Living United

So little time, but such a big impact!

It took five minutes.

Kim had written a public service announcement (PSA), and asked me to record it. I adapted it for two voices, thinking that as long as Jay James would be sitting there recording the PSA at WINA, he could read a few lines, too. He’s the professional, after all, the one with The Smooth Radio Voice.

I’d read over the script several times, trying different inflections and different speeds (the spot had to time at just under 60 seconds). On Friday, I made a copy of the script for Jay and headed over to the studios of the Charlottesville Radio Group (WINA AM1070, 97.5FM 3WV, Z95.1FM, and AM1450).

I arrived a few minutes early, so I would have time to get some water and read the script one more time. Moments after I arrived, however, Jay rushed out to greet me. What, no time for vocal exercises? No warm-up? Not even time to stretch?

Jay and I headed back to the booth. I waved at Jane Foy through the window of the studio where she and Rick Daniels were doing the “WINA Morning News with Rick and Jane” show. I love those guys!

In the booth, Jay cranked up the microphones and computer, and glanced over the lines. “Let’s do it!” he shouted, and pointed at me. “Any time, Miss Caroline Emerson from the United Way,” he said, and I blurted out the first line.

The PSA has a serious topic: we’re talking about how your support of the United Way-Thomas Jefferson Area helps local people with all kinds of needs, from counseling abused children to assistance with obtaining prescription medication.

Sixty seconds later we were done and listening to it. I asked for a do-over, just to make it a little better. We recorded it again, this time a little cleaner, and that was that.

Even though the PSA was on a serious topic, as always when Jay James is involved, I had fun recording it. Take a moment to listen to it and see if we captured the spirit of giving, advocating, and volunteering for the United Way.

Thank you to Jay James for his ever-cheerful willingness to help the United Way-Thomas Jefferson Area. He doesn’t just wear the shirt, he lives it!  And many thanks to the good folks at the Charlottesville Radio Group for their years of support.

Posted by Caroline Emerson.
 

Have you noticed a theme?

Perhaps, like me, you were watching The Biggest Loser last night and you saw the Blue Team contestants leave the gym and enter the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank to stuff backpacks for hungry children.  Perhaps you were wondering why they spent time volunteering when they should be working hard to drop those pounds. 

Well, The Biggest Loser is just one of 90 shows on ABC, CBS, FOX and NBC that are promoting volunteerism during the Entertainment Industry Foundation’s iParticipate week, October 19-25.  You’ll probably notice the PSA’s, as well as the scripted programming that will appear during your favorite shows.

What’s this all about, you might be thinking?  Volunteer rates for Americans remain around 26%, as they have for over 40 years.  That means that only 1 in 4 of us give back to our community.  Imagine, if you will, that there are no volunteers.  Nobody to mentor children, nobody to deliver meals to the homebound, nobody to fundraise for organizations, nobody to respond to your car accident or house fire.  Volunteers make an enormous contribution to our community everyday, allowing our nonprofit organizations to do more, serve more people, and impact more lives.  Now imagine if everyone gave a little time to support the programs that serve children, aging adults, animals or the environment.

You can be part of that movement. Should you feel inspired by the volunteerism you witness on TV this week, the Volunteer Center is here to help you identify how you can get involved, whether you have one hour a month or an hour a day.  Visit our website or call me at 972-1705 to learn more.

Posted by Shaele Wood.

Thank you Day of Caring Volunteers!

With the United Way Laurence E. Richardson Day of Caring nearly one month behind us, we continue to celebrate the amazing contributions of time and talent provided by volunteers from local businesses on September 23, 2009.

The Charlottesville Newsplex honored all of the Day of Caring teams in this Thank You ad that they ran following the event.

Additionally, this video was created from videos that a team of Day of Caring volunteers captured during the Day.  Enjoy!

Posted by Shaele Wood.

A Home Away from Home

When I first came to the United Way, I was so nervous. I was interviewed by Cathy Train, the President, and three days later I was thrown right into the mix of things. All around me I could hear typing fingers, phones ringing, and even a peep or two from Rylan (Lisa Frazier’s little daughter). I wasn’t sure how I would fit in, but as my time at the United Way is coming to an end, I feel like I fit in just where I am supposed to be.

I have been to meetings, helped out with golf tournaments, and become a master of the Andar database,  (even though as I write this, it is not working for me.) I helped operate Westhaven Community Day, a day for the residents of this public housing neighborhood to come together and celebrate their culture and their community. At this event I got to do what I love best: work and play with kids. I have also been to the Charlottesville Newsplex on more than one occasion. I received a tour of their entire studio, and also got to see commercials and ads being made. Speaking of media, Shaele introduced me to a couple of radio stations in the area: I met Mr. Jay James from WINA and Mr. Joe Thomas from WCHV. Here Shaele and I (well, mostly Shaele, because I was observing) promoted the Day of Caring, and encouraged people to submit projects for the volunteers.

