Building Community: The Giving Network

Special Advertising Section August 2009

Powered by United Way  

Think you know a thing or two about giving back? Take our quiz!

In the craze that makes up our daily lives it is hard to imagine fitting one more thing in. But what happens when taking an extra hour out of the month or an extra $10 out of a paycheck would mean a neighbor could eat that day or the family down the street could stay in their home and not go to a shelter??

In the past year alone, the need for basic necessities—food, clothing, and shelter—has skyrocketed in the Twin Cities. “In 2008, food shelf use was up 21 percent from the previous year,” says Marcia Fink, director of Meeting Basic Needs with Greater Twin Cities United Way. “And in the first two months of 2009, it is up 42 percent from 2008.”

These numbers, unfortunately, represent just the tip of the iceberg. Fortunately, Twin Citians are finding the time and the wherewithal to help make a difference in all areas of the community. They’ve learned that, when giving back, there is no minimum amount, no age requirement, no long-term expectation, and that the benefits—for the community and for them—are long lasting.  

Photo by Craig Bares

Kasia Munson, 26 associate specialist marketing producer with Target Headquarters and United Way Emerging leader Earliest Volunteering Memory: When I was young, I would volunteer with my mom, who was an advocate at a sexual violence center in Southwestern Minnesota. She would teach classes on single parenting, and I would watch the kids and help out so she could facilitate the class.

In college, I interned at the YWCA and was placed at a nonprofit in Northeast Minneapolis called Person to Person, a grassroots mission that promotes self-sufficiency and homelessness prevention. There, I began teaching classes on self-sufficiency, which I still teach to this day. The topics range from organizational skills to stress management to budget management.

How You Give Back Now:
I still teach classes at Person to Person and now sit on its board of directors. I have also gotten involved with United Way’s Emerging Leaders Program, where I help coordinate and plan volunteer events for other young adults in the Twin Cities.

Favorite Event:
My favorite event took place this past May. We held a Mother’s Day event at a domestic violence shelter. Volunteers brought in gifts and played games with the mothers. There was also a children’s area where the kids could make jewelry and cards for their moms. It was neat to interact with the women in an open setting so that we could chat and get to know them.

Benefits of Giving Back:
Another great part is that you can make it what you want it to be. There is no strict policy about how much time you have to give or how many events you have to go to. You can pick and choose.

Professionally, I’ve made a lot of contacts. It has broadened my network, I have learned more about other companies in the Twin Cities that I didn’t know about before volunteering. Volunteering opens your eyes to the whole metro area and connects you with a lot of people.

Photo by Craig Bares

Vijay Subramanian, 25 engineer for Medtronic and United Way Emerging Leader Earliest Volunteering Memory: I come from India, so poverty is no stranger. I saw children in poor areas and people doing odd jobs to make ends meet. It is hard to see that and not be able to help. When I moved here, I decided it was time to give back to the community. Society is nothing without its people, but it becomes a community when people start giving.

How You Give Back Now: 
As a young professional, it can seem hard to make a large impact. But I can give back on a smaller level such as helping people get basic necessities. I saw a lot of these things in the United Way Emerging leaders program, where I attend and help plan events for other volunteers to take part in.

One of my favorite volunteer memories is when we went out one Saturday and helped a woman who is 93 years old. She has been living in the same house since 1918, and her house required a lot of maintenance. A team of Emerging Leaders went there with paint, rollers, and brushes to work on the house. We mowed her lawn, painted the house and garage, and fixed the railings on the steps.

Benefits of Giving Back:
If you had seen the smile on her face, you would have felt so glad about it. There is a sense of satisfaction of what can be achieved in so little time. For example, a volunteer who spends just two hours packing food at a local hunger-relief organization can feed a family of four, three meals a day, for an entire month.

Advice: 
Just do it. There is no risk involved. You can try volunteering just once, and if you like the sense of satisfaction, keep doing it. You wouldn’t hesitate to spend those hours on the phone, sleeping, or going to a movie with friends. So if you were to spend a few hours volunteering, think about what could be done for those in your community.

Photo by Craig Bares

Mary Merrill, 48 managing director at Teneca and member of United Way Women’s Leadership Council Earliest Volunteering Memory: I grew up in a service-oriented family. When I was growing up in El Paso, Texas, most of us kids went to a day camp for at least part of the summer, where we got involved with volunteer activities with children with disabilities. I remember it being an eye-opener.

How You Give Back Now: 
From time to time I have gotten involved in different arts organizations or areas of the community that serve women, families, and children, as those are the areas that capture my attention the most.

Today I am on the United Way Women’s Leadership Council, which is a group of women who want to be involved in the community and network with other like-minded women. Though we are affiliated with United Way, we chart our own course and mission and decide how to invest to make the biggest impact. We partner with United Way to find organizations that fit our philanthropic priorities. Currently, the Council is focused on early childhood education and has invested more than $1 million total into the community.

Benefits of Giving Back: 
It’s so cliché to say that you get back what you give, but you really do and then some. I know most people at some point in their life wake up and say, “What am I doing here? Why am I on this planet?” You’ve got an answer when you’re doing something to help the community. You can wake up in the morning and say, “OK, I know why I’m here.”

Biggest Volunteer ‘Surprises’:
What surprised me the most was how much it did for me. I have met a lot of people whom I have made friends with and have come across a number of business opportunities. Most of all, it gives me a sense of belonging to something that matters.

Favorite Memory: 
Hearing the stories of people who have been involved in some of the organizations that have been supported by the Women’s Leadership Council and hearing about what a difference it has made in their lives.

