United Way's Agenda defined by community
By Renee Moe
The result is our community's Agenda for Change, which focuses on issues like helping children succeed in school, increasing access to health care for all, and ensuring independence for seniors and people with disabilities. Now as United Way works to achieve the seven Agenda for Change goals, there is constant communication with the community. That way, when the community?s issues change, we hear about it from you. Right now we are holding listening sessions with parents and students of Madison and Sun Prairie schools to learn more about the causes of youth violence. With your input, we know we are focusing on what matters to Dane County. To learn more about our community's Agenda for Change and how it guides our work, please visit our website at www.unitedwaydanecounty.org.
Working together
      United Way is part of a county-wide collaboration that seeks lasting solutions to the underlying causes of items in
     When people ask what we do at United Way , I try to remember the importance of simplicity. Sometimes the excitement of all we are accomplishing can be overwhelming. But our approach is not really that complicated when you think about it. Listening to your neighbor, working together, and sharing with others are simple gestures. But these gestures are wonderful expressions of community, and they are the very same actions that are at the heart of United Way of Dane County . Listening/Our mission and our goals are defined by the community. Through listening sessions and surveys, the community identified seven key areas of concern.
the Agenda for Change. One such effort is our Preschools of Hope. With partners like Madison Schools and the City of Madison, United Way is able to support non-profit child care centers and help children build important literacy and social skills they need to begin school. United Way is committed to eliminating racial and cultural barriers to educational success. United Way is also teaming up with RSVP of Dane County and UW-Madison School of Education, among others, to expand and improve reading and math tutoring within our community's schools.
      To improve the health of our community, we are working with caregivers and healthcare agencies. Each year, United Way helps more than 10,000 seniors and people with disabilities preserve their independence, stay in their homes, and remain connected to their community.
      Sharing with others /In order to achieve the Agenda for Change goals, United Way relies on the generosity of tens of thousands of volunteers and donors. If you are thinking about sharing your talents with others, please don't wait. The United Way Volunteer Center (608) 246-4380 or United Way 2-1-1 can connect you to volunteer opportunities in our community. Sharing can also mean contributing to United Way 's 2007 campaign. We are in the midst of raising an unprecedented amount of money, which will continue to be thoughtfully invested by volunteers working to advance the Agenda for Change goals. Please donate at your workplace or online at www.unitedwaydanecounty.org. With your help, United Way can create lasting solutions to the issues facing Dane County. And whether it is through volunteering or donations, your contribution is the wonderful expression of community United Way appreciates. Put simply, thank you.
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December 2007 Issue