More than 21 million children receive free and reduced price meals during the school year, yet only 2 million children access free meals from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Summer Food Service Programs in the summer. United Way is raising awareness about where families across the country can find free and nutritious meals for their children during the summer months.

To close the summer hunger gap, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) partners with schools, local governments, and community organizations to provide free meals to children when school is out for the summer. The Summer Food Service Program was established to ensure that low-income children continue to receive nutritious meals when school is not in session. 

Any child age 18 and under may go to a designated summer meal site and eat for free. This summer, meals will be served at various locations around the country, and the USDA is always seeking new partners to help spread the word and participate in the program.

Help Support Summer Meals for Kids:

1. Host or Volunteer at a Summer Meal Site. Meal service sites may be located in a variety of settings, including schools, recreation centers, playgrounds, parks, and churches. Help set up a site, supervise activities, or volunteer to prepare meals. Learn more.
2. Advocate for federal anti-hunger programs that provide summer meals to children, such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Read our SNAP one-pager and the USDA’s map on the economic benefit of increased SNAP participation.
3. Spread the word about how children and families can access summer meals on social media:

• Help @UnitedWay @USDA provide summer meals for kids. Learn more http://1.usa.gov/aLJ3zs #liveunited #kidswin
• Where can kids get summer meals in your community? Find @USDA’s summer meal sites http://1.usa.gov/aLJ3zs #liveunited #kidswin
• Did you know that there’s a nutrition gap in the summer? Get involved http://1.usa.gov/aLJ3zs #liveunited #kidswin

For more information about helping ensure meals are available to children in your community, visit the Summer Food Service Program page.

By: Gabrielle Kay, Corporate Partnerships Manager, United Way Australia 

In this third blog reflecting on the impact of ten years of United Way’s Corporate Connect team volunteering, we examine the impact for the businesses supporting their employees to volunteer.

With another 195 Corporate Connect team volunteering projects under our belt in 2012 we were keen to understand the impact of this program for the businesses supporting their employees to volunteer.

With responses from over 500 of the 3,000 corporate volunteers, an impressive 94% reported they are more willing to contribute to the business as a result of being given an opportunity by their company to volunteer. Whilst this one question does not substitute for a full employee engagement survey, it does give a strong indication that there is an alignment between corporate supported volunteering and employee engagement.

In the first two blogs in this series, we reported how United Way’s Corporate Connect program is aligning employee’s and business’ values to give back and make a difference in our local communities.

Whether it is engaged employees that volunteer or employees becoming more engaged when their company supports them to volunteer, we do not know definitely. What is clear is the global and Australian research reporting a strong relationship between employee engagement and business performance. The 2011 Macquarie Economics Research ESG report references global research findings of 16% higher profitability, 12% higher customer satisfaction ratings, lower staff turnover, fewer safety incidents, fewer quality issues, as well as similar trends in Australia. The business case on employee engagement is clear.

The companies United Way partner with make a commitment to ensuring their employees create an impact by working with United Way’s national team of corporate volunteering managers who identify community needs, put together a fully scoped project, so that volunteers have a safe, fun and meaningful volunteering experience. We know our project management works, as 100% of volunteers said again in 2012 that they would recommend a United Way team volunteering project to their colleagues. As well, 99% of volunteers rate highly their volunteering experience with United Way.

Corporate partners who work with United Way are doing more than giving their consent for employees to have a day off to volunteer. These businesses are investing in their employees and the communities in which they live and work. The evidence is strong that the investment in United Way’s Corporate Connect team volunteering pays off for the business.

In the final blog we explore how United Way has developed this volunteering journey to create greater impact for the employees, business and the community. Before we get there we will go back in our next blog to the community and share their perspectives on corporate volunteering.

That's my top 25 26 #SpringFix tweets but in reality I probably could have had a top 25 for each Spring Fix participant. I mean, I didn't even get into the Ne-Yo concert! I know others (I'm looking at you, Spring Fixers) may have opinions on their favorite tweets from the week. Post them in the comments below!

One of the beliefs that connects many Americans is the importance of academics, physical activity and nutrition during the school year, but because these defining assets are so limited in the summer for certain families and communities, part of that investment is lost. Known as the “summer slide,” low-income children, on average, lose more than two months in math and reading each summer and these losses are cumulative –contributing significantly to the achievement gap.  Along with the summer slide in learning, studies have shown a slide in health as well:  obesity and food insecurity for children in low-income communities go up disproportionately during the summer.

In recognition of National Public Health Week, United Way Worldwide is bringing attention to the importance of summer and specifically the importance of accessible, healthful food and beverages.  The U.S. Department of Agriculture provides financial reimbursement for meals through the Summer Food Service Program, but only about 1 out of 7 eligible kids currently receive the summer meals. That is why United Way, committed partners and volunteers work together to connect children who are particularly disadvantaged to a safe place to eat a healthy meal.

United Way of East Central Iowa, located in Cedar Rapids, convened community stakeholders to talk about the 12,800 children in their community who were food insecure and that only 6% of them were accessing the Summer Meals Program.  Thanks to collective action, more sponsors joined, more sites were opened and more children had the nutritious meals they needed. In two short years, they have expanded the program by 148%.

United Way’s Hunger Free King County Initiative is making sure no kid is hungry during the summer months by increasing participation in the Summer Food Service Program “Summer Meals”.  In partnership with community-based organizations, local government, and funders like Walmart, they increased the number of meals served by 24% over the last two years.  They have done this through investing in new food sites, participating in a multi-tiered outreach campaign to families and community members and increased volunteer mobilization. 

Together, we can make a difference. Whether it is advocating for better nutrition in summer programs, increasing the number of safe meal sites, volunteering our time to cook or serve meals, or donating to organizations like United Way to provide access to healthful food, we can not only fill empty bellies, but improve a child’s nutrition, health and educational success, which will benefit us all.

Many have been kind enough to share their experiences with us through social media. Check out the top 15 tweets from the world of #UnitedWayASB! Retweet and Favorite their posts to shout-out these change makers!

These are just 15 of over 450 #UnitedWayASB tweets (and counting) that have occurred over the last few weeks. You can see more Tweets on our Twubs page or by searching for #UnitedWayASB on Twitter. If you find your favorite tweet, link to it in the comments section below!

