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The Power of Giving
The young people pictured in the uniting for good photo this month are from RAM (Reaching All Minds) Academy in Durham. One Friday in March, 4th and 5th graders came to our offices to do service projects - they labeled new books and made soup mix kits - and they were excited about their opportunity to "give back." It's a reminder that sometimes simply rolling up our sleeves, choosing to share our expertise, or being willing to get out of our comfort zones to gain a new perspective can be incredibly meaningful, as demonstrated in several of this issue's features. It reminds us of the Margaret Mead quote: "Never believe that a few caring people can't change the world. For, indeed, that's all who ever have." #Uniting4Good
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"B.O.O.K.S." - Help Distribute 40,000 Books into Our Community
During National Volunteer Week (April 24-28), United Way of the Greater Triangle will be bringing the First Book 40,000 Book Truck to Raleigh. Books from this truck will be distributed across the Triangle to children, educators, and non-profits with the goal of ensuring all children are reading at grade level by third grade.
Thank you to Principal, Eaton, Aqua North Carolina, Inc., BB&T, and Anne Howard and Carlton H. Howard III / Grant Thornton LLP for your sponsorship of this event. Join us as we share the love of books with our community! #TriangleKidSuccess
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Sleep Out 2017
Take part in a powerful experience. Join us on Friday, May 5 at 6:30pm-Saturday, May 6 at 8:30am, for Sleep Out 2017, an overnight event that seeks to make invisible social issues-frequently unrecognized in our prosperous community-visible.
This year's Sleep Out is a community-wide, family-friendly event that will take place in the Durham Athletic Park. Take part in a night of immersive programming designed with a focus on two-generational work to increase social mobility for vulnerable children and their families. Then you'll spend the night sleeping on a flat of cardboard to better understand the insecurity of being homeless. Morning programming will include personal reflections on the evening's experience.
As one attendee observed, "I can go home, take a shower and a nap, but how would you go to work? How can kids concentrate in school? I have a profoundly different appreciation for what I have, and more importantly, what we need to make better."
Kids 10+ with a parent or adult guardian may attend. #TriangleSleepsOut
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Investing in Young Innovators
Idea Generation Next, College Edition ended on the last day of National Entrepreneur Week. A panel of judges comprised of community and business leaders selected Destiny Alexander, a recent graduate of North Carolina Central University, as the first place winner for her idea of "The Tassel is Worth the Hassle" at the first Idea Generation Next-College Edition pitch
competition. Alexander's $15K winning concept is to address the obstacles single mothers living in poverty face when completing their education by bringing GED preparation course directly to the families. Tyler Ford of Shaw University tied for second place with Marjorie Segule of North Carolina State University.
They will each receive a $7,500 financial award. Ford's idea is a mobile application to connect skilled workers with employers on a short-term basis, and Segule's idea is to address the school-to-prison pipeline by creating outlets of expression to address chronic misbehavior and utilizing technology to help students keep up with schoolwork while on suspension.
The students will be doing intensive work with The Institute on business planning. Financial awards will go towards the implementation of these winning ideas.
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On Monday, March 6th, IBM hosted a poverty simulation. This experience allowed employees to walk in the shoes of many families in our community, even if only for a few hours. The session consisted of interactive challenges that simulated barriers to financial security faced by families in poverty. The activity was then followed by a reflective session, recapping group sentiment from the experience. This engagement helps build an appreciation for the importance and urgency of ensuring success for families and children in need.
Host a Poverty Simulation
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PremiumHelp.org, a United Way of the Greater Triangle program that helps families and individuals in low-income households pay for health insurance premiums, has completed its second year of enrollments.
Premium Help.org has approved 1,050 applications, covering 1,478 residents, many for the first time; and of these, 653 are new participants of the PremiumHelp.org program.
An almost 50 percent increase from last year.
"If it were not for the help that we receive from Premium Help.org, we would be without health insurance. Thank you PremiumHelp.org for all that you do for families like mine. You are a life saver." said one participant.
Learn more about Premium Help.org
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Opportunities To Deepen Your Impact
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Shop at Kroger & Donate to UWGT
Did you know you can support United Way in your community just by shopping at Kroger? It's easy when you enroll in Kroger Community Rewards®
To get started, sign up with your Plus Card
https://www.kroger.com, and select United Way of the Greater Triangle or organization number
94000.
Once you're enrolled, you'll earn rewards for United Way of the Greater Triangle every time you shop and use your Plus Card!
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What we're reading, watching, & hearing
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