Living United

Self-Sufficiency: Telling Stories through Numbers

The numbers are in. Our Thomas Jefferson Area Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) coalition prepared 1,880 tax returns at no charge for local low to middle income residents of Charlottesville and Albemarle, Fluvanna, Greene, Louisa and Nelson counties.

The numbers tell us that the average refund was $1,491 and the average Earned Income Tax Credit (for those who qualified) was $1,742. Similarly, the average Child Care Credit was $784.

The average income for those we helped was $19,341. Think of the impact that receiving those kinds of refunds and credits can have on someone with that sort of income. You could buy new tires for your car. Pay off a medical debt. Visit your mother in another state. Start a savings account.

And the numbers go on. Our coalition volunteers saved these 1,880 people a total of $366,200 in tax preparation fees. We had more than 100 volunteers, most of them UVA students and law students. The total dollar value of credits for earned income, child care and education totaled $1,605,879. The most returns (649) were prepared at the site at the University of Virginia’s Human Resources department. The United Way’s office prepared the second highest number of returns (216). University of Virginia Community Credit Union employees prepared returns in their branches in Fluvanna, Greene, Louisa and Nelson counties, plus their downtown Charlottesville branch, for a total of 367 returns.

The numbers also tell us that the total impact of our coalition’s efforts this year, including refunds, credits and saved fees, was $3,453,535.

But what the numbers do not tell us are the stories about the people whose lives were vastly improved by this boost to their bank accounts. Here at the United Way office, a staff member prepared a return for a woman who was a recent immigrant from Eastern Europe and had a middle school age daughter. She could not believe that she would actually be getting money back from the earned income tax credit, and even asked to review the return, in case we had made a mistake. Once she received her tax credit, she returned to our office to show us pictures of the new furniture she was able to buy: new beds and mattresses for her and her daughter. She said “Thanks to you, we will not sleep on the floor any more.”

One thousand, eight hundred and eighty  tax returns prepared. There are a lot more stories to be told.

 

Posted by: Kim Connolly

Are you Invested in Our Community? We Are.

What would happen if families had access to quality health care, kids entered school ready to learn, and individuals had the job skills they needed to become financially stable? How would their lives be different? How would our community change?

That is our vision. And we need your help.

The United Way-Thomas Jefferson Area is invested in: School Readiness, Self-Sufficiency and Community Health.

To ensure people have the tools they need to thrive, we have assembled a winning team: local nonprofits, business leaders, educators, health professionals and public servants. We are leading these team members in solid, research-based community strategies and linking them with the resources needed - funding, volunteers, advocacy, technology, in-kind resources and corporate partnerships - to deliver transformative, measurable results.

Today we’re appealing to you to step up to the plate and invest in our community. Please make a gift to help the United Way hit a home run for programs that make families more successful, and our community more prosperous.

We’re all on the same team; we all care about this community. It’s time to come together and Hit One Out of the Park.

Everyone who makes an “Out of the Park” donation that is received by June 1, 2012 will be listed in a full page ad in The Daily Progress (please indicate if you want to be anonymous).

What are you invested in? Give today. Click here.

Thank you.

 

Interning for the United Way a Valuable, Wide-Ranging Experience

In my third year at the University of Virginia I decided to enroll in the internship program (UIP) for the entirety of my fourth year. I had extra space in my schedule and thought it would be fun to get out of the classroom for ten hours a week and do something a little more practical.

My first day at the United Way was both wonderful and overwhelming. Jessica, my sponsor, showed me my desk and then introduced me to everybody in the office. They were all incredibly nice and excited to meet me and they all wanted to tell me all about what they did. I of course promptly forgot everything that they said and spend the next few months learning everything I could about the office and remembering what they had told me earlier.

