Volume 0522 | May 2022
Your Monthly News & Updates
Welcome to this edition of United Way of West Central Minnesota's monthly e-newsletter.

This month, we also are asking for feedback in the form of a very brief survey to help us navigate during these uncharted times. Our hope is this survey will assist our board in providing the programs and resources most useful to those we serve. Please feel free to contact our team with any questions or needs you may have.
Join the Fun This Summer
Join in the community fun this summer as we participate in many local parades. Feel free to download the schedule and add it to your refrigerator door!
Executive Director Transition
Kevin Dietrich has announced that he will be resigning as Executive Director of the United Way of West Central Minnesota. Kevin has served as Executive Director since March 2020 and helped to lead our organization through a challenging past two years. Our entire team wishes him the best as he transitions into a new role with the Willmar Area Community Foundation, and thank him for his dedication and service to our area communities.

Current Board Immediate Past President Steve Gerberding will be serving as Interim Executive Director as we conduct a search for the ideal replacement. The operations and programming of the United Way will not change during this transition, and we will continue to serve individuals and families in our local communities. We will continue to share our progress throughout this process.
GrowMobile Schedule Out Now
The GrowMobile is a program of United Way of West Central Minnesota that provides a mobile preschool experience to at-risk children. The GrowMobile hosts a preschool experience at multiple stops a day during the week throughout the summer. The GrowMobile is a community initiative and allows interns to work with volunteers, businesses, agencies, schools, and other regional entities. This program is unique to our region and is working to prepare our community’s children for school.
The Village Painting
A special thanks to all the volunteers who worked hard to repaint and refresh The Village. Together we are beyond excited to continue The Village's tradition of both education and inclusion. So much more is yet to come as we look toward a fruitful future. And it wouldn't be possible without our amazing community and shared vision.
Photos from Next Willmar (@nextwillmar )
The Village Summer Hours
Wednesday 10am - 3pm
Thursday 10am - 3pm
Lynsey Pierce - Director of The Village Children's Museum
Recently, the Village Children’s Museum in Willmar, MN was acquired as a new program of the United Way of West Central Minnesota. We are thrilled about plans to make the museum even more impactful to families in our communities, and we are so excited to announce the new Executive Director for the museum, Lynsey Pierce. Lynsey is the newest member of the United Way team, and looks forward to combining her love of education, passion for children and families, and dedication to serving our community.
Bridge Builders
West Central Minnesota is fortunate to have a broad system of non-profit and service organizations that work to change lives for area families and individuals. However, community needs change over time, and in order to be most effective, we believe that by creating a forum for those organizations to share, discuss, plan, and support one another all of our efforts will benefit. Bridgebuilders is a group run by the United Way that invites stakeholders in these organizations to benefit from these discussions.
Our goal is always to meet the current needs of our residents, to fill gaps wherever there may be a gap in services. Bridgebuilders will help to reduce duplication of effort among our non-profit partners, to understand as a collective where additional services are needed and plans for making the critical changes needed to be as effective and supportive as possible. If your organization is interested in joining us, click the registration link below.
eNewsletter Archive
Have you missed previous newsletters? We have you covered! Find our newsletter archive available on our website and get caught up on all we are doing to enhance our communities locally.
Imagination Library Signup
United Way of West Central Minnesota is vested in helping prepare kids in our region for success in Kindergarten and beyond. One way United Way is able to do this is through the Imagination Library program. Imagination Library provides a new book each month to children aged birth to 5 years of age at no charge to families who are enrolled. Books are delivered to the child's home by US mail.

To qualify for Imagination Library, the child must reside in the United Way of West Central Minnesota's territory area. Learn more about this program on our website, or use the link to sign a child up.
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Share Your Voice!
Help us better serve you - Take our short survey!
Big changes are occurring in our communities and we are focused on shifting focus to better serve our neighbors in West Central Minnesota. As we embark on this new path, we realize that the people we serve are the most important voice, and we depend on your input to make the most difference. We invite you to take part in a brief survey to help us help you better.

Has the United Way impacted your life or those around you? Maybe it was 17 years ago, maybe it was yesterday. Maybe you'd like to share a need in your community. We'd love to hear your stories! We're here to listen.