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United Way partners with organizations that share our view that the way to improve lives is by mobilizing the caring power of communities. Our partners know that what we are judged on is results: the tangible and quantifiable impact we make day after day. Their long-term commitments are essential to addressing key social issues, such as helping children and youth achieve their potential; promoting financial stability and independence; and improving people’s health

Vote for the CNN Hero of the Year

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Ten ordinary citizens whose extraordinary deeds are making a difference in their communities and beyond will be honored by CNN Thanksgiving night.

This year’s Top 10 CNN Heroes finalists were chosen from nearly 4,000 nominations from 75 countries. Each finalist received $25,000 for their organization. The winner, who’ll receive an additional $100,000 for his/her organization, will be announced during “CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute,” hosted by Anderson Cooper from the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood on Thanksgiving, Nov. 27, at 9 p.m. (ET/PT).

United Way honors all the finalists, who are outstanding examples of living united. We’re especially excited that two finalists have connections with the United Way family: Liz McCartney in St. Bernard Parish, LA, and Anne Mahlum in Philadelphia, PA. Liz McCartney created the St. Bernard Project to help Hurricane Katrina survivors in St. Bernard Parish, a community just outside New Orleans. The St. Bernard Project, which has rebuilt homes for 150 families, is funded by United Way of Greater New Orleans.  Anne Mahlum used to run by homeless men each morning. Today, she’s running with them, and others, as part of her “Back on My Feet” program,which is associated with United Way of Southeastern Pennsylvania. Click here to learn more about their work, and about all the 2008 CNN Heroes.

United Way and CheapTickets

CheapTickets partners with United Way to promote volunteer vacations through providing information to consumers on their website, and promoting volunteer vacation programs – like United Way Alternative Spring Break. Help support United Way by clicking here and booking your next trip with CheapTickets. CheapTickets will donate a minimum of $6 to United Way of America for each trip booked using this link.

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National Corporate Leadership Program

 

The United Way National Corporate Leadership (NCL) program leverages the commitment and caring power of national and global corporations with United Way’s ability to improve lives and create lasting changes in communities across the country. Partnering with United Way provides companies a way to invest strategically in their communities and advance the common good by creating lasting, sustainable changes that lead to better, stronger places to live and work.

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Featured Partnership – United Way Campus & Young Adult Engagement Program

 

United Way Alternative Spring Break


Many American communities remain devastated from recent disastrous hurricane seasons. Over the last two years, United Way has galvanized the power, energy and dedication of Gulf Coast communities, corporate partners, and civic-minded high school and college students to help rebuild after the devastation of Hurricanes Ivan, Katrina and Rita. This year, we continue to build on the groundswell of compassion and commitment of Gen Y and our partners. United Way and young adults from across the country will again converge on communities along the Gulf Coast, plus we have added Detroit, Michigan as another community in need of support. Additionally, thousands of young people in communities nationwide have pledged to dedicate time this spring to make a difference in their local and college communities.

We could not continue to run and grow our impactful youth-targeted programs without the support of our corporate partners. Inaugural partner FedEx joins us for the third year and we are newly joined this year by Deloitte—two companies that are dedicated to supporting local communities and looking for impactful opportunities to provide to young people. Additionally, we are joined again this year by promotional partners think MTV and CheapTickets.com and new corporate partner G2. We are honored that these companies have chosen to be part of the solution with United Way and our young stakeholders.

In all three host communities, volunteers will dedicate a week of their lives to helping rebuild communities. Whether struggling to recover from the devastation of incredibly powerful hurricanes or combating the economic challenges the prevent our nation’s inner cities from realizing their potential, United Ways across the country are harnessing the power of young people to make a meaningful difference over their Spring Break in 2008.

This year, young adults will join United Way in one of three host communities:

  • Detroit, Michigan – Having seen its economic base dwindle over the last two decades, Detroit, like any other urban community in the United States wrestles with an array of issues that limit individuals, families and institutions from reaching their full potential. Working in conjunction with local nonprofit partners, ASB volunteers will help to combat some of these limitations and work in conjunction with local partners on such critical tasks as building affordable housing, improving the quality of child care centers, and building ramps to provide people with disabilities a safe means of leaving and returning to their homes.
  • Hancock County, MS – Along the Gulf Coast, volunteers will help to rebuild homes and communities severely impacted by 2005’s Hurricane Katrina.
  • Lake Charles, LA – A landfall for Hurricane Rita in 2005, the fourth strongest hurricane ever to make landfall in the United States, volunteers will help to rebuild homes and community agencies while also trying to return a sense of normalcy to communities still suffering from the lingering impact of the storm.

To get a better sense of what ASB has been and what it is all about, learn more about ASB 2008 at the ASB blog or the 2008 photo gallery. You can also see pictures from last year’s program at the 2007 photo gallery.

United Way Students in Action is United Way’s student-led community change organization on college and university campuses.  Based on the Student United Way model thriving at Penn State University since 2002, United Way's campus chapter program is piloting on ten campuses in the 2007-2008 academic year.  Schools range from large public universities such as Florida State to small privates such as Drake University.  In 2008-2009, United Way Students in Action will grow to at least 25 campuses nationally.  Participating students Give, Advocate, and Volunteer in order to advance the common good on campus and in their communities while developing leadership skills.  By learning and spreading the word about critical community issues, volunteering to make a difference in those issues, and raising funds to address them, students across the country LIVE UNITED.

UWA plans to sponsor a National Day of Action in conjunction with the Students in Action chapters on June 21, 2008. Projects will be focused on advancing education, income and health, and could include building a Born Learning Trail ®, hosting a town hall meeting, or other programs that help advance the common good.


The United Way 10,000 Hours Show is a student-led campaign to recruit and recognize volunteers that culminates annually with a free concert for volunteers.  Organized in communities as a partnership between student leaders, United Way, and a host campus, 10,000 Hours places special emphasis on volunteering in education, income, and health.  The real “Show” of 10,000 Hours is the peer-to-peer outreach effort by student leaders to get more young people involved in service to the community.  In 2007-2008, student leaders are organizing outreach campaigns and concerts in Madison, WI (University of Wisconsin – Madison and Edgewood College); Iowa City, IA (University of Iowa); and central Iowa (Iowa State University and Drake University).  More than 4,000 young volunteers have served over 110,000 hours with United Way 10,000 Hours Show.