Patty has served the Pierce County community for more than a decade. She is more than a volunteer; she serves as an advocate for change. Patty has served on a wide range of regional and statewide leadership boards pertaining to labor, education and economic development. She dedicates her time professionally and personally to promote social and economic justice, education and training and works to ensure a safety net is there for those in need.

Patty is a member of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Local 76, and is the President of the Pierce County Labor Community Services Agency, a program that provides emergency assistance through local union referrals, working in concert with UWPC's 2-1-1 referral human services call system. Countless families in need have received help, especially during the recent economic downturn. For four terms, Patty Rose has led by example, by serving on the UWPC Board.  When her local United Way moved to Impact areas to achieve greater results, she jumped at the opportunity to serve on the Advocacy Committee. She now serves as Co-Chair of this committee, whose efforts have included educating State Representatives when funding for the 2-1-1 system was at risk of crippling cuts in the State Budget. As a result, those cuts were avoided and thousands of people received desperately needed referrals.

Patty also co-founded the Tacoma Chapter of the A. Philip Randolph Institute (APRI) youth scholarship program. This program awards 25 scholarships each year to provide financial assistance for high school students who need a summer school class to graduate to ensure economically disadvantaged seniors, youth, unemployed and others in need are kept on the pathway for success. The body of her work is the epitome of leadership by example, and she works every day to advocate giving back through volunteerism.

Patty has been a champion to the idea that education is a key to the success of everyone, and ties individuals back to the community. In her personal endorsement of Patty for this award, Governor Christine O. Gregoire stated that Patty truly embodies the spirit of this award.

Established in 1974, United Way’s Joseph A. Beirne Community Services Award honors the memory of Joseph A. Beirne, the first president of the Communications Workers of America and the first labor representative to serve as president of United Community Funds and Councils of America (now United Way Worldwide). The award recognizes union members for outstanding volunteer service with United Way.

On March 15th, 2013, nearly 300 women from all over the world gathered at the United Way Women’s Leadership Summit in Charleston, SC where Dr. Johnnetta B. Cole and Ann Stallard were honored as recipients of the United Way Women in Philanthropy award. They have been recognized for their humanitarian efforts and strong leadership skills in mobilizing women to drive lasting community change.

“Johnnetta and Ann personify power, promise and possibility in mobilizing communities. They are truly influential leaders. These women are inspiring and their proven hard work and dedication are exemplary,” said Juana Slade, Chair of United Way National Women’s Leadership Council. “They serve as role models for what women can accomplish when we work together.”

The United Way Women’s Leadership Council is a group of more than 55,000 women from all across the United States who support the work of United Way by focusing on the importance of grade level reading, leadership and advocacy. It is created and led by women rooted in the idea that when the most critical needs of the community are met—a better life for all is created. The United Way Women’s Leadership Council celebrates having raised $1 billion over the past 12 years. Both recipients of the Women in Philanthropy Award have served integral roles in nonprofit and civic engagement organizations, as well as, diversity and inclusion initiatives.

Dr. Cole, Director of the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art, is a graduate of Oberlin College. She earned both a master’s degree and Ph.D. in anthropology from Northwestern University. She has a distinguished career as an educator, philanthropist and author. She was the first African-American to chair the United Way of America Board of Trustees. She has also served on the board for United Way in Metropolitan Atlanta and later was the honorary chair of the United Way of Greater Greensboro’s African-American Leadership Initiative.

Ms. Stallard, CEO of Graphic Communications Corporation, is a graduate of the University of Kentucky. She is an active public speaker and published author on entrepreneurship, volunteerism and focuses on economic empowerment for women. She was a member of the United Way of America Board of Trustees and later elected as chair of the U.S. national board. In 2009, she served on the founding board of United Way Worldwide.

By: Gabrielle Kay, Corporate Partnerships Manager, United Way Australia 

In this series of blogs we share what we’ve learnt about the impact of corporate volunteering on three key stakeholders: employees as volunteers, the businesses that supports their employees to volunteer and our partner community organisations. In the final blog I’ll explore how United Way has responded to increase employee and corporate engagement in community to create great community impact.

In the last blog we shared how United Way’s Corporate Connect team volunteering projects impacted corporate employees as volunteers. We know employees are keen to volunteer when they do it as a team and their company supports United Way to organise and run the day for them.

We also wanted to understand how the cohort of corporate volunteers compared to the national volunteering statistics and try to understand what the impact of corporate supported volunteering was for the wider community.

The 2006 Census reports 35 % of adult Australians volunteer, yet in Sydney there is as few as 16% of adults reporting that they volunteer.

In United Way’s 2012 Corporate Connect survey results, 28% of corporate volunteers reported they volunteer in their own time. This represents results from over 500 volunteers from six capital cities: Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth and Canberra. The Census figures report that volunteering rates are lower in major cities than regional and rural Australia, so the United Way survey results are not too much lower than the aggregated national results.

What is interesting is that most of these Corporate Connect survey respondents reported they had volunteered sometime in the last year -58%. Only 16% reported volunteering in the last three months and as few as 9% in the last two weeks.

United Way’s survey results suggest that this low rate of volunteering isn’t driven by a lack of desire. Personal feedback from the volunteers suggest that there is a level of apprehension about getting involved in communities they know nothing about, a lack of awareness about how to volunteer and a need to manage the expectations and time commitments around volunteering.

With much written on the role of volunteering in building communities, there is clearly a role for corporate supported volunteering and community engagement to build links and relationships within our cities and communities.

In the next blog we explore the impact of volunteering for the business and in the final blog how United Way has developed the volunteering journey to increase corporate engagement and impact.

It takes everyone in the community working together to create a brighter future for us all, and corporate America is an important partner in that effort. GCL companies and their employees are leading this charge in communities across the globe through their commitment by contributing more than $1 billion annually and volunteering more than 26 million hours.

