Good News Network October 2018

Last Call to Show Tucson You Care

United Way's 19th Annual Days of Caring PSA

Tucson, get ready to be inspired! United Way's 19th Annual Days of Caring is just a couple weeks away. If you haven't signed up for a project, now is the time to act to join Southern Arizona's biggest volunteer event. There's still room available in several projects including Hopefest, packing food for the food bank, removing buffelgrass from Tumamoc Hill and helping out with the Backpack Project art installation event. The deadline to sign up to volunteer for a project is Monday, October 15th. You do not want to miss this life-changing event! Click here for other Days of Caring volunteer opportunities and to learn more. Read on for more inspiration.
People Profile: Meet Deb Prince

United Way's Days of Caring is all about volunteers-everyday people taking time out of their busy schedules to give back to their community. We want to introduce you to a local woman who not only takes time out of her own day to volunteer each year, but also inspires others to do the same. Deb Prince was born in Mt. Home, Idaho and raised in California before moving to Tucson in the late 1970s. She is now approaching her 9th year at the Better Business Bureau of Southern Arizona, where she works as the Lead Accreditation Specialist, vetting all the businesses invited to become accredited. Deb has two children, six grandchildren and ten great-grandchildren. Here's more about Deb and her experience with United Way's Days of Caring. 

Tell me about your involvement with United Way's Days of Caring. 
I have been putting together a team for the last nine years. I received an email from someone back in 2009 asking if I wanted to participate and I thought, "What a great thing to do!" Then I talked with a few of my co-workers, and before I knew it, we had a team of 15 people.  I remember thinking that there is so much that we as a community could do to help these organizations that help the people in our community. There was a time that I needed assistance and what a great way for me to pay it back and forward. I feel it is very important that we all contribute to our community and what a great job that United Way does to make that happen every year. So I keep coming back to the Days of Caring.

What kinds of projects have you done? 
The team and I have helped out at the Community Food Bank making up food boxes.  We have painted the interior of a daycare and Tu Nidito and we have addressed envelopes for Tu Nidito. We have painted for Ben's Bells and we have walked the dogs for Pima Animal Care Center to name a few of the projects we have helped with. 

Do you have a favorite project that you've worked on?
We will be back to walk the dogs again this year. This is the team's favorite. I remind them that if they decide to bring a dog home though, they can't blame me for it! LOL!

Any advice for those who want to volunteer?
Advice, no, but if you want something to do and feel good about what you're doing, this is the event for you! There are so many projects to pick from. There is something that everyone can do and give back to our great community. 

What do you love most about Tucson?
I think it is the fact that we may be a big city but we still have that small town feel about us and we care about each other. No matter where you go or what you do you will run into someone you know. It is like 6 degrees of separation. I love it here!

Click here to join Deb and thousands of others for United Way's Days of Caring. Click here to watch a video you can share with your friends that will get them inspired too!
Kicking Off the Fundraising Season 

It's time to kick off the fundraising season! Every October, United Way of Tucson gathers with corporate partners and volunteers to officially start the United Way Fundraising Campaign. This fun event builds excitement and gets everyone geared up to invest in our community.  This year, we're joining Citi for their infamous Town Hall kickoff. Hundreds will gather for a day of fun and inspiration. Five-time Super Bowl veteran, Glenn Parker, will be the keynote speaker and a sure-to-be memorable mascot dance-off will close out the event! Our community partners and workplace campaigns are key to building a thriving community. Without their support, we wouldn't be able to help more than 120,000 people in Southern Arizona each year. We want to thank Citi and all our corporate partners for their continued support. 
Click here to learn more about our workplace campaigns. 
Interactive Art Exhibit to Shed Light on Opportunity Youth

