Simply put, communities don’t succeed without people helping people. The backbone of any successful community relies on the collective efforts of many, and in particular, of those who lend a hand to those in need. We’re pleased to kick off a new series titled “How We Help”, featuring organizations around our region that are passionate about helping those who need it most. We caught up with Duane Vaughn, Executive Director at the Tri-County United Way to learn more about what they offer and the latest on how they’re making a positive impact.
How does the Tri-County United Way Help?
Tri-County United Way is an organization dedicated to helping people. We work to improve lives and make a positive impact in our communities by raising resources, both monetary and volunteer. We strive to do this through collaboration with others; encouraging volunteerism, and resolving community problems through identifying and communicating our community’s priority issues.
Right to left… The Tri-County United Way Team - Kristen Chlopecki, Chris McKenna, Duane Vaughn, Joan Prouty, Kathy Tolstrup, and Joanna Sheridan
Let’s talk about your team… who are they and what are their roles?
Kristin Chlopecki is our Director of Resource Development. Kristin fosters our giving programs, is a liaison for our various workplace campaigns and organizes events and our Community Investment Committee.
Chris McKenna is our Business Manager. Chris gives full time effort in her part time position making sure that proper oversight and management of all fiscal responsibilities here at the Tri-County United Way. Chris came to us with a wealth of experience in non-profit business management and makes sure that every donation is treated with critical responsibly.
Kathy Tolstrup, our Director of Community Engagement, started with us the first week of September of 2019. Kathy is currently working on creating an efficient system for connection to volunteerism through the United Way. We have set lofty goals in supporting volunteerism in our community and we are already making wonderful connections between our business community and local service agencies.
Joanna Sheridan is our Director of RSVP. Joanna is part-time and has two part-time support staff to coordinate volunteer opportunities for those over 55 years of age and provides medical transportation.
Joan Prouty is our VITA coordinator in Washington County. Joan’s ability to train volunteers in tax preparation and execute the VITA program has saved our local community thousands of dollars in tax prep fees and has been a tremendous asset to so many.
For those who may not be familiar, what are the most important things you would like people to know about The Tri-County United Way?
The Tri-County United Way works with the community to identify need. From our beginnings in 1923, we have strived to identify what are the most important issues in regards to the Health, Education and Financial Stability that affect our most vulnerable. When those needs are identified, the Tri-County United Way works with local agencies to support programming to solve those issues.
What makes TCUW unique in terms of the services it offers?
TCUW has been a trusted organization for community members to contribute to multiple community programs through one source. By giving through the Tri-County United Way, local agencies and the programs they provide can concentrate on their missions instead of spending valuable resources and time on fund development. The Tri-County United Way funds local agencies and initiatives through our allocations or investment committee. This is a committee of 22 local volunteers that carefully reviews all requests for funding and insures that all donations are treated ethically and responsibly. Community members also have the option to donate through us by a company employee campaign. Employees can elect to have an amount that they choose to come directly out of their company pay check to the United Way or to the agency that they would like to support.
Who are your member organizations? How do you help them?
Our member agencies are Adirondack Samaritan Counseling Center, Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Southern Adirondacks, Catholic Charities of Saratoga, Warren and Washington Counties Domestic Violence, Family Service Association, Greater Glens Falls Senior Citizens Center, Nearcare, The Salvation Army, Glens Falls Corps, and the The Senior Center of Kingsbury and Fort Edward. We also serve dozens of other local agencies through our donor designation program. These agencies are supported not only in monetary donations but through volunteer recruitment and in-kind services.
A few of the TCUW member organizations and the TCUW team… Max McDonnell, Kingsbury Senior Center, Kim Bren, Glens Falls Senior Center, Kathleen Hanchett, Nearcare, Kim Sopczyk, Family Services Association of Glens Falls, and Megan Bohan and Sonya Scally, Board Members, Adirondack Samaritan Counseling Center, Bill Moon, Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Southern Adirondacks.
Where do donations go?
