06/03/2008

2007 United Way Campaign Good News!

Victory!

Wow! We Did It. The moment we were so excited about, when we could finally breathe a huge sigh of relief and say, "We did it!" It was tough going, but because of you we not only made our goal of $54 million for the 2007 Campaign, we passed it! Let's take a second to congratulate ourselves and savor our victory...

Okay, that's it. Second's over. At United Way of Southeastern Pennsylvania, our work is never done when it comes to raising the money necessary to advance the common good in our community. There's momentum building here at United Way -- we saw it happening during the campaign, and it continues to grow -- and we don't want to lose that drive and commitment. So one more time - CONGRATULATIONS - You deserve it! In the meantime, we're going to dive back in as we ensure that all your hard work that made the 2007 Campaign such a success is put to the best use possible, right here in Southeastern Pennsylvania.

Thank you very much!

CAMPAIGN LEADERBOARD

Top 10 Growth

Top Stories

• Local Schools' Fine Efforts
• UPS Employees - What Brown Does for United Way!
• In Celebration Of A Giant

Local Schools' Fine Efforts

Even though we made our goal, Campaign 2007 isn't actually over yet! Several organizations have campaigns that are still running, which means we still have some partners out there working hard to add to our amazing total.. Of special note is the fine effort employees within our own local school systems have put forth, adding their energy and vitality as they show us just how much they truly care about their community...our community:

The Upper Dublin School District out of Maple Glen, with Superintendent Michael Pladus, once again topped their division, raising $13,670, an increase of 23.4% or $2,669! Even more exciting -- they increased their participation by 4% under the leadership of Employee Campaign Chairs John Baker and Susan Helwig. In addition to speaking directly to their co-workers, part of their strategy was to utilize an In-service Day to share information about United Way by inviting a special speaker to address the group.

Interboro School District nearly doubled its United Way Campaign, and at the same time increased its participation by more than 338%! Employee Campaign Chair Diana Conlin, along with Superintendent Lois F. Snyder, encouraged donations to a familiar charity. The total amount raised, $4,634, is nearly $3,000 over last year's campaign, or a 176.8% increase!

In its first-ever United Way Campaign, Lower Moreland Township School District, led by Superintendent Mary Kay Feeley, blew past the $1,000 giving level. Employee Campaign Chair Dina McCaffery scheduled three separate presentations from United Way representatives during an In-service Day for their elementary, middle and high schools. A day off for a lucky donor was a very popular added incentive!

But some schools also made the most of some very special events. In particular, Radnor High School within the Radnor Township School District designated the $1,332 in revenue from its 2007 Radnor Charity Fashion Show to two programs through the United Way Campaign. What makes it even more special is that Victoria Sue Krievins, who organized and launched the fashion show, was a member of the senior class at Radnor High. The show, her senior graduation project, became a community-wide project as she was supported and assisted by local businesses, fellow students, school employees, and her own family!

Following are more outstanding campaigns in the School District Division:

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UPS Employees - What Brown Does for United Way!

UPS, which manages to regularly handle 2 million air packages per day, once again increased its already generous United Way Campaign. UPS employees, led by Vice President Rosemary Turner and Employee Campaign Chairs Marvin Stewart, Employee Relations Manager, and Chris O'Connell, District Automotive Manager, raised $1,156,077 regionally in Metro Philadelphia District, an increase of $16,592, or 101.5% of their goal for 2007.

In another major achievement, UPS garnered over 70% participation from their employees, even though more than 50% are part-time. UPS remains the #1 contributor to United Way nationally, giving an astounding $60.8 million dollars, with over $50 million coming directly from employees. Employees additionally found time to volunteer over 950,000 hours nationally!

Much of their success is due to their strong outreach and promotion during the campaign. The campaigners distribute daily reports by division indicating how close each coordinator is to reaching their goal. Additionally, there is competition to be the first to achieve 100% of goal, and formal recognition for those who do. And finally, they also incorporate various special events including bowling and other fun fundraisers and activities.

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In Celebration Of A Giant

They are a million-dollar donor, consistently passing their goal each year, climbing higher and higher on the ladder of campaign totals. This year the Penn's Way Campaign did it again, raising a record $1.27 million - a leap of over $100,000 - becoming a giant in the United Way Campaign by helping to anchor it with its stunning growth, and at the same time to anchor a community in need. As the need continues to increase, so does the willingness of the donors to the Penn's Way Campaign to meet that need.

Penn's Way is a combined campaign where employees from both University of Pennsylvania and University of Pennsylvania Health System donate generously toward the needs of several recipient organizations that can then share their skills and resources with the community in order to make it a better place in which to live.

Each year a large Penn's Way Campaign Committee jumps into action, gearing up for the fall kick off and subsequent special events that provide the pattern for this extremely successful campaign. This year's committee was headed by returning co-Chairs Maureen Rush and Susan Phillips, supported by experienced committee members Robert Eich, George Karageorgiou, Mia Gonzales Dean, Lissa Kapustin and Ernesto Chieffo.

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For more information on these stories or United Way in the Community

Please visit:
www.uwsepa.org

2007 United Way Campaign Good News Archives

For all past issues of this publication, please visit the
2007 United Way Campaign Good News Archives

http://www.uwsepa.org/Campaigns/Campaign2007/GoodNews_Archives.htm