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Summer ENews - United Way of Bucks County
United Way of Bucks County
www.uwbucks.org
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United Way Raffle Winners
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United Way Commits $3 Million over 2 Years |
When the Going Gets Tough,
United Way Gets Going!
We're focused on the building blocks for a better life for all… Education, Income & Health. We all win when a child does well in school, families save enough to buy a home and people are healthy.
We place a high importance on taking the long view and getting at the underlying causes of problems, such as the far reaching initiative Success by 6, which aims to ensure every child is prepared to succeed in school and in life by age six.
Work also is underway on issues such as financial stability and easy access to services. But we're faced with very tough economic conditions, and too many people can’t wait for help. This is why United Way, like any solid business, takes a diversified approach. While we work to change the system for a better tomorrow, we are actively responding to immediate needs. Here are just few examples of this:
- 75 beds in the homeless shelter catch people when they fall
- free high-quality day care so a single mom can work to provide for her family
- discounts approaching an average of 30% for people with no prescription coverage (over $100,000 in savings last year)
- Free income tax preparation yielding over $820,000 in tax refunds for low income and needy families.
- Credit counseling to help stop the malicious cycle of debt begetting more debt
- Food drives that yield over 75,000 lbs of food for already depleted Bucks County Pantries
Because of your generosity in the past, we have been able to do so many great things, and you should be proud to be a part of that. However, every year, the counter resets to zero… what we raise in 2008 is what we can provide in 2009… it’s that simple.
No doubt, we all feel the pinch, particularly when the ticker on the gas pump streaks past $65 for a tank of gas. But, as bad as that is for most of us, it’s a crushing blow for our neighbors living on the fringe, trying to make ends meet.
As we go into United Way’s traditional campaign time, we are calling on you to go just a little bit further this year. Whether it’s going from $2 per pay to $4 per pay, or moving up to the next level in the Leadership Circle, your extra effort will help move mountains.
Thanks,
Bill Schofield
President & CEO
United Way
of Bucks County
53 Programs Approved for Funding
Over 50 United Way volunteers reviewed 69 proposals submitted for the two-year funding cycle beginning July '08. The grants that were approved by the United Way Board of Directors total $1.5 million per year for a total of $3 million over the two-year period. "We are so pleased the community responded when asked last year", said Bill Schofield, CEO of United Way. "It enables us to do so much for so many", he continued.
Investments are made based on a rolling two-year average, and United Way doesn't anticipate the difficult economy will affect this particular pool of grants, however the organization is keeping a watchful eye on how donations go this fall. "The future is uncertain, and it is important for people to keep United Way in their plans", said Schofield.
Thirty-four agencies received funds for 53 programs, including increased funding for 24 programs and funding for 6 new programs. Below is a listing of programs by agency:
A Woman’s Place
Domestic Violence Counseling Programs
Aldie Counseling Center
Drug & Alcohol Outpatient Services
American Red Cross/Lower Bucks Chapter
Emergency & Disaster Services
Homeless Shelter
American Red Cross/So. Eastern PA Chapter
Emergency & Disaster Services
BARC
JOBS Program (Developmental Disability)
Beelong Adult Day Center
Adult Day Program (Senior Citizens)
Big Brothers/Big Sisters
School Mentoring Program
Community Bridge Mentoring Program
High School Bigs Mentoring Program
Boy Scouts of America/Bucks County Council
Scout Reach Program
Bucks County Council on Alcoholism & Drug Dependence
Early Intervention for Substance Using Adolescents
Bucks County Headstart
Summer Enrichment Program
Bucks County Opportunity Council
Economic Self-Sufficiency Program
Emergency Services
Bucks Montgomery Center for Human Services
Case Management
Child, Home & Community
Adolescent Parenting & Career Development Program
Children’s Developmental Program
Family Support Program
CONTACT Bucks County
Crisis & Help Lines
Reassurance Contact
Credit Counseling Center
Certified Credit Outreach Counselor
Family Service Association
Behavioral Health
Early Childhood Services
Ways to Work (1 year grant)
Teen Center
HIV/AIDS Case Management
Case Management At-Risk Elderly
School Based Counseling
Galilee Pavilion
Basic Aide Program (Senior Citizens)
Girls Scouts of Eastern PA
Girl Scout Youth Leadership Development Program
Good Friends, Inc.
Halfway House (Drug & Alcohol - males)
Habitat for Humanity of Bucks County
Affordable Housing Program
JustCommunity, Inc.
Upper Bucks Youth Leadership Project
Legal Aid of Southeastern PA
Protection from Abuse Pro Bono Program
Libertae
Family House (Drug & Alcohol)
Halfway House (Drug & Alcohol - females)
Lifespan Adult Day Center
Adult Day Care/Senior Support Services
Lower Bucks Community Center
Scholarship/Family Support Program
Lower Bucks Family YMCA
Special Needs Early Childhood and Youth Program
Maple Leaf Learning Center
Early Childhood Scholarship Program
Network of Victim Assistance
Education/Prevention
Direct Services to Clients
The Peace Center
Project Peace in Schools
TODAY, Inc.
