United Way of Greater Greensboro

How will you spend the longest day of the year? 

Help United Way of Greater Greensboro kick off our summer by joining in on the action! United Way Day of Action is a powerful way for United Ways across the world to join forces and create action towards our goals on the same day.

On June 21, tens of thousands of individuals volunteer their time around the world in support of United Way. Will you be one of them?

Studies show that access to books during the summer prevents drastic loss in reading skill, especially for kids in need. This year United Way of Greater Greensboro wants you to help us “Spread the Word”! From Monday, June 17, through Friday, June 21, our Greensboro community is encouraged to participate in our “Spread the Word” Book Drive by donating books.

Please consider donating new or gently used:

• Elementary Level: chapter books, leveled readers (1-4 and “pre”)
• Bilingual books – K-5
• Middle School Level: ages 9-12 and teen section

Drop off books to United Way of Greater Greensboro, 1500 Yanceyville Street, Greensboro, on Monday, June 17 through Friday, June 21. Drop-off hours are 9am-5pm.

These donated books will then be sorted and distributed to United Way community partners who have indicated a need for book donations to support their summer reading efforts with children.

It takes just one person to change one life. BE THE ONE.

Download and print our Day of Action poster to spread the word!

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National Volunteer Week is a time to celebrate people doing extraordinary things through service. Established in 1974, National Volunteer Week focuses national attention on the impact and power of volunteerism and service as an integral aspect of our civic leadership. The week draws the support and endorsement of the president and Congress, governors, mayors and municipal leaders, as well as corporate and community groups across the country.

LIVE UNITED – Volunteer at one of the many service opportunities organized by Women’s Leadership and Young Leaders.

Click here to see the list of projects through Women’s Leadership. Women’s Leadership is focused on uniting women to empower and strengthen families to succeed. Read more about Women’s Leadership.

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More than 600 people, including students from Guilford and Forsyth counties, attended an educational luncheon and symposium featuring Soledad O’Brien, CNN Anchor and Special Correspondent, and Dr. Johnnetta Cole, Director of the Smithsonian Museum of African Art and former president of Bennett College. The event held on Friday, March 22, was sponsored by the African American Leadership group of the United Way of Greater Greensboro.

“Our goal was to provide a forum for the community to learn more about what’s going on in the field of education and how United Way and its constituents can be a champion for advancing those causes,” says Michelle Gethers Clark, Interim President of United Way of Grater Greensboro.

The symposium was preceded by a reception on Thursday, March 21, at the International Civil Rights Center and Museum where founders of United Way’s African American Leadership celebrated the 10th year anniversary. Cole initiated the idea of AAL. Althea Trusedale and Michael McKinney acted as the first chairpersons in 2003.

Cole and O’Brien were a part of the educational symposium along with a panel of local experts on Friday morning. The panelists included Amos Quick – Guilford County’s Board of Education, Margaret Arbuckle-Guilford Educational Alliance, Dr. Bill Harvey NCA&TSU, Deborah Hooper – Greensboro Chamber of Commerce, Dr. Randy Parker – GTCC, O’Brien, and moderated by Cole. The audience was asked to join with United Way to make a positive impact in the lives of children and families. O’Brien suggested citizens leverage cell phone technology to capture positive educational stories to celebrate accomplishments and “tell our story”.

O’Brien’s keynote remarks shared her life’s journey as a mixed-raced Latino woman which influenced her media career to be a concerned witness about real issues and solutions. Cole was honored as the Founder of AAL, and Dr. Edward Fort, Chancellor Emeritus at NCS&TSU received the new 2013 Gwendolyn and Alvin V. Blount Jr. Lifetime Service Award.

Gethers-Clark ended the day by asking participants to make an impact through philanthropy, as a volunteer, and advocate for important issues, and as a $1,000 donor. United Way is focused on creating lasting change through its investments. The key areas of focus for United Way include preparing youth to graduate and succeed, helping families become financially stable, and improving people’s ability to lead healthy lives.

United Way’s goal is to continue the positive momentum made over the last 90 years in Greensboro by improving the quality of life for all. United Way is asking the community for $500,000 by April 30, 2013 so that it can make high impact investments in programs managed by local non-profits to fuel youth development, increase access to health care services, and provide tools for family financial stability.

For more information about United Way, its investments, volunteer opportunities, and to make a tax-deductible contribution call 336-378-6600, call 2-1-1, visit the offices at 1500 Yanceyville Street or visit the web at unitedwaygso.org

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Women’s Leadership invites you to participate in a week of volunteer activities, from 1 hour to a full day, that impact women and families. These volunteer opportunities are open to all who want to make a difference – men and women!

To sign up for a volunteer opportunity, click the linked time slot and complete the registration form.