At my internship seminar I heard horror stories of other interns’ experiences; they would vacuum for ten hours a week, didn’t have a desk to sit at, or would have to deal with highly erratic sponsors and schedules. At the United Way, however, everybody went out of their way to accommodate my schedule and they did their best to involve me with everything that went on in the office. As the intern I expected to do a lot of the busy work in the office, but people would hesitate to ask me to do certain things; everybody really wanted me to have a valuable experience and not just envelope-stuffing experience. I helped organized a School Supply Drive, participated in the Day of Caring (I have never blown up that many balloons), went to a Board Meeting, did research for Impact Area meetings, worked on the Better Business Challenge to make the office more sustainable, and accompanied people to the radio station.

From January until April, I devoted most of my time to doing taxes through the EITC tax coalition. While taxes might not sound very exciting, I really enjoyed this portion of the internship! It meant I got to interact with clients, problem solve if a return got rejected, and really feel like I was making a difference in the community.

By interning at the United Way, I now have a much better understanding of how organizations, and particularly non-profits, function. I feel a lot more confident that I will be capable of holding an actual job. I gained great work experience and also started really connecting to Charlottesville (the University tends to be a little bit of a bubble at times). It felt great to be a part of an organization that works so hard to improve the community. I know that when I visit Charlottesville in the future, I will definitely drop by the office and say hi to everyone!

Posted by: Ellen Janssen, University of Virginia Class of 2012

Beer Run Knows A Good Cause Can Also Be Good Fun!

Beer Run is a family owned and operated neighborhood restaurant with a focus on local and organic ingredients.  Beer Run offers the best retail craft beer selection in Virginia and a large selection of biodynamic and organic retail wines.

Beer Run joined the United Way Home Run Club because United Way-Thomas Jefferson Area is our leading community non-profit advocate for those in need.

 

Car Shopping? Come to the Mega Mile Auto Event!

One of the things I dislike about shopping for a car is the hopscotching around town to visit all the auto dealers on the very busy roads on which they are located. Which is why I really like the concept of the Mega Mile Auto event (other than the fact the a portion of the proceeds benefits our United Way). The four largest auto dealers in Charlottesville (Battlefield Ford, Brown Autos, Colonial Autos and Jim Price Automotive) team up for this event, bringing their entire inventories of new and used cars to fill up the lots at the John Paul Jones Arena. Our friends at the UVA Community Credit Union orchestrate the entire event, offering rates as low as 2.49% for a new car.

Can't decide between a Chevy, Ford, Nissan, Honda, Kia or Toyota? How about a Mercedes, Hyundai or a Subaru? There are 18 car brands represented at this event - a mile of cars. You can test drive to your heart's content - kind of like Goldilocks - too big, too slow, wrong color...just right! I already have a list of cars I want to drive.

At the kick off on Thursday, April 5, a "Conquer the Mile" walk takes place at 1:00 pm to benefit the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank. The donations we receive as a result of this event help us focus resources where they will have the biggest impact in our community: School Readiness, Self- Sufficiency and Community Health. These areas are where we KNOW we can make a difference - with the help of our donors like these terrific area car delaers and the UVA Community Credit Union.

We hope to see you there!

 

Posted by:Kim Connolly

Tailgate party with Cavalier One for UVA Baseball

The members of the United Way Home Run Club will enjoy an exclusive, members-only tailgate party using  Cavalier One prior to the May 9 baseball game. Our Team Captain, CenturyLink, is hosting the party. At last year's tailgate party, we were told that we had the best food of the season, thanks to the many wonderful donations by area restaurants and beer distributors.

Has YOUR business joined the Club? If not, what are you waiting for? Team members pledge $10 to the United Way for each home run the UVA baseball team hits from April 1 through the end of the 2012 season. Get exposure in print and radio ads.

Call Caroline Emerson today at 434-972-1701 or email her at cemerson@unitedwaytja.org or click here to download a form.

 

Welcome to the Team, Better Living!

 

 Our Friends at Better Living are well known in the community, not just for their excellent customer service, but also for their enduring support of so many causes in our community. Joining the United Way Home Run Club is a natural step for them to show their support of two winning teams - UVA baseball and the United Way-Thomas Jefferson Area.

Team Up for Our Community!

