 |
|
Dear Neighbor,
|
Happy New Year! It continues to be busy at the ABUW.
We are presently reviewing the agency mid-year reports to evaluate
the community impact of our awards and growing community
needs. We are about to begin the grant distribution process
for next year and grant applications, available on the
web site, are due March 22, 2010. Our campaign goes on as we
actively raise funds in support of our community!
If you've already made a contribution, thank you! If you have
not, please consider making a contribution
to the ABUW today! . |
Meet Our
New Treasurer!
|
We are very
happy to announce that Peter Ashton will be joining the ABUW's Board
of Directors in March to serve as our Treasurer. P eter is an experienced board member, having
served on the Acton Board of Selectmen for nine years from 1997 to
2006 and prior to that, on the Acton Finance Committee. Peter has
also served as Treasurer on two non-profit boards. He is President
of Innovation & Information Consultants, Inc., a consulting
business he started in 1984. Peter graduated from Colby College and
Columbia University with degrees in Economics and Business. He and
his wife, Mary Ann, have three children and have lived in Acton
since 1993.
We want to give special thanks to Steve Simpson
for his dedication and service to this community, serving as the
ABUW's Treasurer for the past three plus
years.
|
Youth In
Philanthropy - Working With the ABUW to Help the Local
Community
|
Teen
philanthropy is alive and well in Acton-Boxborough. The Youth in
Philanthropy (YIP) program, which works under the financial
direction of the ABUW, raises funds and makes grant allocations to
agencies that meet the needs of local residents. More than just an
after-school club, however, YIP follows a budget and allocation
process similar to that of the ABUW. YIP recently completed its
selection process and has decided to fund two out of the eleven
agencies that originally applied for grant money; English at Large
and Community Supper. At the ABRHS Community Service Awards ceremony
on Martin Luther King Day, YIP will grant $5,000 to each of these
organizations.
YIP representative and high-school student
Jenna Mullen explains that when deciding which agencies to fund, YIP
considered whether its money "would merely be a drop in the bucket
of a large organization or whether it would make a large difference
in its service." YIP also considered "the sustainability of the
program our money would fund and the need of the program in the
community." She describes how both English at  Large and the Community Supper are small
organizations that would greatly benefit from YIP money. English at
Large teaches English to non-native English speakers, so "YIP
recognized that its services were really changing the lives of the
learners." Community Supper, on the other hand, has suffered greatly
from the tough economic times just as an increased number of AB
residents are looking for food support.
When Jenna speaks
about her work with YIP, she describes the organization as being "a
different kind of community service club, because not only does it
make a great difference in our community, it is also able to
directly decide where to donate its money. Through the budget and
allocation process, YIP members learn a lot about the nonprofit
world and learn to become philanthropists."
To find out more
about YIP, call our office at 978-263-1777 or email abuw@abuw.org.
|
| Grant Allocations for 2009
|
Last year, the
ABUW allocated $106 thousand dollars to 24 local agencies. The chart
below shows the allocations grouped by 9 categories. This year,
agencies have already reported significant increases in need and are
counting on funds from the ABUW even more than last year. We are
working towards raising funds to adequately support these community
needs.
For a list of the agencies and how much was allocated
to each last year, click here.
|
|
 Give to Your
Community.
|
When you give to the Acton-Boxborough United Way, it's an
investment in your community. Click here to
donate securely online, or mail a check to the ABUW at P.O. Box
2258, Acton, MA 01720-6258. |
Give to
Haiti.
|
United Way Worldwide members in the Caribbean are working to
help those in need as well as to determine how to best aid Haiti's
long-term recovery. Click here to find
out how to donate to the United Way Disaster Recovery
Fund. |
| Participate. |
On Martin
Luther King day, high school students and ABUW board members Jenna
Mullen and Kelly Donovan received community service awards from the
Acton-Boxborough Regional High School.
Congratulations to Jenna and Kelly! The
ABUW is delighted to have both on our board of
directors!
|
Volunteer.
|
 Click here if you
are interested in volunteering your time to work with one of the
many agencies and organizations that serve our
area.
|
Get
Help.
|
Click here to see
a list of over a dozen organizations that are ready to help Acton
and Boxborough residents.
For a more complete list, click ABUW Local Human
Services Directory.
For Acton residents 60 or over,
contact Carol Steiner, Council on Aging, at 978-264-9643 or at csteiner@acton-ma.gov.
For Boxborough
residents, contact Laura Arsenault, Council on Aging Coordinator, at
978-263-1116 x106 or click here to send an
email.
|
Call Mass
2-1-1.
|
Call
Massachusetts 2-1-1 or visit www.mass211.org to find assistance for basic human needs, physical and mental health resources,
employment support, and support for children, families, senior
citizens, and people with disabilities.
Massachusetts 2-1-1
is available 24 hours-a-day, 7 days-a-week and is free, confidential
and staffed by trained counselors. Several languages are
spoken.
| |
|
|