To create The Civic 50, Bloomberg Businessweek worked with Points of Light and The National Conference on Citizenship to design a survey measuring corporate civic engagement programs on seven metrics:  leadership, measurement and strategy, design, employee civic growth, community partnerships, cause alignment and transparency. Winning companies employed sophisticated tools to measure the impact of community engagement and alignment of these programs with their business' core competencies.  This Businessweek story provides great snapshots of what different companies are doing, as does this slide show.

Increasingly, corporate volunteer programs make good business sense. Corporate volunteer programs can attract and retain employees, and build their skills on the job.  For example, IBM’s Corporate Service Corps is a community service program that is also a leadership academy. Employees’ month-long assignments have included an online education program in India and modernizing Kenya’s postal service.  Program participants say the Corps has bolstered their job performance, skills, and desire to build careers at IBM. Plus, the Corps helps grow business and build expertise within the company. Created in 2007, thousands of employees compete for 500 spots each year. 

AT&T’s Aspire Local High School Impact Initiative provides support to high schools so they can increase on-time promotion to the next grade and reduce dropout rates. Its job shadow program, which has generated 270,000 volunteer hours, allows students and employees to team up for a couple of hours during the business day for project-based activities and problem solving.  If you are interested in helping keep kids in school, I urge you to join our effort to recruit one million volunteer readers, tutors and mentors, who do so much to help kids graduate on time.

The companies recognized in the inaugural Civic 50 contributed a remarkable amount of time and resources to improve the communities they serve. For example, the top five companies alone provide $1.5 billion in grant support to community organizations, 17.5 million volunteer hours valued at over $375 million, and $150 million in matching donations. United Way is proud to partner with 100 national and global corporations and nearly 1,800 community-based United Ways in 41 countries and territories, to provide expert advice and resources to support Civic 50 companies and others in their effort to improve lives and strengthen communities around the world.

I hope that this ranking of corporate civic engagement will spur companies throughout our country to understand the connection between volunteering and the bottom line: what’s good for our communities is good for business.  We’d love to hear what companies in your communities are doing to advance the common good.  In the meantime, here is the list of The Civic 50, with United Way GCL companies in bold.

1. IBM
2. Citi
3. AT&T
4. Aetna
5. Capital One Financial Corporation
6. Morgan Stanley
7. Campbell Soup Company
8. The McGraw-Hill Companies
9. GE
10. Hasbro, Inc.
11. Western Union
12. FedEx Corporation
13. Allstate Insurance
14. Microsoft Corporation
15. Bank of America
16. Target
17. Intel Corporation
18. UnitedHealth Group
19. Abbott
20. Southwest Airlines
21. Pacific Gas & Electric Company
22. Viacom Inc.
23. Apollo Group, Inc.
24. American Express
25. Cummins Inc.
26. Walmart
27. Comerica, Inc.
28. Hewlett-Packard
29. The Hershey Company
30. Altria Group, Inc.
31. McKesson Corporation
32. ConAgra Foods, Inc.
33. Raytheon Company
34. H.J. Heinz Company
35. The Goldman Sachs Group
36. Spectra Energy
37. Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold
38. Discovery Communications
39. Dr Pepper Snapple Group
40. Motorola Solutions
41. Devon Energy Corporation
42. Baker Hughes Incorporated
43. Starbucks Coffee Company (tie)
43. Ameriprise Financial (tie)
45. Harris Corporation
46. Weyerhaeuser Company
47. Adobe Systems Inc.
48. Sigma-Aldrich Corp. (tie)
48. Verizon Communications (tie)
50. Life Technologies

March is National Middle Level Education Month! This month, we will work with NASSP, the association for Middle Level Education, to promote the critical importance of the middle grades.

The middle grades are the “Bermuda triangle” of the education system. They are considered the educational stage when the competitive edge of American students is essentially lost.

They often suffer from low academic achievement, behavioral problems, teen alienation and disengagement from school. In fact, the process of social isolation that eventually leads students to drop out of high school often starts in the middle grades. 

United Way is working to ensure that middle grade success and transition to high school is a national priority and any efforts to reduce the nation’s dropout rate include policies and programs that help middle grade students stay on track to high school.

Join us in raising awareness about the importance of the middle grades. Take action. Become a middle grade advocate. Read our one-pager on how to get involved.

As a middle grade advocate, you can:

1. Contact your congressional representative about investing in the middle grades
2. Become a tutor for a middle grade student
3. Raise awareness about the middle grades on social media. Use hashtags #kidswin and #liveunited.

Sample Tweets:

• March is National Middle Level Education Month! Become a middle grade advocate http://ow.ly/iS5yc #kidswin #liveunited
• It’s National Middle Level Education Month! Help us support the middle grades http://ow.ly/iS5yc #kidswin #liveunited
• The middle grades matter. Join us in raising awareness about the middle grade years http://ow.ly/iS5yc #kidswin #liveunited

Facebook Post:

March is National Middle Level Education Month! Join us in raising awareness about the importance of the middle grades. Take action. Become a middle grade advocate. http://ow.ly/iS5yc.

Join us today.

In the Stone Soup story, a stranger enters a village. After being told by all the villagers that there was no food to eat, he put a pot of water on a fire to boil and put a big stone in the pot. The villagers grew curious. One by one, they began contributing one ingredient each, until they had assembled a hearty soup for all to feast on.

The United Way movement was founded on the same idea, that each one of us can give, advocate and volunteer to improve conditions in our communities. The story also provides an inspiring theme for a group of volunteers. Stone Soup events ask each volunteer to contribute an ingredient and participate in making meals – usually a casserole or hearty soup. United Ways have found that Stone Soup events are great for families, as they are fun, tangible, group projects that yield immediate results in a couple of hours. Children can readily understand why they are preparing a meal for someone who is hungry, and the activity may spark a long-term interest in volunteering.

United Way of Central Maryland and United Way of South Hampton Roads have mobilized many hundreds of volunteers to deliver hundreds of casseroles and sandwiches to soup kitchens, shelters and other organizations. Both United Ways are hosting Stone Soup events again this winter.

As you gather with friends and family for meals, I hope you’ll remember the Stone Soup story, and share it with others.  Perhaps each person at your gathering could bring a prepared ingredient for a casserole or soup, and you can assemble it while your meal is cooking.  Or each guest could bring canned goods to be donated.  Your local United Way will know which organizations would benefit from your family’s Stone Soup.  Just be sure to ask the organization receiving the meal what kind of food donation would be of greatest benefit.