CenturyLink loves being a part of these two winning teams – UVA baseball and the United Way-Thomas Jefferson Area. Where else can you have all things wholesome like baseball and hot dogs and make a positive impact in the community with your donation every time that  home run is scored! It’s an absolute win when we are able to support a local Charlottesville organization that does so much to help with School Readiness, Self-Sufficiency and Community Health.

And the tailgate in May provides a great way to connect with other businesses that not only care what’s happening in the community but are willing to step up and act by joining the Club.

This year as the Team Captain we have a small gift that we’ll be sharing with each business as a token of our appreciation. But you have to sign up to find out what it is! One will be coming to our friends at Overhead Door soon!

 

Guest post by: Simone Alley, CenturyLink

Welcome to Our First Team Members!

Some businesses know a great way to help their community while also getting some goodwill marketing exposure when they see it.The same day we sent out information on the United Way Home Run Club, we had a response from BB&T and then from the Pepsi Cola Bottling Company of Central Virginia.

Welcome to the Team!

 BB&T is proud to again "Team up" with our United Way and The University of Virginia Baseball team as a member in the Home Run Club.  This continues to be one way that BB&T lives up to its mission of "Making our COMMUNITIES in which we work better places to be."  Hit some Home Runs!!!

 

Pepsi Cola Bottling Company of Central Virginia is excited to be a Home Run Club team member again this year.  What better way to support the United Way, the UVA baseball team, and the community! Supporting the Home Run Club not only helps bring the fans closer to UVA baseball, but also helps us help the United Way work towards their mission.

 

Hit a Home Run for Your Business and the Community

It’s back by popular demand! It’s the United Way Home Run Club!

Do you love University of Virginia Baseball? We do. And we appreciate the work ethic and sportsmanship of Coach Brian O’Connor and the high standards he sets for his athletes.

We also love our community and work every day to “move the needle” on our three focus areas: School Readiness, Self-Sufficiency and Community Health.

So we thought, “Why not combine our community’s passion and support for the baseball team with an equal passion for reaching out to help others in need?” And so, the United Way Home Run Club was born last year.

For every home run the UVA baseball team hits between April 1 and the end of the 2012 season, Home Run Club team members pledge $10 to the United Way-Thomas Jefferson Area. Last year, the first with the new composite bats, that totaled 18 home runs through the post season.

CenturyLink has enthusiastically returned as our Team Captain this year. They will be hosting a tailgate party using Cavalier One for our team members before the May 9 baseball game. Here is a photo from last year’s tailgate, in which we enjoyed incredible food and drink donated from several area businesses.  We were told that we had the best Cav One tailgate food all year.

We find ourselves listening closely to each game broadcast on WINA, or following online, and the Home Run Club does not officially start until April 1! If you listen to WINA broadcasts of the baseball and lacrosse games, you will hear our radio ads urging you to join the Club, as we are an official baseball and lacrosse broadcast sponsor, thanks to the support of CenturyLink.!

Small businesses owners are urged to join our team for some high visibility goodwill marketing – their names will be listed in our ads in The Daily Progress, with mentions during radio broadcasts, too! We will also be doing mini-business profiles on this blog, with links to our Team Member's websites.

Can we add your business name to the team roster? Individuals are welcome as well. If you know of a local small (or big!) business that loves UVA baseball and also wants to support our community, tell them about the United Way Home Run Club. They can publicly show their support of both, plus get print and radio exposure for their business. Win-win.

Click here to download a form.

This promotion is so popular, that we already have a local business signed up before doing any outreach!

Welcome to our first team member of 2012:

Overhead Door Company of Charlottesville.

GO HOOS!

 

The United Way Home Run Club is made possible  by Team Captain CenturyLink

 

 

 

 

 

Posted by: Kim Connolly

 

Pulling People Together

We have each been involved in supporting local nonprofits for more than 20 years. Jane thrives on helping organize special events for a variety of organizations and Bryan has served on the board of our United Way for more than 20 years, as well as serving as the chair of the Charlottesville Regional Chamber of Commerce and as a volunteer for Special Olympics, the Red Cross, Blue Ridge Rotary Club, and the Party Parade.

