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Disney World Raffle Brings Additional Dollars to United Way Campaign thanks to Morley! | |
In efforts to help with our annual fundraising campaign, our friends at Morley graciously donated a fantastic Disney World Package for United Way to raffle off. Board members, staff and community volunteers started selling tickets in January, either 1 ticket for $10 or 3 tickets for $25. The package, valued at $4,500, included the following:
- Round-trip airline tickets from your home city to Orlando, Florida
- Accommodations for four nights/five days at one of the four premier Disney properties
- Four, five day Park Hopper tickets
The response that we received selling tickets for this trip was absolutely phenomenal. We were selling tickets up to the last minute of the drawing and in total sold 1,542 tickets. On Wednesday, February 27, our board member, Steve Schlicht drew ticket #0250 from the group. Congratulations to Rich Kemerer who was the lucky ticket holder!
Thank you to everyone who supported this raffle by purchasing a ticket or selling tickets to your family, friends and coworkers. It is because of your help and because of the great prize from Morley that we were able to raise an additional $13,000 for our annual campaign! |
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Nonprofit Best Practices Management Certificate Program - Seeking Participants
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 Again this year, United Way of Saginaw County is partnering with Saginaw Valley State University to host the Nonprofit Best Practices Management Certificate Program. This program is designed for current and future staff or managers of local nonprofit agencies. The program is focused on informing nonprofit leaders about administrative excellence and connecting students with instructors who have experience in the field as well as in the classroom. The program offers a unique blend of theory, group activities and case studies to meet each participant at his or her level.
The certificate curriculum consists of 36 classroom hours and is hosted at Saginaw Valley State University. The certificate is awarded upon completion of 10 three-hour workshops, one six-hour grant writing workshop and one six-hour Capstone Presentation session.
The next set of classes will begin on March 20, 2013. More event details as well as cost and grant information can be found here. You can register through SVSU by clicking the following link - REGISTER NOW. |
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AmeriCorps Members Participate in Point In Time (PIT) Count
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Throughout the year AmeriCorps members are required to take an active role in their community as well  as help out wherever needed. This year, the United Way of Saginaw County AmeriCorps members were asked by the Saginaw County Community Mental Health Authority to help with the community's required Point In Time (PIT) Count.
The Point In Time Count is an annual report that is submitted to the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and influences funding decisions at the federal government level. Communities are required to complete a PIT Count of their sheltered homeless population annually and their unsheltered homeless population biannually. The goal of both is to provide a picture of what homelessness in our communities and our nation looks like on a night during the last week of January. The PIT Count for 2013 included both the unsheltered and sheltered components. Data will be released in Spring 2013.
Members assisted with the count on January 23, 2013. As they helped, the members had an eye-opening experience, seeing first-hand the harsh conditions that homeless individuals endure on a daily basis. They met a diverse group of homeless people at designated locations throughout Saginaw, such as homeless warming centers, soup kitchens and community centers. As they counted, members and other volunteers helped to pass out resources and information to those in need so that homeless individuals could access the many resources Saginaw has to offer. Each AmeriCorps member greatly enjoyed giving back to the community through this important event. |
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VITA Sites Open and Preparing Taxes
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Free tax preparation is available to Saginaw County residents  who cannot afford to pay to have their taxes prepared for them. The VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance) program is available at 10 locations throughout Saginaw County. Dates and times vary by location.
Please visit our website for a full list of VITA sites, dates and times. |
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5 Minutes with UWSC 2013 Campaign Chair
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Name: Craig Goslin
Title: President/Managing Partner/ Governor - Saginaw Spirit Hockey Club
Interests: Family, faith, Saginaw Spirit, golf, boating and vacationing in Estero, Florida
Where did you grow up? I am from proud Polish heritage from the south end of Bay City. I am the proud son of Ray and Jan Goslin, who may be the two nicest people on the planet. I am very lucky to have parents like the ones God blessed me with.
Family: My wife, Karolyn, and I have three children - Brent Wolgast (24), Jaclyn Goslin (19) and Kevin Wolgast (19). Brent and Kevin are my step-sons but only in name. Their father is the late Mark Wologast, who was a very strong supporter of Saginaw County. Brent and Kevin have inherited many of their father's characteristics both as good people and as hard workers.
Favorite restaurant: Harvey's! Karolyn and I are regulars there and know the managers by name and interests. We find Harvey's menu diverse and the food quality is consistently excellent.
What brought you to Saginaw County? Starting in 1984 through 2001, I worked in and around Saginaw County as a Manufacturer's Representative for Hilti, Inc. My friend and mentor, Dick Garber, hired me in 2001 to manage the business operations of the Saginaw Spirit and later asked me to become his managing partner of the franchise. Working for and with Dick Garber has been the highlight of my business career and an honor. He encourages us to make it part of our weekly fabric to support Saginaw County in many ways, as that is what he is all about.
How/when did you become involved with United Way?
I have been a United Way supporter since 1984 in one way or another. Dick Garber has always encouraged his staff at Garber Management Group, the Saginaw Spirit and his dealerships to support United Way because of all United Way does to improve Saginaw County.
Favorite United Way Event/Program? It is extremely gratifying to see so many different economic backgrounds and cultures brought together to support the partner agencies and efforts of the United Way. For that reason, I find it impossible to pick a favorite. I will say that near and dear to my heart are agencies that are "kid related".
