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 United Way Kicks off 2010 Campaign
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United Way St. Croix Valley
will launch its 2010 Campaign on Friday, September 10 which will run through
November 19. The annual campaign will fund United Way
initiatives and more than seventy local nonprofit programs serving Pierce,
Polk and St. Croix County residents.
This year's Campaign Chair
is board member Warren Schneider, who has been working with United Way staff
and volunteers to help ensure a successful fundraising campaign. "The demand for services has grown dramatically during the past
two years so we are asking everyone with the ability to help their neighbors to
give generously," said Schneider. "Every donation, large
or small, will make a difference in someone's life," he continued.
United Way St.
Croix Valley relies heavily on employee giving through workplace campaigns.
"Our proximity to the Twin Cities means that many local residents commute and
it is very important that they remember to designate our local United Way if
they give at work," said Executive Director John
Coughlin. United Way will be sending a mailing to every household in
mid-September. The brochure highlights
the many programs and services supported by the annual campaign. "Together, we can make sure that no child
goes to school hungry and worried about where she will sleep that night," said Coughlin.
To help launch the campaign, United Way St. Croix Valley is
encouraging sports fans to participate in Back to Football Friday on September
10. Back to Football Friday, celebrates
the United Way and NFL PLAY 60 partnership to end childhood obesity and advance
youth health and wellness. Fans can show
their NFL team pride at work or school by wearing their jersey or team colors. One lucky participant will win a trip for two
to this year's Super Bowl. For more information and to sign up go to http://liveunited.org/pages/backtofootball
For more information on United Way St. Croix Valley or this year's
campaign visit http://www.unitedwaystcroix.org
or contact Linda Lia at 715-377-0203 ext. 105 or lia@unitedwaystcroix.org.
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Meet Board Member Steven Snell
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Steven Snell is one of the newest members of the United Way St. Croix Valley Board of Directors. He has been involved with United Way for many years in Polk County, and has been a major part of Polk County United Way's transition from United Way of Washington County - East to United Way St. Croix Valley.
Tell us a
little about your background; where are you from in Polk County? What do you do
for a living there? I've lived in Polk County all my
life, graduated from St. Croix Falls High School and now reside outside of
Osceola. I have an Engineering degree from the University of Minnesota, and
have worked for UFE Inc. for just short of 27 years as an Engineer and
Engineering Manager.
How long
have you been involved with United Way and in what capacity?
Just shortly after starting my career at UFE, I was asked by
my manager to attend a meeting of the Dresser
Area United Way in his place (I thought a
one-time deal). That was over 20 years ago, and I haven't stopped. We
started as a small group doing allocations meetings once per year, and evolved
into the Polk County United Way, with a full advisory
board and monthly meetings. I also started
representing Polk County on the United Way of Washington County - East board as
the Vice President of Collaborations over the past three years. I now serve as Vice President of the United Way St Croix Valley
board.
Why did you
decide to join the United Way St. Croix Valley Board of Directors?
I am totally committed to the recent transition of the Polk
County United Way to United Way St. Croix Valley. I believe it is the right thing to do, and the best way for
our United Way to survive and grow. I really
wanted to be a part of that transition, so it was an easy choice for me to
volunteer for the board. It has been a very interesting experience
learning the subtle differences between this board and the United Way of
Washington County - East board. I do want to acknowledge, however, that I
will greatly miss the UWWCE board. I
have served on many different boards and executive committees in the past, and they have
one of the best, most active I have ever worked
with.
How do you
think Polk County joining United Way St. Croix Valley will benefit the people
of Polk County?
This is an easy one. One of
the bigger hurdles we face in the United Way is making sure people know who we are and what we do. By re-aligning Polk County with United Way St. Croix Valley, we now have a cohesive block of Western
Wisconsin counties that we can serve as one front,
one uniform message to the people of Polk, St. Croix, Pierce, Washburn and Burnett
counties. Trying to explain to Polk County residents how to give to their
local United Way used to be very confusing, now it is much more intuitive.
What is your
favorite part of being a United Way St. Croix Valley Board member so far?
This is a bit tougher, as I am still fairly new. I
would have to say that working on the sub-committees has been very informative
and challenging. That is where a lot of the real work is done, and they had done a lot of the work prior to Polk County joining
them.
Finally,
just for fun, since the national United Way theme this year is NFL and youth
fitness, what do you think of Brett Favre?
I'm not
much of a Pro football fan. Too many egos, not enough people just out for
the game. I much prefer the high school and college games where most of the athletes are
there to play, not just get paid. And as a U of M grad, GO GOPHERS!
Thank you to Steven for taking the time to do this interview.
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Student United Way School Supply Drive
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United Way St. Croix Valley's partner organization at the University of Wisconsin - River Falls, the Student United Way, will be holding a school supply drive for local schools and United Way agencies through September and October. If you would like to donate any of the following needed items or would like more information, please contact Liz Stolte at elizabeth.stolte@uwrf.edu.
Needed Items:
Notebooks
Folders
Crayons
Markers
Pencils
Pens
Glue
sticks
Broad point markers in classic colors
Fine point
markers in classic colors
Colored pencils
Pencil boxes
Scissors
"No odor"
dry erase pens
Books
Soap
Band-aids
Tissues
Art supplies
"Girl-colored" backpacks
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FamilyWize Discount Cards Now Available for Download
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Together, with very little effort, and no cost, we can reduce the
cost of medicine by an average of 30% or more. 95% of the pharmacies
nationwide have agreed to provide lower pricing to everyone that brings
in a FamilyWize prescription drug discount card.
Please feel free to
download your own FamilyWize discount card from our website. We have also provided a list of
local participating pharmacies and an informational flyer.
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