Rensselaer’s campaign in support of United Way of Northeastern New York is now in full swing, and this year, for the first time, there will be a concerted effort to include the entire community, even students, in the campaign effort.
Rensselaer students will have the opportunity to be a part of the campus-wide initiative by either making cash donations or entering in a student-only raffle to win a $500 gift certificate to the Rensselaer Bookstore.
Every fall all across the country, millions of dollars are raised in support of the United Way and its participating agencies. The United Way of Northeastern New York raised a total of $6.8 million last year. On the Rensselaer campus, a committee of volunteers, chaired by President Jackson, raised a grand total of $93,875 from employees. This year Rensselaer’s United Way Committee hopes to increase employee participation and annual giving.
As the nation’s premier provider of health and human services—second only to the federal government—United Way invests in and activates the resources that make the greatest possible impact in communities across America. United Way is bringing communities together to focus resources in order to provide solutions for their most important needs. The community impact agenda—a collaborative consensus that addresses the community’s most pressing needs—is set at the local level. Generally these agendas focus on the following impact areas:
—Helping people to live healthier lives.
—Making it easier for families to live and grow together.
—Helping to build safer neighborhoods.
—Investing in the nation’s children to give them the skills and resources they need to succeed.
—Helping adults in need get back on their feet and remain self-sufficient.
Awareness of the impact of United Way funding today is critical in the wake of the events of September 11. Locally, United Way Community Care funding ensures that services of all types ranging from emergency needs, to grief counseling, to a reassuring person to talk to were immediately available and ready in our community as the tragic events unfolded. Our community has year-round needs, and programs and services must be maintained for local families, children, and individuals on a continuing basis. Agencies can respond in an emergency because of the infrastructure of care the United Way and the community have built over the years. United Way Community Care Fund supports agencies like the American Red Cross and the Salvation Army.
The campus campaign runs through November 30. Students may make donations and purchase raffle tickets to benefit the United Way Community Care Fund at the Bookstore, the Mueller Center, the VCC Help Desk, and the Library Circulation Desk during regular business hours.
For more information, contact members of the United Way Committee at uw-cmte@rpi.edu.
