United Way Honors Volunteers
at Annual Recognition Event

Nearly 200 of the United Way of Gloucester County’s most generous and dedicated volunteers attended the annual Evening of Recognition on May 3rd.

Ronald J. Uzdavinis, Esq., chairman of the United Way Board of Directors, served as emcee for the event that acknowledges the assistance of campaign and fund distribution volunteers.

Grant Karsner, Ph.D., manager of the ExxonMobil Research and Engineering facility in Paulsboro highlighted the 2011 campaign for which he served as chairman and introduced Michael Drager of NuStar Energy, who will lead the 2012 United Way campaign. (Click here for a link to event photos.)

Richard A. Dann received the Volunteer Leadership Award. Spirit of United Way awards were presented to James Wood, Rick Pyle and Lin Sweeten. Sophia Li was named the “New Face of United Way. (Click here for links to the Awards pages.)

 

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United Way Board
Votes to Remain Independent

After careful consideration, the Board of Directors of the United Way of Gloucester County recently voted not to participate in a merger of several other local United Ways in southern New Jersey, which also would have included the United Way of Southeastern Pennsylvania.

The United Way of Gloucester County had been represented at discussions regarding the proposed merger since September 2010 and in December 2011 created a task force to investigate alternatives to merging with other United Ways engaged in the negotiations. The task force report concluded that our United Way would better serve the Gloucester County community by remaining independent.

"The United Way of Gloucester County has long valued and remains committed to ensuring that funds raised in our community and allocated by local volunteers directly serve the needs of our community," stated Ronald J. Uzdavinis, Esq., chairman of the United Way of Gloucester County's Board of Directors. "The Board's decision reflects this continuing commitment," Uzdavinis added.

A majority of the volunteer Board of Directors voted on April 11 to end the organization's participation in merger negotiations and to remain an independent member of United Way Worldwide.

 

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WOMEN'S LEADERSHIP COUNCIL ANNOUNCES GRANTS

The United Way of Gloucester County’s Women’s Leadership Council has awarded grants to three local organizations to advance its mission of empowering women.

The Center for People in Transition received a $4,200 grant to provide single women with comprehensive career counseling to assist them in making realistic and achievable decisions regarding their employment options. The funds will also be help pay for education and training that leads to employment.

A $5,000 grant to the Girl Scouts of Central and Southern NJ will support an effort to  increase financial literacy skills for fifty girls in sixth through twelth grades. The program will include age appropriate workshops about personal spending, financial goal setting, budgeting, saving, credit, interest, and understanding loans.

The group also awarded a grant of $4,500 to the Alice Paul Institute to sponsor “Lead-A-Way” workshops. The program includes ten sessions focusing on women leaders and leadership skills.  Approximately twenty-five eighth grade girls will explore basic leadership skills and learn about different women’s role models. Participants will learn creative thinking, organization and time management, cooperative group dynamic, public speaking, interpersonal communication, positive conflict resolution and assertiveness. 

Organized in 2008, the Women’s Leadership Council was created to provide women in Gloucester County with the opportunity to assist others in reaching their fullest potential.

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THE 2012 "THANKS FOR GIVING" CARD

The new list of participating merchants for the 2012 "Thanks for Giving" Card is now up! Click here for the list, which will be updated throughout the year as additional merchants sign up for the program. For additional information on the 2012 Thanks For Giving Card, please contact TINA GRANT, Director of Agency & Donor Relations here at the United Way office, at 856-845-4303 x12 or email at tinagrant@uwgcnj.org.