United Way "Touch a Truck" Event a Success

United Way partnered with the Town of Branford to organize Branford’s first ever Touch-A-Truck event!

Touch-A-Truck was a unique, family-oriented one-day event, featuring trucks and cars to touch, climb on and take pictures alongside. The "price of admission" was disposable diapers that will be distributed free, in partnership with The Diaper Bank, to local nonprofits serving families in need. Over 1,300 people attended the event and over 25,000 diapers were donated.

You can view a video of the event on YouTube.


See the longer version


See event pictures (slideshow)

We have also put together some brief video tours of four of the trucks at the event for your kids to check out.

1. Fire Truck
2. Bucket Loader
3. Big Dump Truck
4. Vac and Jet Truck

United Way organizes a region-wide Healthy Baby Diaper Drive

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Sept. 10, 2008
Media Contact: Michelle Wade, 203.772.2010, Ext.202
mwade@uwgnh.org

Ensuring Babies Are Dressed For Success- Sept. 15-21

NEW HAVEN, Conn., September 10, 2008– As part of Days of Caring 2008, United Way is organizing a region wide diaper drive to help children in our community start life healthy and ready to learn by ensuring families have access to diapers. The drive will run from September 15-21 and their goal is to collect 50,000 diapers.
As the cost of basic needs – food, heating, transportation – continue to rise, many families are facing a terrible choice between food or heat and diapers for children. An adequate supply of disposable diapers can cost a family over $100 per month. In low-income households, babies often spend the entire day or longer in a single diaper because the family cannot afford to buy an adequate supply of diapers. Without clean diapers, babies are too uncomfortable, and sometimes too unhealthy, to play and learn. Parents can also become disheartened and disconnected when they struggle to care for their babies.
Change the lives of children by donating diapers to various diaper drop-off sites around Greater New Haven. Sites in Guilford: Wal-Mart and Barnum Financial, Sites in Branford: Blackstone Memorial Library and Branford Parks and Recreation, Sites in North Haven: North Haven Town Hall and North Haven Senior Center, Sites in New Haven: 900 Chapel Street Building, Webster Bank (Elm St.), Webster Bank (Whalley Ave.), TD Banknorth (Orange St.), Stop and Shop (Amity Rd.) and Yale New Haven Hospital (Volunteer Services), Sites in Orange: Orange Town Hall. The diapers will be distributed to families in need through local agencies across Greater New Haven and through United Way’s partnership with The Diaper Bank.
To learn more about the Healthy Baby Diaper Drive and to search for additional diaper drop-off sites please visit http://www.uwgnh.org/.

About United Way:
United Way brings together the caring power of our community to create measurable, sustainable change and to improve lives. To do this we: help identify our region's greatest needs and best opportunities for change; raise dollars and invest those dollars for results; connect people to their caring through volunteer opportunities.
More information about United Way of Greater New Haven's community leadership and how you can help can be found at http://www.uwgnh.org/.
-END-

United Way Annual Region-Wide Days of Caring to take place Sept. 15-21

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Sept. 10, 2008
Media Contact: Michelle Wade, 203.772.2010, Ext.202
mwade@uwgnh.org

Volunteer Projects still available

Days of Caring is an annual United Way of Greater New Haven week-long event where thousands of volunteers from around the region work on one-time improvement projects. This year’s Days of Caring will take place September 15-21, 2008.
Volunteer projects help regional nonprofits that may not have the time, financial resources or ability to perform the work needed. Projects widely vary and consist of activities like beautifying and renovating facilities, creating games and "hands-on" information stations for kids, organizing donated items, planting and landscaping, and planning or donating to a collection drive for anything from school supplies to diapers.
“We hope to encourage individuals, families, friends, and co-workers to support our community and volunteer for Days of Caring,” said Jack Healy, President and CEO of United Way of Greater New Haven. “Days of Caring is one of the largest volunteer events in the state and we hope to take the week to new heights this year.”
The theme for Days of Caring 2008 will be “Live United.” United Way believes that when we reach out a hand to one we influence the condition of us all. Please lend your muscle, join hands, find your voice and open your hearts to help your community.
This year’s Days of Caring presenting sponsor is Yale-New Haven Hospital. Also supporting this years’ Days of Caring Activities will be Anthem Blue Cross & Blue Shield and WTNH/MYTV9.
To search available projects and register to volunteer for Days of Caring 2008 please visit www.uwgnh.org.

About United Way:
United Way brings together the caring power of our community to create measurable, sustainable change and to improve lives. To do this we: help identify our region's greatest needs and best opportunities for change; raise dollars and invest those dollars for results; connect people to their caring through volunteer opportunities.
More information about United Way of Greater New Haven's community leadership and how you can help can be found at www.uwgnh.org.

-END-

Closing the Educational Achievement Gap

What are the challenges and opportunities for public education in our region? How can we close Connecticut’s educational achievement gap which is one of the largest in the nation? On October 3, United Way is bringing together our region’s leading philanthropists and practitioners including Dacia Toll, President of Achievement First, and Fran Rabinowitz, Superintendent of the Hamden Public Schools to discuss this important issue. We invite you to participate by adding your comments below.

To learn more about what United Way is doing in this area click here or read the powerpoint from the State of Connecticut on high school reform below.

View full screen

Facts

• By the age four, the average low-income child has heard 30 million fewer words than his or her higher income peers.
• On the 2007 CAPT test 58% of Grade 10 White students met goal on all four sections of the test, compared with 18% of Hispanic students and 15% of Black students.
  
• Approximately 23% of students attending a Community and Technical College in CT are enrolled in at least one basic skills course in math or English during any semester.
  
• The median annual salary for employees with a bachelor’s degree is 62% higher than those with only a high school diploma.