United Way
MSA United Way
eNews
April 2016
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Day of Caring
Do you have project ideas to make your community even better?

Could your local park use some improvements? Is your friend or neighbor in dire need of a helping hand? Has your favorite nonprofit fallen a bit behind on upkeep? 

We want to know how we can work with you to link generous businesses and over 1,000 volunteers with worthy community projects.

We're currently accepting Day of Caring project proposals and recruiting project managers.

To submit a project, click here.

To register as a project manager, click here.
Day of Caring volunteer
Volunteer on a United Way Committee
Campaign Cabinet:

MSA United Way's Campaign Cabinet is instrumental in engaging the business community, raising awareness about local issues, and working with the overall community to fund critical programs throughout the area. 

Members will be able to network with community business leaders, and demonstrate their leadership and service skills, while advocating on behalf of community needs. 

If you are interested in serving on our Campaign Cabinet, or if you know someone who might be a good fit, please call 255-3601 or click here.

Application Review Committees: 

Have you ever wondered how United Way invests in the community? Each year, trained volunteers review, score, and make funding recommendations on every application that we receive. These volunteers assess programs for effectiveness, efficiency, level of collaboration with other agencies, and alignment with United Way's Community Impact strategies.

We are looking for volunteers who are interested in contributing their time and talents to the application review process. If you'd like to learn more or apply to be a member of the Application Review Teams, click here.
Upcoming Events
It's more than just PB&J
As you go about your day in Bismarck-Mandan, you may find it hard to believe that nearly one in five children in our community struggle with hunger. Rather than our typical decision of what to eat, these children face the much more uncertain question of when.

At MSA United Way, our mission is to unite people and resources to build a better community. Because of your support, the United Way Backpack Program was started in 2013, and provides almost 800 backpacks of food to children who would otherwise go hungry over the weekends.

Nearly half of our youth volunteer in our community at least one hour per week! Lauryn Hinckley, a st
udent at Century High Scho ol, has once again teamed up with the United Way Backpack Program, area businesses, and schools to hold an annual Peanut Butter and Jelly Food Drive.

Although the first event started small, with Hinckley, her family, and friends collecting a few hundred jars of peanut butter and jelly, the 2015 drive raised over $6,000 in peanut butter, jelly, and funds to
su
pport the program, helping reduce weekend  hunger for hundreds of children in our community and reducing program expenses to make your hard-earned donations to United Way stretch farther.

Lauryn's service to our community earned her the 2016 Prudential Spirit of Community Award, bestowed on two youth from each state with outstanding acts of volunteerism.

Here's how you can help make Lauryn's drive even more successful:
  • Stop by your local Starion Financial or Kupper auto dealership before April 12 to drop off peanut butter and jelly.
    (16 ounce plastic jars)
  • If your child's school is participating in the drive, send peanut butter and jelly with them to their school's drop-off point to help develop a love of giving. Last year, Bismarck Early Childhood Education Program took home the prize for most donations!
  • Sponsor a United Way Backpack of Food for $5. 
  • Be an advocate on social media and share photos and stories of inspiration using #PBJFoodDrive.
Help Stamp Out Hunger
The annual Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive will be held on Saturday, May 14. Letter carriers and United Way volunteers will be collecting nonperishable food items for local food pantries and the United Way Backpack Program. Residents will be provided with a plastic bag, supplied by Dan's Supermarket. The filled bags can be placed next to mailboxes and will be picked up while the mail is being delivered.

Postal trucks brim with canned fruits and vegetables, soups, pasta, peanut butter, jelly and other nonperishable items as the much-needed items are collected. In 2015, 54,000 pounds of food was collected in Bismarck-Mandan.

Here's how you can help:

1. Sign up to volunteer! Help sort donations for a 2-hour shift or drive with the mail carriers and pick up the donated food in the morning. Sign up to volunteer for Shift 1 and/or Shift 2.
 
2. Simply put a bag of nonperishable foods by your mailbox on Saturday, May 14.

3. Become an advocate. Take to social media or talk to your family, friends and co-workers about the food drive. 
Online Auction - April 18-29
Would you like to donate to United Way's Online Auction? Last year, the Online Auction raised nearly $11,000 to support a variety of life-changing services in the Bismarck-Mandan region by auctioning off items donated by individuals and businesses. All donations are tax-deductible - making it a great way for you or your business to support our community.

Popular items include: Memorabilia, collectibles, timeshares, professional services, sports or concert tickets, bbq items and much more!

Give us a call at 255.3601 or visit msaunitedway.org if you have an item you'd like to donate. Please limit donations to items valued at $50 and above, and don't forget to ask us about promotional opportunities for your business.
2015 Annual Report
You make change possible.

We've released our annual report and we want you to see how supporting MSA United Way makes an impact every single day in our community.

If you'd like to learn about more ways to get involved with United Way through donating, volunteering or advocating, please reply to this email.
Thank you for LIVING UNITED!
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