If you were to drive by Julia Davis Park last week, you would’ve seen this:

And though you would’ve wondered to yourself, “What is a group of grown adults doing in a chorus line in the park?”, what you were seeing was the dedicated team of the 2009-2010 Loaned Executives and Loaned Executive Alumni Philanthropists (LEAP).

These are the folks ‘on loan’ to United Way to help us with the community campaign. United Way runs some 300+ campaigns during the Fall, with a staff of about 12. How is that possible? LOANED EXECUTIVES. These volunteers are out in the community, most of them in addition to their full time jobs, helping us share the UW story through workplace campaigns. They are hard working volunteers committed to our community.

Occasionally, they’ll take a break for a little breather and some team building. Here’s what a couple of our LE’s had to say about their experience:

From Emielle Centrella:

“Friday I had the awesome opportunity to participate in a team building experience with my fellow Loaned Executives, members of LEAP and United Way of Treasure Valley staff. I am once again impressed with the level of commitment that the UWTV has given to supporting their volunteers. It was a great opportunity for us to come together as a team, get to know new faces and develop our leadership skills.

We participated in a lot of challenging activities that tested our ability to communicate, listen, build trust, brainstorm new ideas, and execute while under pressure. All important qualities found in leaders, and this group excelled. This activity gave us the opportunity to leave our jobs as bankers, fundraising professionals, program managers and volunteer coordinators behind and simply have a few laughs in the sunshine.

Being new to the area, it was a fantastic way to meet new people, focusing on what we have in common as young leaders in the Boise community.”

From Ben Moore (Bank of the Cascades):

“For most of this year’s United Way Loaned Executives and Loaned Executive Alumni Philanthropists (LEAP), teamwork is a large part of our everyday jobs. This is certainly true for a group of individuals donating their time and talents to spread the good messages of the United Way. Teamwork seems like a simple concept, yet there are challenges that even the most talented teams face. Last week we were fortunate enough to have the YMCA facilitate an excellent team building experience.

We learned many nuances of team building and team work. How do you flip over a 10×10 tarp with nearly 20 people standing on it? We tried one way with limited success, and someone stepped up and said to cut our loss and start over with a new idea. The new idea worked, and the lesson learned was at times we need to re-evaluate the situation and take action, even if it means starting over from scratch. Leadership, cooperation, creativity, risk and trust were all vital parts of this lesson.

Thank you to the United Way for sponsoring the event, and to the YMCA for facilitating. It truly was a rewarding experience.”

Doesn’t that sound like a kick in the pants?

If you’re interested in serving as a Loaned Executive during next year’s campaign, contact Kathy Wold . Team builders welcome.

How, you ask?  You can:

• Get DIRTy by joining the Direct Impact Response Team, which gets together once a month for a volunteer project over the lunch hour.
• Search for specific service opportunities that are a good fit for your skills, time and availability.
• Lend your own expertise to one of our areas of work: Education, Income, and Health.

Your generous donation of your time and expertise is yet another way that you can help United Way, and allow us to Help the Most People.  The more we can all help, the greater impact we’ll have on the community.

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

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.

Last month marked the inaugural project, the creation of a new community garden at Giraffe Laugh Early Learning Center. Six hardworking volunteer gardeners planted tomatoes, squash and herbs.

These dedicated community volunteers will be on the ground again tomorrow, serving lunch at the Boys and Girls Club of Ada County.
Go guys–you rock!

Holiday business is booming in the non-profit sector. Agencies are working seven days a week in a flurry of need, generosity, food boxes, coats, cots and cookies.

It’s a good time of year to be employed in this field. It keeps you honest, humble, thankful. The human condition is played out so visibly this time of year–hope, care, love, suffering, need–at every turn there’s something that reminds you that life can be simultaneously unpredictable, tragic and glorious.

In a time of such economic insecurity, it’s no surprise that need is up dramatically. The Salvation Army gave away a record 204 food boxes last week, with 30 percent of them going to people accessing services for the first time.  The Boise Rescue Mission tells us that the line for dinner goes out the dining room and down the hall. At their City Light Shelter for women and children, they are providing emergency housing for two families who recently lost their house after the primary wage earner was laid off. In the last month they’ve provided emergency housing services to three infants, one of them just a few days old.

