Republic file photo Volunteer Bob Schafstall loads a piece of old furniture into a truck bed during United Way of Bartholomew County’s Day of Service last year.
United Way of Bartholomew County is preparing for what organizers say is its biggest and most visible outreach in seven years: Live United Week from Sept. 6 to Sept. 9, with a focus of fighting childhood poverty.
United Way first began focusing on economic stability in 2012, just after Mark Stewart’s arrival as the nonprofit president after Doug Otto’s retirement. It then became a top priority as part of a five-year, comprehensive plan for United Way and its social service outreach.
“We’ve been on the economic stability journey for some time,” Stewart said. “What we’re really serious about and focusing on now is breaking the generational cycle of poverty. By focusing on the whole family, and specifically children, we feel that’s the best way to lift up the whole family.”
A kickoff lunch will be held at 11 a.m. Sept. 8 at Amazing Joe’s Grill, 2607 Central Ave. in Columbus.
The annual Day of Service will be Sept. 9, with registration still open for a maximum 433 volunteers for a broad range of work throughout the community. So far, more than 240 people already have signed up, according to Alicia Monroe, United Way’s Volunteer Action Center director.
“Our volunteer numbers have slowly begun to rise (again),” Monroe said.
But she added that new volunteer sign-up software now limits the numbers of volunteers on various projects and efforts for the sake of efficiency and managing volunteer teams.
So she mentioned that, even in a healthy, calmed COVID-19 atmosphere, volunteer numbers probably will never return to pre-pandemic numbers of more than 1,000 volunteers for a Day of Service.
In other events for the special week, a poverty simulation is slated at 2 p.m. Sept. 6 at Columbus Municipal Airport, 4770 Ray Boll Boulevard. This simulation is designed to help users experience and begin to understand what it might be like to live in a typical low-income family trying to survive from month to month.
Stewart said that individual, local worker vignettes, such as those presented at the most recent, United Way annual meeting in June at The Commons, highlight some of the success of the nonprofit’s focus on helping underemployed people improve their life and find a job with insurance and a minimum income of $35,000 for a family of four. One resident, Nathan Wilson, who slept in his car eight years ago, has seen his credit score of zero back then rise to more than 700 today — and he is making future plans to buy a home.
“I am satisfied with the progress that we have made,” Stewart said, adding that one-on-one financial coaching has been a key to boosting workers’ job skills, positions and income. “We learn a little more every year just what it takes. And we get better at it every year.
“It’s not just about getting someone a job. It’s about helping them to develop the tools and the skills to maintain a lifestyle, so that they have some financial resilience.”
Stewart mentioned that a key part of United Way’s financial coaching is changing the way a person’s thinks about money, or their own struggles or poverty.
“For many of these people, their situation has been a (learned) lifestyle,” he said. “We know that this is not necessarily an easy program to be successful in. One of mantras through this has been that the financial coach should never work harder than the participant.”
Week’s events
Here is a full list of Lived United Week activities that are open to the public:
All Week: Restaurant Support. United Way is partnering with area restaurants that will allow Columbus residents to learn more about United Way and what they do. Participating restaurants include: Bucceto’s Pizza and Pasta, The Savory Swine, Amazing Joe’s Grill, Gramz Bakery, Fresh Take Kitchen, Ramen Alley, 4th Street Bar and Grill and Thai Connection.
All Week: Raffle sponsored by Toyota and Centra Credit Union: Enter to win a meal prepared by a Toyota chef or two tickets to the Indiana Pacers season opener, provided by Centra.
2 p.m. Sept. 6: In One Moment Poverty Simulation, Columbus Municipal Airport, 4770 Ray Boll Blvd., Columbus. This simulation is designed to help users experience and begin to understand what it might be like to live in a typical low-income family trying to survive from month to month.
7 p.m. Sept. 7: Philanthropic Society Open House. Savory Swine, 410 Washington St., Columbus. This event is a way to learn more about United Way’s newly launched Philanthropic Societies.
11 a.m. Sept. 8: Kick-Off Lunch. Amazing Joe’s Grill, 2607 Central Ave., Columbus. All attendees will be entered to win a year of free dinners from Amazing Joe’s.
All Day Sept. 9: Day of Service. Registration opens Aug.15. Volunteers from across the community will fan out to agencies and organizations to help them complete a variety of work.
Registration for all these events may be completed by going here: uwbarthco.org/about/our-stories.html/article/2022/08/05/celebrate-live-united-week-with-us or by going to uwbarthco.org and clicking on the tab labeled “Celebrate LIVE UNITED Week with us.”
