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Live United means being a part of the change. It takes everyone in the community, working together to create a brighter future. Together, we can accomplish more than any single group can on its own.
Advancing the common good means creating opportunities for a better life for all. When we reach out a hand to one, we influence the condition of all. We all win when a child succeeds in school, when families are financially stable and when people have good health. These results/changes have benefits that have a ripple effect throughout the community as a whole. |
| THANK YOU!
When our United Way developed its 2008 Campaign Goal, no one predicted the economic challenges that would confront our community and the country as a whole. Usually, during challenging economic times, there is an inverse relationship between the needs and the resources available. The needs increase when the economy declines. This is true in Genesee County.
However, what is also true is when our community is asked to contribute during hard economic times, it responds even more generously in helping make a difference in the lives of children, older adults and families.
Our 2008 campaign funds will provide United Way with the resources needed to continue investing in programs that advance the common good:
- Enable seniors to continue living independently in their homes.
- Provide children with the skills they need to succeed in school.
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Enable members of our community, without health insurance, to get free, lifesaving, prescription drugs.
We would like to offer our sincere thanks and appreciation to the donors whose contributions made it possible for us to fund the programs we do; to the volunteers who helped raise the needed dollars; to the coordinators who worked tirelessly on United Way's behalf and to our ambassadors and champions at the workplace; to the various labor organizations - including the UAW, as well as the AFL-CIO and its affiliate organizations, for their strong support and continuous dedication to our community.
Your gifts influence the conditions of those in need and improve the quality of life for everyone in our community.
Thank you for LIVING UNITED, by investing in United Way of Genesee County. We appreciate your partnership in advancing the common good.
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Prevent Carbon Monoxide Exposure
Public health officials are warning that severe winter weather and a struggling economy could combine to make one of the season's common killers, carbon monoxide poisoning, even worse this year. Carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless, tasteless gas that can lead to illness, brain damage - and death. See the tips posted below from the Centers for Disease Control on preventing carbon monoxide exposure.
You Can Prevent Carbon Monoxide Exposure:
- Do have your heating system, water heater and any other gas, oil, or coal burning appliances serviced by a qualified technician every year.
- Do install a battery-operated CO detector in your home and check or replace the battery when you change the time on your clocks each spring and fall. If the detector sounds, leave your home immediately and call 911.
- Do seek prompt medical attention if you suspect CO poisoning and are feeling dizzy, light-headed, or nauseous.
- Don't use a generator, charcoal grill, camp stove, or other gasoline or charcoal-burning device inside your home, basement, or garage or near a window.
- Don't run a car or truck inside a garage attached to your house, even if you leave the door open.
- Don't burn anything in a stove or fireplace that isn't vented.
- Don't heat your house with a gas oven.
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EITC (Earned Income Tax Credit)
Are you eligible?
The EITC (Earned Income Tax Credit) is a tax break for working families and individuals. It is designed to reduce the tax burden on struggling families and supplement the wages of low and moderate income workers. Last year, millions of dollars went unclaimed by people who did not know they qualified for the EITC.
Families and individuals who qualify for the EITC may also be eligible to receive other tax credits such as the Michigan Homestead Property Credit, the Federal Child and Dependent Care Credit, the Michigan Home Heating Credit and federal and state child credits and deductions.
The EITC generally does not affect Public Assistance benefits and is not counted as income when determining eligibility for example; Medicaid, SSI, food stamps and other programs.
The Michigan EITC Statewide Coalition offers a website: www.michiganeic.org that explains the EITC in more detail.
There are VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance) sites to help people fill out their tax forms for free! Please check the list posted below for Genesee County VITA sites. For further information you can call Resource Genesee at 767-0500.
Trained AARP Volunteers provide free tax help for taxpayers with low and middle incomes, with special attention to those aged 60 and older. For a site near you log on to: www.aarp.org/taxaide or call 1-888-AARP-NOW.
