United Way of Southeast Alaska
GIVE, ADVOCATE, VOLUNTEER.
ENEWS FROM YOUR LOCAL UNITED WAY
February 2018 Newsletter
Thank you for your service
Karen Crane and Rosemary Hagevig 
The Board of Directors of United Way of Southeast Alaska extend their sincere appreciation to Rosemary Hagevig and Karen Crane for their service on the United Way Board. Rosemary joined the Board in June of 2012 to fill a vacated seat and was subsequently elected to serve two full terms in addition to the unexpired term. She served on the campaign and personnel committees.

Karen was elected to the board in January of 2012 serving
on a number of committees and as Chair of the Board January 2014 to January 2015 and as Past Chair January 2015 to January 2016.Karen agreed to step back into service on the board as Past Chair after Past Chair  Ruston Burton accepted a new position that required him to leave the community. 

At the Board's recent annual meeting, out going Chair Mark Mesdag acknowledged both members noting their strong commitment to United Way and their willingness to serve as active members of the board. We wish them success in their next opportunity for service to the community.  
Love is the only force capable
of transforming an enemy into a friend.
 Martin Luther King, Jr.


Papa John's Pizza Alaska
Papa John's loves giving back to communities in Alaska. Each month, they help a different local nonprofit raise money through their Charity of the Month program - the best part (besides all the delicious pizza involved) is presenting the charity their check! United Way of Alaska helps Alaska's children, the homeless, families and more through all of their efforts. United Way appreciates the support of Papa Johns and their employees.

Mark your calendar for September of 2018 and when ordering pizza from Papa John's use code AKCHARITY when placing your order. Papa John's will donate $1.00 per order to support United Way of  Southeast Alaska. United Way of Anchorage United Way of Southeast Alaska  United Way of the Tanana Valley United Way of Mat Su
We are updating our
Social Media and need your opinions

There's so much going on in Southeast Alaska as we work with you and our partner agencies toward Health, Education and Financial Stability for all individuals. We want to make it easy for you to follow what matters most to you, which is why we are updating how we use social media. Here are some changes we've already made:
 
1. Give
You can now use the Donate button on our Facebook page to make donations, and 100% of your donation goes toward projects in Southeast Alaska.

2. Advocate
On the  United Way of Southeast Alaska page we share upcoming events, local research, success stories and news about our work and our partner agencies. Help us make some noise about the issues you care about.  
 
3. Volunteer
We've connected with the existing Facebook Group Juneau Volunteer Opportunities. The group is listed on our Facebook page for easy access, and we regularly share opportunities that have been posted at Get Connected .
 
What else can we do to make our social outreach better? Let us know in this  short survey! 

Coeur Alaska:LEARN UNITED Reading Tutor Program now in 4th elementary school  
The Coeur Alaska :LEARN UNITED Reading Tutor Program has added Mendenhall River Elementary School as another site for tutors to support students with their reading skills. Mendenhall River is located on Mendenhall Loop Road. Other Juneau School District schools participating in the program include: Riverbend Elementary, Harborview Elementary and Gastineau Elementary.

In 2012, United Way of Southeast Alaska partnered with Coeur Alaska and the Juneau School District in order to work toward improving the literacy skills of elementary students in the area.

The goal of the program is to help students read at their grade level by the completion of the third grade. Studies show that up until the third grade, students are learning to read; afterwards, they read to learn. If they aren't reading at their grade level by then, the chances of them falling behind are significant and could affect whether or not students graduate. Regardless of what career students will choose as adults, literacy is the foundation needed for future success.
Applications to become a reading tutor can be found on the Juneau School District webpage and/or United Way of Southeast Alaska Get Connected Volunteer webpage

For more program information or to learn more about volunteering as a Reading Tutor Volunteer contact Sharon Cannon 907-315-3758.
Warren Russell Elected Chair of Board United Way of Southeast Alaska 
At the annual meeting of the United Way of Southeast Alaska, Warren Russell was elected Chair of the board.
In his remarks to the board he Thanked outgoing Chair Mark Mesdag for two years of service as Chair and looked forward to Mark remaining on the board as Past Chair.

In accepting the position Mr. Russell noted his strategic  focus for the coming year would be based on the acronym S.A.F.E.

