We’ve been through a lot in 2020. And we still face significant uncertainty in the coming months and years. But this moment is also an opportunity to build a better future. One that includes every person in our community.

As our country and community recovers from the pandemic, we will see greater need for years to come. Consider this:

• 11 million Americans are unemployed (U.S. Department of Labor)
• 7% of the population of Columbia lives in poverty (Boone Indicators Dashboard)
• More than 1 in 10 don’t know where their next meal is coming from (Feeding America)
• 5% of Boone County residents are food insecure (Feeding America)
• 38% of Boone County residents experiencing food insecurity are above the income threshold for nutrition assistance programs (Feeding America)
• At least 30 million people are at risk of eviction (Aspen Institute)
• 1 in 7 students don’t graduate high school (National Center for Education Statistics)

Addressing these challenges will take every one of us. Every day Heart of Missouri United Way helps chip away at these problems. The progress we make is only possible because of donors like you. Please help us do more by giving today.

The future will be different than we once imagined. But it can also be better than we ever dreamed it could be.

Sincerely,

Andrew Grabau
Executive Director
Heart of Missouri United Way

P.S. Did you know that for most taxpayers, up to $300 of donations to charity are deductible in 2020? Please, give to Heart of Missouri United Way now.

Donate Here

While the active period of the Mizzou Heart of United Way Campaign has come to an end, there is still time to join the campaign! So far we have raised nearly $300,000 and we still hope to hit our goal of $400,000 by the end of the year.

For those hoping to give through payroll deduction, those pledges can be made at unitedway.missouri.edu until Dec. 15.

Live United Day – November 21

Join the Columbia community at Level Up Entertainment (in the Columbia Mall) on November 21. From 5-9 p.m. 50% of ALL REVENUE at Level Up will benefit United Way. Great way to support the community while having a fun night with your family.

Every additional person that we mobilize, every extra dollar that is donated, helps address critical needs in our community.

If you haven’t already given, please consider making a pledge for long-term impact in our community. You can make an electronic pledge at unitedway.missouri.edu.

If you have any questions about Heart of Missouri United Way or making a gift, please contact me.

Thanks for your support and your commitment to the community.

 

Thanks to everyone who participated in the Chili Kickoff!

On Wednesday, October 24 please bring in your baked goods, individually wrapped and priced. We will hold our United Way bake sale in 104 Ellis Library all day or until the treats run out! Anyone who brings in baked goods or buys baked goods will be entered in a raffle. The raffle prize is a pair of football tickets or a Libraries mug and umbrella.

There will be one final raffle drawing on Friday, October 26. Everyone who has participated by filling in the online or paper United Way form will be entered in this raffle.

Thanks to everyone for supporting our United Way campaign!

University Libraries United Way Committee
Sheila Voss, Chair
Michelle Baggett
Shannon Cary
Gwen Gray

For the past few years, the libraries have hosted a chili cook off to raise money to support the local United Way. I have the job of finding chili cooks for this year’s event which is on Thursday, October 18. So far, we have five pots of chili but need at least five more.

Logistics

Either Sheila, Shannon, or I will be at the loading dock on Thursday morning to meet people bringing chili.  We will take it to 4F51A and either reheat or make sure it stays warm.  We will also clean up your slow cooker afterward and store leftovers in a container that you can either pick up or leave for others to finish (assuming there are leftovers).

Let me know if you have any questions.

Thank you for considering,

Gwen Gray, grayg@missouri.edu

The 2018 United Way campaign has begun! This marks the 71^st year that Mizzou and the Heart of Missouri United Way have partnered together for this important cause.

Similar to last year, each division on campus will be asked to focus on giving during a 2-week mini-campaign. The Libraries campaign will be from Monday, October 15 to Friday, October 26. (You can also give before our mini-campaign starts.)

We will have a couple of events at the Libraries to encourage participation in the United Way campaign and to raise some additional money. The first event will be the Chili Kickoff on Thursday, October 18 from 11:30 am to 1 pm. Everyone is welcome, and a donation of $2 to $5 would be appreciated. We will also have some fun pay-to-play games during the Kickoff. In addition, this year we will have a bake sale on Wednesday, October 24 and a contest to see which department can donate the most pocket change. More details to come.

United Way supports a variety of very important programs in mid-Missouri. To learn more, please visit https://www.uwheartmo.org/.

You have several options for giving, either online or ask Sheila Voss for a pledge form. Don’t forget, you can give through payroll deduction.

Thanks to all of you for your time and participation in this year’s United Way campaign!

University Libraries United Way Committee
Sheila Voss, chair
Michelle Baggett
Shannon Cary
Gwen Gray