The recent devastating earthquake left thousands of Haitians homeless, struggling for food and clean water. Your donation to the United Way Worldwide Disaster Fund will aid in recovery efforts.

Text HAITI to UNITED (864833) to make a $5 gift.

Thank you to everyone who submitted a nomination(s)!  This year’s Best Of Awards submissions are currently undergoing review to determine which companies truly demonstrated what it means to Live United.  Finalists in each category will be announced February 9! The awards ceremony will take place on March 31, 2010.

Learn more about United Way’s Best Of Awards.

This year’s Best Of Awards are presented by Land O’Lakes.

Nominations for this year’s Best of Awards are due Friday, January 21!

Whether you’re a big or small company, this is your chance to show off the amazing things you did and receive special recognition for all of your hard work.

Nominate your company today!

Spend your day off giving back. United Way Caring Connection has plenty of volunteer opportunities honoring the spirit of the late civil rights leader. Find one now!

Every day, donors like you represent the true meaning of LIVE UNITED. From all of us at United Way, we extend sincerest thanks and gratitude for your support.

Thanks to you, our year-end giving programs reported some great results:

• Gifts to our Warm.Safe.Fed campaign averaged over $100 per gift, and 35 percent of donors were new to United Way!
• Donations to our Holiday Wishes program, an annual partnership with the Pioneer Press, topped $100,000!
  Read Jan. 6 recap article.

United Way began the Best Of Awards to recognize outstanding companies that run United Way campaigns for all of the events, planning, managing and execution done by Ambassadors, volunteer committees and employees. 

Anyone who has run a Greater Twin Cities United Way campaign in 2009 can enter.  By entering the United Way Best Of Awards you are able to demonstrate the work that you and your company are doing! This is your opportunity to show people what you have done on behalf of our community. Imagine being able to say your company is “award winning!”

Learn more or download the call for nominations and begin your application today!  Nominations are due January 22, 2010.

Tell  us how you connect with poverty, use the hashtag #LiveUnitedTC, and if you’re one of nine names drawn, you’ll receive a free entry into our sweepstakes for your chance to win two Cub Foods gift cards and a Victory Hammer 8-Ball Motorcycle! Plus our 999th follower will receive a gift card! Check it out: @UnitedWayTC

Many people in our community are facing dark times. Help light the way!

Twonate using the code “UWTC” and your PayPal account then tell your Tweeple!

Find out about Twonate, or visit Warm.Safe.Fed.

For the past 18 months, local domestic violence shelters have been at full capacity, meaning that families fleeing domestic abuse are forced to turn to already-overloaded homeless shelters to escape the harsh winter.  Your end-of-year gift can help these struggling families stay warm, safe and fed this holiday season.

Places like Black Dog Hill Shelter in the morthern metro area provide more than just a safe place to stay; they provide access to essential services for victims of domestic abuse, like counseling, advocacy, and employment and education programs. 

Colette Gandelot and partner Suzanne Butzow donated the 100-year-old farmhouse and 10 peaceful acres of land to The Refuge Network for a safe shelter. “It’s a good place to heal,” said Colette. “We wanted to break the cycle of abuse through our gift.”  United Way provided $250,000 in grants in support of the shelter, a first for battered women in Isanti and Chisago counties.

Learn more about United Way’s work to reduce family violence.

Buy a Pie, Donate a Dollar
For each holiday pie purchased from Bakers Square in December, a dollar will be donated to United Way when you use this voucher (PDF).

There’s no limit (five pies equals a $5 donation), so make sure all of your pies come from Bakers Square this holiday season!