Strategic Plan: Continue to work on key components of the Board's 5 year plan
Awareness:  Increase the recognition and promotion of the United Way in SE Alaska
Fundraising: Grow the number of groups and individuals who support the United Way
Engagement: Sustain a full and active board that represents a vibrant cross section of the community
AmeriCorps Member Highlight
 SouthEast Alaska Regional Health Consortium (SEARHC) is the lucky host of our two newest AmeriCorps members, Alexis Cram and Bea Pullenkines. Alexis is serving as the Community Health Coordinator under the Health Promotion Division. Alexis will be working on tobacco cessation programming and referrals with SEARHC beneficiaries and with Front Street Clinic clientele. Alexis has a Bachelor's of Science from Coastal Carolina University. She hopes to pursue a medical degree in the future.

Bea will be working through Front Street Clinic as a Health Outreach Coordinator. As the Health Outreach Coordinator, Bea will be responsible for providing insurance coverage outreach and enrollment activities for homeless clients in collaboration with clinic staff and the Outreach Team. She will serve as a resource and referral person to uninsured patients for accessing Medicaid, Medicare, the Health Insurance Marketplace, and Veteran's Benefits. Bea holds a Bachelor's of Arts from University of South Carolina and a Master's in Public Health from the University of Georgia. Bea is most interested in the promotion and evaluation of health programming and hopes to explore that further through her AmeriCorps experience.

United Way of Southeast Alaska's AmeriCorps program is elated to welcome these two young ladies to Juneau. If you are interested in exploring AmeriCorps opportunities, please visit https://my.americorps.gov/mp/login.do and search current listings for Juneau. Our 2018 AmeriCorps service opportunities will be listed soon. For additional information on these opportunities or general questions about the AmeriCorps program, please call 907-463-1293
It's time to file for your
Permanent Fund Dividend.

Pick.Click.Give. allows Alaskans to donate a portion of their Permanent Fund Dividend to causes they care about statewide.

While applying for their PFD online, Alaskans can choose to Pick.Click.Give. in increments of $25. All donations are tax deductible and donors will receive tax documentation from the State once their donations have been processed. Permanent Fund Dividend applications are available from January 1 to March 31, though Alaskans may choose to add or adjust their pledges online through August 31.

The program is run by The Alaska Community Foundation in partnership with the Rasmuson Foundation, The Foraker Group, United Way of Anchorage, and the State of Alaska Permanent Fund Dividend Division.

Don't Forget to Pick. Click. Give when you file for your Permanent Fund Dividend. Click Here for link to PFD page. 

Give.
A contribution to United Way of Southeast Alaska is the most powerful way to invest in your community. Make a one time or recurring donation to United Way of Southeast Alaska using your credit card on our secure donation page.
Donate here.

Advocate.
You can make change happen with your voice. United Way needs people who are passionate about education, income and health to make some noise.
Read more

Volunteer.
Looking for ways to help the community? Need something to do this summer? Check out United Way's Get Connected page for current volunteer opportunities in your community! Volunteering is not only great for the community, but great for your health, too!
Search for Volunteer Opportunities.

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Alaska 2-1-1
Questions about how to find help?
Every hour of every day, an Alaskan needs essential services-from finding food and shelter to securing adequate care for a child or an aging parent. Faced with multiple directories and an array of social service agencies, people often don't know where to turn or how to get started. In many cases, they end up going without these necessary services.
 
Alaska 2-1-1 is a free, confidential, and multilingual health and human services information and referral system operated by United Way of Anchorage on behalf of all United Ways in Alaska.
Read more
Why Support United Way?
We at the United Way of Southeast Alaska are thankful for all of our supporters, volunteers, and donors who have chosen to advocate on our behalf all these years. To show our gratitude, we spoke with some of our donors so that we could get to know them a bit better and understand why they continue to support Southeast Alaska through the United Way.

Click here to read why community members choose to support the United Way of Southeast Alaska.

Find Help
Are you searching for agencies to help you? The United Way website has a feature that connects YOU with the help that you need. We have added a " Find Help" button to the right side of our page that has an organized list of agencies across Southeast Alaska that provide community services. Click here to see which agencies are listed in your community and how they can help you.
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