disabilities, the homeless, youth, domestic violence, disaster relief, substance abuse, housing, hunger, or education … there’s a way to help make a difference and get started on creating that better tomorrow! United, we can make a difference.

Bring on the sunshine and bring on Spring!

Advocacy, Education, General, Volunteering Born Learning, Children, Community, Live United, Metro United Way

Hi Ya’ll,

It’s nice to meet you.   I’m Kerri, Kerri Cokeley.   Since I will be a regular on this blog I thought I would share a little about myself.   It may help you understand my random thoughts, observations, opinions, and rants that you are bound to be exposed to over time.

I’m an Associate Director of Community Building at Metro United Way in Southern Indiana.   You may ask, what in the world does that mean?   My best answer is that I help organize volunteers to fulfill the vision of our organization, “for our regional community to be the most vital, caring community in the nation.”

Another professional role I fill is that of Adjunct Professor of Business at Ivy Tech Community College, my Alma Mater.   I spent 9 years going to school at night and ended up with an MBA.   I expect that I will be in a classroom, one way or another, for the rest of my life.

I’m 30 years old.   Never married, but in a relationship.   I have three adorable “nibblings” – a word I invented to mean nephews and nieces.   I’ve also been a caregiver for my grandmother, or “Grandmammy,” in varying capacities over the past 10 years.

I’ve overcome a plethora of challenges from my childhood, and without the promise of a book deal, you won’t read those stories here.   Ha, ha.   However, you can know that my colleagues consider me proof that Success By 6 really is a cause worth promoting and growing - thanks to the wonderful neighbor Edith Murley who stepped in to raise me for the first five years of my life.

So, that may be more than you ever wanted to know, TMI.   But, I hope it gives some context for the future posts you will read from me.

Sincerely,
Kerri

General Community, Ivy Tech, Metro United Way, Southern Indiana, Success By 6