|
Fall 2007 Campaign Wrapping Up
United Way is proud to announce that as of early February, 94% of our $1.6 million goal has been raised for our 21 partner agencies, and a few nationally-led campaigns are still in progress. United Way thanks everyone who has helped make our campaign a success. We're close to the finish line!
|
|
Funds Distribution Committee hard at work
United Way's funds distribution committee has been hard at work during the past few weeks visiting agencies and reviewing funding requests. The committee, which is made up of over 50 individuals from across the community, was divided into four teams. Each team visited with several agencies, listened to the funding requests and evaluated the performance of each agency. The committee is responsible for holding the agencies accountable for your United Way donations. The entire committee will meet this week to make their overall funding recommendations. United Way would like to thank these committee members for their hard work, dedication and a job well done! |
AGENCY NEWS
Your United Way investment at work
Girl Scouts
It's Girl Scout cookie time! On Friday, Feb. 15, troops will be selling cookies at Lowe's, Ashley Furniture and Wal-Mart on Hwy. 49 and Hwy. 98. For those who have already placed an order, the Scouts will be delivering cookies starting Feb. 11. Three new cookies are being introduced this year: Lemon Chalet Cremes, All Abouts and Sugar Free Chocolate Chip. The old time favorites will still be available as well. More good news...all varieties of Girl Scout cookies are now "zero trans fat per serving," in compliance with the FDA regulations!  For more information call 601-582-1455. |
 The Salvation Army Boys & Girls Club
Jr. NBA / WNBA Basketball League
Grades K - 3
Registration:
$15 per player (includes a t-shirt)
-Practices in February
-Games in March
-Located in The Salvation Army Gymnasium
Contact:
Sedrick Williams at 601-544-KIDS
Monday - Fridays 11 a.m. - 8 p.m.
The Boys & Girls Club currently has a team of 4-6 graders.
Any organizations
interested in playing the older team can also contact Sedrick Williams. |
|
DREAM
"A Night of Sweet Dreams," a celebrity dessert sampling and auction, is being hosted by DREAM of Hattiesburg at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 7 at Southern Oaks and Gardens. Mayor Johnnie DuPree, Coach Ray Perkins, Rod Woullard, Kim Bradley, Kym Garraway, Ella Lucas and Becky Oliver are a few local celebrites who are bringing homemade desserts to auction off! Punch, coffee, tea and desserts will be served by the USM Dixie Darlings. Tickets are $20 and can be purchased at the DREAM office by calling 601-545-2102.
DREAM of Hattiesburg offers training for youth, parents and leaders in substance abuse prevention, decision making, service learning and leadership development. To support the more than 100 active youth members, CADCA's National Youth Leadership Initiative held a training in Mississippi in July 2007. Using the skills and resources from NYLI, the youth have been in involved in Drug Free Community projects and are in the earlier stages of developing a statewide training for youth. Another project motivated by the NYLI training was the Senior Optimist Club-DREAM (SOC-D) becoming involved with the statewide Underage Drinking Initiative. DREAM of Hattiesburg intends to maintain its relationship with NYLI and mentor other communities. This story indicates that skilled and engaged youth, when given additional leadership skills, can act to make positive community changes.
|
|
Boy Scouts - Pine Burr Area Council
- In December, True Light M.B. Church hosted a Christmas program for over 200 Scouts. Also, over 300 Scouts received Christmas gifts, including gifts collected from Scouts in Alabama and Ohio.
- Local Scouts have received over 400 books on the U.S. Constitution to study as part of their citizenship badge.
- Scoutreach was recently highlighted in the Southern Scouting publication. This is the fourth national publication in nine years for the division. | |
|
|
| Win a Home for $100! |
|
The annual Home Sweet Home Raffle is in full swing! For the sixth year in a row, someone will be the lucky winner of a new $275,000 home for only $100! Tickets are on sale now at several local banks, at the United Way office and online until Friday, Feb. 29. Tickets will also be on sale Feb. 29-March 2 at the Home and Products Show at the Lake Terrace Convention Center.
Open houses will be held at the home each weekend until March 2 from 10 a.m.- 4 p.m. on Saturdays and 2 p.m.-4 p.m. on Sundays.
To view pictures of the home, buy a ticket online or for more information, visit www.unitedwaysems.org.
|
United Way would like to thank the Greater Hattiesburg Home Builders Association and Leaf River Cellulose for sponsoring the raffle. Without them, it would not be possible! | |
|
AGENCY NEWS
Your United Way investment at work
The Children's Center for Communication and Development
The USM Symphony Orchestra Holiday Choral Spectacular held on Dec. 4 at Main Street Baptist Church raised over $5,000 for The Children's Center!
