United Way of Greater Kansas City kicks off refocused campaign
Hopes rise with the recovering economy, but not everyone has benefited from full employment, good paying jobs, safe communities and improved fortunes.
To help fill the gaps, the United Way of Greater Kansas City on Thursday launches its 2016 Spirit of Caring campaign at the InterContinental hotel to get area residents to help their neighbors in need. As in the years since the Great Recession, no monetary goal was set. However, organizers said Wednesday that they hope to surpass the $35.26 million raised in the 2015 campaign.
More than 58,000 individuals and more than 1,360 businesses and organizations last year participated in the communitywide fundraising effort. Donations to the United Way fund 308 programs that 158 nonprofit organizations provide in the Kansas City area.
An added focus of this year’s campaign will be to re-energize organizations whose donations have lapsed or tapered off. The 2016 campaign co-chairs are Steve Edwards, chairman and CEO of Black & Veatch, and Alise Martiny, secretary-business manager for the Greater Kansas City Building and Construction Trades Council.
Donations to the United Way also will go to what organizers called “The Cycle of Success,” which includes three categories.
“Healthy beginnings” covers children to age 5, with professionals making home visits to work with parents ensuring that kids are ready for school.
The second category, “prepared youth,” covers ages 6 to 24. It will fund programs to help young people succeed in school and college, and then successfully enter the workforce.
“Thriving adults & families,” for ages 24 and up, is to make sure families overcome financial setbacks and remain out of poverty. It includes health care access and advocacy and financial and career planning with secure job placement.
The sold-out crowd of about 900 people will celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Tocqueville Society in which about 400 households in this community annually give $10,000 or more to the United Way. People also should cheer the growth of the African American and Latino leadership groups and their contributions to the United Way.
In addition, millennials are becoming more engaged through United Way’s LINC — or Lead, Impact, Network Change — enabling young adults to make financial donations and volunteer for community projects, benefiting schools, children and homeless shelters.
The campaign runs through Dec. 1 with a victory celebration at the InterContinental. For more information visit unitedwaygkc.org.
This story was originally published September 7, 2016 at 5:47 PM with the headline "United Way of Greater Kansas City kicks off refocused campaign."