The Incredible Years (early childhood - parent training)
Bucks Promise for Youth and Communities
Upper Bucks YMCA
Preschool Child Care
School Age Child Care
VITA Education Services
Computer Assisted Language Learning for Immigrants
YWCA of Bucks County
Employment Program
Family Center Programs
Senior Shared Housing
Pre-Kindergarten Program
Prevention Programs
Youth Services
United Way Funded and Affiliate Agencies Pass the Test
It's no accident the organizations in the column to the right are Member & Affiliate Agencies of United Way of Bucks County. Each and every one of them have undergone a rigorous process to ensure they meet high standards of quality.
A volunteer led panel of CPA's review financial statements and IRS 990's of all member and affiliate agencies. One key area of focus is the income to expense ratio, which is a way to measure effectiveness.
As part of the funding decision making process, agencies respond to United Way's Community Investment Plan. This document is the result of hundreds of hours of needs assessment and analysis of Bucks County's most pressing issues. Simply put, it lets the community know what we will invest in over the next two years.
Any agency will tell you, the application process is quite intensive. United Way's funding plan seeks outcomes based solutions to important community issues. Over 5 months time, scores of United Way volunteers and subject matter experts prioritize and match program requests against the plan.
Once grants have been made, as they were recently, the volunteers switch to an evaluative mode. Over the course of the 2-year investments, they review periodic progress reports, and perform personal site visits, all with the mind set of maximizing the impact of the donor dollar.
All of this is done primarily by a dedicated group of Board Members and Community Volunteers. This enables United Way of Bucks County to be one of the most efficiently run organizations by any standard.
To learn more about United Way of Bucks County, visit our website at www.uwbucks.org.
United Way Agency Member & Affiliate Executive Directors
MEMBER AGENCIES
Lower Bucks Chapter
Southeast PA (Upper/Central)
Bucks County Council on
Alcoholism & Drug Dependence
BUCKS MONT CENTER
FOR HUMAN SERVICES
CHILDREN'S
DEVELOPMENTAL
PROGRAM
GALILEE
PAVILION
Good Friends, Inc.
Lower Bucks Community Center
William Penn School
Lower Bucks Family YMCA
Upper Bucks Family YMCA
AFFILIATE AGENCIES
Bucks County Association
for Retired and Senior Citizens
Interfaith Housing Development Corporation of Bucks County
Visiting Nurse Association
of Morrisville
Shopper “Steals” store in just 100 seconds!
Theresa Quinn of North Wales, finally got what was coming to her…. 100 seconds to gather up as much as she could from McCaffrey’s Markets. From thousands of United Way of Bucks County donors, Mrs. Quinn was the winner of the community-wide raffle prize donated by McCaffrey’s Markets. Armed with 3 carts and a solid game plan, she hit the meat counter first and kept on going from there.
“WOW! I had no idea 100 seconds could fly by so fast," said Quinn. Despite it all, she came away with $756 of groceries, much of which she plans to share with family and friends. “I’ve been a loyal contributor to United Way for over 20 years, and don’t really expect to get anything for it. I never win anything," she continued.
Mrs. Quinn gives to United Way through her workplace campaign at Milton Roy in Ivyland. Suellen Torregrosa, General Manager of Milton Roy said, “We partner with United Way every year at our company because we know that year in and year out, United Way is helping to advance the common good in our community. United Way also helps us do volunteer projects, and our employees appreciate the opportunity to take part in that”. She added, "It’s just great when one of our own wins the raffle – it’s a bonus. Congratulations to Terry, she’s a great person."
Since 1999, McCaffrey’s Markets has donated the shopping spree as a way to add fun and excitement, and encourage donations to the United Way of Bucks County. Jim McCaffrey, owner of McCaffrey’s Markets said, “We’re pleased to do this every year”. He added, “When United Way does well, our entire community is lifted up, and it’s great to be a involved in the effort.
WINNER
$5000 Entertainment Package
Linda Wolfson
Vita Education Services
2007 Package Sponsor
WINNER
$2000 Travel Package
Denise Kolber
Grundy Library
2007 Travel Sponsor
Frosch/Thomas Travel
WINNER
100 Second Shopping Spree
Theresa Quinn
Milton Roy, Inc.
Donated By
Job Opportunities at United Way of Bucks County
There are two openings for work with United Way of Bucks County, and if you know of anyone interested, please pass/forward this along to them.
Part Time: Campaign Account Manager:
Given we have a relatively small staff at United Way, we need to bring on temporary help with fundraising in the fall, which is our busiest time of year. The position lasts from September to November. Ideal candidates like dealing with people and are comfortable talking in front of small groups. It's ideal for retirees.
Full Time: Volunteer Center Director:
Volunteerism is a key component of United Way's strategy moving forward. We're seeking the right candidate to take leadership of our new Volunteer Center. Relationship building and project management skills are a must. Knowledge of Bucks County nonprofits desirable.
To see the full position descriptions for both of these positions, visit www.uwbucks.org/jobs.htm.
If it were only this easy!
Become a "Fan" of United Way on Facebook
United Way of Bucks County is making the leap to social networking. Link to United Way of Bucks County's Facebook Page and become one of our Fans.
To learn more about United Way of Bucks
County or to make an online donation, visit
www.uwbucks.org
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