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Posted on January 05, 2012 12:57
Community Connections: 2011 Was A Very Good Year — Thanks To You!
BY PAM KETTERING
Yankton Area United Way
Published: Wednesday, January 4, 2012 10:29 PM CST
Taking a few moments to reflect on last year’s activities is, once again, a reminder of the overwhelming support this community has showered upon the United Way & Volunteer Services of Greater Yankton.
Shoot From The Heart (the second annual event) was a very rewarding, fun start to 2011. When the “celebrity shooters”, hunters and pros teamed up to shoot at their assigned targets, the arrows were flying fast and furious AND straight! There was cheering and jeering and laughing and then silence as careful aim was taken. When the professional archers stepped up to display their exceptional skills, you could have “heard a pin drop.” The National Field Archery Association staff kept the multiple archers aiming in one direction as well as keeping scores and planting the desire to learn the sport. THANK YOU to all that supported, volunteered, attended, and participated.
Annual Meeting is a time for a new leadership team to guide us through the year. President Denny Fleer was “handed the gavel” from Past President Bob Cappel. New board members, Dave Becker and Doug Russell, were introduced and Gary Wood was thanked for his dedicated service on the board. The partner agencies shared their past year’s mission and accomplishments. Board members signed up for committees and agency liaisons assignments placing the new year in motion.
We were all smiles preparing for the Delta Dental Dakota Smile Mobile to roll into town in March. In four days the two dental chairs in the mobile office accommodated 37 patients 98 times with procedures that included 74 diagnostic, 164 preventative and 121 restorative totaling a production value of $24,642.00! The program is for children ages 0 – 21. The fee that we pay for them to bring the Dakota Smiles program to Yankton is $2,500.00. Thank you for making this possible.
Volunteers are the backbone of all nonprofit organizations. We are so very thankful to each and every one of them that we almost wear them out by all of the invitations to the annual “thank you” events. Thus the Community Volunteer Celebration! By collaborating with a number of volunteer programs, volunteers of all ages, programs, activities are included in this annual gathering. Thank you to the Human Services Center for sharing their facility, the Volunteer Leaders for organizing the event, the Volunteers of the Month for their great works, and all of the terrific volunteers that are absolutely “priceless”!
Moving to 610 W. 23rd St, Ste. 11 in the Marne Creek Professional Building was June’s project. Painting walls, measuring spaces, packing up boxes, moving desks and files, transferring telephone services, unpacking boxes was unbelievably smooth! We may still be searching for items in new locations but feel very much settled. With the official ribbon cutting with the Chamber of Commerce and great attendance at the open house, all agencies are hustling and bustling to provide services to the numerous needs.
The 2012 Campaign was kicked off at the first home game of the Yankton High School Football game in August. Volunteers carried brochures, flyers, pledge cards, Imagination Library books, and videos accompanied by speakers from the various agencies into businesses to share the over 35 programs supported by the generous donations. As we approach the 100% mark of the $470,000 goal, our gratitude to the people of this greater Yankton community can be exemplified when a senior is able to remain in their home with a Senior Companion assisting them in running errands, an elementary student comes to school ready to learn Monday morning having had extra food in Sack Pack over the weekend, a homeless family was sheltered and fed at the Homeless Shelter, a special needs individual had a payee at Contact Center take care of their expenses so they could remain in their apartment, a middle school student was motivated to study and share in a community service project at the Boys & Girls Club, a parent learned a new activity to help their child develop while sharing quality time with Parents As Teachers. Giving through United Way embraces services to people of all ages, facing circumstances they had never imagined happening to them, bringing them possible solutions, adding quality of life of each of us. THANK YOU!
Collecting coats and dispersing them on Make A Difference Day, collecting toys for Pat Robinson and elves to hand out in Toys For Kids for Christmas, working with Slumberland Holiday Beds delivered by Knights of Columbus, registering children for books in the Imagination Library program, coordinating programs for the monthly Interagency meetings, updating the HELPbook, referring people to volunteer throughout the community, directing people to appropriate agencies for assistance, collaborating with people and agencies to address needs – being UNITED in community efforts has been the majority of our 2011 plan of work while keeping our mission before us: To promote voluntary giving and services to support human needs in the greater Yankton community.
Yes, 2011 was a wonderful year AND 2012 has every indication that it, too, shall be GREAT! THANK YOU!!
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