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A Bunch of Carrots, a Box of Rice, some Tasty Cheese, a Big Firm Pear and a Can of Peas... sounds like a simple list, right? Well not for Vincent in the beloved Imagination Library book Chimpanzees for Tea! which came to life for thousands of Erie County children and families this past weekend thanks to United Way and the Erie Playhouse's PLAYtime partnership.

Sara Musone, Community School Director at Grover Cleveland feels beyond lucky to collaborate with volunteer Charlotte “Char” Berringer. According to Sara, “Char started as a volunteer but has become part of the Grover family and a treasured asset.” 

To continue our celebration of volunteers, Tammy Rader, Community School Director at Elk Valley Elementary School recently shared her thanks for Amy Nuzback, long-time teacher as well as a school volunteer. We asked Amy why she chooses to volunteer.

United Way’s Erie FREE Taxes (EFT) just closed out the 2023 tax season with the help of 22 Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) site coordinators and 117 volunteers at 19 locations across Erie County. EFT volunteer tax preparers are responsible for returning $119 million in federal refunds while saving filers an estimated $17.9 million in commercial tax preparation fees since 2007, making the total program value more than $136 million. EFT could not happen without the dedication of EFT program director, Marybelle Martin and tax preparers across Erie County.

When it comes to engaging volunteers, Katrina Byrd, community school director and Kaitlyn Falk, community school coordinator at Strong Vincent Middle School, get the gold star! They share how important volunteers are to Strong Vincent’s after school enrichment programs in this week's issue.

April is National Volunteer Month and at United Way, we are grateful to the thousands of volunteers helping to advance our mission to crush poverty in Erie County. Thank you for your commitment to lead by example and to LIVE UNITED! 

Erie kids walk to school, let's keep them safe!

With more than 8,000 students walking to and from school each day, through the elements, alongside busy roads and more, it is crucial for every citizen to do their part to keep students safe.

With just hours before Ramadan begins, Islam’s holiest month, seven East Middle, a United Way community school, students gathered in their community room to share more about Ramadan and the gratitude of having a safe space for prayer and family within the school.

Thanks to the generosity of United Way's corporate and funding partners, together, we are making a transformational impact in the lives of students and their families throughout Erie County.

Read Across America is an initiative of the National Education Association (NEA) and aims to celebrate diverse books and voices throughout the year. You may think of March 2, Read Across America Day, as a day to celebrate Dr. Seuss but, it's so much more for students in Erie County thanks to United Way community schools.

Donna Douglass has been a strong advocate of United Way’s mission to crush poverty and ensure all students succeed and all families thrive.

As incoming board chair for United Way of Erie County, I’ve seen firsthand the fantastic work accomplished by the local social impact organization. They envision a collaborative community where all students succeed, and all families thrive.

District Attorney Elizabeth Hirz emphasizes these three goals when she addresses youth violence in our community. She is a strong advocate of United Way Community Schools because she has experienced first-hand how they are an essential partner in the DA’s work in keeping our young people on a positive path to a brighter future.

The 16 United Way Community Schools in Erie County all have a basic needs and supply closets—Community Closets, which serve as an invaluable resource for students and families.

We recently connected with Paul Wotus, PA 211 Northwest Database Coordinator, to discuss his role and the impact 211 is making across the region.

Earlier this week, a group of community leaders toured Pfeiffer-Burleigh Elementary to learn more about how United Way community schools, a data-driven, evidence-based public education model, bring a wide-range of resources into schools to remove barriers to learning, providing children the support they need to achieve academic success.

One very effective way United Way of Erie County is helping to bolster family stability is through Erie FREE Taxes. Through the IRS Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program (VITA), Erie FREE Taxes provides free tax preparation service to Erie County tax filers and ensures every eligible filer claims the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC). The EITC, one of our county’s most effective anti-poverty tools, lifts more than 8 million adults and children above the poverty line. To those eligible, it provides a cash credit that boosts incomes of low-to-moderate income workers, helping them meet their basic needs. For those who receive the credit, it may enable them to save for emergencies, pay down debt or put a down payment on a home.

United Way of Erie County utilizes American Community Survey data from the US Census Bureau to analyze poverty rates for Erie County. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, estimates for 2020 were only released on a state-wide basis.

This past Monday, the United States honored the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., the young preacher who devoted his life to freedom, equality and justice for all. His famous speech, I Have a Dream, that was delivered on August 28, 1963 became one of the defining moments of the civil rights movements and one of the most iconic speeches in American history.  

At United Way, we say “changing lives is all in a day’s work.” As we begin the year 2023, we wanted to share with our valued supporters some recent staffing updates.