Our United Way impacts the community in many ways that people do not see. Not just by providing grants for local programs and by offering many direct services, but by advocating for the human service needs of all citizens. There are many issues in our community that concern us, including the education of our children and their well-being. Children need to be raised with the appropriate education and social skills plus the understanding that they are part of a larger community. The economic prosperity of our region is also very important, and we need to provide people with the skills they need as well as the jobs needed to sustain a healthy and safe living environment for everyone who lives here.

Our United Way addresses these issues by looking at where the needs are; we do this by pulling together community members-from nonprofits, businesses, the education and health care communities, and the public sector -and listening to them about what works and what hasn't, and where they see the need for more action. That is why we support our United Way both financially and with our time -because of the important role it plays in our community. We feel strongly that the dollars raised here stay in our community. We have a staff that works tirelessly to provide direct services like the Volunteer Center, Child Care Scholarships, Prescription Assistance and so on. We can see a tangible impact on our community through the United Way.

Posted By:

Bryan Thomas, Area Executive, BB&T

Jane Thomas, Community Volunteer

I feel energized and inspired by these young people

Do you want to do something that will make you energized and feel inspired about the future of our country?  Then consider mentoring at Teen Tech at Computers4Kids.

Teen Tech is a program for students who have graduated from the Computers4Kids middle school program and wish to continue learning about technology as well as prepare for college and career.  To mentor at Teen Tech  you  just drop in and help  anytime Monday to Thursday 3 to 8 pm.  Students who have come after school could be working on homework assignments,  filling out college applications,  writing an essay or applying  for work.  Help with writing a resume is another mentoring project.  Sometimes it is helpful to just participate in a good conversation about how to proceed with a project.

Many of the students are recent immigrants and speak English but need help with their grammar.  Giving advice about how to do research is also something the students appreciate.   Students have to learn how to do research – these are our future scientists, doctors, engineers, technicians and other career professionals.

The students are hardworking and very focused on their task.  They listen carefully to advice and try to incorporate all that they are told.  They are extremely polite and appreciate the help that is given.  Mentored students have better attitudes toward school, fewer absences from school, less alcohol and drug use, and develop better relationships with others.   This is what we should want for our future citizens.

Many of the students feel that it is important to give back to the community and are volunteers themselves at C4K or other organizations.  Each time I leave C4K I feel energized and inspired by these young people.

 

Guest post by Jackie Lichtman, Computers4Kids volunteer mentor

A look inside the Music Resource Center

 

January is National Mentoring Month.

All month long we are featuring guest posts from many of our local nonprofits that work with youth and need volunteers to become mentors and tutors. On January 26, 2012, the United Way Volunteer Center invites you to our annual Mentor and Tutor Opportunity Fair from 11:00 - 2:00 at the Omni Hotel. There you will be able to meet in person with representatives from 17 local organizations and fit the right fit for you as a mentor or tutor.

Mentor. Tutor. Pass it on!

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The Music Resource Center is an after-school music education program for 7^th-12^th grade students that uses recording and performing arts to equip students with life skills. Students pay as little as $10 per year to attend the MRC where they can explore:

-          Digital Music Production (or Beat Making) – In our project studios, students compose entire songs using just a computer and digital sounds.

-          Instruments- We have electric and acoustic guitars, bass guitars, pianos, drums, as well as microphones and amps for students to experiment with to figure out what they like, or improve on an instrument that they already know.

-          Instruction- The MRC offers lessons and workshops, led by staff and volunteers, in areas such as drums, guitar, audio engineering, beat making, hip-hop dance and even DJ’ing.

-          Recording Studio- Students can record their songs---as well as learn how to record others--- in our state-of-the-art recording studio.

-          Songwriting- Students work with staff and volunteers to learn how to construct songs and lyrics.

Students learn instrument and technology skills in our facilities, however, they also learn to respect others, manage time effectively, and set and achieve goals. We acheive these goals through the help of our volunteers. If you know a 7^th-12^th grade student that you think would be interested in our program, or you are interested in becoming a volunteer, please visit our web site or call 434-979-5478.

