From November 6 through 10, Sallie Mathis, Student Services Specialist, organized a fundraiser on the MCC Penn Valley campus for United Way. This year, their goal was to raise $8,000. In the past, the support of staff and students has been great enough to meet and exceed the financial goals of the organization.

United Way is a national organization which invests a tremendous amount of resources in the Kansas City area and across Missouri. They strive to improve lives by offering services to those who don't have them readily available. United Way supports families, neighborhoods, youth, seniors, health, and self-sufficiency.

Katie Sisil

Families and neighborhoods have reached out to United Way in job skill training, adult learning, health care, transportation, childcare programs like Operation Breakthrough, role modeling for children like The Boys and Girls Clubs, safety skills, and assistance with domestic violence, as well as emergency food and shelter programs. Every year, they host a Thanksgiving dinner and participate in Habitat for Humanity.

The Student Ambassadors Club was an integral component of the fundraising drive with its donation booth in the cafeteria. Every day of the fundraising week, they took dollar (or more) donations in exchange for raffle tickets or balloon bouquets. Every hour from 8am to 3:30pm, one student was allowed to draw a ticket, good for a variety of different prizes.

Some of the items given away in the raffle were gift certificates worth $10 at Discovery (an educational toy store), toys, music and computer headsets, food vouchers to the campus cafeteria, knife sets, gift baskets and a month long campus gym membership. Justin Braining, Ashley LaTore and Erica Colbert were a few of the lucky winners.

Katie Sisil, a sophomore and Student Ambassadors member, is proud to support the United Way: "It is important for everyone to know that United Way funds a variety of different projects around the Kansas City area," she said. "I support this organization on and off campus." Sisil manned the donation booth for several hours despite a heavy course load.

In connection with The Office of Campus Life and Leadership, several faculty members participated in the annual Pie In Your Face event. (For more information about the event, see our article.) Based on past participation, Terry Davin, biology instructor, will likely be putting himself in this vulnerable position for many years to come. "I have had a pie in the face for the last three years," Davin said. Asked why he participates, Davin stated, "It is just a good thing to do, for a good cause."

Bill and Christy Thomas, a married team of candlemakers, have long been supporters of United Way. Over the last nine years, they have donated 15% of their fundraising proceeds to the group. C&B creates unique gel candles and sells body oils, lotions, glycerin soaps and more.

"We do this to give back to our community. We want to influence people to have respect for others and build character," said Bill Thomas.

C&B also sponsors other groups by allowing them to create their own candles and sell them for donations. You can contact them by phone at (816) 756-1243.

If you would like to make a contribution to United Way or if you need assistance, contact them at The Heart of America United Way, 1080 Washington, Kansas City, Missouri, 64105. You may also reach them by phone at (816) 472-4289 or through their website, http://www.hauw.org.

For community convenience, United Way has many locations throughout the area.

Copyright 2006 Metropolitan Community College