United Way of the Midlands Blog

Did you know there’s an easy way to save up to $20 or more on each of your prescriptions? By partnering with FamilyWise, United Way of the Midlands is offering free prescription cards that can do just that.

United Way of the Midlands is part of a nationwide grassroots effort in conjunction with FamilyWize Community Service Partnership. The free cards are accepted at 95 percent of pharmacies nationwide, including all major chains. Using a card to save on prescriptions doesn’t require enrollment or personal information, so they’re ready to use the minute you receive one.

“It’s easy, like using a coupon. Just take it to your local pharmacist, and they’ll know exactly what to do to automatically apply all the savings available to you,” says Dan Barnes, co-chair of FamilyWise.

In 2010, 16 percent of Americans weren’t able to fill a prescription because of cost. That number is estimated at 21 percent for 2011, according to a study by USA Today/Kaiser Family Foundation/Harvard School of Public Health. There were also more than 100 million Americans in 2011 who were uninsured for all or part of the year– about 35 percent of the population.

FamilyWize is free, does not require enrollment or personal information and is available to anyone. Discounts vary depending on the drug, but the program can save up to 75 percent. Average savings are 35%. This program could be the difference between providing the community with necessary medications, or choosing to forgo it due to high costs.

To get your FamilyWize discount card visit www.FamilyWize.org.

February is National Children’s Dental Health Month (CDHM).  The Division of Oral Health wants to make you aware of some of our upcoming activities and challenge you to take part in spreading the oral health message!

Every February, EdVenture Children’s Museum sponsors “Take Heart and Smile” month with activities centered around oral health and heart health.  Here is a list of the planned events for the month:

Tuesday, February 14, 2012, Family Night, (5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.)

• “Fun and Games that lead to healthy teeth!” – DHEC’s Oral Health Division
• Free Dental Screenings – by Columbia Dental Society

Saturday, February 18, 2012:

• Heart dissections at Museum – USC Medical Students
• Colgate Bright Smiles Bright Futures Van (11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. in front of museum)
• Heart Healthy/Oral Health Program in Bio-Investigations Lab (fluoride experiment and making toothpaste)

Saturday, February 25, 2012:

• Heart Healthy/Oral Health Program in Bio-Investigations Lab

In addition to these activities, the Columbia Marionette Theater is performing at schools across the state. Visit http://www.scdhec.sc.gov/health/mch/oral/puppet.htm for more information on the puppet show and how to sponsor one in your local area.

You can be involved in CDHM too!

• Volunteer at EdVenture (contact MK Jones for more information at kenyonm@dhec.sc.gov )
• Consider sponsoring the puppet show in your area.
• Donate your expertise and some toothbrushes to your local school or child care center.

Tell us how you’re getting involved this month to raise awareness for children’s dental health. Comment below!

United Way of the Midlands Palmetto Society is proud to announce that this year’s Humanitarian of the Year is John D. Baker.

John D. Baker

For this year’s award winner, giving back runs in the family. John D. Baker’s father, David, chaired the Columbia United Committees Fund Drive (the predecessor to the United Way). Shortly after attending a ceremony honoring his father, John got involved with March of Dimes, which he continues his involvement with to this day. In fact, he was awarded Elaine Whitelaw award, the highest honor ever bestowed on a March of Dimes volunteer at the March of Dimes National Volunteer Leadership conference.

John was one of the first supporters of the new Chabad Labovitch movement, which now runs a successful Jewish Day School in Columbia. He also served on the Richland County Public Library Board of Trustees, and after his chairmanship it was named Library of the Year in 2001 by the American Library Association. In 2000, John received the Trustee of the Year award given by the SC Association of Public Library Administrators. Later, John and his family helped bring Maurice Sendak, best known for Where the Wild Things Are, to the library.

John has been very involved in the United Way of the Midlands initiatives by helping to create funding for the Early Childhood Initiative, Vital Connections. He also formed Step Into Reading to raise money for books and put them into the hands of needy children. For all of his work with this program, John accepted the Corporate Citizen of the Year award from the Carolina’s chapter of Volunteers of America in 2001.

His achievements don’t stop there. The State of Israel Bonds in Columbia honored John in 2002 with the State of Israel’s Ben Gurion award for his years of service. John was also awarded the State’s highest honor, The Order of the Palmetto, by Gov. James Hodges. In addition, John received the Philanthropist of the Year award given by the state chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals.

Without a doubt, John D. Baker is deserving of this year’s Humanitarian of the Year award. He is currently married to the former Marcie Stern, of Columbia, and they have one child, Gabrielle, who is a junior at George Washington University.