Donations stay in our local, tri-county community. Funding for our partner agencies are for specific requests to fund projects that have a positive impact in our community. Whether it is a specific Tri-County United Way project or a program of our funded agency partners, every dollar is carefully vetted and given responsibly. After donations have been received, our Allocations Committee spends many volunteer hours reviewing requests and makes those hard decisions on how the funding will be allocated. This is a tough decision to make because the community ask is typically more than we have raised. We will continue to work hard until all programs to help those in most dire circumstances are funded to the fullest.
TCUW also offers several programs that make a direct impact on community members, can you briefly describe them?
“Stuff the Bus” is a weekend program that the Tri-County United Way and Community Work and Independence (CWI) combine with the assistance of Price Chopper and many other supporters to help supply 20 local food pantries with much needed food supplies. The event takes place every first week in November at the Price Chopper on Upper Glen St. in Queensbury. Shoppers can buy ready bagged $5 and $10 food supplies or purchase/drop off their own items and donate them outside the store in the CWI bus.
This year we are happy to report that we collected over 8.3 tons of food, nearly doubling our results from last year. We are grateful for our partnership with CWI, and the collective efforts of 42 businesses, 65 food collection sites, and over 105 volunteers impacting 20 regional food pantries. And most especially all of the many community individuals who donated to the cause! A full listing of the organizations who sponsored, volunteered, and hosted collection sites can be viewed by clicking here. Thank You!
Just a few of the volunteers at this year’s successful Stuff the Bus event…
Kids with Packs program is a program that has really take off. With the support of the Post Star, Target, Robert Nemer of Nemer Ford the Tri-County United Way we are able to purchase backpacks and fill them with needed school supplies for less fortunate children in local school districts get the start they deserve beginning every school year. This year we were able to stuff 568 backpacks for children k-4th grades in 17 schools in 9 school districts. We distribute the packs with supplies directly to the schools and to the teachers that have identified those in need. Our local teachers have been a huge help in this process and have come up with very creative ways to get these packs to the children so that they are not singled out in any way. We are always looking for more support for this program and our goal is to make backpacks and school supplies available to all children in need in all of our Tri-County service area and to make sure our wonderful local teachers are not spending their personal funds and time making these purchases.
VITA or Volunteer Income Tax Assistance is a program that runs throughout locations in Warren, Washington and Northern Saratoga Counties. VITA, through a large volunteer program, provides free tax preparation for anyone that has an income of $55,000 or less. Last tax season, we executed over 2000 tax returns at no cost to the community. This year we hope to continue to increase that total and will be opening a new site in Glens Falls. I was a volunteer tax preparer last year on Monday and Tuesday nights and I can attest by first-hand experience that it is a truly wonderful volunteer opportunity. We hope to increase our number of volunteers and are currently seeking more community members to get involved.
Swim United and the United Way Holiday dinner are two programs where we partner with the Great Escape. One day a year the Great Escape graciously allows us to bring in over 100 area youth that may never have the ability to use the water park for the evening. The United Way Holiday dinner is completely provided by the Great Escape and their staff. Dozens of Great Escape staff member volunteer an evening to provide a complete holiday sit down dinner for over 120 individuals and family members that may not have the means to provide a holiday feast. The Great Escape has gifts and activities for the children and Santa and Mrs. Claus are always in attendance.
RSVP or Retired Senior Volunteer Program is housed in our offices and provides projects for volunteers that are 55 and older. RSVP provides medical transportation for community members in need and many other programs like Osteobusters.
211 is a United Way initiative where if someone is in need of various social and human services, they can simply dial 2-1-1 and be connected to a live operator 24 hrs a day 7 days a week to be directed and connected to the service they may need. Some of those connections may be homeless services, heating assistance and food insecurity to name a few.
What does the future hold for the TCUW?
One of the great things for the Tri-County United Way is that like all 1400 United Way’s around the world, we are built to change with community needs. Our goal is to do our best to identify and work towards solving local problems through partnerships with community agencies. We look at the challenging issues that are at the core of communities and support the programs that are working to improve these circumstances in real time. The key is to keep fighting for the Health, Education and Financial stability of our community no matter what barriers present themselves.
How can people help? Volunteer? Donate?
The best way to donate or volunteer is to go to our website at www.tricountyunitedway.org. You can also follow us on Instagram, Twitter and of course Facebook.
