United Way of Portage County |
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ENEWS FROM YOUR LOCAL UNITED WAY |
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February 2022 - 1st Quarter Newsletter
Happy New Year!
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Ohio Governor's
Imagination Library
In conjunction with Dolly Partonâs Imagination Library, United Way of Portage County offers the Ohio Governorâs Imagination Library program and a monthly book to children throughout the county. This free service is made possible by the Office of the Ohio Governor and the generosity of local donors.
In a matter of minutes, you can start your childâs Imagination Library journey! Children from birth to age five can be registered to receive a new book each month at no cost to you. Parents can go to www.ohioimaginationlibrary.org, click âEnroll Nowâ and answer a few simple questions. Your child will begin receiving a new book tailored to their age group in your home mailbox each month.
Community organizations, local libraries, governments and individual leaders are collaborating, financially and administratively, to make this program possible. With the motto of âstarting a new chapter to improve early childhood literacy across Ohio,â OGIL hopes all Ohio children will benefit from this program. Every $12.60 donated provides one new book each month for a child for an entire year.
Those businesses, organizations or individuals interested in supporting this cause should call United Way of Portage County at 330-297-1424.
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News from the CEO, Bill Childers:
billc@uwportage.org - 330.297.1424 x5
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2021 Tax Information
Thank you so much to all those who donated to UWPC in 2021! For most of our donors who give through payroll deduction process at their employer, the best source of your total gift to UWPC is your final paycheck stub for 2020 that reports your year-to-date deductions.
For those who gave $250 or more (IRS required minimum) to UWPC by check in 2020, you were mailed a receipt on January 31st. If you have any questions or need assistance, please call Bill Childers.
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February is Black History Month!
Black History Month is an annual celebration of achievements by Black Americans and a time for recognizing the central role of African Americans in U.S history. In 1970 according to the Kent Stater, Kent State University began observance of Black History Month, however, it was not until 1976 that every president designated the month of February as Black History Month.
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Feeding the UH Portage Staff
UWPC will provide dinner to ALL 900 UH Portage Staff on Wednesday, Feb. 9th. All 3 shifts will be served dinner from Guido's Pizza and Catering, to thank them for caring for Portage County residents during the current COVID-19 surge. A high quality menu is planned by Guido's and supported by UWPC's COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund and other local sponsors.
United Way Staff, Board Members and Volunteers will deliver the meals throughout the hospital (all COVID-19 safety precautions will be in place).
If you are interested in sponsoring the event, please contact Bill. All sponsors are welcome to join us in delivering the meals. If you are interested in volunteering with United Way at the events, click here to sign up!
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Give.
You can direct your contribution to one of the action areas- Education, Income and Health - or choose all three. As always, we will also process a restricted contribution to qualified 501(c)3 organizations.
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Advocate.
You can make change happen. United Way needs people who are passionate about better education, income and health to stand up and make a difference.
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Volunteer.
United Way and work with volunteers and local nonprofits to develop the best opportunities for youth, busy working adults and seniors.
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Partner Events
02/11/22 - United Way 211 Day - UWPC will have a Facebook Fundraiser to support 211 in our community.
02/26/2022 - 8:30-10:30pm -Kidney Foundation of Ohio 30th Annual Gala @ Cleveland Marriott Downtown
03/10/2022 - World Kidney Day - Kidney Foundation of Ohio Free Webinar
03/18/2022 - 11am-5pm - United Way NCAA Watch Party (more details under Resource Development section)
04/2022 - 6pm-10pm - United Way 1st Annual Reverse Raffle (more detail under Resource Development section)
06/01/2022 - United Way FUNdraiser at The Kent Stage
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From Hello to Help, 211 is Here
In a crisis, in a disaster, in a pandemic, 211 is here to help every person in every community get connected to available resources for finding food, paying housing bills and connecting to other essential services.
The Free Flu Voucher Program in partnership with Walgreens continues through March 31, 2022.
You can call 211 and a flu shot voucher will be emailed to you!
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Resource Development
Julia Colecchi - juliac@uwportage.org - 330.297.1424 x3
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2021-2022 Campaign
The United Way of Portage County 2021-2022 Workplace Campaign and individual giving efforts are in full swing! Thank you to all of the wonderful companies and individual donors who support our fundraising work as you are truly the difference makers in our community.
UWPC has been active and thriving through the winter months and we are excited about the progress being made. We have reached 64% of our campaign goal of $700,000.