Recently, I helped install the Smart Beginnings display in the window of the downtown Virginia National Bank with Nathan, my co-intern. We gathered toys from everyone in the office who has kids, made posters with advice for parents about getting their kids ready for kindergarten, and trotted to the Downtown Mall. Here we spent the day arranging toys, and put up flyers for parents in need of this information. Setting up the window was fun, but when I stepped outside and saw people stopping at the window, I realized that the information Nate and I had put up could really influence and help people in our own community.

My weekly Wednesday project is one of my favorites. I head over to Word of Faith church where I meet up with a host of Latina women to whom Martha Trujillo introduced me. These women come together and discuss problems they are facing or troubles they are having because of the transition from their home country to the U.S. While they talk in a seminar-like fashion, I watch their niños (children). These kids are so much fun, and being there helps me practice my Spanish-speaking skills.

Reimi Okuyama, who very recently moved to Florida, took me with her to court and introduced me to a part of Charlottesville I had no idea about: the drug rehabilitation program. Offenders have the opportunity to be in a three-phase program. If they succeed, the offense will not go on their record, and this program also supports self-confidence and self-control.

I have learned so many skills from being here, and being with all the people, and that’s what surprised me the most about the United Way-Thomas Jefferson Area. Everyone here gets along so well, and though each of them is constantly working on something different that may have nothing to do with another person, the friendships I have seen in the office seem great.  In the mornings I always hear Rylan coming up the stairs, followed by Lisa, Shaele, Leah, and Miriam who all dote over her. I am then greeted by Alaina, and we always discuss her battle with her morning coffee. Later in the day I usually see Caroline and Kim who have been watching over me for the past months, and have been absolutely great. Cathy is like a ghost because she is always in meetings and I am usually upstairs anyway. However, when I do see her and get to talk to her, her southern accent always catches my ear. Jon and Helen are also like ghosts because they are always at meetings, as well. I find my desk a cozy little place. There are Post-it notes all around, pens open, and the busy Bizhub printer right next to me. I can’t believe my time here is almost over. For someone who was as nervous as I was, I sure found a home away from home here. Thanks United Way-Thomas Jefferson Area!

Posted by Ladi Smith, United Way Intern.

A Day of Emotions

Jim Carpenter’s recent post about the sensations he associates with the Day of Caring got me thinking about how I experience the day and the preparations that precede it.

First there’s a bit of anxiety. Will we find enough meaningful projects for the exponentially increasing number of volunteers? As the Day of Caring has grown, so have the logistical challenges. Fortunately, Shaele and the rest of United Way staff always rise to the occasion. Since I got involved 10 years ago, we have experienced surprisingly few crises, and the post-event surveys reflect a remarkably high level of satisfaction among volunteers and the non-profit agencies that host the projects.

As I drive to the breakfast rally, butterflies set in. I’m an introvert by nature, so I’m out of my comfort zone as I float through the sea of humanity at the rally. Even after 10 years, the media interviews still make me nervous. I hope it’s not too obvious. Nerves give way to goose bumps as I listen to the State Farm Gospel Choir. The soul-stirring music, great food, encouraging speeches, and strong coffee get the crowd pumped up, and then we’re off.

In my role as the event chairman, I visit a lot of the project sites to thank the volunteers and to do a bit of networking with the staff members of the schools and non-profit agencies. Sometimes I get a little choked up when I see the smiles on the faces of the school kids as they bond with a reading buddy or the sparkles in the eyes of the nursing home residents as they dance or play games with their new pals. It’s easy for me to tune into the great vibes at every project, even the ones that involve “mundane” tasks like painting, landscaping or file shredding. But it’s really hard to tell who’s getting the most out of the experience – the clients or the volunteers.

As the day winds to a close, I’m left with several strong feelings. When I think about enormous amount of good that gets done in one day, I’m filled with pride and joy for my community. Then there’s a huge helping of gratitude toward everyone who showed up to lend a hand or made a donation. At some point, there’s a bittersweet moment when I think about how pleased my dad Larry would have been, and I feel a phantom pat on the back. Finally, there’s relief, exhaustion and sweet dreams. It’s always easy to sleep after a day like this.

Posted by Jim Richardson, Day of Caring Chair and son of Larry Richardson.

