May 2016
This Saturday: Stamp Out Hunger in our Community!
 
Summer can be a difficult time for food pantries -- children do not receive free or reduced school meals, and donations are slower during vacation season.
 
Together, we can ensure that no one goes hungry! Join us for Stamp Out Hunger, the largest food drive in the nation.

On Saturday May 14, simply fill one or two grocery bags with healthy, non-perishable food items in non-breakable containers and place them next to your mailbox. Your Letter Carrier and volunteers will collect these items throughout the day and distribute them to the Hoosier Hills Food Bank and other local agencies that provide food to those in need.

Rain or shine, your donations will be picked up, so please tie grocery bags closed. Mark your calendar for this Saturday, May 14 and help make Stamp Out Hunger a success!

Volunteer >>           
Spread the word >>           
 
Volunteer Spotlight: Vanessa Vargas 
 
"I thought that volunteering with the Free Community Tax Service would be a great way to be more involved in the community. People are appreciative. Some clients were from very low-income homes and would not have been able to pay for tax assistance, and being able to help was the best part of my experience," Vanessa Vargas, a senior at Indiana University said about her role as a Free Community Tax Service volunteer site coordinator for United Way.
 
According to United Way Community Initiatives Director Jamie Kuzemka, Vanessa went above and beyond in her responsibilities. She volunteered additional hours to help other site coordinators and even helped a bilingual client complete the FAFSA financial aid form. She also is creating a volunteer database United Way will be able to use in future years.

Read more of Vanessa's Story >>

Helping Students Graduate 

May marks the end of the school year and, for many students, high school graduation. Having a high school diploma opens up doors to college, jobs, the military, trades, and other areas that enable students to go on to a fulfilling career.

For some students, obtaining a diploma can be a challenge. One resource available to students, educators, parents, and community members is the High School Plus Coalition's new Roadmap to Success. This online tool tailors results to help each user find a path to graduation. It also compiles information about colleges, training programs, the workforce, ways to pay and save for education after high school, and more.
  
United Way is dedicated to seeing our community's students graduate and go on to achieve their goals. Of the high school seniors enrolled in mentoring programs at member agencies, 98 percent went on to graduate. 
 
Cheers for Our Volunteers!

Hip, hip, hooray for volunteers!
We couldn't fulfill our mission without volunteers whose dedication is making a positive impact on our community.
 
Thanks to our Real Men Read volunteers! During the school year our 18 MENtors take time each month to read to over 400 kindergarteners. Participating in trainings and reading in the classrooms, they collectively volunteered over 600 hours.

Our Free Community Tax Service volunteers just wrapped up another tax season and deserve a hearty round of applause. More than 200 dedicated people from the community, IU, and AARP Tax-Aide spent nearly 3,000 hours at 9 seasonal sites and 8 mobile sites in Monroe and Owen counties helping low- and moderate-income people file their taxes. Additionally, every volunteer participated in at least 10 hours of training to become an IRS-certified tax preparer. Thank you!

Thanks also go to RSVP volunteers from Area 10 Agency on Aging for putting together an entire month's worth of packets for our Let's Read program. Packets include free books and parenting tips, which are distributed to families during well-visits to Riley Physicians at IU Health.

Interested in volunteering for Real Men Read or the Free Community Tax Service? Contact us at info@monroeunitedway.org.
Upcoming Events

Saturday, May 14
Community-wide at your mailbox
The largest, single-day food drive in the nation.
United Way is a proud sponsor 
 
Wednesday, June 8
4 - 7pm
Residents can kick off summer break for free with entertainment, games, food and more.
United Way is a proud sponsor 
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United WayUnited Way of Monroe County is a nonprofit organization that improves people's lives by addressing critical needs today and working to reduce those needs tomorrow. Through our Community Action Fund, Priority Funds, and grant initiatives, we work with 25 member agencies and other community partners to focus resources on the building blocks for a better life: education, earnings, and the essentials.
 
441 S. College Ave, Bloomington, IN 47403 | (812) 334-8370