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UPS Volunteers Help Improve Reading

 

Volunteers met at the Raritan Center Hub in Edison, NJ to help improve reading levels for Central Jersey's most vulnerable children.

Bob Halpin, Customer Solutions United Way Coordinator said, "UPS maintains our commitment to the communities we serve, and this effort to improve grade-level reading will mean more children do well in school, graduate from High School and are self-sufficient in the future. Those children we help today may be part of the future of UPS and the customers we serve"

 

"We know many low-income families cannot afford to buy books for their children, so this is an effort to promote reading at home," said Gloria Aftanski, President of United Way of Central Jersey.

 

Volunteers assembled Literacy Kits including books and related games and also wrote a letter to the young recipients. Here are some of the answers to:

"Why are you volunteering to help improve Grade-Level Reading?"

 

"Somebody helped me, so I want to help somebody else."

 

"...anything to help the kids and people who are more vulnerable."

 

"Because kid's reading is super important. I remember my mother taking me to the Library for summer reading, and how much I enjoyed it."

 

"Because it makes me feel good!"

 

United Way of Central Jersey offers a variety of volunteer activities to promote Grade-Level Reading - a joint initiative with UPS. For example, volunteers can:

 

Read to Children

Make Little Libraries

Make Literacy Kits

Children's Book Drive

School Supplies Drive

 

Any questions, or for more information, please contact Rich Hyjack at United Way of Central Jersey: Rhyjack@uwcj.org

 

 

 

Stuff The Bus With School Supplies

 

Do you know a low-income child who would benefit from receiving a backpack with school supplies?

 

UWCJ is offering free school supplies in exchange for a voucher from their school nurse or social worker. Children who qualify to receive free or reduced price lunch are eligible to receive a voucher for a free backpack. 

 

UWCJ will be distributing backpacks containing school supplies directly to families who have received a voucher from their child's school nurse or social worker.

 

Distribution will take place on August 21st at Sacred Heart Church in New Brunswick from 11:30 to 3:00.

 

Information was sent to all the schools in Middlesex County about this program to provide free school supplies for low-income children. Families should call their child's school nurse or social worker to get a voucher that indicates eligibility.

 

UWCJ is providing this service to help ensure that school supplies reach the neediest students.

 

If you or your group would like to make a donation, please contact Patricia Desiderio at pdesiderio@uwcj.org to find out how.

 

Annual Meeting Brings Together Volunteers and Corporate Partners

Thanks to Wegmans Food Markets and many dedicated volunteers, almost 100 UWCJ supporters attended the 2015 Annual Meeting. Participants assembled wellness kits for distribution to low-income families that included an insulated lunch bag and hygiene products.

 

A speech by Ms Shadae McDaniel, MSW, Sr. Project Administrator, Rutgers University

SNAP-Ed/EFNEP/Nutrition, set the stage by reviewing the state of nutrition in Middlesex County. Almost half of all children aged 3 to 11 living in New Brunswick are obese. 13% of children in Middlesex County are living below the poverty line and 18% of pre-schoolers are obese.

 

At the end of the event, the whole, assembled gathering rose to celebrate Red Nose Day. Originated by Comic Relief, Red Nose Day calls for a little hilarity in support of children living in poverty around the world.

 

Not many people are willing to make themselves look ridiculous. But for the sake of children, the UWCJ staff and supporters agreed to wear a red nose and look like clowns. It was a proud moment when everyone shed their veneer of self importance and adopted a little humility in recognition of this higher cause. Also, we laughed a lot.

                 

Abriendo Puertas

The "Opening Doors" program (Abriendo Puertas) is reaching low-income families in New Brunswick. UWCJ meets in the Sacred Heart Church with a group of parents to present an evidence-based curriculum that includes sessions on how to advocate for children and parents' fundamental role in supporting their child's development.

 

Access to resources and information that enable low income families to navigate community systems - including school, health and child development - are presented and discussed. Parents make a commitment to advocate for their child's education and for high quality early learning programs.

 

UWCJ plans to continue to engage low income families to increase their capacity for self-sufficiency and improve the prospects for at-risk children to succeed. For more information, please contact Gloria Aftanski at gaftanski@uwcj.org

Volunteers Complete Community Investment Reviews
  

30 volunteers worked in six committees to review requests for funding for the next round of UWCJ's investments in the Central Jersey community. Volunteers worked with over 40 non-profits to review resources like staff skills and capabilities as well as statistics on cost of service units, demographics and community needs.

 

Volunteers met with the management of service agencies and visited locations where services are provided, so that they have an in-depth understanding of how money invested by United Way will be used.

Investment Goals include the following:

  • Children will be enrolled in quality preschool programs that prepare them for kindergarten.
  • Early literacy programs will create the foundation for reading at grade level by the end of 3rd grade, a key milestone to academic success.
  • After-school and tutoring programs will ensure that children and youth succeed as they progress through school.
  • Families with children will receive dental and medical care through a medical home on wheels that visits the neighborhood they live in. 
  • Troubled teens will have access to mental health and substance abuse counseling to address underlying issues and help them grow and thrive.
  • Women entering the workforce for the first time will be able to gain the skills they will need to obtain and retain employment.   
  • Women and their children who have been victims of domestic violence will have a safe haven along with the supportive services they need to live healthy and happy lives free of fear.
  • Working families will have access to safe, affordable day care and pre-school.
  • Families of autistic children will be able to see them blossom through therapeutic arts programming.

United Way of Central Jersey, unlike other non-profits, addresses the inter-connected problems our communities face in order to create opportunities for a better life. You can be part of this process by contacting June Launay at jlaunay@uwcj.org.

