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United Way of Central Kentucky hosts Project United
Edited from an article published in the News-Enterprise, dated Oct. 14, 2011
The interior of the American Red Cross office in Elizabethtown smelled strongly of paint last week as volunteers maneuvered carefully around each other to renovate the interior and exterior of the building as a part of United Way of Central Kentucky's (UWCK) second annual Project United initiative.
UWCK's Project United is aimed at helping the community in a very visible way, while highlighting the United Way's work in the area. Christopher Wilborn, UWCK's Executive Director sees the initiative as exciting for volunteers and meaningful for those who benefit from the work. Last year's project resulted in nearly $70,000 worth of improvements and inkind donations for Panther Place, an after-school program for Elizabethtown Independent Schools. Volunteer teams come from area companies throughout the United Way service area.
Wilborn said that last year's project was so successful that volunteers took on the Red Cross building this year, which serves much of UWCK's service area. "At the end of the day, really everyone wins," he said. "The project will leave the Red Cross office with good-looking facilities and give the volunteers a sense of the work we do. Based on the community's feedback and enthusiasm, we would love to have this be a cornerstone of service each year."
Sharon Thompson, director of the Red Cross office, said employees and volunteers are thrilled about the work being done. The Red Cross has operated in the building for about 20 years, and the facility was used by another business before that. She thinks the changes will help the Red Cross' mission by giving volunteers a more pleasant-looking place to work. "To have this happen is just like a dream come true," she said.
Work also began on the Red Cross office at Fort Knox, which is expected to be a more extended project. UWCK serves Hardin, Breckinridge, Grayson, LaRue and Meade counties. To learn more, visit unitedwayck.org.
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America's Promise announces '100 Best Communities for Young People', Five Kentucky communities win
 In a celebration of America's young people and the communities most dedicated to helping local youth graduate from high school, America's Promise Alliance has announced the 2011 list of 100 Best Communities for Young People.
This year, out of more than 300 nominated communities in all 50 states and Washington, D.C., five Kentucky communities and two additional communities served by Kentucky United Ways in adjacent states have been named in the top 100. They were chosen by a distinguished panel of judges, including some of the nation's most well-known civic, business and nonprofit leaders.
The Kentucky Winners are:
Barren County (Two-time winner)
Clark County (Two-time winner)
Lexington (Five-time winner)
Louisville (Five-time winner)
Paducah
Additional winners served by Kentucky-affiliated United Ways:
Cincinnati, OH (served by United Way of Greater Cincinnati - Northern Kentucky, two-time winner)
Floyd County, IN (served by Metro United Way of Louisville)
Only California and Florida have more award winning communities than Kentucky in 2011 (7 each). Note that many United Way funded programs and partner agencies are listed in the winner descriptions. To learn more about the winners and the 100 Best Communities for Young People Competition, click here.
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 Why evaluating the executive matters
Last week, United Way of Kentucky announced the hiring of its new President and CEO, Doug Eberhart. In the wake of this new era for our organization, we have the opportunity to reflect on where United Way of Kentucky has succeeded in the past, and where we are going in the future.
Yesterday, Blue Avocado published a timely article addressing the importance of evaluating the executive, not only for reviewing the executive's performance, but also as a vehicle for getting everyone -- board and staff -- on the same page about organizational goals for the coming year.
The article addresses the frustrations that can arise from the process, and all the reasons why boards should take full advantage of the opportunity, instead of treating it as an obligation. Check it out.
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Statewide groups report that achievement gaps impair state education progress
Achievement gaps continue to impair Kentucky's overall education progress, according to an analysis of state test scores released today by the Council for Better Education, the Kentucky Association of School Councils and the Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence. Kentucky schools are falling especially short with students with disabilities, limited English proficiency, and African-American backgrounds. Low-income and Hispanic students also scored well below their peers.
United Ways across the state are working with school districts and community organizations to address these deficiencies. Stu Silberman, executive director of the Prichard Committee, saw the report as "a call to action for all Kentucky adults on behalf of all our children." Silberman added that the point of the report was to see the trends clearly and encourage all stakeholders to keep attention on raising performance during the testing transition.
The full report is available at www.kasc.net, along with results for each school and district in Kentucky.
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