 

Guest Post by Maria Gall, Music Resource Center Program Assistant & Volunteer Coordinator

 

Adults need tutors for reading skills

January is National Mentoring Month.

All month long we are featuring guest posts from many of our local nonprofits that work with youth and need volunteers to become mentors and tutors. On January 26, 2012, the United Way Volunteer Center invites you to our annual Mentor and Tutor Opportunity Fair from 11:00 - 2:00 at the Omni Hotel. There you will be able to meet in person with representatives from 17 local organizations and fit the right fit for you as a mentor or tutor.

Mentor. Tutor. Pass it on!

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Long ago in a land far, far away (Baton Rouge), I had too much time on my hands. That’s hard to imagine now, but way back in the 1990s life moved slower and I picked up volunteer work as an adult education tutor. My student, a gentleman from Mississippi who worked stocking shelves at the local Piggly Wiggly grocery, was in line to be promoted to Assistant Manager at his store. But he had a HUGE secret. He had never learned read beyond a third-grade level.

He saw the sort of work Assistant Managers performed. With their pencils, paper, and clipboards they checked off inventory as the trucks were unloaded. They filled out order forms to request supplies and fresh merchandise. After ten years of stocking the shelves, my student could tell the difference between “Fresh cut green beans” and “French cut green beans” by looking at the pictures. Unfortunately, the order forms the Assistant Managers had to use contained no pictures.

After I was appropriately trained as a Literacy Volunteer tutor, we began our tutoring sessions. We started with short words.

C-A-N spells “can.”

“What produce item begins with the can sound?”

“Cantaloupe!” He got it. I could almost see the light bulb flash on in his head.

Realistically, he probably never graduated to reading War and Peace. Tolstoy isn’t for everybody. But by the time I left Baton Rouge, he could decipher just about any word related to groceries well enough to earn his promotion.

Fast-forward twenty years later, and I am now the Executive Director of Literacy Volunteers of Charlottesville/ Albemarle. Every day I see people come in and work hard on their reading skills. I hear tutors go over material with their learners and I can tell they care about helping someone improve their life situation. Many tutors think they get more out of the experience than their students do!

Our next tutor training is January 21 and 23*. See our website (www.literacyforall.org) or call our office (977-3838) for more information 

Guest post by: Ellen Osborne, Executive Director, Literacy Volunteers

Mentoring is an awesome feeling

January is National Mentoring Month.

All month long we are featuring guest posts from many of our local nonprofits that work with youth and need volunteers to become mentors and tutors. On January 26, 2012, the United Way Volunteer Center invites you to our annual Mentor and Tutor Opportunity Fair from 11:00 - 2:00 at the Omni Hotel. There you will be able to meet in person with representatives from 17 local organizations and fit the right fit for you as a mentor or tutor.

Mentor. Tutor. Pass it on!

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For the last year, Hope 4 Kids has been the best part of my Fridays. As the children begin to filter out each week around 5:30, I sincerely cannot wait until the next Friday when I will be able to see them again. Being a positive influence to someone who looks up to you literally and figuratively is an important responsibility and an awesome feeling. The kids at the Hope Center are great; they are well behaved and full of energy. This can be attributed to the program’s leadership. When I began volunteering, Sharon Mason was the director of Hope 4 Kids, and I really admired the way she ran the program. She had a no-nonsense, tough-love demeanor paired with a genuine desire to help the young children grow to be successful students and peers. She stressed academic as well as social growth, recognizing the necessity of manners for a well-rounded education. The program’s current director, Lori- Ann Strait, has the same leadership style and truly demonstrates Hope’s desire to help not only the children, but their families and the surrounding community as well.