In 1999, the Day of Caring was renamed the United Way Laurence E. Richardson Day of Caring in honor of Larry Richardson, long-time volunteer of the United Way and the community, and past president of the Charlottesville Broadcasting Company.

Registration deadline is quickly approaching on Friday, July 31.  Please visit www.dayofcaring.info to register.

A Highlight of Our Year

The Agnor-Hurt Elementary School faculty encourages a continuous involvement in the United Way Laurence E. Richardson Day of Caring. The first step is sending in our project requests.

It is hard to explain how wonderful this day has been for our school.  The Day of Caring continues to brighten the beginning of our school year.  At Agnor-Hurt it is one of our most rewarding days. It is a day where our caring businesses and organizations help model the importance and value of volunteerism. As adults, we realize the importance of working together with surrounding organizations to model civic responsibility.  

The students at Agnor-Hurt are given an opportunity to share their huge hearts. They love reaching out to thank the many volunteers who enter our doors. Over the years projects have included: painting the US and World Maps on our blacktop, planting flower bulbs for the spring, giving our school mascot, ALEX, a fresh coat of paint for the  paw prints that track in and around the school, planting  trees, reading to our students, working in the library, and adding educational art to our walls such as compass rose and our student of the month art window.  One of our greatest resources is to get involve and MAKE A DIFFERENCE.  Thank you to our many volunteers who do just that. Our staff cannot remember when we did not participate or would want to begin the year without sharing in this special event. It is a highlight of our year. 

Thank you Day of Caring for being like Hallmark Cards: you cared enough to send us your VERY BEST volunteers.

Posted by guest blogger, Gwen Hairston, Agnor-Hurt Elementary School

With more than 3,000 volunteers expected to register this year, please consider all nonprofit agencies and schools (including child care centers) where you work, volunteer or support and encourage them to register projects.  A Project Development Toolkit is available to help organizations identify needed projects, and United Way staff is eager to help, as well.  Please visit our website or contact Shaele Wood for more information (434-972-1705).

A Time-consuming Task Completed!

The Christian Aid Mission had a total of 14 Day of Caring volunteers doing projects ranging from shredding a fallen tree to filing in the accounting department.  Groups from State Farm, Crutchfield and First Systems & Resources came early on the United Way Day of Caring and stayed for a lunch lovingly prepared by our guest house hostess.  The detail of some of the work done has been highlighted below but even the areas not highlighted were a wonderful gift and we are very grateful to United Way for organizing this community event.

The Publications and Donor Relations Divisions were each given three volunteers to help create databases using the Excel program.  One information source was a stack of our publications called “Prayerline” which describes items needed by indigenous missionaries overseas.  For each day of the month, there is an item, its cost, and the area of the world needed.  The other data source was a pile of our quarterly magazine.  These magazines cover various aspects of missions work going on overseas.  Some of the topics covered are church planting, the care of widows and orphans, disaster relief, and recent accomplishments.  (There were 43 items to look for.)

These volunteers divided the information between them and arranged it for data input.  Each Prayerline item had to be read, then the above criteria entered into specific columns in Excel.  This very work-intensive job was accomplished in three days and is still updated each month.  The information can be sorted by item, date, area of the world, or specific ministry.  Various divisions of Christian Aid use this information for a variety reasons.  Many times donors will call and ask how much it would cost to give a missionary family a milking goat.  Since the cost of livestock varies from country to country, we are now able to provide a more accurate, up-to-date price. 

The magazine database required perusing the articles, looking for certain keywords.  Country names, topics, the ministry, and the gist of the story are some of the things they looked for.  These criteria were noted on a special form.  Once all of the magazines (and there were a lot of them) had been completed, this data was given to a staff person to input into another Excel database.  This information is used primarily by the Publications Department in order to determine what countries or topics need coverage.

Christian Aid is very grateful to these volunteers whose help was immeasurable.  This job just kept getting put on the back burner due to the enormous amount of time it would have taken one person to do it.  And having this kind of information compiled in databases makes research much easier and less time-consuming.  Thank you, and thank you! 

Posted by guest blogger, Lucinda Speers, Christian Aid Mission

With more than 3,000 volunteers expected to register this year, please consider all nonprofit agencies and schools (including child care centers) where you work, volunteer or support and encourage them to register projects.  A Project Development Toolkit is available to help organizations identify needed projects, and United Way staff is eager to help, as well.  Please visit our website or contact Shaele Wood for more information (434-972-1705).

Albemarle County Employees Volunteer

The United Way Laurence E. Richardson Day of Caring has been a great experience for the County of Albemarle.  We have been participating in the Day of Caring for the past 10 years or so. We started with only a few employees participating and last year we had several teams from the County with probably 100 employees.

