Posted August 27th, 2009 by admin
450 pounds of pancake mix, 2,250 pieces of bacon, 150 gallons of coffee and the first ever Celebrity Flip Off Competition was a recipe for success for the Community Campaign Kick Off! Thanks, Treasure Valley, for coming out and showing your support of our community. And thanks to our sponsors, Simplot, Albertsons/SUPERVALU and KTVB Channel 7, for helping make this event possible!
In case you missed it; a coupla highlights.
Posted August 26th, 2009 by admin
Would you take on a front line, full time, volunteer job that required time management, public speaking and understanding community needs…in addition to your professional life? That’s exactly what 17 “Loaned Executives” are doing for the next three months. From HR specialists to professional fundraisers, from bankers to chief inspiration officers, the United Way Loaned Executives have survived a boot camp of training to help us run the community campaign this fall. They will work with businesses throughout the Treasure Valley to inspire others to make a difference through their donations to the Community Fund.
Loaned Executives are volunteers “loaned” by their employer to United Way during the fall campaign. This program allows individuals and organizations to support the Treasure Valley community and helps us keep our fundraising costs low. Special thanks to our 2009 Loaned Executive Program Sponsor – KeyBank!
If you are interested in learning more about the Loaned Executive Program please contact Kathy Wold Vice President, Resource Development.
Our heroes, the 2009 United Way Loaned Executives:
Ben Moore, Bank of the Cascades; Leslie Yoest, Banner Bank; Jacque Jarvis, Boise Cascade; Jennifer Weeks, Home Federal; Trisha Phillips, Intermountain Community Bank; ChelseaOyler, KeyBank; Scott Kesler, Payne Financial; Michelle Peugh, Saint Alphonsus; Amanda Kelley, Saint Alphonsus; Michelle Damon, Simplot Food Group; Christine Campbell, Saint Luke’s; Bill Khoury, US Bank; Emielle Centrella, URS Washington Division; Alison Harry, VISTA/UWTV; Emilia de Leon-Montero, VISTA/UWTV; Shelley Parks, Wells Fargo; Brad Brockbank, Zion’s Bank
Posted August 25th, 2009 by admin
From Sally Zive, President & CEO, United Way of Treasure Valley
I am extremely pleased to share that an operator for the Community Detox and Crisis Mental Health facility was announced by the Joint Powers Entity at their August 20th board meeting. Terry Reilly Health Services (TRHS) was selected from the pool of operator proposals submitted through a competitive public process. United Way of Treasure Valley’s long relationship with TRHS makes me so very confident in this decision. The opening of this new facility located on Alumbaugh Street in Boise is scheduled for early 2010.
Our United Way Board committed to this project by adopting the Substance Abuse Prevention and Recovery Initiative over four years ago, and they have remained tenacious in seeing this project through to completion. On behalf of all of us at United Way, I extend our appreciation to the leadership and financial support of Boise Mayor Dave Bieter and Boise City Council, the Ada County Commissioners, Mayors and City Councils of Meridian and Eagle, the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare, Saint Alphonsus RMC, St. Luke’s, the Community Detox Coalition, and our Congressional Delegation.
Congratulations to the communities we serve and their commitment to making the Treasure Valley a very special place to live for all our residents.
Posted August 14th, 2009 by admin
Posted by Neva Geisler, Director, Volunteer Engagement
This week, more than 150 volunteers turned out for a lunch time meeting to learn how to run a United Way workplace campaign. It was an impressive display of the commitment this community shares to make the world a better place, because really, how often do you see that many people give up a couple of hours of their day to come and hear speakers tell them how they can help OTHER people? This is community at its finest.
Want a little piece of this good karma action but don’t know where to get your ticket? Let us know and we’ll hook you up.
Posted August 4th, 2009 by admin
Last Friday, United Way hosted some 50 volunteers for an interactive experience “living” in the state of poverty. In a simulated community, participants played the role of a family member. These families faced various situations from a single parent who loses a job to being a homeless senior citizen, and were forced to confront how they would survive. The simulation was followed up by a brief, but eye-opening look at poverty in the Treasure Valley, facilitated by UW Impact Council Member Jim Owens.
It’s difficult to really know what it is like to experience another person’s reality, especially when that reality entails crisis, but the poverty simulation gave everyone pause. Here’s one volunteer’s reaction–from Lauren Moore, branch manager for US Bank, and former United Way Loaned Executive:
This simulation was more “real” than I thought it would be. My “family” behaved just as the simulation instructed them, which made the real life challenges of a struggling teen, a single mom, and an juvenile stuck in the middle a scary reality. I feel extreme sadness about the poverty situation in the Treasure Valley, now more than ever, and my heart truly goes out to those people struggling financially and emotionally. The key is education and support, and there aren’t enough resources available yet. All I have to say is, “Push Onward, Soldiers!!”
Ada County Commissioner Sharon Ullman attended and shared her experience on her blog, saying:
Although I have some background with these issues, I still found the process to be educational, from the perspective of truly understanding what life can be like for people who are living in poverty.
To hear more about Commissioner Ullman’s experience, visit her blog.
The poverty simulation is a powerful tool that provides a glimpse into the complexities of poverty, and can be facilitated by UW staff and volunteers. If you are interested in hosting a poverty simulation please contact Kathy Wold, VP of Resource Development, at kwold@unitedwaytv.org.
