Table of Contents
- Getting social with you
- Get involved in your community: sign up for a Community Action Day
- Esso limited-edition $25 gift card benefits United Way
- Youth Got Talent a success
- Making it easy for you to get involved with United Way Ottawa
Getting social with you
We are using social media tools like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn to meet new people, extend our reach, share messages with greater frequency and send updates instantly. We invite you to follow us at www.twitter.com/unitedwayottawa or join us on our Facebook page.
And we’re going to engage you even more with a new social media tool that invites you to tell us what you want your community to be.
Through this tool, you can view our campaign video or videos created by others in our community. Then — and this is where the neat stuff comes in — you are invited to share your thoughts through an easy-to-use interface that lets you record yourself and upload it to our website. It’s got step-by-step instructions; all you need is access to a computer and a webcam. Because it’s a social media tool, you can share this with your friends and colleagues through a quick e-mail, post it to your Facebook … or you can tweet it.
You’ll be seeing this in a kiosk at our events this fall. Please take a few minutes to drop by and share your vision with the rest of your community.
Get involved in your community: sign up for a Community Action Day
The number 1,635 isn’t just any number; it represents the total participants (1,036), total federal employees (425), total projects (118) and total agencies (56) that were involved in last year’s Day of Caring event.
Not bad for one day. But consider the level of engagement in the community that four days would create.
Day of Caring — sponsored by United Way Ottawa and Volunteer Ottawa — has been expanded into Community Action Days, offering more opportunities and flexibility to volunteers from workplaces and government departments to get involved. Not only do you have the chance to help out others in your community, it’s also a great team building opportunity!
By volunteering your time and a team of five or more people from your workplace, or any group of dedicated friends or family, you will experience a new level of community engagement with a local organization that needs a helping hand.
“By helping out, you can make a difference in your community,” says Michael Allen, President and CEO of United Way Ottawa. “Community Action Days are just one way for people to contribute in a meaningful way — and for the community to benefit from the generosity that exists in Ottawa.”
The opportunities for volunteering are endless: gardening, sorting clothing and food donations, reading to children or seniors, providing IT support, conducting market research, planning an event, offering administrative help, cooking or serving food to clients ... you name it.
You can choose to volunteer on just one day or all four days. The dates are September 30, October 27, November 19 and December 9. Volunteer registration is open. Just check out www.communityactiondays.com for a list of projects and to register.
Esso limited-edition $25 gift card benefits United Way
Imperial Oil has teamed up with United Way to offer its consumers a unique chance to give a gift that gives back.
The new $25 Esso United Way Gift Card is available through October 2009, while quantities last. It can be used to purchase all Esso products and services. Imperial will donate $2 to United Way from every gift card sold. The funds that will go towards supporting United Way-funded agencies across the country.
The limited-edition card is on sale now at more than 650 Esso-branded retail sites across Canada, as well as online. Get yours today!
Youth Got Talent a success
On August 13, more than 300 youth filled The Bronson Centre to be a part of the first annual Youth Got Talent showcase. Organized by United Way Ottawa’s Youth Action Panel, the event celebrated International Youth Day and showcased performers vying for the 2009 Youth Got Talent title. The evening was capped off with a performance by JUNO-nominated artist Elise Estrada.
A total of 11 young and talented performers took the stage, impressing the judges and audience with their amazing vocal, instrumental and multimedia talents. Twelve-year-old Amanda Nantsios was this year’s winner and blew the crowd away with a Céline Dion number. She will perform at our United Way campaign launch, which takes place on Wednesday, September 23 at Landsdowne Park.
For more information on United Way’s Youth Action activities and events, visit www.youthactionjeunesse.ca.
Making it easy for you to get involved with United Way Ottawa
Check your mailboxes for a letter from United Way Ottawa, written by CTV News At Noon Anchor and United Way volunteer Michael O’Byrne. In his letter, Michael shares his conversation with André, a man that you have helped escape from a life on the streets to a full-time job in a program he calls his “home.” Demonstrating the power of what your donation makes possible, Michael tells us about how people like you can help other folks like André in our community.
Michael’s letter also outlines the many ways you can give. A one-time donation, a planned giving gift, or a gift of securities or stocks are among the choices available to you.
If you didn’t receive Michael’s letter and want to be added to our mailing list, contact Stephanie D’Aoust at 613-228-6767 or visit our website for more information about how you can make a difference in someone’s life.