Voices United

The one period students shouldn’t have to worry about in school.

September 16, 2019

Between school, friends, family, and extra-curriculars, being a teen can be tough. And for those young people who have started to menstruate but don’t have the means to purchase hygiene supplies, it's even tougher. 

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Podcast: Ending Family Homelessness

August 29, 2019

Listen Now (00:21:09)

United Way and our community partners have set a goal: end family homelessness by 2025.

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Meet the 2019 Philanthropic 5

June 19, 2019

Each year, United Way's Emerging Leaders honor five community leaders in their 20s, 30s and 40s who give, advocate and volunteer for change through the Philanthropic 5 Awards. The Philanthropic Youth award recognizes a youth community leader under 21 years old.

Meet our 2019 award winners: Liz Caldwell, Jilly Gokalgandhi, Mike Maschek, Jason Rae, Keith Stanley and Philanthropic Youth winner Erica Lofton.

Help us celebrate these winners at our annual Philanthropic 5 Awards event on Thursday, August 8th at Venue Forty Two. Register today!

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2019 Women United Bruncheon Recap

May 16, 2019

Each year, United Way’s Women’s Leadership Council welcomes hundreds of guests to The Pfister Grand Ballroom to celebrate the impact of women on our local community. Thank you to all those that attended this year's event! Take a look at some of the highlights from today's program. 

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Retire United Event Recap: Recognizing the Signs of Normal vs. Not-normal Aging

May 10, 2019

The Retire United 2019 Spring Connection Event was an expert discussion on signs of normal versus not-normal aging. Patricia Durham, ADPC/MC, PAC Certified Trainer, PAC Certified Engagement Leader and Senior Director of Life Enrichment at Heritage at Deer Creek shared her expertise and passion for understanding dementia and assisting older adults and their families.

This event was sponsored by Vesta Senior Network, a local organization that helps older adults and their families navigate the world of long-term care and find the solution that is right for them.

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Milwaukee Community School Wins Green Award!

Lincoln Avenue student "Green Team" members with their Sugar Maple Award banner.

April 22, 2019

In observance of Earth Day 2019, we celebrate the amazing achievements of one of our very own Milwaukee Community Schools!

In November 2018, Lincoln Avenue Elementary on Milwaukee’s South Side was awarded “Sugar Maple” status by Green and Healthy Schools Wisconsin, the program’s highest possible designation. Lincoln Avenue is now only one of 35 schools in the state - and one of the only bilingual schools in an urban environment - to achieve this designation.

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Financial Planner Helps Women in Need Become Financially Stable

Mandee Pope (R) and a guest at the 2018 Financial Empowerment Seminar

April 17, 2019

Written by Meghan Marsden Parsche, United Way volunteer blogger

As a financial planner, Mandee Pope partners with high net worth clients to help them reach their financial goals. As a United Way volunteer, she has been able to apply her skills and passion for financial empowerment of women, fulfilling a huge need in the community.

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SoftwareOne & Technology United Empower Employees to Give Back

SoftareOne employees at a recent volunteer event.

March 8, 2019

Written by Patty Ravencroft, director of people and culture, SoftwareOne

I often think about this quote from our late president and CEO Patrick Winter: “It’s not about work-life balance, it’s about work-life harmony.” Patrick knew that there isn’t a clean line between work and life, but a blending of the two. At SoftwareOne, we want to help our employees lead happy, fulfilling lives both in and out of the workplace.

This philosophy recently inspired a new strategy for our North American business called “Vision 2022.” Within this vision, our executive leadership board decided not only on three business-related pillars, but also on three pillars centered around our people. At SoftwareOne, we don’t make widgets; our entire business is about people. When we focus on our people - current employees, prospective employees, and clients - we become not only more successful in business, but a more successful community.

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Podcast: The Next Generation

February 26, 2019

Listen Now (00:28:33)

Jobs in the technology field are growing, but as these jobs continue to grow, the workforce skilled enough to take these jobs are decreasing. The same can be said for trade jobs.

So how do we build a workforce that is ready to take on these positions? What can we do today to support our next generation?

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Introducing Technology United!

February 15, 2019

Written by John Dunn, VP – Digital Supply Chain, GE Healthcare and Technology United Council Co-chair

It’s official: IT United, the United Way donor network of technology professionals making a difference in our community through giving, volunteerism, and advocacy, will now be known as Technology United.

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Three things I’ve learned about leadership

January 21, 2019

Leading the Way

The recipient of the 2018 Linda McFerrin Award for African American Nonprofit Leadership is Vincent Lyles. Vincent served as the president and CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee from 2011 to 2018. Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee is the largest youth-serving organization in the city of Milwaukee, with more than 750 employees and over 2,000 volunteers.

Cory Nettles of Generation Growth Capital, Inc. and the Chairman of the Board of United Way of Greater Milwaukee & Waukesha County announced the award on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.

“Vincent Lyles has been among the strongest nonprofit leaders in our community. He did a great job scaling Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee impact in our community, particularly related to programming sites and especially related to the number of kids served each day. He is the perfect recipient of the Linda McFerrin Award for African American Leadership.”

Each year, a nonprofit leader will be selected by United Way’s Diversity Leadership Society and a $5,000 grant will be made by United Way to the organization they represent.

We asked Vincent to share some insights and ideas on being an effective leader.

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Sharing our Blessings through Year-End Giving

(From left) United Way President Amy Lindner, Board Chair Cory Nettles, and CEO Mary Lou Young.

December 20, 2018

Written by Cory Nettles, Founder and Managing Director of Generation Growth Capital, Inc. and Chairman of the Board for United Way of Greater Milwaukee & Waukesha County.

At United Way, we often hear from our nonprofit partners that winter is a time of incredible need. Between the cold weather and the holidays, many individuals and families in our community could use a helping hand.

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Changes are Coming this Tax Season

November 29, 2018

Written by Crystal Monsivais, Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) site coordinator, La Casa de Esperanza

Ready or not, here comes tax season! Are you ready? There are new changes to our tax laws that may catch you unprepared. The IRS has a way for you to better prepare yourself and it’s by using their Withholding Calculator.

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We ate…we shopped…now we give back!

November 21, 2018

The Thanksgiving holiday has expanded to so much more than just good food and gratitude with family. Thanksgiving also ushers in the official start to the holiday season, when many people celebrate not only by purchasing gifts for friends and family, but by spreading love and cheer to those in need.

“Giving Tuesday,” the Tuesday after Thanksgiving, is a great opportunity to kick off the season on a high note. While the word “giving” may bring a monetary donation to mind, there are lots of other ways to give (though if you’d like to make a donation to United Way this year, click here)!

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At Fill the Freezer, Food is Love

Rebecca Cook (R) and her daughter, Emma, at Fill the Freezer 2018.

October 29, 2018

Written by Katie Kuhn, United Way of Greater Milwaukee & Waukesha County

For Rebecca Cook, a senior attorney at ManpowerGroup, and her daughter Emma, volunteering is a part of life. For the past two years, they have taken part in a fun and delicious project with United Way and both agree it’s one of their all-time volunteering highlights. 

United Way’s Fill the Freezer is an annual event that brings professional chefs and community volunteers together to prepare and pack freezer meals for local families in need. All meals are prepared in one day at MATC’s commercial kitchen, then distributed to family-serving nonprofits like The Cathedral Center, Sojourner Family Peace Center, and others.

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