September 2008 e-Contributor.pub

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Celebrating 50 years in Union County (1958-2008)
United Way
of Union County
Contributor
The e-newsletter of the United Way of Union County
Vol. 6 No. 8
“Bringing neighbors and resources together, improving lives.”
COMING SOON!
September 23, 2008
Gift of reading coming to Union County children
Free books for preschoolers highlight new United Way program
“We babysat a two-year old neighbor
over the weekend,” said Mike Rose,
President of the United Way of Union
County. “When I asked him if he
wanted to read a book with me, he
jumped up into my lap as fast as he
could. He was so excited. Kids love
to read.”
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Jim Tressel autographed book
TV/Movie/Star Trek
Memorabilia
Exotic Lamborghini Ride
Ohio “Staycations”
Sports Memorabilia
There’s something for everyone in
United Way’s upcoming Online
Auction. Our online catalog is
growing daily. Put your business in
the spotlight. Click here to make
your in-kind product or service
donation today!
Engineering a great campaign
And now, area families can enhance
that natural curiosity and excitement
by assembling a free library of up to
60 books per preschool child with a Studies show that preschoolers who are read to
new program unveiled this month by have a higher vocabulary upon entering
kindergarten, become productive students when
United Way and its community
they are older, stay out of crime as teens, and are
partners. The Dolly Parton
better citizens and employees as adults.
Imagination Library encourages
addressed directly to them
early childhood reading and family interaction,
that they can read over and
which in turn will help prepare children as they
over again.”
enter kindergarten.
“Reading goes hand-in-hand
with lifelong success,” Rose
said. “If you can get your kids
excited about reading, they’ll
have success in school, and
they’ll have success in life.
And hopefully when they
become adults, that love of
learning will still be there.”
“Reading is fun, pleasurable, and enjoyable,” said
Barb Nicol, a United Way Board Member. “When
you cuddle with your child in your lap and read
with them, you develop that that social and
emotional connection that will bond you as a
family.”
Volunteers from the Union County
Engineer’s Department raised over
$1,000 with a chili cook-off and silent
auction this month to supplement their
United Way workplace campaign.
$5,044
Honda Transmission
$3,200
Fairbanks Schools
$1,040
Mental Health &
Recovery Board
Pre-race Team Huddle
Give
Online
Today
“My initial thought was how
much this can help our at-risk
families,” Rose said. “We
can get these books to
families who might not be
able to purchase books or
visit the library frequently.
Kids going into kindergarten need to have the basic
concepts of reading down.”
The cost of the program is $30 per child per year
and is being covered by United Way and our
sponsors: Time Warner Cable, the Marysville
Public Library, the Union County Foundation, and
the Dolly Parton Imagination Library.
The Engineer’s are running a
“textbook” campaign. Your
workplace can too! Click here to
find out how. Our thanks to these
recently completed campaigns:
Honda Transmission
Russells Point, Ohio
Enrollment forms are
available by clicking here, or
in-person at the Marysville
Public Library (including the
Raymond Branch), the Plain
City Public Library, the
Richwood-North Union
Public Library, the Union
County Health Department,
the Council for Union County
Families, LEADS Head Start,
the OSU Extension Office, or
the United Way.
Any Union County child is eligible to receive up to 60 free
books via United Way’s newly unveiled Dolly Parton
Imagination Library.
Over 200 children are already enrolled, and we’re
seeking additional support to maintain and grow the
program. Businesses may become overall program
sponsors. And individuals may give the gift of
reading to a special child in their lives by
sponsoring individual children.
Parents can enroll any Union County child between
the ages of newborn and four. Then, each month
until their fifth birthday, that child will receive a
Click here for more information about the Dolly
free, new, hard-cover, age-appropriate children’s
book mailed directly to their home. There is no cost Parton Imagination Library.
to the family.
Click here to ENROLL YOUR CHILD.
“Kids love to get mail,” said Carol Chandler of the
Ohio State University Extension Office. “And how Click here to give the gift of reading and
SPONSOR A CHILD.
neat will it be that they will be receiving a book
In their own words: Local cancer patient shares his story of gratitude
To whom it may concern:
“The Coach” poses
with 16 members of
the Speedy Sneakers,
a Jerome Townshipbased running club
that meets weekly at
Glacier Ridge Metro
Park. The group was
among 180
participants who
finished United Way’s
Game Day 5K, presented by Jerome
Village this month. Click here for a
complete recap of the fundraiser that
earned more than $4,000 for United Way.
United Way of Union County
We were rescued by the Union County
Cancer Society. They helped us with a grant for
My wife and I are forever grateful for the help the gasoline money, allowing me to make my many
Union County Cancer Society, a United Way
trips to the doctor for chemotherapy. This was a
Member Agency, has given us. It has made life a Godsend. There was also a period of time when I
great deal more positive for us during a bad
wasn't able to eat due to chemo. The Union
situation.
County Cancer Society funded vitamins and
nutritional supplements (ie: Ensure) to help me get
I am a 49-year old man who has been saddled
through this crisis and help me maintain my
with pancreatic cancer made even more
strength. It improved the quality of my life!
complicated due to high blood pressure, diabetes,
chronic infections, and congestive heart failure.
I am more than thankful, I AM ALIVE. In 2001
My wife and I are on social security disability.
they gave me six months to live. It has now been
We face mounting co-pays. And with the high
seven years now!
cost of gasoline, it looks as if we would have to
stop eating and eliminate paying our utilities just Thank you,
to make ends meet.
Paul Slonaker, Marysville
232 N. Main Street, Suite UW
PO Box 145
Marysville, OH 43040
(937) 644-8381