Mark your calendars! The Backpack Project Youth Coalition invites you to a one-of-a-kind art exhibit on October 31st on the UA mall. Please join us from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.  for an  interactive, youth-curated art installation to humanize and make tangible the number of community members who are considered Opportunity Youth (young people ages 16-24 who are disconnected from school and work due to economic, social, and educational barriers). Right now there are more than 21,000 Opportunity Youth living in Pima County. The art installation will incorporate all the backpacks collected over the last two months from the community. Each of those backpacks will then be donated to youth in need. The event will feature speakers from The Backpack Project Youth Coalition, which includes members from UA's Fostering Success, Goodwill Metro Youth Program, and the United Youth Leadership Council. There's still time to donate a backpack to Opportunity Youth. Click here for a list of drop-off locations and to learn more about the project. 
The Diamond Family Improves Lives in Southern Arizona

United Way of Tucson is humbled by a monumental gift from the Diamond Foundation. Last month, the Diamond family presented United Way with a $750,000 contribution, positioning us for another century serving our community. The contribution is part of a $1.7 million commitment, including funds from the Diamond Challenge Fund, a six-year matching grant that launched this year.  While the  current  gift will have significant impact across all of United Way's programs, its focus will be on the expansion of early childhood education initiatives in Southern Arizona, including the organization's First Focus on Kids (FFK) Change Network. The FFK program works to grow and strengthen the early childhood education system and to support the nearly  107,000 children in the county from birth to age eight. "The Diamond family has been at the heart of our work in this community for decades, and when you see the outcomes and impact of this work, including improving education, fostering financial stability, and building healthy communities, you've seen the Diamonds," said Tony Penn, president and chief executive officer of United Way of Tucson and Southern Arizona. "We're grateful for this leadership gift and encouraged by the impact it will have on generations of our community's kids and their families." 
Help Build a Thriving Community for Generations to Come

United Way is closing in on 100 years serving Tucson and Southern Arizona. In 2022, we will begin another century of helping Southern Arizona thrive! A  Centennial Endowment Fund has been established with the goal of reaching a $25 million endowment by our centennial celebration to sustain United Way's collective impact fund through the next 100 years.  A $25 million endowment, paying a return of 5% annually, will ensure that vital programs serving our community are sustained, operational needs are met and our community is poised to grow and succeed with its changing needs. Click here to learn more and to help build a thriving Southern Arizona. 
Join a Group of Empowered Women

Are you a woman who is looking for a way to give back to our community and meet other like-minded women in Southern Arizona? United Way's Women United is looking for you!  Women United is a global movement of more than 70,000 diverse women leaders who inspire women to be role models of generosity, advocates for important causes and volunteers for change. Here in Southern Arizona, Women United focuses on the future generation: helping children in and around Tucson through early childhood education. 

BENEFITS OF WOMEN UNITED

Women United Membership Recognition

Complimentary ticket to the Annual Business Leaders Breakfast for Early Education

Women United Members-Only Event Invitations

Networking and Professional Development Opportunities

Community Service Opportunities


Learn more about Women United and how you can get involved by clicking here. 
Prosperity Now

Two United Way of Tucson employees, Rae Pilarski and Pia Seebach-York,  recently returned from the 2018 Prosperity Now Summit, a convening of experts, funders, and practitioners of Financial Stability work hosted by  Prosperity Now . Over three days, they learned about best practices and emerging trends in the financial stability field, networked with peers, and had the opportunity to meet Gloria Steinem! Rae Pilarski was asked to speak about our Valet VITA model in a session on the future of free tax preparation. Click here to learn about VITA and our other financial stability programs. 
Nexus Raises Green on the Greens

We want to thank the Nexus Foundation for teeing off for a great cause. Over 130 Tucson business professionals and their families showed up at Topgolf for the Nexus Foundation Golf Tournament supporting United Way of Tucson.  The event raised $20,000 that will go to help Southern Arizona thrive through our education, financial stability and healthy communities initiatives. "This is our very first fund-raising event and we couldn't be more excited to raise such a large amount on behalf of a deserving local non-profit" said Allen Hutchison, event organizer.  Click here to read KVOA's article on the event. Click here to learn what you can do for your community with the help of United Way. 
Thanks for reading

If there are stories that you enjoyed or would like more information on, let us know. Also, if there are topics that we are not covering in our newsletter that you would like to see, please let us know!

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