United Way of Pennsylvania
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UWP Update - May 28, 2017
2017 UWP Tocqueville Society winner Andy Daub
UWP and United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley hold annual Statewide Tocqueville Reception, present 2017 Keystone Spirit of United Way Award  
 
Last evening was UWP's annual Tocqueville Society event, hosted by United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley, was held at the beautiful SteelStacks in Bethlehem.  

UWP recognized Tocqueville Society members from across Pennsylvania for their contributions to our communities and United Way.  These donors are a vital part of the work United Ways are able to accomplish and make a significant impact in the lives of Pennsylvanians.  One such area, which was highlighted during the event, is the work being done for PA 2-1-1. Without these contributions our 2-1-1 network would not have the opportunity to continue to grow and serve those in search of information.  

Along with the reception, UWP presented the prestigious 2017 Keystone Spirit of United Way Award to Andy Daub, Tocqueville Society member of the United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley, for his generosity, advocacy and commitment to improving the lives of Pennsylvania residents.  

Daub and his wife Carolyn have been members of United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley's Tocqueville Society for more than 15 years.  In addition to Daub's personal philanthropy, he also provides a generous corporate gift and leads a successful United Way campaign at Brown-Daub Dealerships with nearly 90 percent employee participation. 

In addition to Daub, there were six other nominees for this prestigious award from across the Commonwealth.   The nominees include: Blaise Alexander (Lycoming County United Way), Ira Lubert (United Way of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey), Ken and Caroline Taylor (United Way of Bradford County), Walt Legenstein (United Way of Lancaster County), and Thomas Bailey Hagen (United Way of Erie).  

Learn more about the event and view photos here
2-1-1 Launches in Northwest PA 

United Way of Erie, United Way of Venango County and United Fund of Warren publicly launched 2-1-1 service this week for residents of their counties. 2-1-1 service is now available in every region of Pennsylvania, and the system is poised to begin partnering more closely with state government to streamline information and referral for Pennsylvanians looking for help with non-emergency, health and human services related needs. United Way of Pennsylvania and Southwest PA 2-1-1, who were also partners in launching this service, joined the local United Ways and United Funds in three regional press events to get the word out to these communities.
 
2-1-1 service in the Northwest region is provided by Southwest PA 2-1-1. For the first several months, 2-1-1 will be available by phone, text, chat and web site during the hours of 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The service will expand to 24/7 in the region by the end of September. Another four counties are also expected to launch service this fall - including Crawford, Jefferson, McKean and Potter.
 
Check out some of the local media coverage of the 2-1-1 launch. It was also covered by radio stations and print publications in Venango and Warren. Congratulations to all the staff and board leaders who made a commitment to connecting people to the resources they need through one easy-to-remember channel available in multiple communication formats! 

The PA Community School Coalition held first ever conference  

UWP attended the first annual convening of The Pennsylvania Community School Coalition and Communities In Schools of Pennsylvania Monday, May 22 at Harrisburg University.  This coalition was comprised to raise awareness of the benefits of community schools and advocate for the spread and funding of community schools across Pennsylvania. 

Attendees discussed benefits of community schools and the expansion of community schools across the Commonwealth. Community schools provide resources for students and families, which allows for a more productive learning environment and cohesive bond between schools and families. These resources range from behavioral help to issues of food insecurity.

The convention was comprised of community school directors from multiple regions of the commonwealth who were able to share their experiences and insight into the functionality and rewards of a communal school model. Other advocacy groups, including local United Ways, were also in attendance.  

Several of our United Way members are involved with community schools as part of a solution to providing children with the best possible opportunities for learning and overall growth. UWP supports the community school concept as a way to benefit students in their educational successes and development by providing them with life-changing resources.

Welcome new UWP intern, Melissa 
Please help me give a warm welcome to UWP's summer intern, Melissa Anese!

Melissa is currently a Senior at Dickinson College, majoring in Anthropology and Africana Studies.  She has a passion for philanthropic work and serves as the President for Dickinson's Devil's Advocates Student Philanthropy Council. She is excited to learn more about the United Way network and the current work we are doing around various issues. 

Melissa will be working on some exciting projects throughout the summer that we are anxious to roll out! Please take some time to give her a quick hello melissa@uwp.org and keep an eye out for communications from her.   
UW US President Mary B. Sellers will be keynote speaker at UWP's Annual Conference 
UWP is  happy to share an exciting announcement about our upcoming Annual Conference! We are honored that Mary B. Sellers, the new U.S. President at United Way Worldwide, will be the keynote speaker at our opening session on June 22.  

Mary most recently served as the President of the United Way of Central Iowa, which is one of the most successful United Ways in the country. In addition to her work in Iowa, Mary has an impressive career that highlights how fortunate we are to have her supporting the network of United Ways across the U.S. 
  •  Mary has served in nonprofit leadership roles for more than 25 years 
  • In 2015, United Way of Central Iowa raised $27.9 million, representing an impressive per-capita amount of $53.60
  • Mary is highly regarded among network leaders for her ability to lead execution, including building bridges across the community with established impact partners and nontraditional funders, as well as being ahead of the curve on donor engagement.
  • Mary holds a B.S. in Public Relations from a University of Florida and an M.B.A from the University of Iowa. 
  • Mary successfully completed the Strategic Perspectives in Nonprofit Management Program at the Harvard University Graduate School of Business. 
UWP is thrilled to have Mary as a Keynote Speaker and hope you will all give her a warm Pennsylvania welcome! 

REMINDER: 

This year's conference will take place at the Shawnee Inn & Golf Resort from June 21-23.  We have a great agenda, fantastic speakers, and fun activities planned for the group. Bring your staff, your board members, and volunteers to network and learn.  

To attend the full conference, the registration rate is $270.  You can use flex credits to get reimbursed for your travel expenses.  

Register for the conference here! Registration ends on June 5th! Room block has ended, but there still may be some availability. 

This will be another great conference and we hope you will all join us! 
PA's unemployment rate grows to 4.9 percent 


 

The unemployment rate has increased in PA to 4.9 percent according to the April edition of the Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry's employment situation report. This one-tenth of a percentage point increase from March is higher than the 4.4 percent U.S. average.

The Commonwealth's civilian labor increased 22,000 to 6,464,000, however, the resident unemployment jumped 4,000, making April the first month since August 2016 to have an increase in residential unemployment.
April also yielded a decrease in PA jobs by 5,400. Compared to March, seven of the eleven state employment super sectors reported declines, with Education and Health Services suffering the greatest drop. April did set a record high in Professional and Business Services with a 3,400 increase in jobs.
Last April, total nonfarm jobs were up 8 percent (45,300) while nationally jobs were up 1.6 percent. Over the past year, the largest increase was in Education and Health Services by 31,200, while Manufacturing has suffered the greatest decline of 8,900.