I have met women who got pregnant in high school and thought they couldn’t make it. They then got involved with an organization that helped them with life skills and gave them an opportunity to go to college. It is phenomenal.

Advice:
Get involved first. Seek out opportunities that resonate with you. If you don’t immediately find what you’re looking for, try something else.

Photo by Craig Bares

Brian Castro, 35 vice president and general manager of MSP Sales at Merrill Corporation and United Way Community Builder Earliest Volunteering Memory: When I was a little kid, probably 5 years old, I went with my mom to the local food shelf at St. Eulalia Church in Chicago. We would go help out after Sunday school. She told me that “we were going to help give food to people who couldn’t shop at the grocery store.”

How You Give Back Now:
My family has always been really big in giving back, and there are certain ways to do it: money donations or donating time with the skills you have.

Today, I am involved with United Way’s Community Builders Program. My big problem has always been that there are so many causes, so many needs, how can I validate what the right charity to give to is when I have two kids under the age of 4 and a wife who is doing her residency? United Way makes it easy. It picks out and partners with those programs that have the greatest impact in the community.

Finding the Time to Give Back:
When I was young, I didn’t have the money to contribute, so I helped with my time. Now with our schedules, it is different. I give back financially and over my lunch hour with Community Builders [which meets quarterly for lunchtime planning sessions]. You can give back in many different ways, and none of them is better than the other.

Benefits of Giving Back:
In general, I like to think I am fulfilling an obligation to the Twin Cities. When I look at my two kids, I look for ways to help make their future community better. A stronger community means a better business environment, a better educational environment, and a better city in general.

Advice: 
There has never been a more crucial time, in my lifetime at least, to give back. The key for people to remember is that there is no contribution too big or too small.

Photo by Craig Bares

M. Nicholas Burke, MD, 50 senior consulting cardiologist at the Minneapolis Heart Institute at Abbott Northwestern and co-chair of United Way Tocqueville Society. Earliest Volunteering Memory: Volunteerism in my family was taught by my parents. I was always told that I was fortunate and with that good fortune comes responsibility—which involves volunteering, be it time or financial support.

I remember my mother taking me down to a place called The Clothes Line, a place where people with lower incomes were able to get clothing. I would play among the clothes while my mother worked. I also remember my father taking in kids who were less fortunate. They didn’t have a stable home situation, and he would put a roof over their heads and in some cases actually pay for their education.

How You Give Back Now:
When I got into my medical training, I volunteered regularly at a free clinic in Minneapolis, the Neighborhood Involvement Clinic. Once I went into practice, I had the wherewithal to start making an impact financially as well.

Today, my wife and I are co-chairs of the United Way’s Tocqueville Society. We put on educational programs throughout the year to teach people about what the needs in our community really are, be it in housing, education, healthcare, etc. We also provide volunteer opportunities for members to donate time with their families.

Important Lesson:
First off, every dollar matters—a lot. If you feel that money is tight for you now, imagine how it is for somebody who doesn’t have a job or who is about to lose his or her home. What are the chances of that person finding a job in this economy that can support a family? The need is greater than ever. If you are a parent, your children learn from what you do, and if they understand that taking care of others who are less fortunate is something that you value, they will learn to value that, too.

Make It Easy, Make It Matter

Whatever your age, circumstance, or interest, there is a giving opportunity for you at United Way.
United Way understands that giving isn’t a one-size-fits-all proposition, so it has developed various paths of involvement: volunteerism, financial donations, and advocacy. And it has created five programs to make it easy for people to give back.

1.  Caring Connection: United Way’s Caring Connection allows people to pick and choose which volunteer opportunity is right for them. “The volunteer opportunities we list on our website can be for individuals, groups, episodic (a one-time deal), or long-term involvement,” says Sue Moyer, manager of Caring Connection for Greater Twin Cities United Way.
2. All one has to do is go to unitedwaytwincities.org/ caringconnection and fill in the criteria. If you don’t find what you are looking for, call Caring Connection. “Fifty percent of the work we do is custom projects,” Moyer says.
3. Emerging Leaders: Young professionals in the early stages of their careers who are looking for ways to donate time and learn about the community while networking and meeting others will want to get involved with this program. It provides monthly volunteer opportunities, leadership training, and networking events. “Our goal is to remove all of the barriers of getting involved with the community,” says Abigail Mackenzie, marketing specialist for Greater Twin Cities United Way. “There is no minimum (financial or time). Anyone can sign up online and get involved.”
4. Emerging Leaders receive a monthly e-newsletter, so they can choose which events that month they can and want to attend—if any at all. Though a donation of $500 is suggested, it’s not required. Those who do donate $500 or more receive a complimentary invitation to the Leadership Speaker Series.
5. United Way Community Builders: Once people are settled into their careers and starting families, finding the time to volunteer is often more difficult. United Way has created a place for those who want to give back but can’t devote a ton of time. The program provides opportunities to volunteer, a Leadership Speaker Series, a nonprofit board boot camp, and educational forums that discuss community issues. Members provide leadership by contributing $1,000 or more annually and participating in volunteer activities that work for their schedule.
6. Women’s Leadership Council: For women who want to work with other like-minded women through philanthropic giving, advocacy, and volunteerism, United Way’s Women’s Leadership Council is a good fit. The Council partners with United Way to make independent investment decisions based on identified priorities. Each member donates $2,500 or more annually and has the opportunity to attend networking and educational events.
7. Tocqueville Society: United Way has a place for those who are able to contribute $10,000 or more annually. Through the society, influential leaders and their families are able to attend educational seminars and family-friendly volunteer events. The Society also provides a dedicated donor consultant to help members manage and reach their philanthropic goals.