Invitations to the Humanitarian of the Year Awards dinner have been mailed to our Palmetto Society and other donors. For more information about this event, click here.

Guest post from Karen Oliver, the Senior Director of Community Resources at United Way of the Midlands

I love it when organizations I respect agree with me.  That is the case with the Council on Foundations.

Did you know that “Whether or not you receive compensation as a board member or trustee, you can be held personally liable for the actions or inactions of the organization.” Even if there are protections available from state or federal statues, board members are pretty vulnerable without directors and officers insurance. Laws may provide immunity, but proving that immunity and good faith effort can be expensive.   I wouldn’t join a board unless I was sure the organization had “D & O.”

Blueprint for Leadership is a program that discusses not only board responsibilities but also risk management.  It helps folks develop the questions they want answered BEFORE they join a board.  Check out the program, and check out this article about other warnings for volunteer board members that Blueprint will address. We’re meeting the new recruits next week!

January is National Mentoring Month, and it is also the month we celebrate the legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr. and his dedication to service in the community.

In this spirit, United Way of the Midlands organized a Week of Action, taking place now, to highlight the importance of mentors and tutors in the community, especially the need for more African American male mentors.

The group BADD (Black Achievers Determined to be Different) kicked off the week by having 20 high school students spend an afternoon reading to children at the Ben Arnold Boys & Girls Club. Click here to see more pictures from yesterday’s volunteer opportunity. 

Bridgett Molony, Volunteer Center Manager chose to highlight BADD for the positive role they play in the community.

“The goal of this week is not only to honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. but to emphasize the need for African American male tutors and mentors in the community. We chose to highlight BADD because they are already a presence in the community filling this much needed role every day, not just during this week,” she said.

There were also volunteers participating at four other Boys & Girls Club sites in Richland and Fairfield County yesterday. Over 200 volunteers are expected to volunteer during this MLK Week of Action and will spend their time in shelters, afterschool programs and child development centers across the Midlands.

“Our hope is that our volunteers will connect with these agencies and continue volunteering year round,” said Molony. “Ongoing volunteerism is what will really start to make a difference.”

Volunteer opportunities are still available Wednesay, January 11^th from 9-11 a.m. and Friday, January 13^th from 9-11 a.m. To register, please email bmolony@uway.org.

CITY OF COLUMBIA COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT

NOTICE OF FUNDING AVAILIBLE (NOFA) FY 2012‐ 2013

REQUEST FOR APPLICATIONS (RFA)

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT (CDBG)

This Notice of Funding Available (NOFA) announces the availability of funding for the Program Year (PY) July 1, 2012 ‐ June 30, 2013 for the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program. The CDBG Program is funded and regulated at the federal level by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and administered locally by the City of Columbia, under the auspices of the Community Development Department. The CDBG Program is authorized under Title I of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974. The regulations implementing the CDBG Program are located in the 24 CFR, Part 570.

For more information, click here.

Members of the 2010 Blueprint for Leadership Class

One of my favorite activities at UWM is Blueprint for Leadership (BPL).  BPL prepares folks to serve on nonprofit boards and committees.  There are lots of great leadership programs in the Midlands, but none have the unique objective to prepare folks to lead nonprofit organizations.

I love BPL for lots of reasons, but because this is a short post, I’ll present three.

• First, I get to meet 20-30 new people who share the same interest, working with nonprofits. BPL participants may share this common interest, but their experiences and perspectives are diverse, such that there always is a lively conversation.
• Second, I have the opportunity to meet and talk to some of the best nonprofit staff people, consultants and volunteers around.  Most BPL sessions include an interview/ conversation with a local nonprofit professional.
• Finally, I get to hear how BPL participants would respond to certain situations because BPL uses case studies to present information.

Nonprofits operate to serve community interests.  Nonprofit board members act as stewards of those interests.  I think this is an important responsibility that shouldn’t be taken lightly.  Anyone interested in being a thoughtful, prepared board member in service to the community might want to join the 2012 BPL class.  Information and applications will be posted on our website in the coming week. The deadline to apply is January 12th. Check the link for more information, or stay tuned to the blog!

Greg, a professor at USC has spent more than 50 days on the SNAP diet! Below are his observations from the experience. 

In 2011, I spent 50 days on the SNAP diet. Encouraged by the United Way Financial Security Council, my wife and I decided to take the SNAP challenge for a 40-day stretch in May and June (with a one-day interruption for our 20th wedding anniversary).

This fall, we did another 10-day stretch while I was co-teaching a class on the geography of food at USC. Many of our 34 students in the class also took the challenge.

Greg’s rules: We should spend no more than $320 on food for the two of us for a 40-day period. We should not compromise nutrition.

