| |
News & Events |
|
|
|
18th Annual Letter Carriers Food Drive - May 8, 2010
Local Residents and Food Pantries -- Need Your Help! Over 49 Million Americans are at risk of hunger! It's easy to help! On May 8th, place non-perishable food products in a bag, leave the bag at your mailbox and your letter carrier will pick up! You may also want to consider volunteering to help out that day. We'll be sorting and packing the food all day. If interested, please call Val Guy at 224.2595 or email valg@unitedwymc.org for more information.
|
|
2009-2010 Campaign Update
It is not an April Fool's joke to say that our United Way is having a successful early 2010.
The first wonderful news is that the campaign (officially ending at the end of our fiscal year yesterday) raised more than last year's. Thanks to Campaign Chair Jim Bassett and the rest of his hard-working Campaign Cabinet, we recorded $2,115,604 raised as of last evening. Amazing! Thank you to Jim and everyone who made this happen.
The second good news is that our hard-working volunteers on the Community Impact Committee and Community Review Teams have finished their work and made their recommendations about where these funds are going in order to make a difference in our communities. Our Board will vote on the recommendations next week so we will put out a special news alert to share the exact numbers.
Our merger into a "United Way of the Granite State" is progressing well. We are a bit "into the weeds" of legal documentation but we look forward to sharing with you the successful completion of this major effort soon. Thank you for all your support for our efforts.
|
|
United Way Announces Qualified Partners
This time of year is traditionally the busiest for United Way because we are in the midst of our Annual Campaign. This year we are even busier with our Community Impact work. Our Board made the decision recently to "Qualify" and welcome the following Community Partners:
American Red Cross, Belknap-Merrimack Community Action Program, Blueberry Express Day Care, CATCH Housing, Child and Family Services, Community Bridges, Concord Boys and Girls Club, Concord Family YMCA, Concord Merrimack SPCA, Concord Regional VNA, Franklin VNA, Friendly Kitchen, Friends Program, Girl Scouts, Girls Inc., Health First Family Care Center, Kearsarge Children's Center, Lake Sunapee VNA, Lutheran Social Services, Mayhew Program, Merrimack Valley Day Care, NH Legal Assistance, NH Pro Bono Referral System, Parent Information Center, Penacook Community Center, Phoenix House, Pittsfield Youth Workshop, Rape & Domestic Violence Crisis Center, Riverbend, Second Start, The Children's Place, Tiny Twisters Child Care Center, and White Birch Community Center
Four of them are new partners: Lutheran Social Services, Parent Information Center, Phoenix House and Pittsfield Youth Workshop. We're now working with all of these agencies to help them craft funding requests for programs that make a real difference in our communities.
That means, of course, that we have to work harder and harder to meet our campaign goal of $2,150,000 this year. But we're doing that too. Concord Hospital is in the midst of what they believe will be their best campaign ever, Lincoln Financial kicks off their campaign next week, Concord Group is wrapping their campaign up, Concord Schools did their usual wonderful job. More information to come!
|
|
|
18th Annual Day of Caring a Tremendous Success
The United Way of Merrimack County's employees and Day of Caring planning committee once again worked endlessly to make sure the 18th annual Day of Caring was a huge success. This year, more than 360 employees from local companies were assigned to complete community service projects at 37 area non-profit agencies. Volunteers came out to lend an extra set of hands to help with projects such as packing food boxes for the elderly, reading to children at a local day care, visiting with the elderly, washing windows and even working on the rock climbing wall at the YMCA. One project coordinator from a local non-profit stated, "was the best Day of Caring yet!"
The following companies played an important part of the success of this day thanks to their generous donations. Thank you to Mike Janis of Hampshires Culinary who once again was so very generous in contributing his time and talents at our "Kick Off" Barbeque luncheon where over 160 of the volunteers came to Eagle Square to enjoy a terrific lunch! The volunteers at the luncheon were also treated to the sounds of our live entertainment, NOTEable Decades. We also received generous donations from the following local businesses: Nobis Engineering, Concord Hospital, Alan's of Boscawen, Edible Arrangements, In A Pinch, Margaritas Mexican Restaurant, Market Basket, The Meat House, Sam's Club, Stonyfield Farm and UNO Chicago Grill.
Thank you to all of the local companies who showed their dedication and support of community by allowing their employees to have paid time off to volunteer at the local non-profit agencies. The day wouldn't have happened without that dedication and support so a huge thank you to them too. Employers have already received positive feedback from employees who were able to volunteer. "I thought this was a really great experience not only for helping others that need help but also because I got to interact with other folks from my company that I had never met before as well as folks from other companies. I felt as though I accomplished something that was very important and appreciated," stated Raymond Fortier from Lincoln Financial Group.
