1. Tell us about where you work. How did you end up there?
I work for the Asthma and Allergy Foundation, which is a United Way agency. We help cover the cost of medication for uninsured or underinsured kids. We also offer bridge assistance during transition times, like divorce or job change. I’m the special events and communications director there. I also teach a class at SLU, where I did my master’s. Click to learn more
This spring and summer, United Way volunteers will help allocate money as part of community enhancement grant panels. Each year, more than 400 volunteers help decide were to allocate the money raised during the annual United Way campaign.
United Way offers one-time grants throughout the region to provide financial support for new and emerging issues. One-time grants are another way United Way is helping to build a healthy community throughout the metro St. Louis region. Grants are tailored to address specific issues in defined Missouri and Illinois counties.
For 2008, there are 18 grant topics available within certain Missouri and Illinois counties. Some of the grant topics include healthy eating and fitness, medical screening for low income women, healthy mother and healthy baby, sandwich generation services and many more.
Each grant panel has six to 10 community volunteers who will decide where the money raised during campaign should be best invested. Since there are always more funding requests than dollars, volunteers are asked to make tough decisions. Ultimately, all volunteers are grateful to be a part of this vital process and feel like they are making a difference in their community.
If you are interested in being a part of the one-time grant process, please e-mail gennext@stl.unitedway.org for more details and a complete list of panel meeting times and dates. All meetings will take place during the day at the United Way office in downtown St. Louis.
GenNext steering committee member Christy Oldani raised an extra $200 for the United Way just by volunteering. The H&R Block Foundation’s Cash for Champions Program allows volunteers to receive money for the organizations they are involved in.
H&R Block Foundation recognizes teamwork and group efforts and leverages volunteerism with cash. When a volunteer performs a specific number of service hours for a nonprofit organization within a 12-month period, the Foundation matches that commitment with a gift to the organization. Click to learn more