What are you most looking forward to in your role as Campaign Chair? I am filling big shoes as Jeff Martin's successor. I am looking forward to working with Jeff (he thought he was done but I am certain that he will still be a big part of this year's campaign) as well as all the past chairs. My goal is to develop a business strategy to identify the Saginaw County companies who are not currently engaged with supporting United Way. I am looking forward to working with Cherrie Benchley and her fine staff to develop a sales and marketing strategy to communicate with these prospective companies. I also want to find a way to engage these companies and their employees so we can grow our available resources so the United Way of Saginaw County can do more and more in the future to better our community. |
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Jeremy Reinart and Tabitha Spencer Join United Way Team | |
 Jeremy Reinert is currently serving as the System Administrator for the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) database. He provides training and technical assistance to local homeless assistance providers that are required by their funding sources or their affiliation to the Saginaw County Consortium of Homeless Assistance Providers (SC-CHAP) to enter data into the database. He also analyzes the data and submits reports to the federal, state and governments that impact the amount of funding that the community receives. Jeremy is from Frankenmuth but currently resides in Birch Run with his wife and six month old son. He is a graduate of Saginaw Valley State University. He can be reached at (989) 755-0505, ext. 207 or by email.
The AmeriCorps Community Resource Navigator (CRN) position has been filled by Tabitha Spencer. As the CRN, her time is split betw een assisting clients at various locations in Saginaw County with MiBridges applications, coordinating trainings for other agencies on MiBridges navigation and promoting the different resources that are available to Saginaw County residents. This program offers community members an opportunity to get access to the benefits that they either did not know existed or did not know they would qualify for. It is also helpful for the agencies to receive training so they may better assist their clients. Tabitha was born and raised in Gladwin on Secord Lake. She and her husband reside in Midland. She can be reached at (989) 755-0505, ext. 206 or by email. |
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2013 Special Events Calendar | |
We know that you are super busy but be sure to check out our 2013 Special Events Calendar. This way you will have all the dates for our upcoming events ahead of time and can be sure to make it to your favorite United Way of Saginaw County event. |
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Show Me The Money Day | |
Please join us for our second annual financial themed event on Saturday, March 23 from 8:30 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. The event will be hosted at 1st Congregational Church (403 S. Jefferson Ave.) and features helpful information on many topics, including:
- Finding Hidden Cash
- Learning How to Repair Your Credit
- Avoiding Fraud/Identity Theft
Plus, each participant will have the opportunity to win prizes, including a $500 Meijer Gift Card.
This event is proudly sponsored by the CRA Bankers Forum.
For more information, visit our website or contact Marsha Cooley. |
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2013 Annual Meeting | |
Please join us as we celebrate and highlight our 2012 accomplishments and honor those who LIVE UNITED every day in our community at our Annual Meeting on April 18. Invitations will be mailed in March.
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Starting Leadership Early | |
"My name is Theo Ontiveroz and I serve with the Boy Scouts of America through United Way's AmeriCorps program. This has been a good month of service, particularly in Saginaw Public Schools. At Kempton Elementary, a third grader has me searching alternate ways to help others who are suffering from drug/substance abuse. His concern is for a loved one in his family. He fears this person may do something to hurt himself.
I gave the student a few options to help this person because he was really intent on helping. During our next week's discussion, the student seemed to have achieved a bit of progress with this person. He was eager to ask me additional questions that may be able to help the situation. His determination to not give up on someone that is at a low in their life is very inspiring to me. The information and confidence we provide these students can create a domino effect of leaders in the community, even at the grade school level."
~Submitted by Theo Ontiveroz |
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Getting involved is fun! Here are a few highlighted volunteer opportunities in our community: | |
Ticket sellers are needed to help sell 50/50 tickets and programs before the start of a sports event. It is a great way to interact with the public.
Librarian needed to help oversee music library; input titles, organize shelves and accept donations. Hours would be flexible, 1-3 days per week from 4 - 7 p.m.
Special event volunteers are need to help with team recruitment, sponsorships, kickoff parties, day of event logistics and more.
If you are interested in any of these volunteer opportunities or would like to get involved in the community, please contact Henrietta Watson at (989) 755-0505, ext. 216.
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| 7 Graduate from Bay and Saginaw County UCAN Classes | |
Last month we reported that the Labor Liaisons from United Way of Saginaw and Bay County were teaming up to host Union Community Activist Network (UCAN) classes for labor members in both communities. This month we are proud to report that 7 students have now received certification for completing the course.
Congratulations to the following:
- Mike Weber, USW Local 12934
- Kenneth Gerding, UAW Local 467
- Joette Maschke, AFGE Local 3272
- Ron Roberts, UAW Local 699
- Jackie Anklam, USW Local 9899
- Sue Marshall, USW Local 9899
- Steven Schlicht, UAW Local 467
These seven graduates will be able to go back to their local unions and workplaces with more knowledge on United Way, our partnering agencies and other resources available in their communities.
For more information or to find out how you can become involved with these classes in the future, please contact Labor Liaison, Steve Lamb at (989) 755-0505, ext. 204. |
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United Way 'Check Off' | |
When filing your 2012 state income taxes be sure to fill out form 4642, which allows tax payers to donate all or part of their tax return to the United Way Fund. This fund has been created to help assist low to moderate income families in Michigan with basic needs such as food, clothing and shelter.
All donations made to the United Way Fund will be used to help support local families. Donations made by taxpayers in Saginaw County will benefit those in need in our community.
Please remember to "check off" for the United Way Fund. |
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