I believe it is so popular because we get an opportunity to work together outside of the office environment. We have chosen projects from picking apples with pre-school students to painting a map of the United States on the playground at B.F. Yancey Elementary School. The Day of Caring allows County employees to have fun and show the community it cares. To me, that is what the United Way Laurence E. Richardson Day of Caring is all about.

I encourage you and your company to participate. You will not regret it!!!!

Posted by guest blogger, Juandiego R. Wade, Albemarle County

With more than 3,000 volunteers expected to register this year, please consider all nonprofit agencies and schools (including child care centers) where you work, volunteer or support and encourage them to register projects.  A Project Development Toolkit is available to help organizations identify needed projects, and United Way staff is eager to help, as well.  Please visit our website or contact Shaele Wood for more information (434-972-1705).

Day of Caring Volunteers Impact Barrett

The Day of Caring has made a tremendous impact on our children and our facility. The children enjoy having the volunteers come and take them to the park. The volunteers have activities planned and prepared for the children. For example, games, exercise, arts and craft, and just plain old fun on the equipment.

Many groups joined Barrett Early Learning Center last year and performed a variety of duties. One group painted a mural on our storage building. It brightened up our playground. What a face lift when another group pulled our old chain linked fence up!

It is a delight to participate in the Day of Caring. I am ready for the 2009 event!!

 

Donna Jenkins, Director Barrett Early Learning Center

Fluvanna SPCA Benefits from Returning Volunteers

The 2008 Day Of Caring at the Fluvanna SPCA was 'Ladies Day' at the shelter.  The Fluvanna Correctional Center for Women employees who volunteered this year were all women this year as was the representative from the FSPCA.  The group went to work clearing out our storage trailer, sorting, repacking and transporting everything to a rented storage unit.  We also filled the dumpster to the brim with old and unusable items.  A very dusty and dirty day was turned into a fun day with many discoveries of hidden treasures and a great al fresco lunch.

The staff of the Fluvanna Correctional Center for Women has been volunteering at the FSPCA shelter for several years now.  They have built an exercise area for the dogs, cleaned the dog runs from top to bottom and helped us get a good start on clearing out our trailers.  The FSPCA looks forward to seeing this group again in September and I'm sure we'll have another 'special' project for them.

Posted by guest blogger, Claire Waters, Fluvanna SPCA
Claire Waters

We'll be back!

SMG/John Paul Jones Arena Staff helped spruce up the courtyard at BF Yancey Elementary School in 2008. This was the first year we participated in the Day of Caring.  It was a great experience.  Everyone who helped had a wonderful time.  It was very rewarding for us to come together as a team and work outside our usual element. The reaction of the students and teachers was so positive.  And the cafeteria lunch brought back memories for us all.  We still have the thank you notes the children made for us.  I know we will participate again this year and certainly for many more.

Posted by Liz Flynn, Director of Marketing, SMG/John Paul Jones Arena

With more than 3,000 volunteers expected to register this year, please consider all nonprofit agencies and schools (including child care centers) where you work, volunteer or support and encourage them to register projects.  A Project Development Toolkit is available to help organizations identify needed projects, and United Way staff is eager to help, as well.  Please visit our website or contact Shaele Wood for more information (434-972-1705).

There’s a buzz in the air at U.Va.

Folks are starting to ask about the next United Way Day of Caring.  When is it?  How can I sign up? 

Employees here look forward to this day every year. It’s a chance to spend time with colleagues and to give back to the community.  With all this goodwill, it makes my job as the United Way Day of Caring Coordinator for U.Va. employees, easy and fun, because our volunteers really put their hearts into their projects. 

Last year, I heard about a team who was assigned to a project at a school. The school was lacking in necessary supplies for the task, but the team couldn’t walk away and see the project go unfinished.  The team acted swiftly and managed to get all of the supplies donated and completed the project that day. 

Another volunteer worked to restore a nature trail at an elementary school, and soon after began as a “Book Buddy” at the same school.  He says, “I loved establishing a relationship with a young reader and seeing them improve.  It was very rewarding and fulfilling, and it was fun.” 

Many volunteers say they wish they could do this more often.  But while the Day of Caring is just one day, relationships grow, and the community continues to benefit all year through.  The Day of Caring is an opportunity for so much more.

U.Va. Human Resources setting up for the a carnival at WorkSource Enterprises.

 

U.Va. Housing Division painting the exterior of The Paramount.

 

U.Va. Facilities Management spreading mulch at Camp Holiday Trails.

