Category Archives: Volunteer

Comcast Cares at Granite Park Jr. High!

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Andrea Coxby Andrea Cox
Community Collaborations Director

On Saturday, April 27, Granite Park Jr. High participated in the 12th annual Comcast Cares Day, a national movement that brings together thousands of volunteers from around the country to focus efforts on local schools in the spirit of volunteerism and community building.

At Granite Park Jr. High, over 450 volunteers gathered to provide resources and helping hands for an intense makeover of the school that included cleaning windows, painting inside and out, beautifying the grounds, creating 28 community garden plots, raking, collecting garbage, and much more! Volunteers were joined by Comcast employees, community representatives (such as South Salt Lake Mayor Cherie Wood), school administration and faculty, residents, students, and families all working together to create a safe and welcoming environment at Granite Park Jr. High.

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The day began with registration where each volunteer received a Comcast Cares t-shirt and a warm welcome by Granite Park Jr. High administration and Comcast employees. Afterwards, volunteers were divided into groups and assigned particular tasks throughout the school. One of the biggest tasks assigned to volunteers was building 28 plots for a community garden. These community gardens allow for families of students to feel that Granite Park Jr. High is a community school where all can gather to build lasting relationships and create community cohesiveness. Many volunteers, students, and South Salt Lake families worked side-by-side throughout the morning to accomplish this large task.

Aaron Wilson, an administrator at Granite Park Jr. High said, “Seeing the community of South Salt Lake pour out their support on behalf of our school was humbling and awe-inspiring. As students of Granite Park worked alongside their peers, families, teachers, and citizens of South Salt Lake, they realized how many people are invested in seeing success in their lives and at the school.”

Renee Stirling DeHaan, Assistant Principal and Granite Park Jr. High, said, “I want to thank Aaron Wilson for all his hard work for organizing Comcast Cares Day. The conversations and people were the highlights of my experience…laughing, joking, getting to know families and individuals on a personal level, is a valued treasure to me and my family. I love the community in South Salt Lake!”

One volunteer, Brian Fleming, who worked on re-painting the outside basketball courts, said of his experience, “This was such a great event! It was a great privilege to work side-by-side with the students in a great cause!”

Carmela Castaneda, the Community Schools Coordinator at Granite Park Jr. High, said, “It was amazing seeing everyone rally around the school for this event. Granite Park Jr. High is truly a natural gathering place for all families of South Salt Lake!”

Students also chimed in, “My experience volunteering today was great! Everyone was asking if they could help!”

Undertaking such a large-scale project is both time-consuming and complex. Granite Park Jr. High did a fantastic job of organizing hundreds of volunteers to create an experience that was meaningful for all who participated.

In addition to spear-heading these volunteer efforts, Comcast also makes a donation in behalf of Granite Park Jr. High to the Granite Education Foundation, a program that helps facilitate the fostering of programs, alliances, and resources to impact student learning and assist educators in the public school system. For more information, please visit: http://www.graniteeducationfoundation.org/page/9

Volunteers, school faculty and staff, residents, and students all agreed that this was a memorial event for everyone who participated. It was, as the staff at the front office said, “A great day at Granite Park Jr. High!”

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Participate in National Volunteer Week with United Way of Salt Lake!

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by Kristen Glendening
UWSL Volunteer

As a volunteer working with UWSL, I have been provided with several wonderful opportunities to participate in events focused toward student and child readiness.  I have had new and exciting challenges and responsibilities that encouraged me to tap into my strengths and open me up to a world I’ve never seen before!

United Way of Salt Lake provides meaningful volunteer opportunities to help you grow and find your true potential. Whether that is working closely with students to promote education, working behind the scenes acquiring office-based knowledge or skill sets, or getting your hands dirty with clean-up projects–everyone can find a way to volunteer to make our neighborhoods better. I am always impressed with how active UWSL is within our community and how dedicated they are to changing the odds for children and families. I had a very humbling, challenging, rewarding time volunteering and working with United Way of Salt Lake!

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Get involved! National Volunteer Week is the perfect time.

Find volunteer opportunities at www.uw.org/volunteer and make sure to follow our Facebook and Twitter for up-to-date information on how to
GIVE, ADVOCATE, and VOLUNTEER with us.

Sally Brown Announced as Young Leaders Member of the Year!

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Chelsea Nelsonby Chelsea Nelson
Interactive Communications Director

United Way of Salt Lake is excited to announce Sally Brown, Group Human Resources Manager at Enterprise Rent-A-Car, as the 2013 Young Leaders Member of the Year!

The Young Leaders Member of the Year award recognizes a member that exemplifies outstanding commitment to creating lasting change by promoting philanthropy and civic engagement with the next generation of business and community leaders.