This was the second year the Symphony Orchestra gave the Children's Center 500 tickets to sell and keep the proceeds. Former Secretary of State Eric Clark was the guest speaker. His daughter Catherine attended the Center from when she was nine months to 5-years-old.
|
American Red Cross
The Adopt a Fire Family program completes another year with over 100 families, out of the 224 fire cases, receiving gifts as a part of the program. For many years the South Central MS Chapter of the American Red Cross has matched families whose homes were destroyed or severely damaged by fires during the calendar year with community adopters to add a little extra Christmas cheer. "We are so thankful for all of those who helped make Adopt A Fire Family such a satisfying experience," said Allison Applewhite, Disaster Associate who organized this year's adoption program.
The South Central MS American Red Cross is looking forward to beginning its first Disaster Action Team for Stone County based in Wiggins. This team will more readily know how to reach the locations, provide on-site disaster assessment and give immediate emergency assistance. This team is the pilot program leading to other teams being trained and active in Covington, Perry, Forrest, Lamar, Marion, Stone, Jeff Davis, Greene and Walthall counties. "We are very excited about getting these DAT teams up and running. If you or family or friends would like to become a part of our trained disaster volunteer force, please call our office," said Gerald Britt, Emergency Services Director.
The Mississippi National Guard Family Services Division, the Command at Camp Shelby and the Red Cross are partnering to provide more readily available assistance to members of our armed forces at Camp Shelby. The donated space in the Family Services office on base will allow for a Red Cross volunteer caseworker to be available to assist with emergency messages, help complete and submit applications for emergency financial aid, as well as help service members and their families to prevent, prepare and respond to an emergency. The first week of February, the office will be open and staffed by a social worker intern and other volunteers in order to save service members the additional stress of dealing with travel in an unfamiliar city. |
|
Big Brothers Big Sisters
The Big Brothers Big Sisters annual fundraising program, Bowl for Kids' Sake, is right around the corner! You can be a bowler, a team captain, a sponsor or all three! Bowlers get the pleasure of enjoying a fun outing with friends, family and colleagues while raising money to serve the children. No skills are needed - only love. Team captains will select a team of 4 - 5 members, and bowlers will sign up sponsors (friends, colleagues and neighbors) on the donation sheet or website. It is fun and rewarding at the same time knowing that you are making matches in your community. The event will be held on March 1 at Hub Lanes.
For more information, call 601-545-1602 to speak with Kimberly Gowdy or Nancy Hullum at the Hattiesburg BBBS office.
Online fundraising and registration:
| |
The Center for the Prevention of Child Abuse 
April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month! The Center for the Prevention of Child Abuse is kicking off the Blue Ribbon Card Campaign throughout South Mississippi schools and holding various fund-raising events with its corporate sponsor, Wal-Mart, where the Center will be taking donations at various Wal-Mart locations across South Mississippi. Also, in joint collaboration with Wal-Mart, the Center is planning the 2nd Family Fair inside the Coast Coliseum during the Crawfish Festival.
Businesses can purchase a booth to showcase their products, give-aways, samples and coupons. Over 25,000 people came to last year's event, and this year is going to be even bigger! If you are interested in purchasing a booth, or for more information regarding the Family Fair 2008, please contact Casey St. Clair at 288-868-8686.
A Fashion Extravaganza hosted by the CBS daytime drama, "The Bold and the Beautiful", along with the Beau Rivage Casino and Resort in Biloxi, held a benefit fashion show and silent auction featuring clothing and jewelry worn by the late Darlene Conely "Sally Spectra" along with designers Brigit Mueller, Deborah Kennedy and others. The event consisted of a live auction and fashion show, a silent auction and a meet and greet with the stars. Dan McVicar (Clarke), Susan Flannery (Stephanie), and Windsor Harmon (Thorne) from the show attended the event. All proceeds were donated to the Center for the Prevention of Child Abuse. |
CPCA is seeking more representation of the Hattiesburg area on its board of directors. The committee meets quarterly to discuss the Center's programs, staff, building and fundraising. If you are interested in serving on this committee or have a suggestion of someone who might like to serve, please call Executive Director Michelle Shows at (228)868-8686. |
|
|
|
The Shafer Center for Crisis Intervention
A sexual assault and emergency care training session will be given by the Shafer Center on March 27 from 12:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Also, the 2008 Crime Victims' Rights Planning Commitee is seeking members for the committee.
|
Have you been donating to United Way - any United Way - for 25 years or more? If so, we want to know about it. We are trying to locate all Diamond Donors. Please let us know if you fall into this distinguished group by calling 601-545-7141 or emailing unitedwaysba@megagate.com. | |
|
|
|
