United Way

of Roanoke Valley

Dear Campaign Managers,        

The weather is now a little cooler, the leaves are changing and soups and ciders are now in season. With Fall officially starting, most of our work place campaigns have officially started kicked off. We hope that all of you are experiencing success with your campaigns thus far. If you have not started quite yet or you are not sure just where to start, we have our final ECM training on September 22nd. There is still time to RSVP! The details are below.

Thank you all for the work that you have done and continue to do!

 Best Wishes,

The Development Team 

Campaign Highlights

Wachovia, A Wells Fargo Company has transitioned into Wells Fargo which is exciting news for not only the company but our community. The Wells Fargo team locally has already begun their United Way campaign and they are excelling as Givers, Advocates and Volunteers. With 46 new volunteers and nearly 200 people now educated on the work that United Way and it's partners do in the community, Wells Fargo is certainly Living United.  

 (left to right) Charles Gattuso, Julie Lemonds-Bouche, Angela McGuire and Pam O'Neal  

Veteran ECM Bruce Wood found the formula to having a successful United Way campaign. You take a few energetic employees, add a dunking booth with the CEO and voila! Employees enjoyed a fun filled week of activities while helping to advance the common good. The ECM team at Virginia Utility Protection Services enjoyed a company car wash, candy stand, raffles for prizes, omlette breakfasts, and dunking booth.

Need help forming your campaign team or how to use a team approach for your United Way campaign? Get help from the seasoned professionals. The campaign team from The Roanoke Times, who were featured in the last ECM Bulletin, would be glad to share their wealth of knowledge. Contact Karen Belcher, Karen.Belcher@roanoke.com for tips on how to best use a team approach to acheive campaign suceess.   

 (From left to right) Keith Liles, Tracy Brown, Amanda Codispoti, Karen Belcher, Tina McEnheimer, Joseph Park, and Yvette Andrews (not pictured)

Community Impact News

Today, young Americans are less likely to earn a diploma than young people in other industrialized countries. Missing this milestone can have detrimental effects. High school graduation is the single most powerful predictor of whether a young person coming from generations of poverty will break the cycle. A high school graduate will earn average 74% more over a lifetime than a high school dropout.  Moreover, those who earn a diploma are 15% more likely to be employed than their peers who drop out.  Roanoke Valley education statistics affirm that this issue needs to be a local priority. About 1 out of every 5 ninth-grade students will not graduate from high school on time and will be left behind his peers.   

This is why United Way is focused on investing in Education, making sure that children and youth have the support and skills that they need to succeed in school and life. Your gifts to the United Way Impact Fund support quality after- and out- of- school programs that encourage academic achievement and positive youth development among youth in the Roanoke Valley. Through the trusting relationships developed with adult role models, youth build essential life skills needed in our community's future workforce. United Way's partnerships with the schools, business, government and other nonprofits are critical to this support system.  

This past year, 78% of youth in UW-funded programs were able to maintain at least a C average in their academics and 83% improved their school attendance. Among the 5,500 youth lives touched by UW were 193 middle and high school students, who are the first in their family to potentially finish high school, receiving support to help them to progress to the next grade level and for some, enroll in a college access program.

You too can LIVE UNITED by doing your part to improve Education in the Roanoke Valley!  

GIVE.  Support your United Way workplace campaign and give to the Impact Fund. Your gifts allow us to continue making a difference in the lives of over 5,500 youth in the Roanoke Valley who depend on UW-funded after and out of school programming. 

ADVOCATE.  Talk to others about the importance Education in our success as a community!  Be a role model to a youth in your neighborhood and encourage others in supporting them during this critical stage of their growth.

VOLUNTEER.  Sign up to be a volunteer mentor, tutor or homework helper at various youth programs in the community or at your place of worship. 

Visit http://uwrv.org/Education.php  to learn more about how United Way is making a difference in Education!

CLICK HERE TO RSVP 

Calling All Commonwealth Society Members!
 

Please share the following invite with any Commonwealth Society Members at your company. Just RSVP to Sonya, print the invitation and bring it with you for admission, popcorn, candy and a drink!