Monthly Archives: April 2012

Lunch with a Leader: Mark Miller–A Great Example

Posted on by
Reply

by Rachel Lewis

Communications Director, Workers Compensation Fund

Young Leader Member, Guest Blogger

Mark Miller started to choke up at the Lunch with a Leader event a few weeks ago. He was retelling a story from his childhood about having dinner at his grandparent’s house.  Under each dinner plate, his grandparents had placed a $100 savings bond. Mark told how his grandparent’s example of giving that night had a lasting impact—enough to stir feelings of gratitude and high emotions decades later. I don’t hesitate to say that it touched everyone at lunch, as did the other stories Mark shared about his life, his philosophy on giving, and partnering with United Way of Salt Lake.

After our tour of his state-of-the-art Toyota dealership, he humbly told about the opportunities he’s been given in his life. I think I may have verbally said “wow” at least 15 times by what he has accomplished in his career. He personally programmed the first auto-dealer software program after attending IBM School. He’s in the history books for being one of the youngest owners of a GM dealership. And he has created one of the most impressive LEED certified dealerships in the world–and everything he’s done, he has done with passion and sincerity.  But beyond what he has achieved in his remarkable career, his history of philanthropy is even more impressive. He not only has created a foundation to help with many of the financial needs in the community, but he personally has flown more than 150 flights for Angel Flights an organization that arranges free air transportation for charitable and medical needs. He has sat on numerous boards and is working on donating his second million dollars to UWSL Community Learning Centers in Utah.

As I left lunch that day, I kept thinking how much better this community is because of Mark Miller. I’ve also been wondering how he manages to have so much passion and energy for everything around him. I resolved that the only way to figure this out is to do as he did at dinner at his grandparent’s many years ago: remember what you learned and try to emulate the good example put before you.

Thanks for all you do for our community, Mark!  You are an example of what it means to LIVE UNITED!

April Tip: Save Your Loose Change!

Posted on by
Reply

What do you do with your loose change? Spend it on a drink or snack? Well, say goodbye to your unplanned drink or snack or whatever it may be and say hello to nearly $200 in savings! That’s right, if you set aside fifty cents every day for a year, you’d have just under $200. It’s almost not a sacrifice if you think about it!

Check out other saving tips and resources on the Believe website.

 

April Tip: Know What You Owe

Posted on by
Reply

If you’re trying to pay off debt the first and most important thing you need to do is know what you owe! Gather up all your statements or bills calculate the total amount that you owe to all creditors. The hefty total might be just the push you need to get your debt pay-off strategy in motion.

Check out these other tips to getting out of debt on the Believe website.

Could, Should, Would?

Posted on by
Reply

by Linda Turkington

Collective Impact Associate

Have you ever tried to explain to someone the differences of how to use could, should, and would in a sentence?  Now imagine if you are learning English and someone tries to explain the differences to you. It can be super challenging! The English language is full of situations where what you see and how you expect a word to sound or be spelled can be different. Even as a college graduate, my English leaves much to be desired.

I volunteer at a great organization here in Salt Lake with a program called “Conversation Club.” My whole job is to talk with people who are learning English and give them the chance to practice English. Volunteering through Conversation Club gives me a whole new perspective while at the same time, allows me to help someone else. I regularly meet people from all parts of the world; Spain, Brazil, Argentina, Germany and many more. And listening to their life stories is like reading the best book. What is even more motivating to me is that the people come to the United States with such a strong desire to learn English. When I ask most of the people why they came to Conversation Club, their answers are truly touching. Most of the woman in the group are parents, and their first answer is usually, “I want to help my children succeed in school. I want to read to my children. I want to help them with their homework and I can’t if I don’t understand their homework.” The people who come are hard workers. They work all day long, and then they come to Conversation Club and practice their English as well as attend other programs that help them with their reading and writing.

This volunteer opportunity has been very rewarding for me!  And since it is National Volunteer Month, I encourage everyone to call 2-1-1 or visit UWSL’s website and find your own volunteer opportunity that you feel passionate about.

If you are interesting in volunteering with Conversation Club:

Inglés Para Latinos

801-556-1763

www.inglesparalatinos.org

Goodbye 175 South West Temple!

Posted on by
Reply

by Chelsea Nelson

Communications Director

It is our last week in the office building that United Way of Salt Lake has known as home for nearly 20 years!!  Over the past few weeks we have all been busy packing up our office spaces, deep-cleaning storage spaces, consolidating files, and getting ready to move on out! We are so excited to start fresh in our smaller, more cost-effective space where we can have a more collaborative working environment–and finally be above the “Garden Level!!” We have also been having a lot of fun going through old marketing campaigns, doing photo archiving, discovering old pictures of co-workers, reminiscing on past events, and making room for a the new and exciting work we have planned!

“Everyone here at United Way of Salt Lake is thrilled to move into our new office! While we have enjoyed our current office space in the basement of 175 West Temple for nearly 20 years, our new location offers improved working conditions for our employees and an environment that is both more collaborative and cost effective. We look forward to welcoming our volunteers, partners, and donors to our new offices soon.”  –Deborah Bayle, President and CEO

As of May 1st, we will be at our new address:  257 East 200 South, Suite 300, Salt Lake City Utah, 84111.  Stop by and see us at our brand new space!  UWSL will hold an open house for partners, donors, volunteers, and other stakeholders on Tuesday, June 12, 2012 from 4:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.

All phone numbers and email addresses will remain the same.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.