 

The Hope Center provides tutoring, exercise, and very valuable life lessons to children whose parents are often too busy at work to watch over them in the afternoons. The education techniques are very effective, as good behavior is incentivized and poor behavior is not tolerated. The children earn points for using their manners and helping out, and they may exchange those points for prizes at the end of each week. Through this program the children are also able to learn about the importance of saving, as there are items of various prices available, some of which are worth several weeks of points. The Hope Center also gives back to the surrounding community. For example, Lori-Ann recently provided all the ingredients for Thanksgiving dinner for the children’s families and alongside that gave them scarecrows as decorations. Also, at least twice a year, the Hope Center hosts a clothing drive, where they take donations in and then sell them to lower-income community members at significantly reduced prices.

There is a significant need for male volunteers for the Hope 4 Kids, as a positive male influence is very necessary for many of the kids who participate in the program. I highly encourage anyone who is interested to volunteer; it is a cause that is very worthwhile and enjoyable. I volunteer because I want the children involved in the program to succeed. The Hope Center has been a way for me to give back to the community through which I believe I’m making a lasting impact. And, as I’ve mentioned before, it’s a ton of fun!

Guest post by: Andrew Thrash

These kids inspire me

January is National Mentoring Month.

All month long we are featuring guest posts from many of our local nonprofits that work with youth and need volunteers to become mentors and tutors. On January 26, 2012, the United Way Volunteer Center invites you to our annual Mentor and Tutor Opportunity Fair from 11:00 - 2:00 at the Omni Hotel. There you will be able to meet in person with representatives from 17 local organizations and fit the right fit for you as a mentor or tutor.

Mentor. Tutor. Pass it on!

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Every day a steady stream of students file into the “I Have a Dream” office at Charlottesville High School.   They come during lunch, free periods, and afterschool to get homework help, work on college applications, or just relax and interact with the other Dreamers. 

This semester my main goal has been to help them apply to college, but I have gained so much more than I thought possible in just four short months ago.  The diverse set of personalities and experiences they bring forward every time we meet continue to inspire me.

 One Dreamer, Trevail, always makes me laugh as he recites song lyrics and tells stories about his life, usually while working on Trigonometry homework. It’s been amazing seeing him grow as a student and person during my time working with “I Have a Dream.” I can’t wait to continue working with him in the new year!

 Guest post by:  Joanna Ferguson, Intern,  “I Have a Dream” Foundation

 

Ten years of Computers4Kids: Timeless Impact

January is National Mentoring Month.

All month long we are featuring guest posts from many of our local nonprofits that work with youth and need volunteers to become mentors and tutors. On January 26, 2012, the United Way Volunteer Center invites you to our annual Mentor and Tutor Opportunity Fair from 11:00 - 2:00 at the Omni Hotel. There you will be able to meet in person with representatives from 17 local organizations and fit the right fit for you as a mentor or tutor.

Mentor. Tutor. Pass it on!

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Recently Computers4Kids (C4K) officially celebrated its 10^th Anniversary Year at our annual graduation ceremony.  Founded with the intent to bring technology to the students who need it most, C4K has evolved to provide a powerful combination of after-school services that ensure low-income students receive the guidance and skills needed to use computers to achieve greater academic and career success. C4K uses mentoring as the means to provide technology training and access because it is a proven tool for increasing positive long term outcomes for at-risk youth. 

If you are wondering whether you can truly make a difference as a mentor, the answer is undeniably YES. You can! After 10 years of matching at-risk students with volunteer mentors from the community, C4K is seeing a real impact.  95% of mentored students tracked by C4K have graduated from high school, and 89% have gone on to college.

As a mentor, you can help give local at-risk students the tools for success, and the chance to make their own positive contribution to our community.  To learn more visit www.computers4kids.net today!

 

“Although I wasn’t a bad child or student, I was still considered to be a low-income, “at-risk” youngster.  I thought I did not have the aptitude, intelligence or wherewithal  to do well in school.  C4K helped me to realize that category will never define me!”                                                                   

-Robert Williams, C4K alumnus, speaker at C4K’s 10^th anniversary graduation ceremony, and current graduate student in social work at Howard University

 

Guest post by: Computers4Kids

Afterschool Tutors Are Changing Lives

January is National Mentoring Month.