Posted by Careen Waterman, U.Va. Community Relations

With more than 3,000 volunteers expected to register this year, please consider all nonprofit agencies and schools (including child care centers) where you work, volunteer or support and encourage them to register projects.  A Project Development Toolkit is available to help organizations identify needed projects, and United Way staff is eager to help, as well.  Please visit our website or contact Shaele Wood for more information (434-972-1705).

A Sense of Love

I just received an email from Shaele Wood of the United Way asking me to photograph the United Way Laurence E. Richardson Day of Caring on Wednesday, September 23rd, and immediately all five of my senses kicked into gear.  I am, of course, delighted to offer my photographic skills to document this event; it is the event I most recall and look forward to covering each year.

Instantly, my first sense is awakened in seeing all 2,500 plus volunteers.  Some are in colorful “team” shirts, others are dressed in their “finest “work clothes ready for a hearty days’ work. This outpouring is typical of the Charlottesville community.  When a need arises, help from so many caring individuals from various walks of life, is on its way.

You can also feel their excitement.  Just like a “kid in a candy store”, they are ready and eager to help out their fellow neighbors. No matter what the upcoming task, from painting to shredding documents, their level of enthusiasm is always top notch! 
 
And, oh, you can hear joy emerge from the “pep rally” speakers all the way to the State Farm Gospel Choir.  Your heart is pounding with enthusiasm. The singers who have performed for the last several years from State Farm Insurance Company are ‘in tune’ with getting the “troops” fired up for their mission. 

I may have forgotten to talk about the taste of the rally! How could I forget something so amazing! A breakfast fit for a king, a queen, and all their subjects! There is nothing like starting the day off right with a hearty breakfast and a full tummy. It makes one want to work that extra little bit harder!

And speaking of working…There is nothing like the smell of fresh paint to wake up the senses!  The Day of Caring volunteers can be seen cleaning windows, clearing shrubs, digging holes, sawing lumber, and putting up dry wall. There are labors to be shared by one and all.  This, my friends, is a labor of love.

The United Way Day of Caring is a one-day festival that means so much for this community.  It always hits home for me for many reasons.   The first reason is that I was the paperboy many years ago for the United Way when it was called the Community Chest, right here in Charlottesville. Secondly, Mr. Laurence E. Richardson was a dear friend of mine who cared so much for the community and its neighbors.   Finally, I find that even though we have five senses,  the volunteers who participate in this day actually create a  “sixth sense” of which we should all be very proud -- love!  Love for our Central Virginia area and our fellow citizens! After all, aren’t we all our brothers’ keepers?!

Thank you for allowing me to share my perspective and insight into the Day of Caring.  I hope that maybe it inspired you to want to share your time and spread a little love.

Posted by Guest Blogger Jim Carpenter, Master Photographer, Gitchell’s Studio, Inc.

With more than 3,000 volunteers expected to register this year, please consider all nonprofit agencies and schools (including child care centers) where you work, volunteer or support and encourage them to register projects.  A Project Development Toolkit is available to help organizations identify needed projects, and United Way staff is eager to help, as well.  Please visit our website or contact Shaele Wood for more information (434-972-1705).

Call for Projects!

We're excited to share the new PSA  that Charlottesville Newsplex created for the 2009 United Way Laurence E. Richardson Day of Caring.  Anchor/News Director Jim Hanchett asks nonprofits and schools to contact the Volunteer Center for help in registering or developing projects.  Thank you, Newsplex!

You may have also heard my new PSA with Jay James playing on the Charlottesville Radio Group stations.  Listen here if you haven't heard it.  The message in both of these PSA's is the same: Day of Caring project registration is now open for nonprofits and schools.  It's not just about painting a wall or planting a bush on Wednesday, September 23, 2009.  Day of Caring is about promoting long-term volunteerism in your agency, building partnerships with local businesses and sharing your agency's mission with our community.

Consider the nonprofits where you work, volunteer or those you advocate for and encourage them to register one or more projects.  With nearly 3,000 volunteers expected to sign up, we're looking for approximately 300 projects of all sizes and types.  Go to the Day of Caring website to register your projects or your volunteer team.  Download the Project Development Toolkit if you need project ideas.  Additionally, United Way staff is eager to help you brainstorm.  Call 434.972.1705 or email swood@unitedwaytja.org. 

Posted by Shaele Wood.

