LIVE UNITED TODAY IT’S FUN TO GIVE! T 1
he fall is a very busy time for United Way of North Central Florida because of our workplace campaigns. Workplace campaigns make up nearly 75 percent of United Way’s fundraising efforts and help raise money for the Community Investment Fund, which funds 26 different programs at 19 Community Partner Agencies.
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To make their campaigns unique, companies all over North Central Florida are encouraged to add fun activities that relate to the company’s culture such as chili cook-offs, athletic competitions, head shaving, penny wars, karaoke competitions and wacky dress-up days. Visit our online campaign toolkit for more creative campaign ideas at www.unitedwayncfl. org/campaign-toolkit. If your company is interested in running a United Way workplace campaign, please contact Dana Clayton at dclayton@unitedwayncfl.org or 352-333-0846.
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1 UF Health employees dishing out popcorn at their 24-hour campaign kickoff. 2 Gregg Perry of Enterprise Holdings shaved his head to motivate his team. 3 AvMed kicks off its campaign with a wacky race. 4 The City of Gainesville’s campaign features an awesome annual talent show. 5 GRU employees enjoyed their annual Amazing Race fundraiser for United Way. 6 Nationwide employees serving up chips at their salsa bar for their closing ceremony.
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FALL 2014
INSIDE THIS ISSUE: CHECK & CONNECT SPOTLIGHT, DEBBIE MASON RETIREMENT, DAY OF ACTION, FALL EVENTS
SHOOT FOR THE MOON
CHECK & CONNECT SPOTLIGHT
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heck & Connect student and when talking about projects,” said Eastside High School junior Terrell Eastside High School Check & Quarterman is flying high on Connect Specialist Annetta McCloud. pride. Terrell has participated in Check Terrell is currently an active member & Connect since his freshman year. of the ACE (Architecture, Construction As a youth, Terrell wanted to be an & Engineering) Mentor Program and astronaut and was more interested in National Society of Black Engineers. taking things apart to see how they Also passionate about playing worked than playing video games. This lacrosse, Terrell serves as Eastside summer, he earned High School’s a spot in the NASA varsity lacrosse SATLAB Florida team captain. “ Terrell is definitely Space Grant Terrell’s future one of my shining Consortium “Build plans are to major stars. I love the It, and It Will Fly!” in Robotics program. excitement he brings Engineering and build UAVs for the The program was a when talking about Air Force. NASA has competition that promised Terrell a projects.” required students 2015 summer job to submit propos– Check & Connect Specialist opportunity. Annetta McCloud als on the most
Check & Connect student Terrell Quarterman showing off components of his award winning project.
efficient way to harness the sun’s energy. Terrell’s team, “Charley,” was chosen as the winning team and invited to NASA’s Kennedy Space Exploration program for a weeklong camp. His participation, along with 14 other high school students in Alachua county and 15 students in Spain, was a life-changing opportunity. According to Dr. Karen Cole-Smith of the East Gainesville Instructional program, this collaboration with high school students was the first of its kind for NASA and they were so impressed with the students’ performance that they are considering doing it again next year. “Terrell is definitely one of my shining stars. I love the excitement he brings
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Terrell is just one of the more than 70 children who are being positively impacted by the Check & Connect program. Thanks to a private donor, the Check & Connect program is currently in its third year. Last month, United Way of North Central Florida got the fantastic news that the program will continue into its fourth year due to a foundation grant – allowing us to see the program’s original ninth-grade students through all the way until their scheduled graduation date. For more information or to contribute to the Check & Connect program, please contact Dana Clayton at dclayton@unitedwayncfl.org or 352-333-0846.
MARK YOUR CALENDARS
FOR THESE UPCOMING 2015 EVENTS More information coming soon, please visit our website, www.unitedwayncfl.org, for updates and RSVP information.