Click here to download an overview schedule for Week of Caring opportunities.

Assemble Materials for Bereavement Camp

Hospice and Palliative Care of Greensboro, 2500 Summit Avenue, Greensboro
Up to 4 volunteers are needed to assemble materials for the Wish Ceremony during the Kids Path Bereavement Camp.

• Wednesday 4/24 – 1:00-5:00pm

Assist Young Children in Early Literacy Program

Raising A Reader Program – Claremont Courts Community Center, 2702 Patio Place, Greensboro
4 Volunteers are needed to assist preschool children with simple learning activities.

• Thursday 4/25 – Noon-1:30pm

Beautification Projects

Volunteer Center of Greensboro – Meet at Wiley Elementary School, 600 West Terrell Street, Greensboro
Several volunteers are needed to build picnic tables, bookcases, and paint murals. Wear comfortable clothes to work on. Materials are provided.

• Tuesday 4/23 – 9:00am-11:00am, 11:00am – 1:00pm, and 1:00pm-3:00pm

Guilford Child Development, 1200 Arlington Street, Greensboro
4 to 6 Volunteers are needed to paint an office, clean interior windows, and reorganize the agency resource center. Materials are provided.

• Friday 4/26 – 9:00am-1:00pm and 1:00pm-5:00pm

Blood Donor Days

American Red Cross, 1501 Yanceyville Street, Greensboro

Volunteers needed to donate blood throughout the day

• Thursday 4/25 –  Click here to register for a specific donation time.

Volunteers needed to work in the blood donation canteen serving snacks

• Thursday 4/25 – 12:30pm-3:30pm and 3:30pm-7:30pm

Volunteers needed to greet blood donors

• Thursday 4/25 – 12:30pm-3:30pm and 3:30pm-7:30pm

Collect Poetry for “A Poem in my Pocket”

Hospice and Palliative Care of Greensboro, 2500 Summit Avenue, Greensboro
This volunteer opportunity is to collect poems for “A Poem in my Pocket.” Write or print poems on individual pieces of paper to make a difference for patients and family members during difficult times. This project can be completed off-site at any point during the Week of Caring.

Bring items to HPCG, 2500 Summit Avenue, Greensboro, Sunday 4/21 to Saturday 4/27 between 9:00am-5:00pm

Create Crafts to Decorate Beacon Place

Hospice and Palliative Care of Greensboro, 2500 Summit Avenue, Greensboro
Volunteers are needed to create spring crafts or decorations for the exterior of patients’ doors, bulletin boards, and the nurses’ station. This project can be completed on-site or off-site at any point during the Week of Caring.

• Bring items to HPCG, 2500 Summit Avenue, Greensboro, Sunday 4/21 to Saturday 4/27 between 9:00am-5:00pm

Create “Worry Jars” for Kids Path Support Groups

Hospice and Palliative Care of Greensboro, 2500 Summit Avenue, Greensboro
Volunteers are needed to create “Worry Jars”, a therapeutic tool made from recycled jars/containers used at Kids Path for children to write down their worries. This project can be completed off-site at any point during the Week of Caring.

• Bring items to HPCG, 2500 Summit Avenue, Greensboro, Sunday 4/21 to Saturday 4/27 between 9:00am-5:00pm

Decorate Pillow Cases for Kids Path Patients and Clients

Hospice and Palliative Care of Greensboro, 2500 Summit Avenue, Greensboro
Volunteers are needed to decorate pillow cases with fabric paint to use as a therapeutic tool at Hospice and Palliative Care Center of Greensboro’s Kids Path program. This project can be completed off-site at any point during the Week of Caring.

• Bring items to HPCG, 2500 Summit Avenue, Greensboro, Sunday 4/21 to Saturday 4/27 between 9:00am-5:00pm

Deliver Meals to Homebound Individuals

Senior Resources of Guilford – Meet at Peace United Church of Christ, 2714 West Market Street, Greensboro
Volunteers are needed with their own cars to deliver meals to homebound individuals

• Monday 4/22 – 1 Volunteer 9:30am-11:30am
• Wednesday 4/24 – 2 Volunteers 9:30am-11:30am
• Friday 4/26 – 4 Volunteers 9:30am-11:30am

Donate Shelter Items for Domestic Violence Survivors

Hold a supply drive for families at Family Service of the Piedmont’s domestic violence shelter, Clara House. Items requested include Walmart gift cards, body bath towels, eating utensils, plastic tableware, and large size toiletries.