United Way’s 2008 Day of Caring a Success for Two AHIP Clients

  On the 2008 United Way Day of Caring, Albemarle Housing Improvement Program (AHIP) partnered with volunteers from State Farm Insurance and the UVA School of Architecture to help make repairs at two homes in the City of Charlottesville.  The use of volunteers at AHIP jobs helps cut labor costs so that funds can be used to serve more people in the area.  Employees of State Farm Insurance were able to give a home a “face lift,” with a new roof and fresh coat of paint on the exterior.  Meanwhile, on the other side of town, employees of the UVA School of Architecture helped prep the interior of a home before AHIP would begin more extensive repairs at the residence.  At the end of the day, not only had crucial repairs been made, but the lives of many had been touched by the spirit of service.

Posted by Guest Blogger, Jenifer Klippel, Albemarle Housing Improvement Program

From the volunteer perspective:

A colleague at the U.Va. School of Architecture suggested that for our Day of Caring Project we consider helping a beloved member of the custodial staff who had inherited a house that needed both expensive cosmetic and structural repairs to become livable. I learned that in order to create an official Day of Caring Project we would need an organization to host and sponsor our efforts. All of us were thrilled when Shaele Wood at United Way facilitated AHIP’s partnering with us for this project. Though we were only able to spend half a day volunteering at the site due to our busy academic schedules, it was a fantastic morning in so many ways. AHIP provided the materials and know-how we needed to prep and paint the master bedroom and an upstairs hall closet, and one of our team members brought a lawn mower which he used to spruce up the yard. It was an opportunity for us to know one another as community members rather than simply co-workers, and it was a rare moment when we could give back to someone who is often invisible among us in our daily work. We were all so grateful for the experience and the extra effort put forward by The United Way, AHIP, and the University of Virginia School of Architecture to make our participation possible.

Posted by Guest Blogger, Derry Voysey Wade, U.Va. School of Architecture

With more than 3,000 volunteers expected to register this year, please consider all nonprofit agencies and schools (including child care centers) where you work, volunteer or support and encourage them to register projects.  A Project Development Toolkit is available to help organizations identify needed projects, and United Way staff is eager to help, as well.  Please visit our website or contact Shaele Wood for more information (434-972-1705).

UVA Health System Volunteers

In June 2008 I started working at UVA Health System.  As a new employee within my department, my first task was to coordinate the UVA HS Volunteers for the 2008 United Way Day of Caring. At first, the thought of volunteer coordination seemed overwhelming, especially as a new employee. I thought to myself "how am I going to succeed at this?" Trying to find my way around the hospital was hard enough, now I had been asked to coordinate over 500 volunteers for the United Way Day of Caring?

I can now say that coordinating United Way Day of Caring volunteers from UVA Health System was one my most rewarding experiences. Through this effort, I had the opportunity to meet and interact with many of my colleagues that I now consider friends. I also had the opportunity to work closely with great community organizations to coordinate volunteer teams with their projects.

From assisting with team leader registrations, project selections, and volunteer recruitment, I remained very busy throughout the summer and fall. After months of planning and coordination, I was incredibly excited to see how the United Way Day of Caring would turn out and prayed that the day went according to plans. It was amazing to see so many volunteers at the United Way Day of Caring Kick-off Breakfast Rally. Seeing so many local agencies and organizations come together to make a positive difference in the community was awesome! UVA Health System had 550 volunteers at 53 projects  all around the local community. Throughout the day, I visited projects and saw volunteers painting paw prints on school sidewalks, walking dogs at the local SPCA, landscaping around the buildings of local organizations, fence-building at local parks, and visiting with residents in a retirement community. These were but a few projects that occurred during the 2008 United Way Day of Caring. Over 2500 volunteers from local businesses participated in the United Way Day of Caring at hundreds of project sites. I was in awe of the dedication of volunteers to successfully complete their projects. The nonprofit agency staff were very thankful to the volunteers, their skills, and talents. So many new partnerships were formed throughout the community that day.

I am looking forward to the 2009 United Way Day of Caring. I invite you to join a team or register a project and get involved in this community-wide day of volunteering!

Posted by Guest Blogger Carrie Covey, Administrative Programs Coordinator | Community Relations, Outreach, and Service, University of Virginia Health System

With more than 3,000 volunteers expected to register this year, please consider all nonprofit agencies and schools (including child care centers) where you work, volunteer or support and encourage them to register projects.  A Project Development Toolkit is available to help organizations identify needed projects, and United Way staff is eager to help, as well.  Please visit our website or contact Shaele Wood for more information (434-972-1705).

Newsplex Volunteers

   I know the Charlottesville Newsplex is excited to participate again in The United Way Day of Caring this year!  Coming to the Newsplex from a nonprofit background, I think it is such an amazing chance for agencies to showcase their organization and based on that one day of episodic volunteerism, (The Junior League of Charlottesville refers to projects like these as PIADs or Projects in a Day) lots of great things can occur. 