Thursday, February 12, 2015
DEBBIE MASON’S RETIREMENT RECEPTION
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n September 10, United Way held a retirement reception for our past President and CEO Debbie Mason. Debbie Mason was the President and CEO at United Way of North Central Florida from 2011–2014. In her time with the organization she made significant accomplishments in community impact and fundraising. She is a trailblazer whose strategic planning transformed the local United Way for the better. Our staff, board members and the entire community are forever grateful for her commitment to making North Central Florida a better place. She will be missed!
HEARTS UNITE Trinity United Methodist Church
Thursday, March 19, 2015
WORKPLACE CAMPAIGN FINALE Best Western Gateway Grand
Friday, April 24, 2015
THIRD ANNUAL SPEND THE DAY WITH JOHN SPENCE Best Western Gateway Grand
Thursday, May 14, 2015
A NIGHT OF THANKS LEADERSHIP RECEPTION
Board Chair Kay Ayers and Interim President and CEO Dana Clayton presenting an award to past President & CEO Debbie Mason.
Florida Museum of Natural History
is seeking volunteers to read with children, beginning in January 2015 at various locations throughout Alachua County. If you’re interested, please contact volunteer@unitedwayncfl.org. Find out more information at www.unitedwayncfl.org/readingpals. Past President and CEO Debbie Mason with board member Hershel Lyons. LIVE UNITED / 3
A SUCCESS STORY: DAY OF ACTION 2014
Macy’s em ployees vo lunteer at Gainesvi lle High Sch ing ool.
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n October 24, more than 120 volunteers from the Gainesville area gave their time to beautify and weatherize Alachua County schools. Volunteers came from companies all over North Central Florida, such as Nationwide, AvMed, Macy’s, Alachua County Library District, Publix, Alachua County Fire Rescue, UF Health and Carr, Riggs & Ingram. Additionally, eight members of the Alachua County Public Schools Facilities Office came to help on their day off. The volunteers were split among seven schools and helped perform many tasks that the schools desperately needed such as caulking windows and doors, gardening and painting. The participating schools were Duval Elementary, Rawlings Elementary, Gainesville High School, Lake Forest Elementary, Metcalfe Elementary, Idylwild Elementary and Sidney Lanier Center. Additional projects took place at the Boys & Girls Club and YMCA by the Nationwide group. The event started with a kickoff breakfast at Duval Elementary School and an inspiring message from Alachua County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Owen Roberts. “We appreciate so much the wonderful work of the volunteers during Day of Action. Not only do the students, parents and staff enjoy a better-looking campus, they also get the very clear message that there are people in the community who care enough to spend a day working hard on their behalf,” said Roberts.
Nationwide employees volunteering at the Boys & Girls Club.
Carr, Rig gs & Lake Fore Ingram employe es at st Eleme ntary Sc hool.
United Way of North Central Florida appreciates the support of all of our volunteers and partners. This event was a great success and we look forward to improving even more schools next year. Special thank you to our event sponsors Nationwide Insurance, North Florida Regional Medical Center, Florida Food Service, Pepsi and Parrish McCall.
ings Elementary gardening at Rawl AvMed employees
to caulk yees getting ready Nationwide emplo ol. ntary Scho at Idlywild Eleme
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Publix e m
ployees painting lines a
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Lanier C e
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School.
GET INVOLVED. VOLUNTEER. GIVE.
WE NEED YOUR HELP THIS HOLIDAY
United Way of North Central Florida is dedicated to helping the individuals living in Alachua, Bradford, Dixie, Gilchrist, Levy and Union counties. The holiday season is a time to give back to those who need extra help. United Way has 27 Community Impact Partners. Below are just a handful of United Way’s Community Impact Partners’ holiday needs. Our Community Impact Partners and their websites are listed at: www.unitedwayncfl. org/community-impact-partners-list.
UNITED WAY United Way’s 24-hour helpline, 2-1-1, connects area residents to critical health and social service resources. If you or someone you know needs help during the holiday season, please call 2-1-1. If you would like to volunteer to distribute toys during the holiday season, please visit www.volunteerselect.org.
CHILD ADVOCACY CENTER The Child Advocacy Center will be providing Help for the Holidays to children and families that are currently receiving services from the Center, as well as those children and families who have participated in services with the Child Advocacy Center for the past 12 months. Visit this link to sign up to adopt a family: http://alturl.com/pje2b.
CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT SERVICES
FRIENDS OF THE MICANOPY LIBRARY
Head Start centers in Dixie, Gilchrist and Levy Counties are collecting books, crayons, glue, playdough and volunteer time at Childhood Development Services centers Monday– Friday between 8 a.m.–2 p.m. Their Early Head Start center is collecting books, diapers, baby wipes, baby blankets and volunteer time at their centers Monday–Friday between 8 a.m.–2 p.m.
Micanopy Tutoring is collecting used toys suitable for kindergarten through 10th-grade children. Food for needy families is also appreciated. Please email mceetutoring@gmail.com concerning possible donations.
HEALTHY FAMILIES Healthy Families is a parent education & support program for expectant parents and parents of newborns experiencing stressful life situations. They are in need of developmental toys for children ages newborn to 5 years for Christmas presents. Donations can be dropped off at the Healthy Families office at 910 NW 57 Street, second floor in the Park Avenue Professional Center.
PEACEFUL PATHS Peaceful Paths Adopt-a-Family program matches donor individuals and groups in the community with families they have served this year for holiday support. Donors will receive a wish list and provide items that are new and unwrapped to their Outreach Offices for distribution by December 15, 2014. General gift items for moms, teens and kids are also accepted during this time. Gifts should be new and unwrapped. For more information, contact Lori Anglon at loria@peacefulpaths.org or 352-377-5690.
Please visit www.volunteerselect.org for additional volunteering opportunities. LIVE UNITED / 5
A FULL FALL CALENDAR BURLINGTON GIVES BACK
T United Way staff and Community Impact Partners at Burlington.
he new Burlington store opened in Gainesville on 13th Street in late September. As a part of their “Burlington Gives Back” Program, they donated 5,378 items to United Way of North Central Florida on their opening day. With the help of Enterprise Rent-A-Car, these items were dispersed to our 27 Community Impact Partners. The donated items included clothing, household items, toiletries and jewelry. United Way, our partners and the community were incredibly grateful for this opportunity. Welcome to Gainesville, Burlington!
Burlington employees helping to load donated items into the truck.
STUFF THE BUS
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n September 27, United Way partnered with Altrusa International of Gainesville for “Stuff the Bus.” Community members were invited to bring items to donate to homeless students in Alachua County. The Butler Plaza and Esplanade Publix locations on Archer Road served as the drop-off points. Through this event, Altrusa International collected over $1,000 in gift cards, as well as 1,500 school supplies, personal hygiene and food items. United Way wants to say a big thank you to Altrusa International of Gainesville, Butler Plaza, The Esplanade at Butler Plaza, Publix and Front Street Commercial Real Estate Group for their support with this event! 6 / LIVE UNITED
United Way Board Vice Chair Nick Banks, helping collect items with the Front Street group at Stuff the Bus.
UF HOMECOMING PARADE
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n October 17, United Way of North Central Florida participated in the University of Florida Homecoming Parade. Along with our partners YMCA, Partnership for Strong Families, Boys & Girls Club and St. Francis House, we walked from the O’Connell Center, down University, to Second Avenue, inspiring parade-watchers to Live United! We also held signs featuring the names of all 27 of our Community Impact Partners and had a great time.
Interim President & CEO Dana Clayton holding one of the many T-shirt posters showcasing our Community Impact Partners.
WE INVITE YOU TO…
United Way staff and community partners marching in the UF Homecoming Parade.
PUBLIX DONATION
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n September, Publix donated over 9,000 items of school supplies to United Way of North Central Florida! The donation included nearly 2,000 pencils, 1,000 notebooks and 1,000 packs of crayons. These items were distributed to various partners throughout North Central Florida, such as SWAG, Cone Park Library’s Family Resource Center, Partnership for Strong Families, Boys & Girls Club and Gilchrist County School Board. Additionally, the items were distributed to 11 Alachua County schools through our Check & Connect, ReadingPals and Seal & Smile programs. Thank you to Publix for continuing to be an outstanding supporter of our community!
