Page 40 - Healthcare News Nov/Dec 2021

UNITED WAY
OF PIONEER
VALLEY
1441 Main St., Suite 147 Springfield, MA 01103 Phone: (413) 737-2691 President and CEO: Paul Mina
YEAR ESTABLISHED
1921
MISSION STATEMENT
United Way of Pioneer Valley mobilizes people and resources to strengthen our communities.
WHO WE ARE AND WHAT WE DO
The United Way of Pioneer Valley fights to lift Hampden County, Granby, and South Hadley out of poverty. For 100 years, we’ve created local, innovative solutions for our community’s toughest problems, and we’re constantly finding more ways to help those in need. Learn more about our latest work at uwpv.org.
• Feeding the Hungry: Many families are
making tough choices between buying food and meeting their other needs. We combat hunger in the Pioneer Valley. Our Chicopee Cupboard pantry serves the hungry throughout the region. We actively partner in area food security. We’ll soon open a new pantry in downtown Springfield as part of our new Springfield Service Center.
• Empowering our Youth: Through Youth Generate, we provide youth in the Pioneer Valley with the knowledge and resources
to solve local problems. We also run Stuff the Bus, which annually provides more than 1,000 backpacks full of school supplies to local students who are homeless, as well as the Happy Camper Fund, which provided 25 summer field trips to local youth, and special pop-up events to address unmet needs.
• Building Financial Futures: Thrive provides free one-on-one financial coaching in English and Spanish. We will continue to provide this important program with a long-term goal of offering financial coaching to everyone in the Pioneer Valley who needs it. Thrive can be reached toll-free at (833) 308-4748.
• 24-7 Lifelines: United Way’s Mass211 hotline, the official COVID-19 hotline for the Commonwealth, has taken more than
216,700 calls statewide since last year. In its
role connecting people with government and nonprofit resources, Mass211 has taken 407,500 calls. We also opened a satellite call center for the Call2Talk emotional-support and suicide- prevention hotline. Call takers fielded 84,000 calls statewide last year.
We also operate a local events calendar at connectwesternmass.com, and the Volunteer Action Center at volunteer.uwpv.org.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Winter:
• 100th Anniversary Gala
• Hope for the Holidays (holiday toy drive) • OnBoard (nonprofit board diversity event) Spring/Summer:
• Over the Edge
Fall:
• Days of Caring (volunteer service to local
nonprofits)
• Feed-a-Family (Thanksgiving dinners for
families in need)
• Boo Bash (drive-thru trick-or-treating)
GIVING OPPORTUNITIES
You can help us strengthen and expand our interconnected network of programs, groups, and organizations to provide the safety net we need today and build it for tomorrow. Donate to United Way of Pioneer Valley at uwpv.org/ donate.
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
United Way of Pioneer Valley manages a state-of-the-art volunteer portal, easier than ever to use for nonprofits, corporate partners, and volunteers alike. Partners who sign up through our account receive premium features for free. Volunteers can sign up for an event at volunteer. uwpv.org. Partners can sign up for a nonprofit
or corporate account at volunteer.uwpv.org/ register/organization. Call our Volunteer Hotline at (833) 386-5687 for more information.
RECENT DEVELOPMENTS
To better meet our community’s most pressing needs, we decided to made substantial investments in providing services directly to the public. These include the Chicopee Cupboard food pantry, Feed-a-Family, and Hope for the Holidays to provide holiday cheer and a good meal on the table to families in need, and the Springfield Service Center, which will house
all our public-facing programs in Springfield, including Thrive financial coaching in English
and Spanish, our digital inclusion program
for technology donations and training, the emergency food and essentials pantry, and the Mass211/Call2Talk satellite call center.
KEY TEAM MEMBERS
Shalana Ali, Executive Assistant to the President
Alice Buckner, Resource Development Manager Lee Drewitz, Community
Programs Specialist
Moe Edwards, CFO Jennifer Fernandes, Senior
Thrive Financial Coach Jennifer Kinsman, Director
of Community Impact Noah Koski, Marketing and
Creative Services Specialist Paul Mina, President and CEO
Megan Moynihan, Director of Finance and Administration
Emmanuel Reyes, Thrive Financial Coach Alisha Santiago, Finance and
Administration Assistant Paulina Wysocka, Special Events and
Volunteering Coordinator Steve Wolf, IT Manager
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Jason Newmark, Chair Scott Grodsky, Vice Chair Denis Gagnon Jr., Past Chair Steven Lowell, Member at Large Daniel Finnegan, Secretary Brian Smith, Treasurer Paul Mina, Clerk Ex Officio Mary Beth Cooper
Julie Dialessi-Lafley Steven Gardner
David Griffin
Matt Maguire
Susan O’Connor Kathleen Plante
Moyah Smith
V. Van Johnson III Daniel Warwick Michael Weekes
Lora Wondolowski
40 DECEMBER 2021
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