What we learned:

1. It’s possible. We spent about $300 total and ate like Michael Pollan suggests: Eat real (not processed) food; Not too much; Mostly vegetables. We did have meat about 3-4 days each week.

2. It takes a lot of planning and time. Using whole foods is more nutritious, but the preparation time is longer. Shopping takes a lot longer. While I didn’t like the extra time shopping, I don’t regret the extra time cooking, and for families this can be valuable time together.

3. It’s boring. We made batches of food that sometimes lasted for 3-4 meals, typically a dinner and the next two lunches, sometimes more. For a couple of “foodies” this was a bit of a sacrifice. Oh, but what we could have done with more time!

4. It takes more energy. Dry beans are cheaper than canned beans, but part of this is because someone else used the energy to cook the canned beans. (We did not calculate the extra energy costs.)

5. It takes a village. Pot lucks are nice and we did a few of those. More importantly, we belong to a food coop where $10 buys us a big box of fruits and vegetables from the State Farmers Market. It takes a little organization to get a group of people to pool their resources.

6. We did not use coupons. Most coupons are for less nutritious products.

7. We did shop around. Honestly, we stiffed the supermarkets by going to 2-3 in a week (more energy) and buying only their particular specials. The point: we did not usually choose what to eat first, then look for it in the store. Instead we saw what the store had on special, or what we could afford, and made the most of that.

8. We did not eat out. Well, only once for a buy-one-get-one-free burger at Hardees. And yes, we stiffed them too — no fries and no drinks. We took it home, sliced a real tomato on it, and washed it down with water. Just $1.99 for two, and the American farm subsidies for corn and beef paid the rest.

9. We did not drink alcohol. We’re not big drinkers, but 50 days without a glass of wine was a bit of a sacrifice.

10. We are privileged. We’ve had the benefits of education to know how to eat well. Since we were students for a long time, we learned how to live frugally. We are in social circles that allow us to share readily.

Great observations about the other factors such as time, transportation and education that can impact a SNAP diet. Today’s article with more information: http://www.choosemyplate.gov/budget.html

Another update from Jennifer on the SNAP Challenge:

Last night’s dinner was half a chicken breast and a roasted zucchini cut in quarters. I was happy for the veggie, but must admit looked longingly at the salad our children were eating as well (they are not participating in the Challenge this week). Looking back at my shopping list I would have tried to make changes to include more vegetables. But, again, I reflect on the slim margin of error there is in shopping and preparing meals when on such a limited budget.  I’ve also been inspired by many of our SNAP Challenge participants this week detailing their meals. I’ve seen folks talking about low cost, healthy options. My project Sunday will be baking my own whole wheat bread!

I’m interested to see the proposal Senator DeMint releases today for entitlement reform. I’ll be looking to see how potential changes may affect programs like SNAP. I always support efficient, well run federal programs that monitor for waste or abuse, but know so many people in need depend on program like SNAP. Many children in our community fall behind their peers in their development and academic success just because they do not have sufficient food to eat.  During this week’s Challenge I have thought a lot about what I would do as a mother to protect my own children from food insecurity. In these insecure federal budget times, I’m also thinking of how we can all protect resources for people struggling in the Midlands.

Rebecca, a volunteer participant in the SNAP Challenges shares some of her experiences with the challenge. What do you think the hardest part about working within a budget is?

I got ready for the big day by going over the newspaper sales and coupons. Spent $80.00 so far. I planned the menu for the week based on what was available.

We eat breakfast at home everyday and take lunch (leftovers). For the evening meal we will have chicken and dumplings made from Sundays lunch, salmon patties with grits and okra with tomatoes. I will make split pea soup and cheese toast. Spaghetti pie for later in the week. We have a least one non starchy vegetable and fruit per meal. It is not easy and sometimes not fun sticking to a plan.

This high fiber cereal really looks better in person and who cares if they have to use chocolate milk to get it down. Add eggs and soy sausage ( yes we really eat this Monday-Friday)and everyone is full till lunch. No need for a snack. This helps with the price of soy sausage bought in bulk. Can’t afford Egglands Best on SNAP. It is hard to worry about what the chicken is eating while I am worrying about how to feed the family on $84 a week.

I used the leftover chicken from Sunday lunch and made broth from the carcass. Tried a new dumpling recipe using canned biscuits. The recipe said DON”T STIR. I didn’t but they fell apart any way. My family assured me it was tasty anyway. It is a good thing since they have to finish it tonight!

We’ll have more updates from Karen, Jennifer and Rebecca later in the week! Send any updates of your own to wbragg@uway.org.