United Way ups its 2024 fundraising goal

UWAC late last month launched a 2024 campaign to raise $750,000 for charitable causes in our area. That’s $50,000 more than last year’s fund drive, which ended up netting an impressive $859,941. So officials are pleased to be able to boost this year’s goal, which had plateaued at $700,000 in recent years.

Mackenzie Flint of Waltham has been selected by United Way of Addison County to receive its 2024 UWAC Youth Volunteer Scholarship Award.

Camila Blanco of Salisbury has been selected to receive the 2023 LIVE UNITED Volunteer Scholarship Award. Fluent in both Spanish and English, Camila served as a volunteer at Open Door Clinic as their receptionist.

For Middlebury’s Ken Scupp, United Way’s “Race for the Rest of Us” earlier this month was a symbolic cap to an at-times torturous, but ultimately miraculous, medical marathon.

The United Way of Addison County has announced this year’s three winners of its annual “Live United” Volunteer Scholarship Award: Anna Doucet of Bristol, Leaf Reiderer of Granville and Viviana Hammond of Middlebury.

United Way of Addison County fosters community service in all community members, but especially in our youth.

The real prospect of a campaign “surplus” will allow UWAC to resume its pre-pandemic policy of awarding community impact funding in specific categories of need.

Not surprisingly, in today’s tight labor market the challenge of recruiting volunteer firefighters is significant. 

In addition to the health-related concerns we have around collecting signatures during a pandemic, the workforce shortage has made it even more burdensome for nonprofits.

On behalf of the 30 nonprofits that United Way of Addison County (UWAC) funds, I would like to thank the towns that have waived the petitioning process for organizational town funding requests.

Policy change can be big or small. It can be petitioning your school board to require healthier cafeteria meals.

Tthree students are chosen annually for the LIVE UNITED Volunteer Scholarship Award, recognizing students who volunteer in their community and who are interested in advancing their education.

“Are you comfortable shaking hands?” It’s funny to think of how awkward that may have sounded 18+ months ago.

When my wife, Maria, and I moved to Addison County in 2013, we wholeheartedly adopted our new home and the life that came with it.

Let’s be real, high school students are constantly caught under a tsunami of grade maintenance, AP tests, working part-time, extracurriculars, and so much more.