Want to see how your donations help local programs address local issues in our county? Check out our videos featuring a few of our funded partner programs on our YouTube Channel.
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United Way Special Events |
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NCAA Watch Party at Ray's Place Kent - March 15 - Join United Way of Portage County on Friday, March 18th as we host an NCAA Tournament Watch Party to cheer on our favorite teams and raise some funds for our organization!
- Stop out at Ray's Place, upstairs, to have lunch with us, bid on silent auction items and participate in $5 and $10 Squares. This event is open to the public from 11am - 5pm and Ray's Place will graciously be donating a portion of the food & drink sales during the event to United Way of Portage County to help us continue fighting for the health, education and financial stability of every person in our community.
- If you are unable to attend the event but would like to purchase squares, please reach out to Julia Colecchi or Bill Childers.
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Reverse Raffle - April - United Way's first annual Reverse Raffle will be held in April at The NEW Center. The specific date is still TBA. Attendees will enjoy a fun-filled event featuring dinner and drinks, a GRAND PRIZE, raffles and a United Way Annual Campaign update. Individual tickets are $60 and two tickets are $100. More details to come.
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FUNdraiser Concert - June 11 - A concert featuring The Bluffett Band, a Jimmy Buffett Tribute at who has been performing for over 20 years, will be held on Saturday, June 11 at The Kent Stage to benefit United Way. More details to come.
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For more information about United Way events, sponsorships or to
donate a silent auction item, please contact Julia Colecchi at
juliac@uwportage.org or call 330.297.1424
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Ways to Give to United Way |
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Community Impact
Maureen Gebhardt - maureeng@uwportage.org - 330.297.1424 x4
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United Way Grant Application Open for Health Focused Programs
Each year program review and grant making are governed by a volunteer review team and approved by the United Way Board of Directors. United Way values accountability, transparency, and openness throughout all stages of the decision-making process.
The 3-year funding cycle process alternates each year between Health, Education, and Financial Stability focused programs. This year being Health focused programs, any non-profit program with a focus on health serving Portage County residents is eligible to apply. Grant applications are available online at uwportage.org.
You can view a list of our current funded community partners HERE.
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Volunteer with United Way
ï»żIn partnership with Kent State University, we are preparing to kick off our next literacy kit project. These kits will be distributed to over 900 local kindergarten students late spring 2022. This is a volunteer opportunity you can do at home! If you would like to help promote early grade reading by volunteering your time, please register HERE. You can go to uwportage.org/make-reading-fun to learn more about this program and view past kits.
If you are a nonprofit in need of volunteers, please reach out to Maureen Gebhardt. Your organization can create a page to request volunteers for your programs and projects year round!
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Giving Well Family Foundation Grants
United Way's Community Needs Grants provide funding outside of our existing long-term Community Impact Grants. United Wayâs Community Needs Grants are made possible by the support of the Giving Well Family Foundation. Between 2020 and 2021, The Giving Well Family Foundation supported 17 organizations and their projects, totaling more than $46,000! Some of the programs include Randolph Townships All Inclusive Playground, additional refrigeration and carts for Streetsboro Community Pantry, and a Daily Animal Care Program at Trinity Farms.
These grants allow United Way to remain nimble and responsive to changes in community conditions, needs and agency activities. Although these grants are designed to meet emerging needs or one-time projects, the overall project outcomes should still align with United Way of Portage Countyâs long-range focus on education, health and financial stability. The grants are open to all eligible health and human service organizations operating within Portage County. Organizations can apply here.
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Our Community Funded Partner Programs
Maureen Gebhardt - maureeng@uwportage.org - 330.297.1424 x4
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Home Town Recovery Housing
Hope Town promotes long-term recovery, self-initiative, and increased independence by providing residents with access to the resources they need to make lifestyle changes. Hope Town Recovery Housing aims to remove common barriers to successful recovery by providing affordable housing in conjunction with other services to help residents and the recovery community at large sustain quality of life improvements. They work with residents to make lifestyle changes that help them transition.
In 2021, Hope Town finished the 20 bed men's recovery house and are scheduled to complete a 15 bed women's recovery house by April 2022. They also purchased two vehicles and started a transportation service! In the last 6 months, men in the recovery house performed over 1000 hours of local community service in the past 6 months. Read more at their website.
