UNITED WAY OF RICHLAND COUNTY
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United Way fights for the health, education, and financial stability of
every
person, in
every
community.
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‘TIS THE SEASON
NO MATTER WHAT HOLIDAY YOU
CELEBRATE, THE UNITED WAY OF RICHLAND COUNTY WOULD LIKE TO WISH YOU A SAFE AND HAPPY HOLIDAY SEASON AND A PEACEFUL AND PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR!
THE UNITED WAY OF RICHLAND COUNTY IS HAPPY TO, ONCE AGAIN, BE ABLE TO PROVIDE YOU WITH A NEWSLETTER OF INFORMATION REGARDING UPDATES ON THE AGENCY. IT IS HARD TO BELIEVE THAT 2018 IS COMING TO AN END. AS WE REFLECT BACK ON THE YEAR THAT WAS, I AM PROUD OF THE DIRECTION THIS ORGANIZATION IS HEADED. PERSONNEL CHANGES ALLOWED US TO CREATE ANOTHER NEW POSITION; RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT MANAGER. WE ARE EXCITED ABOUT THIS POSITION AND THE PATH IT IS GOING TO DIRECT US IN. WE HAVE HAD ANOTHER STRONG YEAR OF SPECIAL EVENTS AND THE ANNUAL CAMPAIGN IS STRONG.
AS WE ENTER INTO 2019 WE LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUE SERVING THE COMMUNITY AND RAISING THE AWARENESS OF THE GREAT PROGRAMS AND SERVICES WE INVEST IN THROUGHOUT RICHLAND COUNTY. THANK YOU ALL FOR ALL THAT YOU DO AND I HOPE YOU HAVE A BLESSED HOLIDAY SEASON.
DAN VARN
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
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Thank you to all who continued their support for the United Way of Richland County through Richland Gives on Giving Tuesday! #RichlandCares #UnitedForRichland
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Cornerstone Club
We recently had a kick-off for our new Cornerstone Club. The United Way of Richland County Cornerstone Club is a network of passionate, young professionals creating lasting impact in our community. Members connect to our community and each other through professional development, educational opportunities, volunteerism and networking events.
This emerging group offers its members multiple avenues to become involved with various United Way and community initiatives, to directly make a difference in people’s lives, and to ultimately become leaders in our community.
To learn more about the Cornerstone Club. Contact Alexis Danhoff at adanhoff@unitedwayofrichlandcounty.org
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Big Red Bookshelf
For those who do not know; the Big Red Bookshelf project places bright red bookshelves stocked with gently-used or new books appropriate for children from birth - 3rd grade in the community where families with young children visit. These books have been donated by community members. Children are invited to take a book home to keep and share!
In 2018 we have placed over
3,400
books in Richland County!
To learn more about the Big Red Bookshelf project. Contact Eric Stigall at estigall@unitedwayofrichlandcounty.org
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Richland Mall Gift Wrapping
A sincere thank you to all who volunteered this year at the Richland Mall. Free gift wrapping was available for all who purchased gifts at the mall. All donations given were on behalf of the United Way of Richland County. Our volunteers play a vital role in our impact and mission for helping others in the community and we could not be more appreciative!
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Success Story Spotlight
Mid-Ohio Youth Mentoring
Read the story below to learn how United Way funds help agencies throughout Richland County
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Jason was matched to his Mentor in February of this year, 2018. Jason had been waiting for a mentor for almost 2 years and was then 13, almost 14 years old. Jason signed up shortly after his father left the home, leaving himself at 11 years old, his older sister (12 years old at the time) and his mom to live on their own. Jason’s Sister Tammy got matched to a mentor named Chelsea quickly and has now been matched for almost 3 years. Jason watched his sister have a special friend and mentor and was jealous of all the things they were doing together. Jason would have his mom ask if there were any guys that wanted to hang out with him the way Chelsea did with Tammy almost every-time we talked. The trouble is, we at Mid-Ohio Youth Mentoring (MYM), only get 1 male volunteer to every 5 or 6 female volunteers. Jason stopped asking about a year and a half into his wait, and we at the agency were concerned about that. Luckily, we had a men’s group get together and sign up 18 male mentors all at once at the end of January 2018. We got busy at the office processing the applications, doing our background checks, Interviewing and training the mentors, and getting all of them qualified to be part of our program. We also learned at around this time, we would receive a boost in funding from the
Richland County United Way
which was essential to helping us afford the extra hours to process everyone in a timely manner. This fast pace growth in our match numbers was great, but we needed the extra
United Way
help to make it successful. In February, after his long wait, Jason was matched to a phenomenal volunteer named Josh. They have been meeting just about every week since and have done some spectacular things together. Josh has taken Jason to a Clippers game and an OSU Buckeye’s football game, both a first and very exciting for Jason. Jason and Josh have also gone mini-golfing, out for dinner and out for ice-cream, and have gone to church with one another. However, when MYM asked Jason what his favorite thing was this last year, he said hanging out with Josh and his family of 5 kids at Josh’s house! Jason’s mom has said that she has never seen him so happy and full of life. Jason’s mom said he hasn’t gotten in any trouble at school since last April, because when he did, she didn’t allow him to go with Josh for an outing. Jason was very upset by this. Jason’s mom says that since Josh has been involved, Jason’s grades are better, his attitude is much better, and she thinks the match is just perfect. She says she is so thankful for the time Jason and Josh spend together. Josh says he hasn’t done much different than he always has done, other than picking up and including Jason while he is doing it.
Did you know that Mid-Ohio Youth Mentoring has been around in one form or another for 48 years? It’s true, our mentoring program started at The Center for Individual and Family Services back in 1970! We then evolved, and in the 1990’s we branched out and became a Volunteers of America sponsored agency for Big Brothers Big Sisters of America. In 1998 we applied to become an independent affiliate of Big Brothers Big Sisters and in 1999 we were granted that status and moved to donated office space within the Friendly House as Big Brothers Big Sisters of Richland County. In 2007 the organization had grown to included Ashland and Crawford Counties, so changed our name to reflect that growth, and became Big Brothers Big Sisters of North Central Ohio. Recently, due to some changes and requirements the national organization were imposing on the independent affiliates, we decided to leave the federation in January of 2018 and become what we are currently known as - Mid-Ohio Youth Mentoring. We continue to offer top quality, professionally supported, life changing mentoring relationships to the kids in our community, and plan to do so for many years to come. Join us in making a difference in the way kids grow up in our community!
Volunteer today, just 4 hours per month can change a life for the better, forever.
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It takes everyone in our community working together to create a brighter future. Through hard work, donations, and the United Way of Richland County, your donations have done just that. United Way is currently at
62.0%
of our goal for the 2018 campaign. Thanks to you, thousands of our community members will be helped. There is still time to contribute! Click the link below.
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Save The Dates For 2019
January 18-Mid-Campaign Luncheon
January 21-MLK BRB Kick-Off
January 25-Celebrity Bartender
February 22-Dash to Goal/Richland-Opoly
March 14-Annual Dinner
June 6-Power of the Purse
August 2-Day of Caring
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Underneath everything we are,
underneath everything we do,
we are all people,
connected, interdependent, united,
and when we reach out a hand to one,
we influence the condition of all.
That’s what it means to
“Live United.”
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