| 417 Pregnant and parenting teens have received education to ensure their babies have healthy development. |
| 191 Individuals and families in financial crisis received the education needed to recover from financial difficulties. |
| 290 Runaway and homeless youth received emergency shelter and counseling to reunite them with their families. |
"Being a man or a woman is a matter of birth. Being a man or a woman who makes a difference is a matter of choice."
Byron Garrett |
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As I walk this land with broken dreams
I have visions of many things ...
I walk in shadows searching for light
Cold and alone no comfort in sight
Hoping and praying for someone to care.
These words from "What Becomes of the Broken-Hearted" fit well with the message of our local 2007 United Way campaign theme - Where Hope Becomes a Reality. They also are just a few of the many lines from Motown hits that inspired more than 3,000 local stakeholders to swag, dance, and sign along to the Funk Brothers at this year's campaign kickoff.
United Live Fills Fraze
Thanks to everyone who turned out for our third annual United Live Concert for Community on August 30th. We hope you enjoyed the concert and carried home the positive energy and spirit of hope that permeated the Fraze that night.
The Serious Young Musicians got the evening started off right. These talented young men from Dayton are an excellent reflection of United Way's focus on Positive Youth Development. When youth have caring adults in their lives and encouragement of their talents, it goes a long way in helping them succeed in school and life.
Then the crowd was treated to the fabulous sounds of the legendary studio band of Motown - the Funk Brothers. Motown gave the world music that carries a message about respecting and celebrating diversity ... about love, dreams, and hope. In this spirit, United Way of the Greater Dayton Area is proud to have brought the original Motown sound to our community.
Thanks to our media Signature Sponsors WHIO TV Channel 7 and 92.1 WROU for helping fill the seats. Also, thank you to Qbase, our Platinum Sponsor, and Cox Ohio Publishing/Dayton Daily News and Novak and Associates, our Gold Sponsors, for helping underwrite the event.
Brian Gregory Leading '07 Campaign
We are so pleased that a true community champion, University of Dayton Men's Basketball Coach Brian Gregory, is serving as the 2007 Honorary Campaign Chair. Coach Gregory's visible and heartfelt support is providing the inspiration to reach our very challenging $12 million goal. Our leadership volunteers established that figure knowing that it would not be easy, but that it was the right thing to do. To reach it, we must raise a million new dollars to offset losses for the third year in a row. Only by reaching out to new contributors can we replace the dollars lost to the campaign and help the people now in need because of jobs lost in our region. Together, we can replace the broken dreams of our displaced workers and other neighbors in need with hope and opportunity. We are counting on your continued generosity.
Regional Cooperation
Many of you probably read the news article about the discussions taking place among four local United Ways in Southwest Ohio. Creating lasting positive change in people's lives and our community - through Positive Youth Development, Financial Stability and Independence, and Health and Well-Being for individuals and our local community - is why we are in business. Any regional structure must enhance our efforts to make sense. With that in mind, the following are the guiding principles providing the framework for the discussions:
- Maintain a strong, visible presence in local communities
- Grow resources for mission work
- Align to achieve mission
- Ensure good governance
- Increase value
- Build the best
A full report will be presented to our Board at the end of November for deliberation during the first quarter of 2008. Please be assured that we only wish to work smarter to meet the growing needs and respond to the region's changing demographics and live/work patterns. As always, please feel free to contact me if you have any questions, concerns or suggestions.
Please Help
In closing, I hope you don't mind if I repeat my urgent appeal for your visible support of this year's United Way campaign. There are four things each of us can do to make a difference. Please commit to doing as many as you can.
- Increase your personal pledge.
- Open the door to new campaigns by helping a United Way volunteer or staff member secure an appointment.
- As your friends and colleagues to support the campaign. If they don't have a workplace campaign, direct them to give online at dayton-unitedway.org.
- Be a United Way advocate ... talk about the good work we are doing.
With your help, we will turn hope into a reality.
Thank you,
Marc R. Levy
President
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