One of our projects last year was bowling with The Arc of the Piedmont, I saw someone so moved by the project and the organization (and the people it helped) that she handed one of the employees a cash donation before she left that day!  Something about bowling and making friends with this group of people, seeing the tools used by the people in wheel chairs to bowl or how happy some of the people were just to have someone to talk to was amazingly moving.  The employees of the Arc were so kind and wonderful to their Adult Day Activity participants and it was such a unique chance to spend time with them. I understand why that lady felt the urge to help!  Without being a participant in Day of Caring, our team of volunteers and the group from the other business at that project would never have had that experience.  On another note, a friend of mine is a regular volunteer with the Boys & Girls Club and she learned about them through the Day of Caring.  I hope as many agencies as possible work with Shaele to come up with projects.  The opportunity for September 23 and beyond seems too good to miss!

Posted by Ali Rothschild, Nonprofit Marketing Partner at the Charlottesville Newsplex

With more than 3,000 volunteers expected to register this year, please consider all nonprofit agencies and schools (including child care centers) where you work, volunteer or support and encourage them to register projects.  A Project Development Toolkit is available to help organizations identify needed projects, and United Way staff is eager to help, as well.  Please visit our website or contact Shaele Wood for more information (434-972-1705).

We extend a big thank you to for their sponsorship of the Day of Caring.  Keep an eye out for a series of television PSA's dedicated to project development, promotion and recognition.

Salvation Army Kicks off Day of Caring Blog Marathon

The United Way Laurence E. Richardson Day of Caring is September 23rd.  From now until the end of volunteer and project registration on July 31, we will share stories from our agencies and volunteer teams illustrating the impact that the Day of Caring has on our community.  With more than 2,500 volunteers enthusiastically completing 252 projects last September, there is much to celebrate.  Read on to learn how volunteers make a difference.

The Salvation Army participated last year with the Day of Caring event.  The United Way contacted us to see if we had a need for improving our facility.  I notified our staff of this opportunity; they were thrilled to take part in this annual event.  They began putting their thinking caps on and came up with many projects that would enhance our programs.  After the staff gave me their list of needs.  I began to coordinate the projects with the United Way.

The United Way distributed the list of requested projects from our staff; in areas such as the soup kitchen, food pantry, child care center, emergency services and thrift store to many local companies.  Approximately 75 volunteers from many of the companies signed up to help in these areas requested. 

The volunteers arrived enthusiastic and ready to work.  They washed the children's toys, sleeping carts, took the kids from the child-care center on a field trip to a local apple orchard, organized our cabinets in the administrative offices, cleaned closets, updated our poster boards in our Transitional Housing Unit, shampooed carpets, organized our emergency shelter library, painted the walls in our entrance and hallways, built shelving in our storage room and served lunch in our soup kitchen to approximately 50 people.  Our largest work site was at the two thrift stores.  Our staff was very impressed and thankful for the eagerness and additional support the volunteers provided each department,  

Since the event, 50% of those volunteers have returned to volunteer with The Salvation Army.  It was a great opportunity for them to meet new friends and to renew friendships.  We received very positive feedback from many of the volunteers who participated in this annual event.

Last, this was a great opportunity to recruit and expand our contact list of volunteers and do much needed repairs and projects our  budget is often not able to accommodate.

Thank you letters were sent out to all companies who participated at this site.

The Salvation Army values our partnership and continued support with the United Way.

Posted by Guest Bloggers Dan Matthews and Mary Matthews, Salvation Army Corps Captains 

With more than 3,000 volunteers expected to register this year, please consider all nonprofit agencies and schools (including child care centers) where you work, volunteer or support and encourage them to register projects.  A Project Development Toolkit is available to help organizations identify needed projects, and United Way staff is eager to help, as well.  Please visit our website or contact Shaele Wood for more information (434-972-1705).

It Must Be Summer!

Summertime in my office only means one thing: time to start planning for the United Way Laurence E. Richardson Day of Caring.  June 1 hits and suddenly the phone calls and the emails start.  “When is the Day of Caring?” [September 23rd]  “When do we register our projects?” [Registration begins the end of June].  “Can my team volunteer on the Day?” [Sure thing, just contact me and I’ll add you to the registration email].

I is absolutely my favorite part of my job.  Connecting thousands of volunteers (okay, last year it was    2,500) with over 100 nonprofit agencies and schools to make a meaningful difference in our community.  You read that right – 2,500 volunteers on ONE DAY, out there making a difference in our communities (that’s about 2% of the Charlottesville/Albemarle population volunteering at one time!). 