Small contributions by many will mean a better life for all.  I hope you’ll let us know if you were inspired by the Stone Soup story, and how you brought the story to life in your community. 

By: Gabrielle Kay, Corporate Partnerships Manager, United Way Australia 

United Way has been running our Corporate Connect team volunteering program for ten years. Along the way we’ve learnt a few things that we think are worth sharing.

In a series of blogs I’ll explore the impact of corporate volunteering on three key stakeholders: employees as volunteers, the businesses that support their employees to volunteer and our partner community organisations. In the final blog I’ll explore how United Way has responded in order to increase employee and corporate engagement in the community - ultimately creating great community impact.

In 2012 United Way ran 195 projects, engaging 3, 000 corporate employees in their local communities. These volunteers helped over 16,000 people around Australia through a number of team volunteering  projects including community BBQs, backyard blitz’s, resource making, vacation care and family fun days.

The results from over 500 volunteers who responded to the post project surveys in 2012 reinforce the value that corporate team volunteering programs can create – and it just isn’t pretty gardens and people being fed. Collectively over the last ten years United Way’s corporate team volunteering has created impacts beyond the sum of the individual days.

We know corporate employees value the volunteering experience highly. Consistently 99% of volunteers report they value the volunteering experience, they have increased their understanding of community issues (100%) and would recommend a Corporate Connect project (100%).

This volunteering experience isn’t just a feel good for employees like a day out bowling or playing paint ball with the team. The United Way corporate volunteering experience leaves employees wanting to volunteer again. Even more impressive is that 56% of these volunteers tell us they want to not only volunteer again but do more to make a greater impact and 42% want to volunteer again when there is another opportunity.

Clearly, the volunteering experience is igniting something more. When we ask corporate volunteers to tell us what motivated them to volunteer:

• 34% told us corporate team volunteering provides them with an opportunity to give back to the community,
• 32% said that they were supported by their company, and
• 22% volunteered as they had the opportunity to volunteer as a team

These results tell us that people are motivated by their own personal values, those of the company’s they work for and the social norms of the workplace. This alignment of personal and business values around giving back to our local communities is impacting employees, with many wanting to volunteer again and an impressive 56% wanting to make a greater contribution – to continue their volunteering journey.

In the next blog, I’ll explore further the volunteer’s journey outside of the workplace.

Calcium

Everybody needs calcium, the critical nutrient that our bodies don't make but which is so important to healthy bones. A general range for recommended daily intake starts at around 1,000 mg. and increases to 1,500 mg. as women age. It is especially important to monitor calcium intake when lactating.

Where to find it:

Calcium is notably found in high quantities in various dairy products, like milk, cheese, and yogurt. Most basic diet plans place emphasis on providing appropriate levels of calcium, and there are certainly healthy alternatives available for vegans. Kale and spinach are both excellent sources of calcium, while tofu and various soy-based products may be enriched. Other sources of calcium include bok choi, broccoli, and okra.

Iron

Diet plans for women must be especially well tailored to provide sufficient amounts of iron. Required intake fluctuates naturally from woman to woman, but also with her menstrual cycle. Increased intake of iron will be necessary during menstruation to replace what is lost. Vegetarians and vegans may need to increase their daily intake of iron in comparison to women who eat meat. Vitamin C is necessary in combination with any iron-balanced diet plans for women, because it helps in the body's processing of iron.

Where to find it:

The most obvious source of iron is meat. Vegetarians and vegans can find iron in various beans, like lima, pinto, or kidney, and dark leafy vegetables. Lentils are a common source of iron as well, in addition to tofu, soybeans, and chickpeas.

Folate

Folate is an especially important nutrient for childbearing women. Diet plans for women in any stage of pregnancy are always sure to emphasize proper intake of folate because it is critical in the formation of new cells. A general daily intake range is between 400 to 800 mcg, with fluctuations depending on the stage of pregnancy.

Where to find it:

Folate is commonly found in such grains as enriched cereals and oatmeal, which makes it easier to incorporate into diet plans for women through breakfast. Meat, various types of beans, as well as chickpeas and lentils also make for an excellent source of this nutrient.

There are naturally many other essential nutrients and vitamins that form an integral part of women's diet plans, include Vitamin A, Vitamin B-12, and magnesium. Women have different dietary requirements from men, for reasons which vary from menstruation and pregnancy, to basic daily routines. Taking all the aspects into consideration makes it easier to manage a budget and maintain a healthy lifestyle.

Take advantage of helpful tools such as calculators, error checkers and online chats, plus a free help line if you have any questions. Software provided by H&R Block, plus MyFreeTaxes.com is available in both English and Spanish.

If you prefer to file in person with an IRS-certified tax preparer, just visit MyFreeTaxes.com or call 2-1-1 to find a location near you – still free if you make $50,000 or less. MyFreeTaxes is a great way to maximize your return and ensure you receive all the tax credits you’re eligible for, all while saving you money because you don’t have to pay a tax preparer. 

Thanks to the Walmart Foundation, in collaboration with Goodwill Industries International, National Disability Institute and United Way Worldwide, for making MyFreeTaxes.com available. The MyFreeTaxes partnership has helped more than 4.5 million families earn almost $6 billion in refunds and tax credits since 2009. So even if you don’t file using MyFreeTaxes, help spread the word with your network! 

This is affirming in so many ways. It underscores that when Americans come together to advance the common good, we can make things happen. And it reminds us that everyone can play a meaningful role in creating opportunities for all children.

Boosting high school graduation has been a concerted focus for United Way since 2008, when we put a stake in the ground and challenged our network and partners to do the same. Today, some 88% of the 1,200 United Ways in our U.S. network are investing dollars, energy, and leadership to improve high school graduation – whether that’s through school readiness, early grade reading, middle school success or cradle to career efforts. United Ways are leading Promise Neighborhood and Social Innovation Fund work, and driving collective action that’s making a difference.

