Once again the United Way of Buffalo and Erie County will partner with the dedicated Erie County Workforce to change people’s lives for the better. Campaign Chair, Sawrie Becker and Co-Chair, Timothy Hogues are pleased to introduce the 2015 Erie County United Way Campaign. This week you will receive a payroll deduction pledge card for 2015 as well as some important information about the United Way Campaign.
Last year, thanks to your generous contributions, the Erie County workforce generated an impressive $136,719.00 in contributions, helping the United Way of Buffalo & Erie County surpass their goal for the 4rd year in a row by raising a record $14.47 million! As a result of these efforts, over the past year, the United Way helped over 1,900 children improve their daily attendance; 3,900 people completed financial or vocational training and 3,400 seniors were driven to medical appointments or grocery stores. These are just some examples of impactful results that have been achieved this past year.
This year, the United Way 2015 campaign inspires you to “raise your hand” and to imagine the difference we can make by sharing our time, resources or expertise to make our entire community stronger. Your gift to the United Way Campaign in 2015 will be responsibly invested into community programs, collaborations, volunteering and training that help our friends and neighbors build stronger futures in Buffalo and Erie County.
There are many ways to “raise your hand” and to help build strong futures in our community. Due to the success of the Erie County Leadership Giving Society introduced last year, employees who pledge $500.00 or more will once again have the opportunity to be invited to quarterly breakfast meetings in the Rath building 16th floor conference room and enjoy speakers on topics that are of interest to current and future leaders in Erie County Government.
Also, once again you will have the opportunity to participate in the very exciting United Way Challenge. By pledging a minimum of $52.00, just $2 per pay period, you can make a world of difference in someone’s life and you will automatically be entered into daily drawings for great prizes from September 28 through December 4th. You will also be entered to win one of 21 grand prizes, all courtesy of United Way local sponsors. In addition to making a tax deductible contribution to the United Way, be sure to mark your calendars for the popular Basket Raffles in the Rath Building Lobby scheduled for October 22 & 23 and December 3 & 4 and other “fun-raising” opportunities such as the Valentine’s Day Rose Sale and St. Patrick’s Day Raffle.
To assist you during the Countywide Campaign, each department has a United Way representative. Their names are included for your information and they are available to answer your questions about the Campaign, fundraisers, United Way Challenge and to collect your pledge cards. They can also inform you about other ways to contribute toward the Campaign, such as making a pledge to the Community Care Fund or to a specific agency of your choice.
Please consider giving generously this year. Our goal is to have 100% participation from Erie County employees. Join Sawrie and Timothy in making this goal a reality and help people in our community by supporting United Way’s mission of bringing people, organizations and resources together to improve community well-being!.
Sincerely,
Sawrie Timothy
Sawrie Becker, M.S.E. Timothy Hogues
United Way Campaign Chair United Way Campaign Co-Chair
Commissioner of Public Advocacy
Senior Services