For fee income tax preparation sites available in Genesee County click here. |
The Boys & Girls Club of Greater Flint team, known as the 49ers
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UNITED WAY FUNDING FOR IMPACT FOR CHILD AND YOUTH DEVELOPMENT
One of United Way's impact areas is Child and Youth Development. Two of the elements of youth development are Health and Character Development. One of the programs we fund to help us reach those objectives is the Boys and Girls Club's youth football program.
As you'll read in the following article, it definitely helps to build character. The other, may not be as obvious of a goal, is the importance of being "fit" to be competitive. Teaching fitness, in this case through sports related exercise, is helping United Way reach its goal of reducing the epidemic of childhood obesity in our community.
Club Members Tackle the Competition in Youth Football
Fifteen members of the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Flint, ages seven to nine, recently completed a season in the Barry Stokes' Youth Football League in Davison. These boys were introduced to organized football, and many of them to organized sports, for the first time. Team members practiced three days per week at the Boys & Girls Club, and competed each Saturday in Davison.
The Boys & Girls Club of Greater Flint team, known as the 49ers, was one of 32 teams that represented more than 600 youth participants in the league. After a tough start, the Boys & Girls Club kids pulled together a few wins for the season, and learned a great deal about the game of football.
Volunteer Assistant Coach, Shawn Flood said, "The kids have come a long way in the past two months. They have developed in their sport, but have also learned new concepts of teamwork, leadership and sportsmanship."
The development and success of the football team is a strong representation of the Boys & Girls Club mission, which focuses on enabling young people to become productive, responsible citizens and contributors to their community.
For More Information on the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Flint visit www.bgclubflint.org |
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Give.
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| When you give to United Way, your gift along with your friends, neighbors and thousands of other people's gifts make the greatest impact possible.
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Advocate.
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You can make change happen with your voice. United Way needs people who are passionate about education, income and health to make some noise.
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BE AN ADVOCATE
Forward this eNewsletter
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You can LIVE UNITED by helping us spread the word. Imagine how many people we could reach if everyone would forward this to five people.
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Recycling
Success!
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| We are very pleased to announce that our endeavor on the recycling of used cell phones is paying off in more than two ways, one being our environment, the other, supporting United Way of Genesee County.
Our community has earned $109.75, for recycling 136 used cell phones, thanks to the support of GM Flint Metal Center and The Flint Journal.
Recycling is a continuous effort and it's our responsibility to keep our landfills clean from lead and cadmium metals found in cell phones. These contaminates are associated with cancer and a range of reproductive and developmental disorders. To continue to recycle will save our soil from these dangerous contaminates from leaching into our soil and drinking water.
Thank you again, Flint Journal and GM Flint Metal Center for supporting your United Way and your community by the simple step of recycling.
If you would like to participate and help collect cell
phones, please contact: Tracy Kedovary
@ 810.762.5830.
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Ask the Lawyer Community Seminars 
The Genesee County Bar Association attorneys, in collaboration with the Flint Public Library and Legal Services of Eastern Michigan, is offering an eight part series of free legal advice seminars. Are you being harassed by a debt collector? Is your personal debt out of control? Landlord/tenant disputes? Foreclosure fears? For RSVP, topic, and scheduling information click here! |
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Why do you
LIVE UNITED?
Share your story...
We want to find out why you do what you do. Was there a pivotal moment in your life that made you realize you are committed to advancing the common good? Did an interaction with a special individual help you realize that the mission of United Way was one that you wanted to live?
Tell us your story!!!
Once a month we will choose the best story received, and publish it in our enewsletter and our website.
The winning entry will
receive a "LIVE UNITED"
t-shirt.
EMAIL PHOTOS W/STORIES OR YOUR VIDEO LINKS TO: ameister@unitedwaygenesee.org
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We anxiously await your great story! |
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Click here and join Lola's movement to support the Genesee County Community! | |
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