Author: Katie Glaser

United Volunteers: Alyce Barrett & Jen Caldwell

Posted on by Katie Glaser

                   

 

 

“In order for a community to function and be successful, everybody has to chip in when they can.”

Every year, a handful of dedicated volunteers in North Carolina are awarded the Governor’s Volunteer Service Award. This award honors the true spirit of volunteerism by recognizing individuals who make a significant contribution to their community through volunteer service. Two of this year’s recipients include local United Way volunteers Alyce Barrett and Jen Caldwell.

Their passion for volunteering stems from a love of community. When Alyce and Jen moved to Greensboro with their families several years ago, both immediately sought ways to become involved in the new community they called home, and both looked to United Way to make it happen.

They started as volunteers for Handbags for Hope, an annual handbag auction hosted by United Way’s affinity group, Women United. Both women chose this event because it engages local women and raises money to support United Way’s focus on breaking the cycle of poverty.

Today, Alyce and Jen are co-chairs of the Handbags for Hope planning committee. Both always show up, recruit volunteers, form partnerships with companies and ensure everything goes as planned. “We want to have fun, and we always want to make the event better than the previous year,” says Alyce.

While both women are thankful to be recognized with the Governor’s Volunteer Service Award for their contributions, both also say the act of encouraging others to volunteer is more important.

Alyce says, “United Way reinforces the importance of being a part of a community by making an impact and we should encourage everyone to be involved. Supported people support others.”

Likewise, Jen says, “nothing in history has ever survived when it functions by itself. In order for a community to function and be successful, everybody has to chip in when they can.”

 

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P&G Greensboro Plant Lends a Hand to United Way

Posted on by Katie Glaser

“It’s the technician base that really drives that community involvement and [wants] to better the community that they live in.”

Terri Rouleau grew up in Michigan but has since found a home in Greensboro, North Carolina. When she moved here, she described Greensboro’s “welcoming environment” as an opportunity to get involved and be active. She embraced this call to action through her work at Procter & Gamble (P&G) and at United Way.

When Terri first joined P&G in Greensboro, she was thrilled to learn of the company’s partnership with United Way. The plant she works at, located twenty minutes from the downtown area, is not only a generous donor to United Way, but it also arms the organization with nearly one thousand volunteers for various projects annually.

As a Senior Human Resources Manager, Terri helps facilitate this relationship. However, she gives credit to the employees for the company’s support of United Way. “Managers at P&G usually relocate as part of our internal development program,” she explains, “So it’s the technician base that really drives that community involvement and [wants] to better the community that they live in.”

Terri calls the company’s relationship with United Way a “win, win, win” for the employees, the community, and the company. “P&G really does stand for community involvement,” she says, “Because at the heart of what we do is the consumer, and every consumer is a member of the community.”

When asked what her ideal vision of “Greater Greensboro” would look like, she said she hoped that the current ‘End the Cycle of Poverty’ initiative at United Way would become “the norm.”  “It is a success story in the infancy stages, but I see the collaboration much bigger than that and the pilot program working.” With the support of generous companies like P&G, United Way’s mission could indeed be the success story that she describes and implement solutions to permanently end poverty in Greensboro.

Proehl Family’s P.O.W.E.R. of Play Foundation Collaborates with United Way

Posted on by Katie Glaser

“My whole philosophy is that if I’m going to do something for the rest of my life, I’m going to do something that matters or that is for a cause.”

Julia Eger has always been interested in sports and nonprofit work. “I’ve just always had a heart for giving back,” she says. “My whole philosophy is that if I’m going to do something for the rest of my life, I’m going to do something that matters or that is for a cause.” The P.O.W.E.R. of Play Foundation, started by former NFL player and coach, Ricky Proehl, was the just the right combination of sports and philanthropy that Julia was looking for.

Located at Proehlific Park, the P.O.W.E.R. of Play Foundation gives scholarships to kids from low income families to attend sports camps after school or during the summer. Julia, now the executive director of the Foundation, explains that most kids from these families are left at home alone after school. “That leads to a lot of bigger problems, especially down the road,” she says. Sending kids to Proehlific Park through the Foundation helps solve this problem. “It kind of gets them out and active, but it also is a safe place where they can come and have mentors, because a lot of them don’t have that,” Julia says.

The Foundation has recently partnered with United Way to identify more families who could benefit from it. “By partnering together, you help reach more people,” Julia notes. “They have families who have never heard about us, and we’ve never heard about them,” she says, in reference to United Way. This partnership has indeed been successful. Approximately 250 students are attending summer camp at Proehlific Park this year, 66 of whom are on scholarships.

“We want to be able to reach as many families and children as we can,” Julia says, highlighting her ultimate goal at Proehlific. Since the Foundation is now collaborating with United Way, both organizations can work together to achieve this goal and empower hundreds of children along the way.

 

Greensboro Deputy Chief holds forth the importance of mentorship

Posted on by Katie Glaser
Deputy Chief Brian James is a Greensboro native with a true​ heart for serving his community. Born and raised on the Northeast side of town where his mother still lives, Brian was surrounded by people who looked out for him as he grew up. This upbringing proved to him that with the support of others, anything was possible. After graduating from NC A&T State University, he eventually joined the Greensboro Police Department and has been serving the community with them ever since.

“I’m just real passionate about kids and making sure that regardless of background or economic situation, they have an opportunity to succeed.”

Beyond his day job, Brian continues to give back to the city. Through United Way, he is a donor, vice-chair for African American Leadership, and a mentor with the African American Male Initiative.  Brian says being a mentor to a student at Wiley Elementary School is extremely rewarding. “I feel like we’ve established a good relationship,” he says, “I want to continue it as long as I can.”
 
Brian and his mentee meet up once a week at the school. They talk about family, learning from mistakes, and most importantly, school. He’s been helping his mentee with homework and constantly reminds him that “not going to college is not an option.” This was something Brian’s parents instilled in him and something he instills in the younger generation so that one day, they may be “pillars in their communities.”  
 
When asked what keeps him motivated at his job and at United Way, Brian says it’s the power to change a child’s life for the better.  The mentors in Brian’s life showed him that change is possible if everybody participates, whether it be through volunteering, mentorships, or donations. He concludes, “As citizens we have an obligation to help those kids. It’s just that simple.”