Living United 
January Edition
   
 
 
    IN THIS ISSUE:
    Meet Amanda
      -  Program Update
     
Give Advocate Volunteer

Although she came from a good home and was an exceptional student, Amanda began experimenting with drugs and alcohol early in her teenage years. As she reached college, the using became worse. She continued to maintain good grades and a stable outward appearance until she had nearly completed graduate school. That's when she first tried heroin. Before long the drug had hijacked her life. Amanda dropped out of school one semester prior to graduation. "Heroin was my best friend. It is what I said good morning to, spent the entire day seeking, and said goodnight to."

1608_Amanda Kearney_web
One morning in 2012, Amanda awoke to her boyfriend lying dead from an overdose. The event triggered a string of arrests until Amanda was given the choice to enroll in drug court or go to prison.  She surrendered and accepted help from Catholic Charities' Jail & Prison Ministry program.  

With no other support system, Amanda's mentors became her advocates.  "The Jail & Prison Ministry program lifted me up when I needed it the most and cheered me on when I succeeded. The program made it possible for me to get through drug court without fail. I will be forever grateful for an amazing mentor and circle of support. They have influenced my life in the most astonishing ways."

Inspired by the kindness so freely given to her, Amanda is now working to establish a non-profit, sober living facility in Dubuque, IA.

 Toolkit
NEW Volunteer Toolkit Unveiled!


For the third year in a row, United Way of Dubuque Area Tri-States' is the recipient of the Volunteer Generation Fund grant received through the Corporation for National and Community Service.!
 
As a next step in our volunteer efforts, the United Way Volunteer Center is pleased to announce the development of a Volunteer Toolkit   . Volunteer Engagement Coordinator Tina Hasken developed the document as an easy to follow guide giving individuals, groups and businesses of all sizes ideas for volunteering as well as assistance with planning and coordination of volunteer opportunities.
 
The guide is accessible through the photo above and is located in the Volunteer section  of United Way's website. Hard copies are available upon request. Contact Tina Hasken  or more information.
Funding
Request For Funding for 2017/2018

United Way i s now taking Letters of Intent for from agencies seeking funds under United Way's New and Targeted Initiatives grant program. 

This new funding source is designed for new or emerging progra ms that address targeted community-wide issues with research-based strategies in order to make significant and sustaina ble progress - OR - programs within the 10-county UWDATS service area that are not funded through UWDATS' currently sponsored programs.  Letters of Intent are due January 20 and more information can be found here .      
UpdateJail & Prison Ministry Program Update
The Jail & Prison Ministry Program  seeks to provide support and guidance to offenders and ex-offenders through visitation
services while in the prison system and re-entry support as they enter community life.

June 1-Nov. 30, 2016:

- 59 total clients served in the Dubuque Area Tri-States region.

Of these:

- 44 clients received mentors

- 6 clients working with mentor and Circle of Support & Accountability

- 3 clients working only with Circle of Support & Accountability

 

Homeless
As Seen in the TH - Point in Time Homeless Count

The Homeless Advisory Coalition is an independent group of organizations who work with the area homeless population for the purpose of raising awareness in Dubuque about homelessness in our community. This month, the group will be conducting a Point in Time Count of the homeless population. The group will spend two early mornings from 2:30-5:30 a.m. counting as many area homeless as they find on the street and in shelters.
 
Information is provided to the state in order to get an idea of how many homeless people are in Iowa. The count helps the Homeless Advisory Coalition better understand local need. It also identifies increases and decreases in the population to show what is working and what needs improvement.

As part of MLK, Jr. Day of Service, volunteers will be making fleece blankets for distribution to homeless programs and homeless individuals during the Point in Time Count.


Mentor
National Mentoring Month

January is National Mentoring Month and area mentor programs are in need of a few good men and women. There are many opportunities to serve and n ot all of them require a large time commitment. Many of the Dubuque Mentorship Partnership programs are listed through United Way's Get Connected portal below.


 
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Thanks
THANK YOU TO THE FOLLOWING ORGANIZATIONS WHO CONTINUE TO LIVED UNITED THROUGH PARTICIPATION IN OUR CAMPAIGN EFFORTS!

Together, we recognize there are no quick fixes. Band-Aids are not enough. We have to look at the big picture, and how our work connects with each other. In other words, lasting solutions take a while, and all of us. Thank you for LIVING UNITED this fall!

