United Way
Salina Area United Way
Issue 9
  September 2014


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Community Information
Campaign Update
We are very excited to announce that Annie Grevas will be this year's 2014-2015 Campaign Chair, while Lara Duran will be the 2014 Workplace Campaign Chair. Thank you both for your commitment to LIVE UNITED!
Hunger in Kansas
According to Feeding America, 1 in 6 Americans face hunger. In 2012 over 8,000 people were food insecure in Saline County.
Community Corner
September is Attendance Awareness Month. Chronic absence is linked to poor performance in school, health issues, and disengagement in essential stages of learning. Advocate for attendance and learn more by visiting www.attendanceworks.org
Campaign Kickoff 2014
Salina Area United Way is hosting a new kind of Campaign Kickoff event, and we need YOUR help to make it happen! This year we are bringing a way for everyone in the community to be involved in making a difference. Over the course of 2 hours, with the help of at least 200 volunteers, we will be packaging 50,000 macaroni and cheese meals. All the meals will then be donated to Salina Area organizations with food pantries or food services. The event will take place Friday, September 26 from 7-9AM at the Salina Bicentennial Center. The cost to participate is $10/person, and registration is required. Click the link below to learn more about the event and register.
The theme for workplace campaign this year is What This Place Needs. Think about the type of community you want to live in. Now think about the type of community you already live in. Do the two overlap? What can you do to achieve the community you want? Small steps can be taken every day to better our lives and the lives of those around us. Lead by example, speak up at a city commission meeting, or get involved with a cause you are passionate about. 
August 2014 food packaging event at Bethel College
United Way Priority: Spotlight on Income
by Amanda Michaelis, Executive Director
Simply put, financial stability is having a monetary safety net. When I read that 19% of Kansas children are in poverty (from the 2014 Kids Count Profile) and that the Urban Institute estimates that 30% of American households live from paycheck to paycheck, I was shocked. Most of the time, we think of those who fall into our work in the "income" sector as those who are 'in poverty.' However, if 30% of us are living from paycheck to paycheck, we have to broaden our scope. We cannot go on thinking that we need only to identify and "fix" those who are in the grips of poverty.  We have to assume that there are many others who don't fit our traditional definition of poor, and at any minute would have a life-changing event and are no longer able to live the life they are accustomed to. If there is no monetary safety net for 1/3 of our population, another economic downturn could literally wipe out entire communities...
Internal Coordinators, register at this link for a training session on how to run a successful campaign.
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Salina Area United Way / 128 N. Santa Fe / Suite 3A / Salina, KS / 67401
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