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Habiat for Humanity
Habitat for Humanity of Portage County continues to build houses for those in need through the COVID-19 outbreak. The ReStore in Kent remains open with safe distancing practices in place.
In 2021, one family moved into their forever home! A family of four had been turned down by four banks to own a home and desperately wanted out of their currently living situation. Area churches and Habitat built them a beautiful home in Atwater which they can cherish and hope to "grow old in."
For volunteer opportunities, please contact office@habitatofportage.org.
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Salvation Army
The Salvation Army serving Portage County is dedicated to the service of humanity through the love of God. The two locations offer social services that range from food assistance to emergency aid.
The Salvation Army provides food pantries on the 1st Wednesday of each month in the Kent State Parking lot across from Christian Life Center from 8:30-1pm AND the 4th Tuesday of each month at 9005 Wilverne in Windham from 8:30am-1pm. Visit their Facebook page to learn more.
Volunteer Opportunities: Receptionist needed Monday and Friday. Pantry workers to prepare food boxes.The Salvation Army is also in great need of cleaning products and personal hygiene products.
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Girls on The Run
GOTR is a confidence-building program for girls in 3rd through 8th grade. The program has been adapted to ensure the health and safety of our volunteers and program participants. Activities have been modified to allow for social distancing and individual program materials, such as personal workbooks and markers, to ensure materials do not need to be shared. A virtual programming option has been added to allow girls to participate who prefer to not attend in-person programming. In 2021, GOTR was hosted at West Main Elementary in Ravenna. Stephanie worked with, Leslee Keegan CPT, NCSF, from I'MPOWER Fitness Center who provided shoes for the girls from Shoe Store: Sports Xpress in Ravenna. To learn more or volunteer your time, visit girlsontherun.org
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Kidney Foundation of Ohio
The Kidney Foundation of Ohio provides direct financial assistance to patients suffering from renal (kidney) disease that enables them to receive their lifesaving medications and treatments. In 2021, the Foundation served over 1,000 patients. Mr. Venmeyer travels almost 20 miles round trip for dialysis appointment three times a week. He has a small monthly income and is grateful for the Foundations assistance so he is able to afford gas to get to his treatments.
The Foundation is experiencing an increase in requests for assistance for transportation, medication and emergency assistance. Patients suffering from kidney disease are particularly vulnerable to experiencing COVID-19. Dialysis patients who contract COVID-19 must go to an isolation unit, which can be a far distance from their regular dialysis unit. Patients can struggle to afford the extra expenses. To donate, visit the website here.
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Student Run Free Clinic at NEOMED (SOAR)
The Student Run Free Clinic at NEOMED provides primary medical care to the uninsured and underinsured of the surrounding communities of NEOMED. The SOAR clinic implemented Telehealth and Electronic Health Record during the pandemic. Behavioral Health Counseling was also added.
In 2021, The SOAR clinic saw 288 patients in 48 clinic dates. It provided over 400 cost free laboratory tests to the uninsured or underinsured population of NE Ohio.
Volunteer Opportunities: Primary Care Providers and Licensed Pharmacists are need to precept students during clinic days. SOAR is also in search of Registered Dieticians or dietician students that need clinical hours.
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Big Brothers, Big Sisters
Big Brothers, Big Sisters provides children facing adversity with strong and enduring, one-on-one mentoring relationships. The program is looking for volunteers to join the community-based mentoring program. Volunteers must be able to spend 12 hours per month, for at least one year, with their match. Volunteers spend quality one-on-one time with their match, participating in activities such as taking a walk in the park, listening to music, going to a football game, playing board games or going to a museum. If you're interested in becoming a Big Brother or Big Sister, visit their website.
HAPPY RETIREMENT ANDREA NEIDERT! 37 YEARS OF SERVICE!!
Congratulations to Gabrielle Harris on becoming the new Program Manager!
BBBS has relocated to a new office at 640 W. Main St. Ravenna.
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Goodwill Industries Looking for Board Members
Goodwill Industries serving Summit, Portage, Medina, Ashland and Richland Counites is seeking imaginative leaders to join its Board of Directors. Goodwill Akronâs mission is to help individuals prepare for, find and retain employment. www.goodwillakron.org
Please contact Goodwillâs President & CEO, Nan McClenaghan at nmcclenaghan@goodwillakron.org or at 330-786-2520 for more information about the agency and role you could play.
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United Way of Portage County | 330-297-1424 | www.uwportage.org |
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