No single organization – or sector – can do this alone. That’s why our partnership with the America’s Promise Alliance, a national coalition of 400 nonprofit groups, businesses, communities, educators and policymakers, is so critical.  And that’s why it’s so important for organizations to work together - aligning around common goals, using common metrics to facilitate a shared community vision and coordinated action across a diverse coalition, along with mutual accountability, sustained effort and measured results. 

Improving education impacts more than an individual’s success in school, work or life. It impacts health, life span and even voter turnout in a community. Check out United Way’s interactive Common Good Forecaster to see how different your community could look if high school graduation rates increased.

In any community, education, income and health are the building blocks for opportunity. Education is essential to getting and keeping a job with a wage that can sustain a family, and has health benefits.  An income that can cover today and save for tomorrow builds a family’s solid foundation. Good health helps children stay on track at school and adults be productive at work. Remove any of these building blocks and the other two topple. Build them all up and you have a solid foundation for individual and community prosperity.

Together, we’ve made a good start, and we’re heading in the right direction. All of us should take a moment to celebrate this education progress, and celebrate the collaborative nature of this success. But there is so much more to do. Let’s redouble our efforts to make sure every struggling student is getting the support needed to graduate.

This presents an opportunity for us to raise awareness about ensuring that young people have the literacy skills necessary to be successful in college, career and life. Help us leverage this literary celebration by writing and sending an oped to your local newspapers.

Let’s raise our voices about the importance of reading in every community across the country. Join us in sending an oped to your local newspapers.

We’ve made it easy for you! We’ve created a tool for you to send a customizable oped to your papers in just a few clicks.

Take action and send an op-ed celebrating Read Across America Day. Then, send a message to your networks on social media. Use hashtags #kidswin and #liveunited.

Sample Tweets:
·        Read Across America Day is March 1. Send an oped about the
 importance of reading http://ow.ly/hXYcA #liveunited #kidswin

·        Celebrate Read Across America Day! Send an oped about early grade
 reading http://ow.ly/hXYcA #liveunited #kidswin

·        It’s Dr. Seuss’ birthday! Help us raise awareness about early grade
 reading. Take action: http://ow.ly/hXYcA #liveunited #kidswin

Facebook Post:
·        The NEA’s Read Across America Day is on March 1, an annual celebration of Dr. Seuss’ birthday. Join United Way in raising awareness about early grade reading. Send an oped to your local newspapers: http://ow.ly/hXYcA

A great example is Santa Cruz County, CA. There, public and private community partners have pinpointed areas where they can make the biggest difference. A local health insurance plan has provided coverage to previously uninsured children, youth sparked restaurants to offer healthier options, and the community’s alternative-to-incarceration program helps get people's lives back on track.

Their work, led by the United Way of Santa Cruz County, is being heralded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and was one of 6 communities awarded the inaugural Roadmap to Health Prize. The prize honors outstanding partnerships that change conditions in their community so that people stay healthy in the first place. Learn more at http://www.rwjf.org/en/blogs/new-public-health/2013/02/rwjf_roadmaps_tohea.html?cid=XEM_A6899.

In Santa Cruz, data drives the work, and collaboration fuels it. Every year, the community gathers info on indicators such as air quality, unemployment, high school graduation and crime rates; and determines priorities to tackle for the coming year. 

Advocacy and the youth voice are essential parts of the mix. A youth-led healthy restaurant initiative spurred the approval of an ordinance that requires new restaurants and transportation stations to offer and highlight healthy options. It's part of the Go for Health! collaborative where people across the community are working to ensure that options for healthy eating and physical activity are present where they live their daily lives.  The result of their work to date: some 150+ public, private and nonprofit organizations have worked together to map out a plan to lower childhood obesity. 

Other successes include the creation of school wellness policies to improve nutrition and physical activity levels and the city adopting key recommendations for building safe, walkable, bikeable streets into its development plans. All this couldn’t be done without community residents -- of all ages -- and businesses working together with nonprofits, government agencies, and the local media.

It's inspiring to see how so many people and organizations in Santa Cruz are coming together to make the community a better place.  This type of success is not limited to Santa Cruz County. Any community can do this. As Mary Lou Goeke, the CEO of United Way of Santa Cruz County noted, “If all parties work together we can do extraordinary things to improve the lives of people in our community.

Attending the State of the Union:  As I was being introduced by Congresswoman Nita Lowey to Leader Nancy Pelosi at a pre-speech reception off the House floor on Tuesday evening, I had a flashback to a moment during our United Way's recent disaster response efforts. It was at 5am, two days after Superstorm Sandy, and many of us had been sleeping on the floor of our offices, working around the clock. At that moment, I realized that my Community Impact and 211 teams had to immediately respond to a food scarcity crisis while continuing to field thousands of other calls for help. The moment felt a bit sureal, but we knew that our United Way team of staff and volunteers had built the tools and relationships to rise to the challenge. Yet again, I was humbled by this unique moment that I was able to experience because of the power of United Way.

Throughout the night, as soon as I mentioned that I was the CEO of a United Way in Westchester and Putnam, so many of the other Congressional representatives and their guests smiled widely as they told me how THEY were engaged with their local United Way. Surrounding me were proud Board members and Campaign chairs -- business leaders, from Pennsylvania, Florida, Iowa and beyond, all of whom made a point to tell me how proud they were to be working with our network!

In the front row of the galley area of the House of Representatives, sitting 30 seats down from the First Lady, I watched the members of the Supreme Court parade in with all of the other dignitaries and remembered the moment that I left the formal practice of law as a prosecutor to engage in our very different kind of advocacy. At the time, I was worried whether the new work would be as engaging and if I would still be able to help parents and children so directly. But here I was, just a few feet away from President Obama, listening to him talk passionately about how critically important early childhood education is to the future of our nation, thinking about how our United Way had been saying the very same thing in campaign speeches and Born Learning Trail ribbon cuttings throughout so many years.

Advocating on the Hill:  The day after the speech, I joined many of my CEO colleagues from around the nation as we went over to advocate on the Hill. We went from office to office, talking to our Members and their staff, many of whom were surprised to hear about the scope of our work in their districts. It was clear that our positions within our United Ways had given us valuable insight. We also had a unique ability to show that the impact of eliminating the charitable deduction and imposing sequestration on health and human service programs (such as Head Start and EFSP) would be catestrophic. 

