By the Way: News from United Way of Lebanon County (November 2019)

By the Way...

Here's Our CEO's Perspective of the “Work With Us” Employment Celebration

Thank You for Helping Us Improve Early Literacy Throughout Lebanon County

Have You Heard About Our Reading Friends Volunteer Program?

Cold Weather is Coming; Help Our Neighbors in Need Through LIVE WARM

Do You Know ALICE?

Upcoming Events

"Work With Us" Employment Celebration
A Message from Brooke Smith, United Way CEO

Humbled, hopeful, and heart-warmed is how I felt after attending the “Work With Us” Employment Banquet on October 17 at Salem Lutheran Church. This gathering celebrated the accomplishments of various individuals from our community who, with the support of job coaches, have found their niche in employment. As I looked around me, I saw the faces of parents beaming with pride and pure joy from individuals who were given a chance to utilize their unique abilities in the workplace. There was an overwhelming sense of camaraderie, and community, among the group as they truly celebrated the collective accomplishments of all. There were hugs, tears, and smiles from ear-to-ear while each individual celebrated the fact that they beat the odds, overcame barriers, and found a way to contribute to the workforce. We all desire the opportunity to feel a sense of purpose and belonging. This is exactly what these individuals have found in community employment.

United Way partners with the Lebanon County Employment Collaborative to help individuals with disabilities in our community find and sustain gainful community-based employment to improve their quality of life. This collaborative is comprised of two organizations, Quest and DDS, who have a combined 118 years of experience providing services in Lebanon County. Both organizations, are part of the larger “Work With Us” Coalition. This is an alliance of individuals, organizations, and employers who believe that all people in Lebanon County should have the opportunity to work in a safe, accessible, biased-free work environment. This group meets monthly to share ideas, educate, and advocate. They host this banquet annually to honor local employees who have excelled and to highlight employers who have displayed extraordinary support to all employees, regardless of their unique abilities.

Quest and DDS have both traditionally offered employment support, one independent of the other. This year, the two groups made the joint decision to formalize a partnership to maximize their reach. This example of a collaborative approach to serving the same target population directly aligns with United Way’s renewed investment strategies. This step is monumental in a world in which nonprofits are often competing for funding. As responsible stewards of limited community support, United Way volunteer review panels gave preference to requests for funding that demonstrated a solid strategy for how organizations could come together to create a larger impact. Often the challenges our community members are facing today are so complex that no one organization can address the complexity alone.

The Lebanon County Employment Collaborative is just one example of the positive partnerships that have evolved through United Way of Lebanon County’s transition to collective impact. As I’m meeting with groups and organizations, leaders are realizing the benefits of sharing resources and a vision across organization boundaries. You have larger agencies with greater capacity serving as a backbone, while smaller niche organizations are able to provide services in their expertise. Everyone is bringing something different to the table in a way the complements the greater mission of the group. This approach is not without its challenges, but nothing great comes easy. We will continue to support, learn, and challenge one another in this work to break down barriers and create a stronger Lebanon County for all.

 .  .   .  

Improving Early Literacy Throughout Lebanon County

Thanks to the support of generous members of our community like you, we’re able to support programs that are making a difference for our county’s young learners. 

2019 Summer Learning Program (County-wide)

We know that it’s important to connect early learners to positive literacy experience both within their schools and outside of school walls to help them develop an appreciation for reading, which leads to increased academic success as well as continual learning beyond their education. This summer, libraries across our county hosted interactive, literacy-based learning programs. Summer learning activities help to prevent the summer slide, which happens when students break from their education and aren’t engaged in learning. This year’s theme was “A Universe of Stories.” Thousands of children and adults attended these enrichment activities at their local libraries. 93% of kids surveyed reported learning something new, and 88% reported being a better reading after participating in the Summer Learning Program. More than 230 children registered for their first library cards this summer! 

Raising A Reader (Myerstown)

The Raising A Reader program is a collaboration between the Myerstown Community Library and Jackson Elementary School. While new to our community, the evidence-based reading program has been making an impact nationally on family engagement, language, and early literacy skills for 20 years. Jackson Elementary School in the ELCO School District is a Title I school, which is a federally funded program that is set up to bridge the educational gap where the need exists in schools between low-income children and other students. Currently, only 60% of Jackson Elementary students are reading on grade level proficiently. By implementing the Raising A Reader program, the school and library are working together to change this narrative for our children.

Each week, approximately 80 kindergarten students in four classrooms will receive a red bag with 2-3 books from Foundation, STEM, and Multicultural sets of books that parents are encouraged to read with their children each evening. "My son loves getting his bag on Monday of new books from the library," said one father. In addition, four theme family events will happen during the program that correlate to what the kids are learning in the classrooms. Raising A Reader supports kindergartners as they learn to read while fostering a love of learning while engaging families in their children’s education. 

Education & Health Collaborative (Palmyra)

This collaboration is breaking barriers for children ages three through eighth grade by improving academic performance, ensuringe equal access to educational opportunities, and increasing family security. Palmyra Public Library provides Little Explorers Early Learning Outreach classes to children ages three -five, which include literacy, STEM, motor skills development, and social interaction skills - as well as free lunch provided by The Caring Cupboard. In addition to providing nutritional food for the children, The Caring Cupboard serves as a community navigator for families in need to provide information and direct them to support services that can help their individual situations. For kids grades three - eight, Phoenix Youth Center afterschool homework help and informational workshops that includes guidance from staff and volunteers as well as a healthy snack for students who finish their work. The Center also works with kids during the summer months with free, one-to-one tutoring to help prevent the summer slide and/or increase academic performace in areas students may be struggling. This past summer, over 90% of participating students acheived the goal of resisting the summer slide. In fact, there was even an 28% increase in math and 24% increase in reading score averages when comparing pre- and post- tests. 

 .   .   .  

-back to top-