Outstanding Volunteers - 1st Edition

In honor of National Volunteer week early this month Granite United Way started asking its volunteers to share their stories. We know the work our volunteers do has impact. We also believe the work they do can inspire others. This will be the first of many posting highlighting our volunteers on whom we depend so heavily.

Diane Covell, Merrimack County Region 
Community Impact Committee Member and Community Review Team Member 

Question 1: How long have you been volunteering with United Way?

Diane: I think it has been at least 15 years, but it could be as many as 18.

Question 2: Why do you volunteer with Granite United Way?

Diane: Several reasons. I truly believe in the organization and the great work that they do!  I am a strong believer that citizens have a duty to get involved in their communities and provide support for all of the great work that nonprofits perform and provide each day – both financially and through volunteering.  Volunteering is the NH-way!  It’s a great way to really get to know your community, the organizations and the wonderful people who work, support and serve us each day.  Granite United Way is so well-connected and provides so many wonderful ways people can get involved and make our communities and our state a better place.

Question 3: What has been the most meaningful experience you have had during your time volunteering? (This doesn’t have to be with Granite United Way) 

Diane: It’s hard to pick just one, so I’m picking two!  They are participating in the Community Impact process through serving both on the Community Impact Committee and Community Review Team.  I’ve gotten to know some extraordinary people who give so much of their time and energy to making Merrimack County and NH the best they can be.  And, the United Way Day of Caring. It’s a great way to be involved. You get to know all the great work that happens here and the dedicated caring individuals who carry out that work.

William (Bill) Bedor, North Country Region

Board of Directors, Community Impact Committee Member and Community Review Team Member

Question 1: How long have you been volunteering with United Way?

Bill: Since the mid-90's in Hilton Head Island, SC

Question 2: Why do you volunteer with Granite United Way?

Bill: Although I volunteer for several excellent organizations, Granite United Way reaches the neediest people and has the most wide reaching effect of any charity in NH.

Question 3: What has been the most meaningful experience you have had during your time volunteering? (This doesn’t have to be with Granite United Way).

Bill: I'm going to veer away from the usual personal stories, of which I've had many with United Way, the Boys & Girls Club and Littleton Regional Healthcare. I think the most meaningful experience I've had is being an integral part of the mergers that took Granite United Way state-wide. By far our ability to successfully accomplish those combinations has positively effected the most people in the state and changed thousands of lives for the better. Boring, yes, but incredibly meaningful nonetheless.

We Love Summer! Important Safety Tips to Remember

United Ways across the nation are constantly striving to promote healthy lives!  As you relax and enjoy this summer season, we wanted to share a handful of summer health and safety tips for you to keep in mind!

 Bug Safety

If you’re planning on spending extended time outside be sure to spray yourself and your kids with insect repellent. A repellent won’t kill insects but it will help prevent bites from mosquitoes, ticks, fleas and other bugs. Be conscious of the type of repellent you purchase: some contain DEET and some don’t. If using a repellent with DEET, be sure to use it sparingly on children as a formula containing this can be toxic.

Pool safety
According to SafeKids more than 830 kids ages 14 and younger die yearly due to unintentional drowning. This is a scary statistic but these deaths can be prevented. Never leave children unattended in the pool no matter what their ages and swimming capabilities are. Taking other precautionary measures such as installing fencing around pools, at least 5-feet high, all the way around and with a self-closing, self-latching gate, can prevent 50 to 90 percent of accidental drowning incidents. Using personal flotation devices is always suggested.

 Food poisoning

 Summertime is perfect for picnics and cookouts but with the hot weather this summer has brought always be cautious about the foods you are eating. Food-borne illnesses are caused by bacteria (such as E.coli, Salmonella, Clostridium botulinum, Listeria, Campylobacter and Clostridium perfringens), viruses (such as Norwalk virus), parasites and other toxins. Food-borne illnesses, that can cause flu-like symptoms can be avoided by remembering to keep food items that contain mayonnaise, milk, eggs, meat, poultry and seafood in room temperature for no more than an hour or two. Also keep in mind that raw fruits and vegetables also need to be properly washed and stored.
 

We hope that you will continue to have fun while taking these simple precautions during the summer season!

