September 2019 Newsletter
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In this issue:
- 2019-2020 Campaign Kick-Off
- 2019-2020 Campaign Updates
- Volunteers In Our Community
- Volun-Beer: Health Pillar
Upcoming
- Volun-Beer Events
- Over The Edge 2020
- Stand Down for Homelessness "There's No Place Like Home"
- Volunteer Opportunities
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During this year's annual campaign kickoff breakfast we had a live show featuring emcee Katie Weidemann and guests:
- Gary Dolphin & Jan Powers, United Way's Campaign Co-Chairs
- Bob Woodward from Woodward Communications & Katie Thomas from Honkamp Krueger & Co, P.C.
- Michele Kaiser, from John Deere Dubuque Works and United Way's Board Chair
- Carrie O'Connor from Iowa Legal Aid & Tracy Morrison from Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Dubuque.
- Music by Joie Booth from Joie Wails Band and Elizabeth Mary
With 200 people in attendance, the show included information on United Way. Thank you to everyone that attended! Check out our campaign videos for each of our pillars- Health, Education and Income.
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As we continue the 2019-2020 campaign, we are excited to share about our collaboration and work with great businesses and our Funded Partners. During the month of September:
UPS is wrapping up their campaign and had United Way and funded partners come in and present to all employees on ways they can give back.
US Bank had their kickoff breakfast with United Way and also provided their staff with VTO (Volunteer Time Off) as a fun way for their staff to get involved in the community and give back.
Unity Point Health hosted their campaign and included information from United Way and the impact on the community.
DuTrac kicked off their campaign by having United Way come in with a partner to present to their team on how they can work with United Way and create impact.
Our Funded Partners have also been hard at work providing much needed services, and running United Way campaigns with their employees. More campaign updates to come each month!
Thank you UPS, US Bank, Unity Point Health, DuTrac and to all our Funded Partners! We are stronger together!
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Volunteers In Our Community
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Businesses in our community and their employees have been busy volunteering and giving back.
John Deere Dubuque Works employees volunteered with our Funded Partners, Almost Home and St. Mark Youth Enrichment.
Almost Home @ St. John’s would like to thank Kristina Thompson and the volunteers from John Deere who assisted us at our Open Closet Saturday Event! Thanks to their help, we distributed clothing and bedding to 679 individuals in 2 hours. More importantly, they helped free up staff so that we could meet other crucial needs. Two homeless men learned about our shelter and were housed, a homeless woman and her child were housed (her son had not been in school), information was given to people that were hungry and not aware of the evening dinners sponsored by the downtown churches, and we facilitated a phone conversation between a battered woman and a counselor. Kristina and the crew assisted us in raising funds to purchase new underwear for children by manning a “Table-Top Sale.” The underwear will be distributed locally to school nurses in 10 elementary schools.- Gwen Kirchof
The St. Mark Youth Enrichment team is incredibly grateful for the wonderful volunteers from John Deere. Not only did they help beautify our outdoor grounds and freshen up our center....they brought smiles to each of our faces with their contagious energy and enthusiasm. We are truly thankful for their efforts at St. Mark and in the community!- Amanda Avenarius
Volunteers from John Deere also built 300 basic needs kits that were provided to funded partners to hand out to those in need in our community.
US Bank employees volunteered their time with our partner, the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Dubuque.
The impact of the basic needs kits were instrumental, one club member said "I can go to school smelling good with my teeth brushed and smile!". Volunteers creating needs kits like John Deere and volunteers donating their time, like US Bank, really makes a difference for our members and their families. - Tom Sullivan
Thank you to all the volunteers for giving back to the community!
We are stronger together!
United We Rock!
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Volun-Beer: Health Pillar
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Did you say Volun-Beer?
Did you know in Iowa:
1 in 9 people are struggling with hunger;
1 in 6 children are struggling with hunger
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According to health rankings, our 10-county service area has over 31,000 people struggling with food insecurity. Over 13,000 people have limited access to healthy foods.
With community support, over the last year our community has seen over 28,000 meals served to area youth and over 15,000 people provided with a hot breakfast for emergency food. To continue to fight food scarcity, volunteers came together at 7 Hills Event Center on Tuesday September 17th. 100 kits were created in order to provide healthy and nutritious food for the local community. The kits were distributed to:
The Boys & Girls Club of Greater Dubuque
The Dubuque Area Labor Harvest
The Salvation Army
The impact of the kits created with food were so meaningful, one club member said, "Since the club is closed on the weekends, my family will have a meal this weekend at home." Another member stated, "I can share with my family and it will be a great weekend!"- Tom Sullivan
Thanks to the volunteers that built these kits and to Alliant Energy Foundation for funding this project. With these kits individuals and families in the community will have access to healthy and nutritious food.
Stay tuned for upcoming Volun-Beer events for October and November!
October Volun-Beer event will be focused on early literacy and kits will include a book and literacy activities.
November Volun-Beer will be focused on income and kits will include basic needs items
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Mark your calendars for our Over The Edge 2020 event for Friday June 26th, 2020! Stay tuned for more information
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The Dubuque Museum of Art's Annual Gala and Auction is the museum's largest fundraiser of the year! Celebrating and benefiting Iowa's oldest cultural institution, the evening includes exceptional dining, and entertainment.
All proceeds from the event directly benefit the museum's education and community outreach programs, which serve more than 12,000 people annually.
Volunteers are needed for registration, coat check, spotters for the live auction and check-out at the end of the evening.
4-4:30 pm will be training/introduction to your volunteer post. Volunteers are requested to be ready for the event by 4:30 pm. The event will conclude by 10:00 pm.
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Inspiration Stables' mission is to inspire hearts and hooves to build lasting relationships to promote wellness, healing, self-expression and meaning. Inspiration Stables provides therapeutic horseback riding and hippotherapy sessions for children with special needs to build physical strength, confidence, trust and meaningful connection. They are hosting their first Power of the Herd 24- Hour Ride-A-Thon, which will take place on Friday September 27th and Saturday September 28th. Looking for a fun way to give back, check out this opportunity.
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The Dubuque Arboretum & Botanical Gardens is hosting its annual Fall Cleanups. Come help us get our gardens ready for the winter!
Saturday, October 19, 9-12
Saturday, October 26, 9-12
A free lunch will be provided at noon inside the Visitor Center. But please email me or call the Arboretum at 563-556-2100 to let us know you’re coming so we can provide enough gloves, tools, and food!
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