Who's ready to float down the Sandy River?

NEWSLETTER

June 2021

EVENTS | UPDATES | IMPACT

WHATEVER FLOATS YOUR BOAT

Click Here to Register Now

for the 5 Card Float

THANK YOU TO THIS YEAR'S

CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTORS

We are grateful for the many donors who contributed funds and in-kind service this year to support our mission and help us grow.

UWTVA and your community thank you!

Click HERE to see a list of our GENEROUS donors.

SAVE THE DATE

United Way of the Tri-Valley Area is joining up with United Ways of Maine for a statewide

Week of Action June 21-25, and we are looking for volunteers!

VIDEO

If you are ready to get out, do some good and offer an extra set of hands, keep a lookout on our Facebook page for info. If you’re in a hurry to get a spot, reach out to Nichole at volunteer@uwtva.org.

We have some great volunteer opportunities at LEAP; an awesome Halloween-focused opportunity (for those of you who love that); work to be done repairing and painting homes; and state-wide virtual training opportunities. Be sure to check out our Facebook (www.facebook.com/uwtva) and home page for more details as they come in. If you’re ready to volunteer, bring your friends, bring your family and let’s make a difference this week!

WHAT'S HAPPENING

COMMUNITY PARTNER SPOTLIGHT

8 Non-profits Receive Grants from The Very Basics Fund

United Way is proud to support the organizations listed below who received grants in May totaling $28,429. Funding was provided through generous donations from individuals, businesses and foundations.

UWTVA Grants

Literacy Volunteers: improvement of adult learner’s digital literacy and increased access to technology.

American Red Cross: disaster response services so the Red Cross can help local individuals in the event of a fire or other disaster.

Safe Voices: basic essential items for survivors of domestic violence to be distributed through a newly established resource center in Farmington.

Rural Community Action Ministry: grocery, prescription, and meal delivery service for older adults in the Livermore, and Livermore Falls area.

Care and Share Food Closet: the purchase of a walk-in cooler to expand storage for fresh produce.

Mission at the Eastward: building supplies to make houses more accessible and safer, including ramps, roofs, steps, and floors.

Western Maine Center for Children: back up bedding and sanitation supplies to increase the capacity of the childcare center and keep children safe.

Rangeley Health and Wellness: behavioral health support for older adults in the Rangeley region with a focus on providing nutritious food, respite for caregivers, and safe homes.

United Way accepts applications to the Very Basics fund twice a year. Applications are due by April 30 and October 31 annually and can be found at uwtva.org .

Since the fund’s inception in 2019 United Way has disbursed $109,889.65 to address basic needs in the area.

The Western Maine CA$H Coalition Volunteer Appreciation

United Way would like to thank the volunteers of the Western Maine CA$H Coalition for their amazing work this year. During a pandemic, with lots of changes for safety of our volunteers and tax filers, Western Maine CA$H filed over 450 returns (and counting) as of May 9, 2021 with an error rate of less than 0.6%. Our CA$H volunteers are responsible for local tax filers receiving refunds averaging $1,729 – a total of more than $640,000. When we consider the have an average adjusted gross income (AGI) of approximately $22,750, these refunds are significant. Combine that with any other Federal or State refunds or credits to which they may be entitled, and the nearly $140,000 in recovered stimulus money that volunteers helped filers receive, the difference these volunteers make in the lives of our community is evident. The impact of these refunds and credits on our communities cannot be overlooked either as these tax filers pay bills, buy food and save for a rainy day. Thank you all for volunteering so these individuals and families can receive assistance to prepare and file returns at no cost to them. Your service truly makes a difference.

DID YOU KNOW?

United Way’s 1st Scavaganza was TONS of fun!

On May 15th a total of 30 people on seven teams raced all over Greater Franklin County while following clue after clue and completing challenge after challenge in United Way's first Scavaganza. We are pleased to share that there were no injuries, no speeding tickets or any other mishaps, and everyone had a blast. It was tight finish, with the final clue causing some costly misdirection.

Winning Team – The Fourniers

2nd Place – The Backwoods Babes

3rd Place – The Ice Cream Lovers (self-named after the 2nd to last stop where each pair of people on the team had to eat a whole QUART of ice cream at the Ice Cream Shoppe!) We did hear that many teams had planned on going out for ice cream after the hunt, but...they had their fill along the way!

HUGE thanks to Merrill’s Garage, Full Bloom and Brooks Tree Care for sponsoring this fun, family event. Another HUGE thank you to the top three teams for donating much of their cash prizes back to United Way. Money raised from this event (as with all our events) will be invested right back into the Greater Franklin County communities…making a difference every day!

VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT

Meet Volunteer

Merrie Woodworth

Merrie Woodworth grew up in the Boston area and attended University of Pennsylvania receiving dual degrees in Biology and English. After graduating, she spent a few years as a research assistant at the Harvard School of Public Health in the Department of Epidemiology.

Experiences there led her to pursue an MBA with a concentration in Health Care Management at Boston University. She grew up spending summers with family in Maine and the pull to settle in the state was strong so Merrie found a career at Maine Medical Center. There she worked for over 10 years in the Planning Office where she joined a team responsible for strategic planning and program planning for the hospital. Merrie met her husband Charlie, the current director of Greater Franklin Development Council, in southern Maine.

While raising two children, Merrie balanced part-time work with volunteering. She was very active in her children’s schools and with the Royal River Conservation Trust in Yarmouth. When Maine Huts & Trails hired Charlie as its Executive Director, Merrie made the leap to western Maine in 2012 and eventually joined the team at Maine Huts& Trails where she worked to build an Outdoor Education program designed to connect students to the unique and special landscapes of Western Maine.

Merrie has always been interested in United Way, starting as a donor through Maine Med’s workplace campaign. That interest was deepened after coffee and conversation with UWTVA director Lisa Laflin. For the last two years Merrie has been dedicating many hours to United Way. She has organized a Transportation Summit; served on multiple committees that review grant applications; worked with a sub-committee to strengthen the community investment process, and she is continuing to work on steps to increase transportation options in Greater Franklin County.

“I have really enjoyed volunteering for United Way. The energy the staff, board and other volunteers bring to their work is inspiring. I can see outcomes leading to real change in our local communities. My involvement offers me the opportunity to learn more about, and appreciate, the good work happening throughout the region. I feel fortunate to be "part of the team"! "

Corporate Champion Circle Welcome

Jacquie and Dave Horn, owners of Horn & Company, have joined the Corporate Champion Circle. Horn & Company is a real estate management company with buildings and rental properties in Greater Franklin County.

“We are pleased to support United Way of the Tri-Valley Area because United Ways have a way to get to the gut of the community and what the community really needs,” Jacquie said. The fact that United Ways are locally run, diversified, reach many, and are well known also contributed to Jacquie and Dave’s decision.

The couple are “returning residents,” having recently lived primarily in Costa Rica and Key West while summering on Porter Lake in New Vineyard. Jacquie runs a mini farm on her Maine property with a menagerie of Jacob and miniature sheep, emus and peacocks. She is passionate about fiber arts, which she studied in art school. Jacquie also has a background in nursing and teaching.

Dave has been a lawyer for 50 years and for 30 years was the Senior VP and General Manager for US operations of Sun Life of Canada. Now retired, Dave enjoys fishing and creating abstract paintings.

Jacquie and Dave care deeply about youth and the challenges they face. Through their CCC membership they have chosen to sponsor the Youth Leadership Council which United Way will launch this fall.