Publix and United Way employees unloading the generous donation.
LEGISLATIVE POST-SESSION BRIEFING
O left to right: Kamal Latham, Rep. Elizabeth Porter, Rep. Clovis Watson Jr., Sen. Rob Bradley, John Bonacci, Dana Clayton, Kay Ayers and Rep. Keith Perry.
n October 8th, the Gainesville Chamber, United Way and YMCA partnered to host the Legislative Post-Session Briefing. During the event, state legislators updated citizens of Alachua County on the outcomes of the 2014 Legislative Session. Sen. Rob Bradley and Reps. Keith Perry, Elizabeth Porter and Clovis Watson Jr. spoke at the event. United Way is very appreciative of the opportunity to partner with the Chamber and the YMCA for this important and informative event. LIVE UNITED / 7
NON-PROFIT ORG. US POSTAGE PAID PERMIT # 375 GAINESVILLE, FL 6031 NW 1st Place Gainesville, FL 32607-2025 (352) 331-2800 www.unitedwayncfl.org www.facebook.com/unitedwayncfl www.twitter.com/UnitedWayncfl
ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED
YOUR UNITED WAY TEAM Staff/Leadership Dana Clayton, Interim President & CEO Rhonda Johnson, Director of Operations Mary Broadfoot, Executive Assistant
Community Impact Team Karen Slevin, VP Community Impact Jennifer Stojkovic, Community Impact Manager Norinda Rosario Yancey, Education and School-Based Initiatives Manager Angela Hutchings, ReadingPals Coordinator Barbara Brady, Check & Connect Specialist Annetta McCloud, Check & Connect Specialist Stephanie Burke, Check & Connect Specialist
Ed Bonahue, Santa Fe College, Member-At-Large Dennis Gies, Community Volunteer, Member-At-Large Kenneth Kurdziel, James Moore & Company, Finance Chair Melanie Ross, UF Health, Communications Chair
Dana Clayton, VP Resource Development Chris Wells, Development Director of Residential & Individual Giving Britt Pearson, Development Associate, Affinity Groups Sylvia Waldman, Donor Database Manager Gregory Fabiano, Campaign Associate Mel Hanks, Campaign Associate Kim Huebner, Campaign Associate Devra Mathis, Campaign Associate
Board Members Rob Chapman, Publix Bill Gair, University of Florida Sam Goforth, Community Volunteer Jennifer Hunt, CAMPUS USA Credit Union James Larsen, Allied/Harleysville Insurance Shaney Livingston, Alachua County Library District Hershel Lyons, Alachua County Public Schools Brad Pollitt, UF Health Shands, Campaign Chair Doug Ray, Gainesville Sun/Ocala Star Banner Dr. Jen Day Shaw, University of Florida Andy Sherrard, O2B Kids! Dr. Patricia Snyder, University of Florida Adrian Taylor, Gainesville Chamber of Commerce, Public Policy Chair Lynda Tealer, University Athletic Association, Inc. Scott Thomas, Infinite Energy Jenna White, Enterprise Holdings, Inc., CIT Chair
Communications & Marketing
2014–2015 Campaign Cabinet
Development Team
Amy Azoulay, Communications Manager
Board of Directors Executive Committee Kay Ayers, AvMed, Chair Nick Banks, Front Street, Vice Chair Carolyn Lukert, Dementia Education, Inc., Past Board Chair
Brad Pollitt, Chair, UF Health Shands Rory Causseaux, Causseaux, Hewett and Walpole, Inc. Robert Deese, Suntrust Bill Gair, University of Florida Monica McMillen, Law Offices of Steven Miller John Power, Alachua County Tax Collector Jason Shank, Enterprise Rent-A-Car Jay St. Pierre, North Florida Regional Medical Center
YOUR DOLLARS AT WORK D ownload the 2013–2014 United Way of North Central Florida Annual Report online: www.unitedwayncfl.org/ annualreportfy2014
Special thanks to our Academy Sponsors
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