One of the staff members with whom I met,commented that he had heard that I had been in Albany, New York on Monday, February 11 (on 2-1-1 day, to remind our state elected officials about how we needed their continued support of the statewide 2-1-1 system).  "We use your 2-1-1 helpline every day", he said. "And I think that your financial education work has really made a difference in Yonkers." I almost whipped out my iPhone and asked him to repeat it for the camera!

Testifying before Congress:  On Thursday, I attended the first half of the United Way WorldWide CEO Summit and headed over to the Hill again to testify in front of the House Ways and Means Committee. 13 of my colleagues participated as well, representing United Ways of various sizes and geographies. I will never forget the honor of being introduced (I could just hear my family and friends cheer from their computers as they watched the webstream!) as well as the impact of learning from the others who so passionately spoke about their organizations. 

As I return on the train to New York, I know that there is a lot of work back home that awaits me, much of it well away from the spotlight, as much of what United Ways do is "behind the scenes". But this week taught me that this work is more important than ever, and that our friends and supporters can be found everywhere -- in the Halls of Congress and even in the House Gallery during an amazing moment of history.

With only 8 percent of our federal budget going towards programs for children, we have a long way to go in investing our nation’s future and putting our children first.

In the coming weeks, Congress must make several critical budgetary decisions. One is that they must pass a budget before the current stop-gap measure expires on March 27. If that does not happen, our country faces a government shutdown that would likely have devastating effects on children and families in need.

This is an important time for caring citizens to urge Congress to take a common sense and bipartisan approach and pass a budget that supports our nation’s vulnerable children and their families. Fortunately, the Senate Budget Committee recently released MyBudget, a new online tool to engage members of the public in the federal budget.

Join us in speaking out about prioritizing children and youth in the budget. What education, income and health programs do you think should be included? Write in your stories and priorities in MyBudget. Let us know what you think and spread the word online. Use hashtags #liveunited and #mybudget.

Sample Tweets

• What education, income & health programs should be included in the federal budget? Tell Congress what you think: http://1.usa.gov/TjZi #liveunited #mybudget
• Congress wants to know what YOU think should be in the fed budget. Speak out: http://1.usa.gov/TjZi #liveunited #mybudget
• Children are only 8%of the Fed budget but 100% of our future. Tell Congress to support investments in kids: http://1.usa.gov/TjZi #liveunited #mybudget

Sample Facebook Message

• Now is your chance to tell Congress what they should prioritize in our nation’s federal budget. The U.S. Senate Budget Committee has launched an online tool to gather your stories, budget priorities and ideas. Speak out and let Congress know what education, income and health programs you care about: http://1.usa.gov/TjZi.

Encourage your kids to start by looking into volunteer opportunities with the organizations closest to them. Their school may have a volunteer program that can arrange placements for them. Perhaps they could volunteer at a local library or community center? Joining a scouting organization is another great way to find opportunities to give back to the community.

Other great places for kids to volunteer include nursing homes, hospitals, local parks, and museums. If your child is older and has an interest in the outdoors, many summer camps offer leadership training programs that promote community engagement.

The web is a great resource for finding opportunities for community service for kids. When you've made the decision to volunteer, start at UnitedWay.org by taking our pledge to volunteer. With the help of our AllforGood widget, you can find local volunteer opporunities in your area. Your state and municipal websites are other important sources of information.

If you're having trouble finding a volunteer opportunity that's right for your child, why not encourage them to create their own? Starting their own community service initiative is an excellent education about management and leadership. They don't need to have lofty goals: Simply getting a bunch of friends together to clean up a local park for an hour is a great way to help.

Whether you're young or old, the benefits of volunteering are obvious. Working with a nonprofit or community organization can expand your social circle and create professional and academic opportunities. Volunteer experience looks great on a college application. Students with a strong community service background may also be eligible for certain scholarships.

Kids who get involved in volunteerism and other civic-minded initiatives learn the value of giving back early on. Unlike adults, who have to deal with the stresses of career and family, kids can easily make volunteering a part of their life. Community service for kids establishes positive habits that can stay with them for life.

I am so inspired when I hear about volunteers like Fred, so I was especially excited to attend a White House event spotlighting seniors' leadership in community service. Underscoring the impact of senior citizens who are making remarkable contributions to their communities, the event included individuals and groups associated with Senior Corps.  Administered by the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), Senior Corps counts more than 330,000 volunteers age 55 and over who are serving through three key programs: Foster Grandparents, Senior Companions, and RSVP. 

Many United Ways around the country participate in the RSVP program.  It is America’s largest volunteer network for people age 55 and over. In addition to helping seniors find volunteer opportunities, RSVP offers participants supplemental insurance and mileage reimbursement.  At the White House, Jon Carson, deputy assistant to the President and director of the White House Office of Public Engagement, said, “Americans 55 and over are a national resource that can be mobilized to service communities across America.” Our seniors are not only a national resource, they are a national treasure.  CNCS estimates that 18.7 million older adults – nearly a quarter of those 55 and older – contributed on average more than three billion hours of service in their communities per year between 2008 and 2010. The yearly economic benefit of this service to the nation equals more than $64 billion. 

Whether you are young, older, or in between, when you volunteer, you’re not just helping others—you’re helping yourself. Volunteering leads to new discoveries and new friends. Plus, studies show that volunteering helps you live longer and promotes a positive outlook on life.  Don’t believe me? Just ask Fred!

As we head into 2013 here are 5 questions that I have observed the most effective corporate leaders asking about their community impact programs.

1. We seem to be doing lots of things but what’s the business case for this work?

It may seem obvious but it never ceases to amaze me how many business leaders are unclear about the purpose to their strategy, more specifically the business purpose. In other words, why your business is addressing those community causes, in that way, with these partners. The best business leaders I have seen are pushing their people to be crystal clear on the business case for their strategy and not just rely on history or warm and fuzzy justifications.

To that end much has been written about Shared Value and the opportunity to better integrate traditional CSR into the business. This has been a useful development but good leaders know that change is often incremental and so they start with the basics and ask why? I think they do this because they know that if they can answer this and create a business case, then the strategy will stand the test of time and not be subject to whim and personal agendas.

