100 Years of Caring: Helping Veterans and Kids in Our Community
BY CHRISTINE ROBERE, PRESIDENT AND CEO, UNITED WAY OF THE LAKESHORE
Operation United: Muskegon County’s 25th Annual Day of Caring
On September 7, nearly 400 volunteers gathered at United Way of the Lakeshore to join us for our 25th Day of Caring in Muskegon County.
After a breakfast provided by the Muskegon Lion’s Club, local veterans performed a flag raising ceremony accompanied by music from the Oakridge High School marching band. Volunteers then headed out across the county to assist 22 local veteran families with minor home repair, home improvement, and landscaping, as well as working on the Veteran’s Memorial Park and sorting school supplies for 27 elementary schools in the county. Volunteers also decorated bags for Kids Food Basket and wrote letters of support to our military troops and first responders thanking them for their service as part of Operation Gratitude.
Working at Veteran’s Memorial Park is particularly meaningful to us at United Way, because United Way of the Lakeshore helped create the park back in 1934, and because it serves to remind us of the challenges and needs of our local military families and veterans. Helping our veterans is also a nod to our history – United Way of the Lakeshore began 100 years ago as the War Chest, to help our military families during World War I.
To see more pictures of the day, click here.
Oceana County’s Day of Caring: Books, Food, and Yard Work
Oceana’s Day of Caring began with volunteers gathering at the Hart VFW at 8:30 a.m., to help with clean up and landscaping work at local veteran’s homes in the community. Volunteers also worked at a “Feeding America” food truck for Oceana families, with fresh local produce and other food items, sponsored by Shelby State Bank.
The day’s festivities culminated with a Day of Caring Family Literacy event at the Community Alley in Downtown Hart, where the United Way of the Lakeshore – Oceana County dedicated the first of five “Little Free Libraries” to be distributed throughout Oceana County, built by Ron Christians and Jim Howell, members of the Pentwater Service Club and Pentwater Artisan Learning Center, and painted by Gail Zieler, from Gail and Dale’s Art Gallery in Hart. United Way of the Lakeshore – Oceana County Director, Barbara Sims, was on hand to distribute free children’s books and perform interactive stories and puppet shows with the children.
To see more pictures of the day, click here.
Thank you to our sponsors, partners, and volunteers for making Days of Caring in Muskegon and Oceana a success! Newaygo County’s Day of Caring is September 28. Watch for news and a full report in our next edition!
Let’s Raise $2.5 Million for Our Community
Our 2018 Fundraising Campaign,100 Years of Caring, 100 Days of Giving, is underway!
Campaign Chair and Mayor of Norton Shores, Gary Nelund announced this year’s campaign goal of $2.5 million during Day of Caring on September 7. Currently, several organizations are serving as pacesetters by running early campaigns. Those companies include: Cannon Muskegon, ADAC, Muskegon Community College, United Way of the Lakeshore campus, ARC and area schools. The campaign officially kicked off on September 10 and ends on December 10 for 100 Days of Giving. Funds raised will help us inspire change and build thriving communities, focusing on our Bold Goal to help 10,000 more working families meet their basic needs by 2025.
To learn more or to get started in partnership with United Way, contact Kara Zielinski at (231) 722-3134 or kara@unitedwaylakeshore.org. If you live or work in a high traffic area, please consider stopping by the United Way office to pick up a yard sign to display!
You can also donate to the campaign online here or by texting 100years100days to 414-44. Please give to help us inspire change and build thriving communities!
United Way of the Lakeshore is uniting to inspire change and build thriving communities. Our Bold Goal – 10,000 more working families meet their basic needs by 2025. For more information, contact United Way of the Lakeshore at (231) 722-3134. Learn more about United Way of the Lakeshore at UnitedWayLakeshore.org, like the organization on Facebook and receive up to date information from Twitter at twitter.com/uwlakeshore.
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