The United Way of Manitowoc County has several big events coming up over several months.
Executive Director Ashley Bender spoke with Seehafernews.com about the organization’s 2nd annual Volunteer Impact Awards Breakfast happening on Thursday, April 16th, beginning at 8:15 a.m.
She called it a great way for the community to honor and thank the volunteers across the county who make good things happen at local nonprofits.
“We wanted to come together and collaborate on something that was big and helped lift up the spirit of our community,” she explained. “And volunteerism is a big part of that.”
Tickets cost $25 a person or $180 for a table of eight people.
Another event that’s happening for only its second year is the United Way’s Dolly Walk.
The fundraiser for the Dolly Parton Imagination Library will take place this year on the UW-Green Bay Manitowoc campus on Saturday, August 8th.
The program works by parents signing up their kids for free.
“They receive a book, right in their mailbox, once a month, until age five,” Bender noted. “And this helps build up at-home libraries, wherever at home is. It can be at a parent’s house, a caregiver, or even if they are living in a shelter, they will still receive those books.”
Bender says access to books is very important to help children before they start kindergarten.
The walk helps raise money to keep it free in Manitowoc County.
Next up will be the United Way’s Day of Action, which takes place on Friday, June 26th.
This event allows volunteers to do hands-on projects at different nonprofit organizations, so the community can learn more about them and get them connected.
She gave an example about the team going to Camp Tapawingo to do some work.
Bender described the project, saying, “We have a team of volunteers go out and clean up benches, sand them down, paint them, and get them ready for use out at the camp. And then they also helped prep and clean a room that was being set up for some activities and things that they were doing for students that are coming out in the summer.”
More information about each event can be found at unitedwaymanitowoccounty.org.
