RCUW - Help Others Find Their Strength

NOV
2016

ISSUE

No. 40

THIS NEWSLETTER EDITION BROUGHT TO YOU BY

UniSource Energy Services and its 122 electric employees and 31 gas employees have been providing safe and reliable Electric and Gas service to the Cities of Kingman, Lake Havasu and surrounding areas since 2002.

During this time UniSource and its employees have been committed to supporting the communities we serve through volunteerism, fundraisers and donations in support of local non-profits, community youth programs, education and environmental programs. In support of United Way and other non-profits UniSource offers payroll deduction which provides an easy method for its employees to give. Annually UniSource provides financial awards to qualified and selected non-profits through its "UniSource Energy Community Impact Grants".

<< LEARN MORE ABOUT CORPORATE CORNERSTONE >>

Welcome Dawn Darby!

River Cities United Way would like to welcome Dawn Darby, the newest member of our team. Dawn has stepped into the role of Kingman Area Manager.

Dawn was raised in Kingman until she and her daughter moved to Wyoming in 1998. During her time in Wyoming she raised her daughter, worked full time and obtained her Bachelor's degree in Business Administration. She worked for Time Warner Cable and most recently was the Executive Director for their Chamber of Commerce for seven years. Volunteering was a huge part of Dawn's life! While in Wyoming, Dawn was very involved with the community and felt it was important to give back to the community that welcomed her and her daughter with open arms. Dawn decided to relocate back to Kingman in June 2016, to be closer to family and to live in a warmer climate. She was recently hired as the Kingman Area Manager for River Cities United Way and is very excited to be able to be a part of an organization that does so much to touch the lives of others. She looks forward to getting reacquainted with and serving the Kingman community!

Dawn can be reached at the Kingman office at (928) 753-6720. Her email address is [email protected] - please be sure to drop her a line and welcome her.

Dear Local Business Owners/Managers,

In an effort to promote "Shop Local / Give Local", we would like to encourage your business to get involved by making a donation.

How the Holiday Hunt Works

* Your business makes a gift donation of any item valued at $25.00 or more, by November 23rd.

* RCUW will provide an in-kind donation receipt.
* RCUW will provide promotional materials to alert customers of your participation in the Holiday Hunt.
* RCUW staff will hide a Holiday Hunt card in your business location on or before December 1st.
* Holiday Hunt cards will have instructions for winners to bring the card to our office, to receive their prize.

How Participants Join the Holiday Hunt
* Participants Donate $20.00

Go to our website at https://www.RiverCitiesUnitedWay.org/holiday-hunt
or make a donation in person at our office: 145 N. Lake Havasu Avenue
* Registered participants will receive a list of participating businesses, who have
donated prizes valued at $25 or more, via email or can pickup the list at our office.

** Only registered participants may win one prize per $20.00 donation.

HUNT BEGINS DECEMBER 1, 2016

Contact [email protected] or (928) 855-6333 to add your business.

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!

River Cities United Way needs volunteers in Kingman, Lake Havasu and Bullhead City to help with tax preparation. Free training is provided.

"The more volunteers we have, the more sites we'll be able to open," said Demaret. When asked how many she was looking for, Demaret said, "as many as we can get."

No experience is necessary, and volunteers are needed on an ongoing basis January to April. Volunteers receive free IRS certification training, gain valuable tax knowledge and the schedule is flexible.

If you are interested in volunteering, please email [email protected] or call (928) 855-6333

"This has truly become a community partnership," Demaret said, "the people who take advantage of the free service are so grateful!"

Impact Statistics

24,687 food boxes were provided to households through Colorado River Food Bank.

The Colorado River Food Bank (CRFB) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization providing food and clothing free to those in need in Laughlin NV, Bullhead City AZ and Ft. Mohave AZ. The CRFB is staffed by one employee who oversees the operation and directs the efforts of the small army of unpaid volunteers who give their time and energy to assist the organization fulfill its goal of reducing hunger in the tri-state service area.

240 E. Laughlin Civic Drive
Laughlin, Nevada 89029
702-298-9220

For more information click here.

Volunteer Expo

Saturday, October 22nd several non-profit organizations gathered at the Bullhead City Chambers to showcase their volunteer opportunities to members of community looking for ways to get involved and make a difference.

River Cities United Way was among those non-profits - displaying the new Volunteer Portal, which bridges the gap in a similar fashion to the Volunteer Expo but online, available anytime. Robert Starkey, Director of Marketing at River Cities United Way shared the benefits of the site.

Special Thanks to Sarah Mayo from the Mohave County Attorney Victim/Witness Program for putting on such a great event, and to all the non-profits that participated.

Learn more about this event.

POST-EVENT RECAP

River Cities United Way held their 6th Annual Quail Run on Saturday, November 5th. "This year's event was another great success! The weather was absolutely beautiful and we had 39 adults run the 5K Run/Walk and two kids run in the 1K Kids Run," stated Dawn Darby, Kingman Area Manager for River Cities United Way. "We raised more than $1,500 for our Kids Bright & Healthy Program which helps to provide medical, dental and vision services to kids whose parents might not be able to afford these services otherwise."

Congratulations to this year's winners of the 6th Annual Quail Run!

"We would like to thank everyone who ran in this year's race, our sponsors and the volunteers that donated so much of their time to make this event happen. Without all of these individuals and businesses this event would not be possible." said Darby.

Thank You to Volunteers on this years Allocations Committees

To ensure that the money raised in the community is well invested, volunteer panels review and assess each member agency on the Quality Standards, which measure the agencies' ability to demonstrate success and competency in four key areas: programs, governance, finance, and administration.

After hearing the agency presentations, reading the applications and reviewing their past results and future goals, each panel of volunteers scores the program applications. Then the local Advisory Committees make recommendations regarding the amount of funding United Way will invest in each agency.

We would like to thank the following volunteers:

Marguerite Bainbridge

Ashley Bartosiewicz
Sue Becker

Jerri Bracamonte

Shawn Butler

Suzy Conklin

Linda Friedly

Alicia Garza

Lydia Grill

Toni Harris

Melissa Holloway

Lorraine Leeming

Tabitha Miller
Donna Stacklie

Rob Turnwell
Petra Zacek

River Cities United Way
Toll Free (877) 855-8318
http://www.rivercitiesunitedway.org

MISSION STATEMENT

United Way advances the common good by creating opportunities for a better life for all within Mohave and La Paz Counties. Our focus is on education, income and health -- the building blocks for a good quality of life. United Way recruits people and organizations who bring the passion, expertise and resources needed to get things done. We invite you to be a part of the change. You can give, you can advocate and you can volunteer. That's what it means to LIVE UNITED.