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Sally’s dynamic personality and steadfast work ethic serves as a true example of what it means to be a Young Leader and LIVE UNITED. Her contributions to the development and activities of Young Leaders have helped increase the influence and visibility of the group. Sally never hesitates to volunteer her time and resources.

Sally is an advocate for all of United Way of Salt Lake’s work. She motivates others to get involved through her actions and excitement. She is the Employee Campaign Manager for Enterprise Rent-A-Car and helps to share United Way of Salt Lake’s mission. Sally’s devotion to improving our community inspires others around her to GIVE, ADVOCATE, and VOLUNTEER.

As the Employee Campaign manger for Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Sally helped grow their Young Leaders by 81 percent during their last workplace campaign! She is also constantly recruiting other Young Leaders prospects within Enterprise to get other employees involved with opportunities and events!

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Sally’s dedication led to her coordinating a successful winter celebration for at-risk children at Guadalupe School where they decorated cookies, read “Snowmen by Night,” and played other winter games. She also helped organize all Enterprise locations as donation drop-off points for the holiday donation drive throughout Davis, Salt Lake, and Summit Counties.

We are so lucky to have her as an engaged member of Young Leaders and as a dedicated volunteer in our community. She is committed to making our neighborhoods a better place for us all to live and work.

Thank you, Sally, for all you do! You are so deserving of this award! Congratulations!

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Workers Compensation Fund LIVES UNITED!

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alison_2011By Alison Cundiff
Resource Development Executive

A huge thanks to Workers Compensation Fund for an outstanding employee giving campaign! For the past decade, WCF has run an annual employee giving campaign to get their employees excited and more involved with what United Way of Salt Lake is doing in the community. This year, WCF employees increased their total gift by over $16,000 from last year!  WCF is also one of our Cornerstone Partners and directs their generous corporate gift towards our cost of doing business.

Volunteerism played a huge role in this year’s campaign. WCF is a force for good in our community, as they encourage their employees to give back not just of their means, but also of their time.  WCF employee campaign manager, Rachel Lewis, organized various volunteer opportunities for employees to sign up for on the day of the campaign kick-off. Below are some pictures from their volunteer projects at the Utah Food Bank and Guadalupe Schools.

Thank you to Ray Pickup, President and CEO of Workers Compensation Fund, for serving on United Way of Salt Lake’s Board of Directors since 2008! Another thank you to Rachel Lewis, Communications Director, for organizing such a successful campaign!

WCF employees really know what it means to LIVE UNITED! Thank you for all you do to support United Way of Salt Lake and the community!

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Young Leaders and Volunteers are Appreciated at PAL!

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heather_macdonald_1by Heather MacDonald
Volunteer and Community Engagement Director

On Thursday, February 21st Young Leaders and new volunteers were treated to a special day! The youth at PAL Boxing Center came together to throw a special Volunteer Appreciation event to celebrate the hard work and dedication that Young Leaders and other volunteers have provided to their program. This meant that instead of supervising activities, the volunteers got to enjoy the fun and games.

The youth at PAL love Minute-to-Win-it style games and we were able to participate in some of their favorites like a hula hooping contest and a three legged race. As a thank you to all Young Leaders, we received a framed t-shirt signed by PAL youth and staff. It was an honor to be a part of such a fun day and to hear them talk about the impact volunteers have in their lives. Here is what a few of the volunteers had to say about the event:

I had a wonderful experience spending the evening with students at the PAL Boxing Center in South Salt Lake. During the visit, we played games with students, including a game I’ve never heard of or seen that involved a pair of nylons, golf balls, and water bottles. It was a very interesting and fun game. It clearly wasn’t a game where I shined through! I appreciated the opportunity to connect with students (many who attend Granite Park Jr. High) in a different setting. It was great to see how much they all enjoyed their time at the Center and with each other. It brings me joy to know that these students have a place they can go after school where they are supported in their personal and academic endeavors. –Carmela Castandea

Recently, we spent time with students at the PAL Boxing Community and Welcome Center in South Salt Lake.  This center provides tutoring services, boxing programs, and other afterschool enrichment experiences for children from schools in the surrounding neighborhoods. I appreciated the opportunity to connect with the students through games and was impressed to see how much they enjoyed being at the Center.  For these kids, the Center provides more than just programming.  It is an opportunity for them to cultivate relationships with their peers and further engage in their community.  Through these programs, students are able to participate in activities that can help them achieve their potential.  I admire the students’ energy and their desire to be a part of a program that supports their personal and academic growth. –Chris Ellis

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If you are a Young Leader or have considered becoming a Young Leader, we invite you to join us on the third Thursday of each month between 3:00 -7:00 p.m. to participate in homework help, Kids Café, boxing, and recreation activities at PAL. For more information about becoming a Young Leader please contact Cristi Wetterberg at cristi@uw.org or 801.746.2569. To sign up as a volunteer please contact Heather MacDonald at heather@uw.org or 801.736.7715.