Spokane County United Way 
Vision, your August Newsletter

In today's edition:
backtoschool
We're Sending Kids Back to School READY!

Smiling Spokane County student.
Kindergarten Readiness
Through your generosity we have provided high quality early learning programs and resources  for pre-school aged children. Today, many of those children are  starting their first day of kindergarten with a smile on their faces. These kids know what a classroom is,  they know  many of their classmates, and they are ready. They are prepared to be successful. Statistically,  we know that when a child starts prepared they are more likely to succeed, not only in kindergarten but throughout their educational years. 

Thank you for creating today's smiles on 
kindergartner faces!  

Snack Packs and School Supplies
Your donation has provided snack packs and school supplies for youth in our community. Thanks to individual volunteers and corporate support we have provided 1,600
Left: Michaela Scheer, United Way
Right: Marsha Matte, American Indian Community Center
snack packs and 600 school kits filled with pens, pencils, sharpener, folders, crayons, glue, scissors, notebooks, and highlighters. Both of these efforts help students come back to school ready to learn. It takes both food for mental preparedness as well as  physical supplies  to be a success in the classroom. We know that well fed kids can focus easier and when children go to school with the right supplies their educational experience is better.
Snack Pack assembly at New ESD 101.

Thank you for providing a great first day experience for children throughout our community!

A special thank you to the companies who provided additional financial support and staff volunteers in building the snack packs and school supply kits:

Avista Clearwater Paper Guardian Life NEW ESD 101
Numerica Credit Union Pitney Bowes STCU Whitworth University

Youth Succeed with Summer Program
This summer, thanks to Williams continued financial gift and volunteerism, we provided over 2,000 low-income youth with engaging educational activities to prevent summer learning loss. AmeriCorps VISTA Summer Associates were recruited and trained by United Way to work with youth at existing free meal sites throughout our community. This partnership provides positive summer learning opportunities, mentorship, and combats hunger. 

Here's what a couple of the service members had to say about the kids and their experience:

"I was surprised how behind some of these kids are in reading, "it's crazy". But in reflecting on what went really well is that students can really improve their reading in a few weeks over the summer. Spending one on one reading time with a 2nd grader that was supposed to be in 3rd grade-reading was his least favorite thing to do, but by the end of the summer it was evident how much he had improved." -A.O., Summer Associate
"This might be one of the best jobs I've ever had-most meaningful, most worthwhile, because of the relationships I've built, the perspective I've gained and the kids. It was really meaningful watching how the Marshallese students we played and hung out with, began to learn more English."
- A.C., Summer Associate
Tha n ks to this summer program more students are ready for their big day today!    

To help support this effort with Williams, mark your calendars and join us for Cosmic Bowling!
DATE:
Saturday, November 9, 2019
TIME:
6 - 10 PM
LOCATION:
Lilac Lanes & Casino - a special thank you to Lilac Lanes for your kind donation year after year of event space and proceeds.
DofI
Join us for a memorable experience!

Spokane County United Way is bringing hundreds of people together in one day to experience and discuss issues our community faces around financial stability, educational opportunity gaps, and racial equity. You have the opportunity to participate in the ALICE Challenge (poverty simulation) where you will gain insights about the financial difficulties that are real for 38% of local families. We are pleased and also apologize that our NEW racial equity training and discussion forum led by United Way's Excelerate Success team is FILLED. Sign up today to guarantee your spot in the ALICE Challenge, or click on the link below to request to be placed on our waiting list.

SPAJoin Us in Celebration at the 2019 Spokane Philanthropy Awards
 
Join the Emerging Leaders Society Tuesday, October 22, 2019 at The Davenport Grand. This event highlights the spirit of giving and caring deeds in our community. We look forward to seeing you there!

Click here for more information.

Board
Welcome to our New Board Members
 
This year five new members have joined our Board of Directors, making a total of 30 members. The 2019-2020 Board Chair is Paul Read, Publisher, The Journal of Business. These volunteers serve together and act as the primary decision makers for Spokane County United Way.

We are pleased to welcome:
Ann Gorman -  US Bank
Traci McGlathery -  STCU
Beck Taylor -  Whitworth University
Bryan White -  Acme Concrete Paving
Kris Workman -  Comcast

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