• Bring requested items to United Way of Greater Greensboro, 1500 Yanceyville St, Greensboro Monday 4/22 through Friday 4/26 9:00am-5:00pm

Inspire Teens with Your Career Story

YWCA Greensboro, 4002-E Spring Garden Street, Greensboro
5 volunteers needed to speak to teen and young mothers and share your career story

• Tuesday 4/23 – 5:00pm

Mock Interviews

Women’s Resource Center, 628 Summit Avenue, Greensboro
3 volunteers are needed to conduct Mock Interviews with clients to prepare them for job interviews. Volunteers must have Human Resource or interviewing applicants experience.

• Tuesday 4/23 – 9:30am-11:30am

Prepare Meals

YWCA Greensboro, 4002-E Spring Garden Street, Greensboro
A group of volunteers are needed to prepare, provide, and serve a meal to 30 teen and young adult mothers and their 20 children.

• Tuesday 4/23 – 6:00pm

Hospice and Palliative Care of Greensboro, 2500 Summit Avenue, Greensboro
A group of volunteers are needed to prepare and serve a home cooked lunch or dinner to Beacon Place patients and their family members.

• Sunday 4/21 – 12:00pm-1:30pm and 6:00pm-7:30pm
• Monday 4/22 – 12:00pm-1:30pm and 6:00pm-7:30pm
• Tuesday 4/23 – 12:00pm-1:30pm and 6:00pm-7:30pm
• Wednesday 4/24 – 12:00pm-1:30pm and 6:00pm-7:30pm
• Thursday 4/25 – 12:00pm-1:30pm and 6:00pm-7:30pm
• Friday 4/26 – 12:00pm-1:30pm and 6:00pm-7:30pm
• Saturday 4/27 – 12:00pm-1:30pm and 6:00pm-7:30pm

A group of volunteers are needed to prepare and serve a treat to Beacon Place patients and their family members.

• Sunday 4/21 – 1:30pm-2:30pm and 6:30-7:30pm
• Monday 4/22 – 1:30pm-2:30pm and 6:30-7:30pm
• Tuesday 4/23 – 1:30pm-2:30pm and 6:30-7:30pm
• Wednesday 4/24 – 1:30pm-2:30pm and 6:30-7:30pm
• Thursday 4/25 – 1:30pm-2:30pm and 6:30-7:30pm
• Friday 4/26 – 1:30pm-2:30pm and 6:30-7:30pm
• Saturday 4/27 – 1:30pm-2:30pm and 6:30-7:30pm

Volunteers are needed to prepare baked goodies or frozen casseroles to be shared with Kids Path families.

• Bring items to HPCG, 2500 Summit Avenue, Greensboro, Sunday 4/21 to Saturday 4/27 between 9:00am-5:00pm

Receptionist Needed

One Step Further, 623 Eugene Ct, Greensboro
1 Volunteer needed to answer phones per shift

• Monday 4/22 - 9:00am-1:00pm and 1:00pm-5:00pm
• Tuesday 4/23 - 9:00am-1:00pm and 1:00pm-5:00pm
• Friday 4/26 - 9:00am-1:00pm and 1:00pm-5:00pm

Sort and Organize Office Supplies and Books

Reading Connections, 122 North Elm Street, Suite 520, Greensboro
4 to 6 volunteers needed to assistwith sorting and organizing office supplies and books.

• Wednesday 4/24 – 1:00pm-4:00pm

Work in the Garden

Hospice and Palliative Care of Greensboro, 2500 Summit Avenue, Greensboro
A group of volunteers are needed to work with Hospice Horticulture Therapist in the Kids Path and Beacon Place gardens. Work gloves are the only required materials to bring.

• Thursday 4/25 – 9:00am-Noon

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Today, as a part of International Women’s Day, United Way of Greater Greensboro celebrates women.

We should be proud our city’s historical role in advancing the status of women. Greensboro was the champion of North Carolina for educating women of all races, long before women and minorities were legally recognized as equal citizens. Read more about Greensboro’s role in the history of women in North Carolina.

We celebrate the achievements our community has made to improve women’s equality. We remain vigilant and tenacious for further sustainable change.

The advancement of women is of prime importance to the economy, business, and society. United Way of Greater Greensboro and many community partners are working to improve our local economy by focusing on family economic success.

One of the significant challenges to becoming  stable and self-sufficient is the affordability of child care. Safe, affordable, quality child care allows parents to obtain and retain a job. It also helps children develop in a healthy manner and ultimately start school ready to succeed. Access to affordable child care is essential for a strong economy.[i]

Many families in Greensboro are fortunate to have access to child care subsidies and scholarships from government and charitable sources, like United Way. However, working families and families that have a parent attending post-secondary school are often on waiting lists for 1 to 2 years before their family becomes eligible to apply.  At any given point there are 2500+ children on the waiting lists in our area to receive help. [iv]

In honor of International Women’s Day, take this opportunity to share this story with a woman who wants to make a difference in her community. Then, consider making an online donation to United Way of Greater Greensboro to help us continue providing child care scholarships and addressing the challenge of affordable child care.