Financial Accountability

 

United Way of Central Jersey has been awarded 4 Stars by Charity Navigator. Link to Charity Navigator Rating United Way Worldwide (UWW) requires that local United Ways refrain from taking any actions or conducting activities likely to damage the welfare, interests or reputations of the United Way system. UWW also requires that local United Ways meet key requirements in the areas of tax exempt status and completion of the IRS Form 990, legal requirements, governance, trademark, diversity and inclusion, membership investment, code of ethics, audit, self-assessment and required reporting to UWW.

 

United Way of Central Jersey achieves 'Financial Accountability' utilizing financial reporting based upon nonprofit best practices consistent with United Way accounting standards. Annually, independent certified public accountants conduct a financial audit which is posted on the UWCJ website to publicly demonstrate financial transparency and accountability.

 

United Way of Central Jersey's most recent audit (2014) received an unmodified auditor's opinion. 'Financial Accountability' is an example of the measures taken by United Way of Central Jersey to earn the trust of our donors, supporters, and the communities we serve.

AmeriCorps VISTA  

Linda Hardy Joins

Disaster Team 

Linda Hardy joins UWCJ as an AmeriCorps VISTA member with New Jersey Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (NJVOAD) and the NJ 2-1-1 Partnership.  The VISTA project she'll be serving on is focused on Hurricane Sandy recovery and resiliency efforts in NJ.  The initiative includes supporting and building up the county VOAD and COAD partnerships to enable communities to be better prepared for times of disasters. Ms Hardy will be helping to identify current community resources that can be utilized, as well as any gaps that need to be filled.  The project will also include work with Long Term Recovery Groups in their continuing efforts to respond to the needs of Sandy survivors.  Ms. Hardy will be overseeing a team of 5 VISTAs working throughout the state on these efforts.

Over 2,000 Tax Returns Filed By VITA Program 

2,322 tax returns were filed by mid-June for qualifying low-income tax payers by a dedicated group of about 40 IRS-certified tax preparers.

 

Tax payers arrive at the UWCJ office all summer long to get back taxes taken care of. United Way is one of the few VITA partners that stays open all year round.

 

By the end of June, over two million dollars in refunds were returned to the community including over $500,000 in earned income credits and almost $300,000 in child tax credits.

 

An estimated $700,000 in tax preparation fees were saved by these low-income workers who are almost certainly spending their savings locally and driving the local economy.

 

Returns are prepared on Wednesday of each week with 6-7 volunteers available for preparation. Roughly 6-8 returns are prepared weekly, mostly from IRS referrals.

 

For the upcoming 2016 filing season, UWCJ projects that VITA will file 2600 returns. Volunteer tax preparers will receive training starting in October. Please contact Charmaine Rodriguez (crodriguez@uwcj.org) if you have any interest in serving as a tax preparer volunteer. 

Sponsorships Available 

You can help low-income children to succeed in school.

 

By sponsoring a specially-trained home visitor to implement a research-based early learning program, you can create real change in the lives of children and families.

 

Research shows that the children reached by this program graduated from High School at a 20% greater rate than a matched cell of similar low-income students.

 

By promoting High School graduation you can increase self-sufficiency and lower costs for the whole community.

 

To find out how you can make the kind of impact that creates long-lasting changes in our community, please call Gloria Aftanski, President, at 732 247-3727 or gaftanski@uwcj.org.

 

President BCB Bank Career Day at Quibbletown School

 

UWCJ's corporate partners and volunteers spoke to students during Career Day at the Quibbletown Middle School. The theme, not surprisingly, was the important role of education in the development of the speakers' careers.

 

Muriel Grimmett, educator and Volunteer at United Way of Central Jersey, said she was volunteering because she saw it as an opportunity for the students to learn who and what they could become. "To whom much is given much is expected."

 

Tom Coughlin, President of BCB Bank said, "We want to teach the students the importance of education." Later, he said about the importance of volunteering, "I would encourage anyone to ...pay their success forward."

 

Susan Scheckner, General Manager at JCPenney in East Brunswick, said about volunteering, "I think it's really important...to think about the things that impacted you in your childhood and really make a difference in the world."

 

Ronnie Daniel, Payroll Specialist at PayChex, said "I'm glad somebody came when I was younger to career day and showed me what it's like to have life after school...You've got to have a plan."

 

Volunteer Opportunities Available 

 

UWCJ is always looking for volunteers and hosts a volunteer web site where users can review volunteer opportunities posted by non-profits in the area.

 

One example is an opportunity to become a United Way Reading Mentor at a Pre-school. Getting a child ready to succeed in school is the greatest gift we can give a child. Volunteers can assemble literacy kits needed for teaching children. This is an opportunity for volunteers to develop their leadership skills. Contact Charmaine Rodriguez at crodriguez@uwcj.org or visit www.uwcj.org and click on volunteer.

UWCJ Health Impact Strategies

Culture of Health

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation is making a major investment in creating a "Culture of Health" in order to improve health and health care for all Americans.

One of the communities identified by the Foundation for this initiative is New Brunswick in Middlesex County, New Jersey. United Way of Central Jersey (UWCJ) was selected to be a member of the Steering Committee to develop the plan for the initiative because of the work done by UWCJ in addressing the Health and Education needs of the growing immigrant population.

 

Community Health Improvement Plan

UWCJ, in collaboration with Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital and Saint Peter's University Hospital, has been developing a Community Health Improvement Plan for Middlesex County and Franklin Township of Somerset County.

Access to Care was identified as one of the areas which needed improvement. Jagdish Vasudev, Director, New American Program, is heading a workgroup to develop Patient Center Communication Strategies to address this area. In addition, Mr. Vasudev is developing a Community Health Education Program to improve health literacy among low income members of the Community.