All month long we are featuring guest posts from many of our local nonprofits that work with youth and need volunteers to become mentors and tutors. On January 26, 2012, the United Way Volunteer Center invites you to our annual Mentor and Tutor Opportunity Fair from 11:00 - 2:00 at the Omni Hotel. There you will be able to meet in person with representatives from 17 local organizations and fit the right fit for you as a mentor or tutor.

Mentor. Tutor. Pass it on!

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Abundant Life’s afterschool program at Johnson Elementary School has just gotten underway for the spring semester and we are thrilled to have started the year off strong!  This year we are blessed to provide quality afterschool programming to nearly 42 school children. We have over 60 tutors working in our program already, many of whom have returned from last year!

Over the past few years we have had the privilege to increase the program size and expand our ministry to some students outside the Prospect Avenue neighborhood.  Our program has also reflected the diversity of our families in the Prospect area- we now have students from Liberia, Mexico, Togo, Somalia, Thailand, El Salvador, and Burma.

Not only do we have one-on-one tutoring at the school, we are partnering with the Blue Ridge Commons Community Center and the new Boys and Girls Club to offer afterschool enrichment on non-tutoring days.  This has allowed our families to have high-quality afterschool care each day of the week.  We are thankful to have these continued partnerships.

 Posted by:

Richard Feero, Charlottesville Abundant Life Ministires (CALM, Inc.)
Buford Tutoring Coordinator
Walker Tutoring Coordinator

Come to the Mentor & Tutor Opportunity Fair

Many thanks to the creative staff at NBC29, and reporter Henry Graff for creating this wonderful public service announcement about our Mentor & Tutor Opportunity Fair.

We hope you will come by the Omni Hotel in downtown Charlottesville on January 26 between 11 to 2 to meet face to face with the many local organizations that work with youth. You can ask questions about their programs and find the right fit for your time and interests.

 

 

Posted by: Kim Connolly, United Way

An Instant Connection through Mentoring at YMCA

January is National Mentoring Month.

All month long we are featuring guest posts from many of our local nonprofits that work with youth and need volunteers to become mentors and tutors. On January 26, 2012, the United Way Volunteer Center invites you to our annual Mentor and Tutor Opportunity Fair from 11:00 - 2:00 at the Omni Hotel. There you will be able to meet in person with representatives from 17 local organizations and fit the right fit for you as a mentor or tutor.

Mentor. Tutor. Pass it on!

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With a focus on youth development, healthy living and social responsibility, YMCA volunteers give men, women and children of all ages and from all walks of life the resources and support they need to be healthy, confident, connected and secure. Volunteers can coach our sports teams and teach many of our classes; mentor and tutor school-aged children in our after school programs; motivate and support youth; extend a hand to help adults who want to do more, be more or live healthier; advocate for the Y’s efforts to influence policies and initiatives that positively impact our community and participate in opportunities to give back and support neighbors.

"I love the relationships I have formed! I love connecting with people in our community. Whether it's the participants, other volunteers, YMCA staff, family members of the participants, etc., it's just so great to get to know these wonderful people. I especially enjoy the participants. 

It is so rewarding working with these special individuals and feeling like you are really helping them w/ homework and other after school activities. This, along with the social interactions, is important to stimulate their minds and bodies.

 [The Y is] a place with such a sense of community that you feel the connection the instant you walk through the door. It feels so good to give back locally and the programs through the Y are a great place to do so! You feel the dedication and compassion from the staff and other volunteers.

 This is now a significant part of my life and one of the things I'm passionate about. It's an amazing feeling! This will help me as I continue into the field of medicine of the many different types of people I will encounter."

  ~First Year Medical Student volunteering at YMCA/Park’s Edge After School

The Piedmont Family YMCA welcomes volunteers. Volunteers are the "heart" of the YMCA. Whether it's offering hugs in the preschool, homework help in the classroom, or coaching a basketball team . . . there's just no way to put a price tag on the sense of fulfillment that comes from helping someone else.

 

Posted by Brookes Simms, Director of Child Care Services,  Piedmont YMCA