Your friends from

Granite United Way

Helping Our Friends in Oklahoma

As we continue to see the devastation of the Oklahoma tornado in the news, many of our friends in this community have asked how they can help. We encrouage those who would like to make an immediate gift of support to visit our colleagues at the United Way of Central Oklahoma at http://www.unitedwayokc.org/.

During natural disasters like this it is always humbling to witness the way communities gather together and help each other rebuild.  We are proud to be part of that effort every day.

Thank you for your support of those affected by the tragedy.

Literacy: Our future will be shaped by young readers

As many New Hampshire students return to school after February vacation, they will no doubt begin to participate in celebrations of National Reading Month. Each year, the month of March reminds many adults of the creativity and imagination found in the pieces penned by Dr. Seuss, Shel Silverstein, Judy Bloom and so many other classic children’s authors.

In this month of celebration, we, as a community, need to recognize the social and economic power of literacy. I was shocked to learn that, according to the NH Department of Education, nearly 1 in 4 New Hampshire students fell below proficiency standards in reading in 2011. For these students, getting back on track in reading is critical to their future and the future prosperity of our state.

Early reading mastery is one of the best predictors of children’s ultimate success in school and in life. A strong foundation in reading created in elementary school is linked to higher academic achievement, increased rates of retention, and higher graduation rates. Third grade reading and math scores have been identified as strong predictors of which students will drop out before graduation. On average, a high school dropout will cost his or her community over $260,000 over the course of his or her lifetime. Despite New Hampshire’s low dropout rate, the dropouts from 2011 alone will cost our state over $138 million.

Strong readers live longer, more productive lives. They have higher annual incomes, lower rates of poverty, and a lower individual risk of unemployment. Teenagers who are on track in reading are less likely to participate in substance abuse and well-educated communities experience lower rates of violent crime. This link between reading and criminal behavior is so strong that some states have begun planning space for their future prison populations based on how well third graders are reading (Cushman, 1998).

March may be National Reading Month, but our enthusiasm about reading cannot be limited to 31 days a year. Let each of us take a role, large or small, in the literacy of our communities. Donate books to local schools. Talk about the importance of literacy. Read to your children, or better yet, volunteer to read at a local childcare center. The social and economic future of our state will be shaped by today’s young readers. Let’s help them get off to the best start we can.

 

Patrick Tufts, MSW
President and CEO

Granite United Way

A Great Start to a New Year

Happy New Year!

We are off to a great start this New Year - as of January 1, 2013 Lakes Region United Way has officially joined Granite United Way.  This merger will provide increased efficiencies and enhanced programs throughout the Lakes Region.  Each of the seven Lakes Region staff members have accepted positions within Granite United Way and I am pleased to welcome Jack Terrill as our Senior Vice President of Community Impact.

To read the full story on the merger, visit http://www.graniteuw.org/aboutus/news.php?n=201

Resolutions are part of New Year traditions, and this partnership is an excellent example of how Granite United Way is resolving to bring positive change to the communities we serve.  Thank you for all of your support during 2012, and we look forward to the great things we'll accomplish in 2013.

Sincerely,
Patrick Tufts
President and CEO
Granite United Way

Happy Holidays from Granite United Way

As we celebrate the holidays with our friends and family, we want to take the opportunity to thank you for supporting Granite United Way and the 200 programs we help fund throughout New Hampshire and Vermont. 

We look forward to the New Year and hope that you will continue to work with us in bringing positive change to the communities we work and live in. 

Happy Holidays from the entire Granite United Way team!

Sincerely,

Patrick Tufts
President and CEO
Granite United Way

P.S.- If you would like to make a year-end gift, click here.  Your gift will ensure lasting change far beyond the holiday season.

Old and New

We are proud to commemorate a milestone year for United Way as we introduce Granite United Way's blog! 

The independent United Ways that came together to form Granite United Way in 2012 had been in existence for many years.  We are also part of a movement that is celebrating 125 years of improving lives.

During this milestone, we celebrate those people and organizations - past, present and future - who continue to advance a movement to create opportunities for a better life for all.

In 1887 in Denver, Colorado, a diverse group of community leaders - a woman, a priest, two ministers and a rabbi - came together to improve community conditions.  Today, their actions have grown into United Way, the world's largest privately-supported nonprofit.  We're proud to be one of the nearly 1,800 United Ways in 41 countries and territories. 

Join the movement.  You can give.  You can advocate.  And you can volunteer.
That's what it means to LIVE UNITED.

Thanks for reading...