Click here to read more about our state’s child care subsidy program.
Click here to go to child care subsidy fact sheets for each NC county.
Click here to read more about our community partner, Guilford Child Development’s, child care scholarship program.

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“I know that story, it’s some animals, my mommy read it to me last night!” – Raising a Reader Student

Literacy is one of the key building blocks to good quality of life. That’s why United Way of Greater Greensboro has brought together a network of early childhood partners to implement Raising a Reader.

Raising A Reader is an early literacy and family engagement program for children ages 0-8 that helps families develop book-sharing routines with their child.  The research is clear — when families are involved, children’s academic achievement improves.

On Friday, March 1st, our little readers celebrated National Read Across America Day. Some children celebrated the day with special activities at their schools, like wearing ‘wacky socks’ in honor of Dr. Seuss. Others simply celebrated by reading a book from their little red Raising a Reader bag with their family.

To practice the habit of sharing books, each week children bring home bright red book bags filled with award-winning books. Each day children invite a loved one to ‘share a book with me’. Every week each child brings home a different bag of books so that, on average, more than 100 high quality books will rotated through children’s homes over the course of a typical rotation cycle.

Your donation to United Way improves the odds of success in school for thousands of children each year.  Raising a Reader is one of many high quality programs your dollar supports.  These investments create lasting changes in our community.

Give to United Way and be part of the change! Click here to make an easy and secure online donation.

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United Way of Greater Greensboro’s African American Leadership group represents African Americans who are leadership givers that invest their time and resources to strengthen the impact of United Way of Greater Greensboro and its community partnerships.

African American Leadership is excited to announce the 2nd Annual African American Leadership Speaker Series. This year’s focus will be education and will feature keynote speaker Soledad O’Brien, Acclaimed Special Investigations Correspondent and Host of CNN’s morning show, Starting Point.  This event will honor two outstanding leaders, Dr. Johnnetta B. Cole and Dr. Edward B. Fort.

Schedule of Events – March 22, 2013

9:00 – 11:00 am
Education  Symposium

Moderator: Dr. Johnnetta B. Cole

Panelists Include:

11:30 am – 1:15 pm
Keynote Address Lunch: Soledad O’Brien

African American Leadership Founding Award
Presented to Dr. Johnnetta B. Cole, Director of National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institute

Lifetime Achievement Award
Presented to Dr. Edward B. Fort, Chancellor Emeritus, NC A&T State University

1:30 – 3:00 pm
Meet & Greet with Honorees

This is your opportunity to meet the event’s honorees. You won’t want to miss this unique opportunity.

Where
The Elm Street Center
203 S. Elm Street, Greensboro
Greensboro, NC 27401

Individual Tickets on Sale February 18 at UnitedWayGSO.org/RSVP

For Sponsorship Information, Contact 336-378-5033 or Marie.Boulware@UnitedWayGSO.org.

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Almost half of children under age five in Guilford County who live in a single parent-led household are living below the Federal Poverty Level – 49.7% (2010 U.S. Census).  Like thousands of these low-income, single-parent families, “Kandice” can’t afford child care while she works to provide for her children. Our Regional Child Care Resources & Referral program (RCCR&R) provides child care scholarships to parents like Kandice so they can work while their children prepare for success in school.

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What is it like to be a mentor? Click the image below to let Mujahid and Ian show you firsthand.

Big Brothers Big Sisters Episode 8: Meet Mujahid and Ian

Hundreds of youth in Greensboro are looking for a mentor just like you. Make a difference. Take the first step to becoming a mentor. Complete our mentor interest form at: UnitedWayGSO.org/mentor.

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United Way of Greater Greensboro’s office will be closed on January 1st, 2013 for New Year’s Day.

Please note that 2012 donation payments may be mailed to 1500 Yanceyville Street, Greensboro, NC 27405 throughout the end of the year. Check donations postmarked and dated by December 31, 2012 will be honored as 2012 contributions if they are received by United Way the first week of January 2013. Credit card payments must be made by 5:00 p.m. December 28, 2012.

Online giving is for new donations/payments only, not for payment of outstanding balances.
If you are paying off a current pledge by credit card this must be done by phone or in person at the United Way location on Yanceyville St. before 5:00 p.m. December 28, 2012

If you wish to make a new donation and pay that donation online this must be done prior to 5:00 p.m. in order to process the charge and be eligible for your tax donation. Online credit cards are NOT processed automatically, so please make sure you post your pledge/payment by 5:00 p.m. December 28, 2012.

Our website will not accept new pledges after December 28, 2012. It will reopen January 2nd for new donations.

If you have any questions please contact Dawn Taylor at dawn.taylor@unitedwaygso.org or 336-378-6612.

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