Also, a big thank you to the volunteers on the Day of Caring Planning Committee who helped make this day rewarding for so many: Kris Bellerose (The NHHEAF Network Organizations), Jay Hauser (The NHHEAF Network Organizations), Nancy Beaudet (Nobis Engineering), Cheryl Stinson (Christa McAuliffe Planetarium), Mindy Maxwell (Concord Hospital), Jan Moyer (Concord Hospital) and James Riel (Lincoln Financial). Thank you all!
Steve Martin, Capitol Center for the Arts - Chair, 2009 Day of Caring Planning Committee
|
|
2009 State Employee Charitable Campaign Huge Success
CONCORD-NH - STATE EMPLOYEES ARE AMAZING! In a year when most everyone believed the State Employee Charitable Campaign (SECC) would probably decrease, we have seen remarkable generosity. Right now the campaign stands at more than $424,000 with the Community College System planning their campaign for early September. If the Community Colleges have as successful a campaign as the rest of the state, the SECC will finish with over $450,000. This is an increase over the $435,318 raised last year, which was also this year's goal. DHHS's Dick Chevrefils, our inspiring former Campaign Chairman for many years, always said "The SECC could be a half-million dollar campaign!" Well, we're almost there and will invite Dick back to the celebration when we top that goal!
Golden Dome Circle membership continues to increase with 222 people giving 1% of salary this year; 29 of those are new members! DHHS, with 53 of the Golden Domers is, of course, the largest Golden Dome department. New Golden Dome Circle Chair, DRA Commissioner Kevin Clougherty, spoke at the SECC Wrap-up and praised all 2500 SECC donors.
Campaign Chair George Copadis with help from Governor Lynch has continued to work very hard to increase Golden Dome giving by his fellow Commissioners. He and the Governor were joined this year by new Golden Dome Circle Commissioners Virginia Barry of Education and Peter Hildreth of Banking as well as Commissioner Clougherty. George Campbell of DOT, Roger Sevigny of Insurance, George Bald of DRED, John Barthelmes of Safety and DHHS's Nick Toumpas have continued their leadership generosity. They have inspired other employees from all parts of the state to join them in leading the way.
Thank you from United Way for all the caring and giving and helping. We truly appreciate state employees!.
|
|
|
17th Annual Letter Carriers Food Drive A Success . . .Seventeen Capital Region Food Program Partner Agencies Benefit From "Stamp Out Hunger"
Thank You!
CONCORD-NH - Five hundred and ten cases of non-perishable food was collected from local postal customers and donated to seventeen local social service agencies, area food pantries, and church groups part of the May 9th "Stamp Out Hunger' Food Drive. The food drive is managed through the collaborative efforts of the National Association of Letter Carriers, the United Way of Merrimack County and the Capital Region Food Program.
"The generosity of Merrimack County residents cannot be understated," states Valerie Guy, Director of Marketing and Communications at the United Way of Merrimack County. "We are grateful for the community's support."
Our mission is to help reduce hunger in Merrimack County. The community's contributions to "Stamp Out Hunger" illustrate their commitment to assisting those in need," says Cheryl A. Elliott, Chair of the Capital Region Food Program's Board of Trustees.
Nearly 100 volunteers participated in the event by sorting and boxing donated food which was then provided to: Belknap/Merrimack County Community Action Program, Blueberry Express, Boscawen Congregational Church Food Pantry, Boscawen Human Services, CenterPoint Pantry, Chichester Food Pantry, Concord Human Services, First Congregational Church, Friendly Kitchen, Friends of Forgotten Children, McKenna House, Pittsfield Food Pantry, St. John the Evangelist - St. Vincent DePaul Society, St. Paul's Church Food Pantry, St. Peter's - St. Vincent DePaul Society, and the Salvation Army. In addition, the West Congregational Church also received food.
The following local businesses generously supported the day's efforts: New Hampshire Distributors, Coca-Cola Bottling of the Lakes Region; Sal's Just Pizza; Papa Gino's; Dominos (N. Main St.); Dunkin Donuts (Loudon Rd.); Constantly Pizza; In a Pinch; Panera Bread; and Subway Sandwich Shop (Epsom).
|
 |
2-1-1 NH
"2-1-1
NH is the most successful statewide project to date initiated by
all ten United Ways," said Elizabeth Hager, Executive Director
of United Way of Merrimack County. "We have secured a wonderful
partnership with Public Service of New Hampshire (PSNH) to
provide in-kind services of space, utilities and technology."
Read
more...
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