2. In the grand scheme of things our contribution is relatively small, so how can we maximise our impact?

The most insightful corporate leaders know that in reality a corporation’s contribution to creating community impact is actually quite small when you consider the scale of problems and the comparative investment made by government and the community. These leaders aren’t disheartened by this and still want to make a mark and know that this can only be done through partnerships and collaboration.

Most corporations have partnered with not for profits for many years but the new frontier is collaboration with government and other corporations. This takes many forms and can include sharing information to ensure that you don’t create your strategy in isolation right through to intentional partnerships with other corporations. These relationships can be within their industry or with other businesses who may be suppliers or customers (which of course creates other tangible benefits). They do this because they know that social issues are complex and to have a significant impact requires more resources and complimentary capabilities must be harnessed to make the biggest impact possible.

3. I have less money to spend now so what non-financial resources can we harness?

Many businesses have seen reductions in one way or another in their budget allocation for community impact programs. For some this is the result of the changed economic climate and for others it’s the result of a mature strategy that’s hit the ceiling in available funds. All of this has lead the best corporate leaders to creatively look at how they can harness the true power of the business- their people, assets and capabilities. From my perspective this is a welcomed development because the amount on money corporations can give is actually quite modest when you compare this to what the business itself can do to create community impact.

I’m regularly part of fascinating conversations with corporate leaders across the world asking how they can leverage the personal and professional skills of employees as well as the organisation’s IP, products, services, systems and assets for community impact. This is taking us into a new and exciting time and has opened up a whole new frontier, which will result in more resources available to creating community impact.

4. We have been doing this work for a long time so how do we know it works?

Let’s face it businesses are like any organisation because they are made up of people who can often fall into the trap of just doing what they have always done, becoming emotionally detached and ultimately losing the edge to innovate and endeavour to do things better. I’m encouraged to see the best corporate leaders asking tough questions about their community impact programs and developing strategies to measure performance. Data is critically important because it provides one source of information that both challenges and reaffirms what you are doing.

Sadly many business leaders fall into the trap of low expectations for these programs essentially because they don’t understand what it’s all about and can’t measure it like the rest of their other business activities. The reality is community impact programs have elements that need to be evaluated like any businesses activity but also have some fundamentally different metrics that require complimentary methodologies. In my experience the best business leaders are raising expectations and bringing the same focus and discipline to community impact that they have for any of their business activities.

5. We are part of a business network beyond our shores, surely we can replicate what’s worked elsewhere?

A colleague of mine recently talked about contemporary organisations suffering from the ‘terminal illness of uniqueness’. She made the great point that leaders in many organisations fall into the trap of thinking that what they do is special and unique and fundamentally different to what others do. Often it is but only in marginal terms often hidden from most observers in the market place. The great challenge this presents is that it creates an unwillingness to learn from others and replicate good practices from other organisations.

I have observed this illness is not only experienced by community organisations, who are often preoccupied with promoting how different they and the community they serve are to everyone else. I often see corporate leaders quite unwilling to learn and replicate strategies from colleagues within their own organisation in other regions or countries. The best corporate leaders are applying a healthy dose of common sense to these conversations and asking what they can learn from their own organisation’s activities globally. They realise that community impact is a global phenomena so work to get more connected with your colleagues across the world.

We presented you with six options: Children’s Health, Early Childhood, Education, Healthy Eating and Physical Activity, Workforce Development, and Affordable Housing.

And the winner is... Education!

We agree that education is critical to our nation’s future. That’s why United Way has been working to get laser-focused on a few education strategies that we can execute on forcefully, at the national, state and local level.

Out of this have emerged our two priority focus areas for education: 1) Early grade reading proficiency, which is built on the cornerstone of school readiness and 2) Success in the middle grades and on-time high school graduation, which are woven together since many of the strategies are cross-cutting.

Learn more about United Way’s work in education:

·         Read about our key education strategies in Charting a Course for Change:  Advancing Education, Income and Health through Collective Impact

·         Read about our education policy priorities in the United Way National Policy Agenda for the 113^th Congress

Thank you for raising your voice for the issues you care about. During the State of the Union, let us know what you think about the President’s plan for education. Use hashtags #LIVEUNITED and #SOTU.

Unless Congress acts before March 1, an across-the-board spending cut – known as sequestration – to many programs supporting children and their families will go into effect.  That’s why United Way, in partnership with First Focus, is asking children, parents and community members to send a strong message to Washington about the importance of maintaining vital social services for children and families.

We invite supporters and advocates to tell Congress don’t break the hearts of children and families and cut programs that support vulnerable communities. Join the “Show Kids the Love” campaign and send a Valentine’s e-card to your member of Congress today.

Take Action: 

1. Send a Valentine’s Day e-card to Congress. Use our simple e-card tool to tell congressional representatives to prioritize our nation’s children. 

2. Mail Your Representative a Valentine’s Day Card. Send a card and encourage children, friends or colleagues to send a card to Congress asking them to support an education, income or health program in the budget. Take a picture of your valentine and post it on the Facebook pages of United Way and First Focus. 

3. Share the love using social media. Post a message on Facebook. Send a v-day tweet. Use hashtag #kidswin.

Here are some sample messages:

• This #ValentinesDay, help us protect funding for children’s programs http://ow.ly/hCoEI #LIVEUNITED #kidswin #NoMoreCuts
Tweet
• Join @UnitedWay @FirstFocus #ValentinesDay campaign & tell congress to help #kidswin #LIVEUNITED http://ow.ly/hCoEI #NoMoreCuts
Tweet
• Tell Congress not to break the hearts of children #kidswin #LIVEUNITED #NoMoreCuts http://ow.ly/hCoEI
  
Tweet

Send a Tweet to your representative:

• [Representative's twitter handle]: Don’t let investments to kids be cut by $4.2 billion. Stop #sequestration! #kidswin #NoMoreCuts
• #Sequestration means an 5.1% cut to #education funding in 2013. [Representative's twitter handle]: Make sure there are #NoMoreCuts so our #kidswin

For a complete list of members and their twitter handles as well as other social media accounts, please see these House and Senate lists. 