Times are tough, but people are tougher. This year I have seen such incredible examples of people who faced unexpected tragedy and hardships who, with the help of others, are moving forward and into a better lot in life.

Which is why I feel so lucky every time the phone rings. Nine times out of ten the person on the line is calling to help. Often they are looking for a volunteer opportunity their whole family can do together. In the last six weeks alone I have set up group volunteer projects at the Idaho State Veteran’s Home, Idaho Botanical Gardens, Boise Samaritan Village, Boys and Girls Club, Life’s Kitchen, Ronald McDonald House, Idaho FoodBank, Taft Elementary, Boise Rescue Mission and Agency for New Americans. Volunteers are everywhere, doing just about anything asked of them. It is a remarkable display of the caring power of our community.

So this holiday season, a season that is also overshadowed by economic insecurity, consider an investment in service. Ring a bell, serve a meal, knit a scarf, adopt a family, (make a donation to United Way!) and see if you don’t feel about 100 percent better about the world. Celebrate the season with service and lift your spirits.

Get started here!

What are you doing when you grow up?  Have you ever heard those words?  I have, several times in my life.  I remember those words in high school then as I finished college, after my military service and several times in my work. When I left a major electronic company three years ago – I again heard those words. 

As I started the second-half of my work career, I took a new look at what was important and what did I want to do when I grow up?  A few years ago I was reading a magazine from Trout Unlimited and I noticed an advertisement about giving back:

“We make a living what we get …We make a life by what we give.”

 Winston Churchill

So what does this mean to me?  For me, I have found more satisfaction from giving back to my community and family. I have found new friends and rewards that are thank-you smiles than I saw in my corporate life. There are many needs in this valley and state that need not only your financial support; they also need your time and talent!  If you would like some help in finding one of these opportunities, the volunteer center can help you find one!

I have found my life more rewarding by giving back!

What would make your life more rewarding?

PS:  I have also found it is more fun to go fishing that to read the magazines.

More than 1200 people showed up to support the community over a plate of flapjacks at yesterday’s campaign kickoff breakfast–doubling last year’s attendance.

This was a first time event for United Way. In the past, we’ve done your basic big event breakfast, $30 tickets, reserved tables, a program of the coming year. But that kind of event never quite felt consistent with UW’s broad community focus. Anybody can give or volunteer with UW, and anybody might be a beneficiary of a UW program, so it seemed like we should kick off our campaign with an event that anybody could come to. And thanks to some great sponsors: Simplot, Albertson’s/Supervalu, KTVB, we were able to throw the kind of party that reflects how we feel about this year’s campaign and the work ahead of us–a celebration OF community and FOR the community where everyone could be a part of it. The fact that our numbers doubled makes us feel like we really got it right.
Check out our Celebrity Pancake Flippers!

Governor and Mrs. Otter Flipping Flapjacks for United Way

I retired from Micron Technology several years ago and began casting about for an interesting and meaningful volunteer activity.  While my husband and I had both been United Way contributors during our work lives, the organization dropped off the radar screen when we retired, and I simply followed up on an item in the newspaper about their need for volunteers.

In short order I was introduced to the staff, the mission and their style of doing business and was immediately impressed with the quality of professionalism and commitment of the staff, but of equal importance their ability to live “frugally”.  I learned a critical piece of information:  their administrative costs are covered by separate donations, so that every dollar contributed during their annual campaign goes directly to agencies and people who need it.  This looked like an organization I wanted to give time and money to.

I became part of the team of volunteers whose task is to visit the agencies which have applied for funds, sort through all of the requests and finally recommend how campaign contributions are to be distributed.   Now I began to see the hard part – not enough money for all the worthwhile requests. Once again, I was impressed with the leadership of United Way’s staff, committed to helping those in crisis, but ultimately working with the community to find lasting solutions.