Newly completed campaigns:
A.Y. McDonald Manufacturing Co.
Adams Company
Ambraco Inc.
AmeriHealth Caritas
Anderson-Weber, Inc.
Archer Daniels Midland Company
Black Hills Energy
Chavenelle Studio Metal Works
Cigna
City of Dubuque
Coborn's Incorporated
Colony Brands/Swiss Colony
Comcast
Contempo Styling Salon
Creative Touch Gallery
Crescent Electric Supply Co.
Dubuque Golf & Country Club
DuTrac Community Credit Union
Environmental Management Services of Iowa Inc.
Exelon Foundation
FEH Design, Inc.
Flexsteel Industries
Gordon's Toggery
Grand River Medical Group
Grinnell Mutual Reinsurance Co.
Hodge Materials Handling
Honeywell Hometown Solutions
Honkamp Krueger & Co.
Honkamp Krueger Financial Services
IBM Dubuque Global Delivery Center
JD Auto Sales
John Deere Davenport Works
John Deere Waterloo Operations
Keystone AEA #1
Klauer Optical  Co.
Kunkel & Associates, Inc.
Medical Associates Clinics & Health Plans
Mercy Medical Center - Dubuque
Mike Finnin Ford & Kia
Mi-T-M Corporation
Modern Woodman of America
Myers-Cox Co.
Mystique Casino
O'Reilly Auto Parts
Prairie Farms Dairy
Premier Tooling & Manufacturing, Inc.
Principal Financial Group
Progressive Processing/Hormel
Remax Advantage Realty
Ricoh
Riley Subaru, Mazda, Mitsubishi
Rite Hite Corporation
Randy Roussel Masonry
Schuster Heating & Pump Co., Inc.
Sedona Staffing Services
Spahn & Rose Lumber Co.
Tandem Tire & Auto Service Center
Target Stores
Theisen Supply Inc.
Union Hoermann Press
United Brotherhood Carpenters Local 678
Unity Point Health - Finley Hospital
University of Dubuque
Veridian Credit Union
Wartburg Theological Seminary
Welu Printing Company
Western Dubuque School District
WHKS & Co.
Woodward Communications/Telegraph Herald
Zephyr Aluminum Products

Recognized last month:
Abeln Abstract & Title Company
ADDOCO, Inc.
Alliant Credit Union
Alliant Energy
Alliant Energy Foundation
American Red Cross of Northeast Iowa
American Trust & Savings Bank
Andersen Corp./Eagle Window & Door
Art Pape Transfer
Artistic Cleaners
Berger Benefit Connections
Boys & Girls Club of Greater Dubuque
B.L. Murray Co., Inc.
Brissey Realty
Burger King
Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Dubuque
Crescent Community Health Center
CS Technologies
Delaware, Dubuque & Jackson Co. RTA
Dubuque Anesthesia Services
Dubuque Community School District
Dubuque Community YMCA/YWCA
Dubuque Stamping & Mfg. Inc.
Dupaco Community Credit Union
Dubuque Plastics
E91

Eagle Tool Company
East Central Inter-government Agency/ECDC 
Edwards Cast Stone Co.
FedEx

The Friedman Group
Giese Manufacturing Co. Inc.
Girl Scouts of Eastern Iowa & Western Illinois
Hillcrest Family Services
Hughes & Tranel Law Office
Iowa Legal Aid
J.D. Auto Sales
Jim Kircher & Associates
John Deere Dubuque Works
John Deere Foundation
Kane Appraisal Services
Klauer Manufacturing
Kohl's
Lincoln Financial Group
Loras College
McCullough Creative Group, Inc.
Mulgrew/Perfection Oil Co.
Mutual Wheel Co.
Norby Distributing
Northeast Iowa Council of Boy Scouts
NE Iowa Area Agency on Aging
Opening Doors
O'Connor & English Insurance Agency
Pepsi-Lime Rock Springs
Plumbers & Pipefitters Local #125
Premier Bank
Premier Linen & Uniform Rental
Printers Plus
Radio Dubuque
Rhomberg Fur & Leather Gallery
Riverview Center
Rockwell Collins Bellevue
Rockwell Collins Charitable Corporation
Rockwell Collins Manchester
Salvation Army
Randy Roussel Masonry Contr.
Schwendinger Construction
Sheehan Auto Electric Corp.
Sisters of Charity, BVM - Mt. Carmel
Sisters of the Visitation
State Farm - Nancy Wallace
State Farm - Joe Buchheit
Straka Johnson Architects
Substance Abuse Services Center (SASC)
U.P.S.
U.S. Bank
Wagner Accounting & Tax Service
Westmark Ent./Kendall Hunt Publishing
Woodward Foundation
The Workshop
Younkers

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