"It was the summer after sixth grade at PS 20 in Brooklyn, New York that I was given an opportunity that changed the trajectory of my life." - Ayeola Fortune

It was the summer after sixth grade at PS 20 in Brooklyn, New York that I was given an opportunity that changed the trajectory of my life.  That summer I started a program called Prep for Prep, started by Gary Simon in New York to give young, gifted, low-income elementary students of color an opportunity to attend some of the most prestigious private schools in New York City.  The 14-month combined summer and afterschool program accelerated learning so that we would enter our new schools in 7^th grade better prepared for the rigors of a college preparatory curriculum, which, in my case, was significantly more challenging than the education I had been afforded in my neighborhood elementary  school.  At “Prep”, I met students who also thought learning was cool, and I was challenged more than I had ever been academically. 

I graduated early from the program, and went to Poly Prep in Bay Ridge just two months later in the fall of 1983.  After six years of middle and high school, I graduated from Poly Prep fully prepared for college.  When I look at turning points in my life, the summer of 1983 made all the difference for me.  I had fun. I met students from all across the city. I worked hard and was I both engaged and challenged.  That summer opened the door to a school that I would never have had the opportunity to attend otherwise.  Today I think about the many students who currently do not have access to these kinds of opportunities that expose them to new ideas and people, help them to cultivate new skills, explore possible career interests, pursue a passion, or get the additional academic support they may need.

We know that participation in high-quality afterschool and summer learning opportunities can help increase in student performance on standardized achievement tests; improve work-study habits and homework completion rates; strengthen engagement and school connectedness; increase self-esteem; improve relationships with peers and adults; and reduce negative, risk-taking behavior.  These outcomes can improve overall student achievement, which is critical to increasing graduation rates and the number of students that graduate prepared for college or career. Educators, policymakers, researchers, funders, the business community, and practitioners across the country should work together to ensure that we increase access and quality of out-of-school time programs as an essential support to student learning and development.

A new publication, Expanding Minds and Opportunities: Leveraging the Power Of Afterschool and Summer Learning for Student Success features more than 70 articles, including one featuring United Ways, which explores the role that programs can play to support achievement; examines the impact of high-quality programs; discusses the opportunity programs present as a mechanism for engaging families; and looks at the importance of creating school-community partnerships and state and national infrastructure to sustain these efforts.  To learn more, visit: http://www.expandinglearning.org/expandingminds. 

Blog submitted by Ayeola Fortune for UW LIVE UNITED blog 

Here's your chance to tell the President what to do!  Next week, President Obama will lay out his priorities to the nation in his State of the Union speech.  What do YOU think he should focus on?  

The issues United Ways and our partners care most about are those that shift the odds for kids: children’s health, early childhood and K-12 education, healthy eating and physical activity, developing a strong workforce and affordable housing. Read about each of these issues and let us know which one the President should prioritize. 

What education, income or health issue do you think the President should prioritize in his 2013 State of the Union Address? 

Children’s Health: In order to ensure that children lead healthy lives, access to health care is absolutely critical. Health coverage not only helps to remove barriers to care, but it also improves overall health outcomes. Healthy children also do better in school, increasing their chances for future success. 

Early Childhood: Research shows preschool-age years are critical for cognitive and social development, laying a foundation for success in college, work and life. We must ensure that all children have access to consistent, high-quality, and affordable early learning and care opportunities and all families are trained on parenting skills and child development. 

Education: Every year, more than one million American students fail to graduate high school on time. To effectively reduce the high school dropout rate, we must begin by ensuring that we provide students with the necessary conditions for success, including quality school leadership, curriculum, instruction, and wraparound supports for struggling students. 

Healthy Eating and Physical Activity:  When young people eat healthy food and participate in physical activity, they are maximizing their ability to lead healthy lives. Increasing healthy choices for eating and physical activity in schools and child care settings is fundamental to improving the health of the American economy and our people. 

Workforce development: The cornerstone of being financially stable is having a family sustaining career. By increasing access to workforce development programs and encouraging strategies that connect skilled workers with jobs in growing sectors, low-income individuals can obtain family-sustaining employment that offers the potential for career advancement. 

Affordable Housing:  New research finds that well-designed affordable housing can lead to beneficial educational and health outcomes for children. Therefore, we must support policies that improve the nation’s affordable housing options in rural and urban areas for median and low-income families.  

Tell us the issue that you think the President should discuss by participating in our online poll. Like United Way and vote today. Take the poll. Spread the word and share your thoughts on Twitter. Use hashtags #LIVEUNITED and #SOTU.  

Sample Tweets: 

·        What children's issue do you think the President should prioritize in 2013? Take the poll http://ow.ly/hy5BN #LIVEUNITED #SOTU 

·        What do you want to hear the President talk about in the #SOTU? Take @UnitedWay’s Facebook poll http://ow.ly/hy5BN #LIVEUNITED  

1. Farmer's Market Assistant
Not every community can enjoy access to locally-raised meats and fresh produce grown on nearby farms. These things are luxuries. To promote the growth and sustainability of these products in your community, consider volunteering at a local farmer's market. Volunteers often help set up the market, create flyers, promote the market, and help vendors pack their belongings after sales close.

2. Library Page
Although libraries are usually state or federally funded, they often operate on a small budget. To keep the facilities running smoothly, and to offer activities for patrons, volunteers are crucial. Visit your local United Way office to learn about becoming a library page or helping with library special events.

3. After-school Programs
When the school bell rings at the end of the day, many teachers don't head for the door. In conjunction with a team of volunteers, many teachers stay late to offer after-school programs to give students extra guidance. This type of volunteering opportunity is perfect for retired teachers or parents who want to get more involved with their child's school.

4. Food Bank Volunteer
Another cornerstone of a sustainable community is food resources for the needy. Food banks often operate on a donation basis. Companies and community members donate their time and non-perishable foods to help distribute items to local people. Since many food banks are open on the weekends, this volunteer activity is easy to fit around a traditional Monday through Friday work schedule.

Not sure what volunteer opportunities exist in your area? Visit United Way online to search for ways to promote a sustainable community in your neighborhood.