Impressive, right?  Oh, absolutely.  We’ve enjoyed tremendous growth and enthusiasm by our volunteers.  However, with that growth comes growing pains.  My greatest challenge each summer is to make sure that we have enough high impact, quality projects for all of those volunteers.  Our ultimate goal while planning the Day of Caring is that someone (or hopefully lots of people!) will have a wonderful time volunteering and they will continue to do so throughout the year. 

With my “challenge” in mind, I’m on a mission to get the word out there that project registration is just around the corner.  Now is the time for nonprofit agency and school staff (in Charlottesville, Albemarle, Fluvanna, Greene, Louisa and Nelson) to start thinking about their projects for September.  Beyond that, if you are a board member, a volunteer, or an advocate for an agency or school, please take a moment to forward this blog to the nonprofits you work with. The Day of Caring is an excellent opportunity for a nonprofit to introduce itself to a new group of people and businesses who may be inspired to volunteer with an organization year-round, or become donors.

I spent some time on the air with Joe Thomas of WCHV 1260 AM and 94.1 FM this morning, describing the kinds of activities that nonprofits can have done in September. (I brought along our summer intern, Ladi Smith, pictured here with me and Joe). The ever-popular painting and landscaping projects are always welcomed.  But there are so many other ways that volunteers can help you.  They want to prepare your direct mail pieces; assist with special event activities; plan a recognition event for your regular long-term volunteers; interact with your clients.  The sky is the limit.  If you have an unmet need, volunteers can tackle it.  Visit our website at www.DayOfCaring.info or download our Project Development Toolkit to help generate ideas.  My intern, Brandon Oliver, and I are available to meet at your agency or school to help you identify projects.  And, keep a lookout on our blog.  Soon we will be kicking off our Day of Caring Blog Marathon to help get the word out about registration.  If you have a story to share, we welcome guest bloggers.  Just email me.

Many thanks to Joe Thomas for giving me time during our Live United segment on his morning show, Jay James at WINA for recording our new Day of Caring PSA and Ali Rothschild at Charlottesville Newsplex for developing our new Day of Caring ad that will start airing in a few weeks.  We couldn’t do it without our media partners.

Posted by Shaele Wood.

Meetings, Meetings Everwhere!

One of the constants of life here at the United Way-Thomas Jefferson Area is meetings. Our staff members are rarely all in the office at the same time. What we do is all about interaction, partnerships, information sharing, and collaboration. We are always either hosting or attending meetings with other nonprofit, media, business, government, education and health care leaders in our community.  

So here is a brief rundown of some of the meeting our staff members are attending this week:
Martha Trujillo has a couple of meetings this week with the Creciendo Juntos group: one was on using websites to access information, and the next will be a roundtable discussion for local nonprofits that interact with the Latino community.

Cathy Train and Jon Nafziger hosted a meeting here of community leaders to review 15 grant applications for the Initiative for Effective Nonprofits, which is a partnership between the United Way and the Wardle Family Foundation.

Shaele Wood and volunteer Brandon Oliver met to plan a blog marathon for the Day of Caring. Brandon will be contacting nonprofit agencies who have benefitted from Day of Caring projects and also companies who participated as volunteers, and asking them to write testimonials about their experiences that we can post on this blog. It will be similar to March’s “Mentor. Tutor. Pass it on!” blog marathon, with a new post each day.

Kim Connolly, Shaele Wood and our summer intern, Ladi Smith, met with Ali Rothschild from Charlottesville Newsplex to plan their series of TV ads supporting the Day of Caring.

Caroline Emerson met with volunteer Margo Szeliga to work on Margo’s role in coordinating raffle donations and hole sponsorships for our upcoming Keswick-United Way Golf Classic.

Cathy Train went to a City Council work session on their funding process for nonprofits and was asked to share United Way’s process for reviewing grant applications. Her comments were picked up and aired on WINA Newsradio1070.

Helen Frye, as she does three times a week, went to the Charlottesville Free Clinic to meet with patients who qualify for free prescriptions from pharmaceutical companies and walk them through the application process.

Miriam Rushfinn met with Mike Chinn, chair of Smart Beginnings Leadership Council’s Measure School Readiness group and City and County data specialists to look at school readiness data findings.

Later this week Miriam will travel to Richmond to attend a board meeting of the Virginia Parent Information Resource Center.

Jon Nafziger has a meeting of the Partnership for Children executive committee meeting, coordinating services of agencies serving children age 0-6.

Leah Hill met with Shaele Wood to go over changes to the Day of Caring website.

Reimi Okuyama is gathering information to plan sessions for community outreach for low and middle income families and individuals impacted by the recession.

And those are just the first few days of the week!

Posted by Kim Connolly.