Carpe Opportunitas: COR 2011 Annual Meeting & Give 11 in 2011 Campaigin Kickoff

6:11 p.m. | EdVenture Museum | Complimentary Admission

If you could do one thing to make our community a better place,
what would it be?
Make a difference in your community and the lives of fellow Columbians.

Join forces with COR, Columbia Mayor Steve Benjamin, Columbia City Council,
the Greater Columbia Chamber of Commerce and the Navigating from Good to Great Foundation
in the Give 11 in 2011 Campaign.

1. Networking opportunities with like-minded young professionals, area business and non-profit organizations.

2. Relevant information from a series of talks on Community Involvement (given by Mayor Benjamin), the Path to Personal Leadership (given by State Representative Bakari Sellers) and the Power of Personal Branding (given by Doreen Sullivan, president and Owner of Post No Bills).

3. Unique opportunity to join COR and our partnership organizations in the Give 11 in 2011 Campaign.

4. Learn about our community by visiting information tables hosted by COR, the Greater Columbia Chamber of Commerce, United Way of the Midlands, City of Columbia and local advertising and public relations agency Post No Bills.

Advance registration preferred: http://cor2011annualmeeting.eventbrite.com/
Visit www.ourcor.org or www.facebook.com/ColumbiaOpportunityResource for additional information.
Questions? Contact Katherine Swartz at 803.733.1123 or katherine.swartz@ourcor.org

COR NOW | News of the Week | 12.22.2009

Thank you for supporting Columbia Opportunity Resource COR in our mission to make the Midlands a better place to live, work, learn, play and grow!

Thanks to your support, this year we exceeded our $100,000 community impact goal. In 2010 we'll introduce "COR 2.0," to raise the bar for ourselves, our members and our community.

Until then, all the best this holiday season!

Yours in service,

The COR Board of Directors

info@ourcor.org

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Hunger and Homeless Awareness Week Activities & Press Conference 11/16

United Way of the Midlands
1800 Main Street
Columbia, SC 29201
tel 803.733.7312 or 803.733.5400
www.uway.org

Media Contact:
Joey Wallace
Manager, Communications
803.748.7282
jwallace@uway.org


UNITED WAY OF THE MIDLANDS AND THE MIDLANDS AREA CONSORTIUM FOR THE HOMELESS TO REPORT THE 2009 HOMELESS COUNT RESULTS

What:
United Way of the Midlands and the Midlands Area Consortium for the Homeless (MACH) are hosting a press conference to report the results of the 2009 Homeless Count.
All members of the media and the community are welcome to attend this brief presentation for a special announcement about the state of homelessness in our community. Anita Floyd, United Way of the Midlands Vice President of Community Impact, will present the results of the 2009 Homeless Count.

Following the press conference, the Midlands Interfaith Homeless Action Council (MIHAC) will hold a prayer service for people who are homeless.

Who:
Hosted by United Way of the Midlands and MACH
Remarks will be made by
• Donny Supplee, Chair of the Board of Directors for MACH
• Allen Tipping, 2009 MACH Count Coordinator
• Anita Floyd, Vice President Community Impact, United Way of the Midlands

These speakers as well as Jennifer Moore, Director of United Way of the Midlands Financial Stability Council, will be available following the briefing for interviews.

When:
Monday, November 16
11:00 AM

The prayer service sponsored by MIHAC will be held in the Keenan Chapel and will begin at 12:00 PM.

Where:
Trinity Episcopal Church
1100 Sumter St
Columbia, SC 29201

The press conference will be held in Satterlee Hall in the administration building. Enter through the wooden doors from the 1300 block of Sumter Street.

Did you know:
• There are over 1,000 people on a given day literally living on the streets and in shelters
• Many more people experience homelessness during the year or live ‘doubled-up’ with family or friends with no other place to call home
• Homelessness in Richland County has increased 16% in the past two years.
• 1 in 5 homeless adults in the Midlands are veterans.

Another way to lend your hand:
In support of Hunger and Homeless Awareness week November 15-21, United Way of the Midlands and MIHAC are also hosting the Hands for the Homeless Supply Drive. Companies across the Midlands are showing their support by collecting toothpaste, toothbrushes, new socks, new washcloths and other toiletry items that will be used to assemble personal care kits and will be distributed to the homeless during the week of Thanksgiving. (Dates of assembly and distribution are TBD.) There is still time to get involved!

How you can help:
• Collect personal care items until November 25 and drop off completed ‘kits’ in quart or gallon size zip-lock bags.
• Drop off bulk items if you are not able to pre-sort.
• Volunteer to help sort and distribute items.

Donations should be dropped off to Trenholm Road United Methodist Church (3401 Trenholm Road) from November 16-25, Monday-Friday between 8 AM and 4 PM.

Kits will be delivered to the following agencies: Catholic Charities, The Cooperative Ministry, Good Samaritan Clinic, Harvest Hope Food Bank, Lexington Interfaith Community Services, Mental Illness Recovery Center, Inc., Oliver Gospel Mission, Salvation Army, Sistercare, The Winter Shelter and others.

If you have questions about anything in this release, please contact Jennifer Moore at jmoore@uway.org or 803.733.5421.

###

About United Way of the Midlands
United Way of the Midlands is the most organized, efficient and accountable system for investing in the community. With over 80 certified partner agencies, United Way works to identify and respond to the critical human service needs of Calhoun, Fairfield, Lexington, Newberry, Orangeburg and Richland counties. Funds are raised through workplace campaigns, grant writing and individual donations. For more information, please visit www.uway.org.

SC Lt. Governor Andre Bauer Goes Barefoot! Join Bauer in touching the lives of 46,000 children by kindly making a donation. Every $5 touches a child.

Hope Delivered To South Carolina Families

46,000 children in the state of South Carolina will receive a pair of shoes as part of Lt. Governor Andre Bauer’s partnership with Samaritan’s Feet. The shoe recipients are students who are on free and price-reduced lunch programs.

Thousands of South Carolina residents will have their feet washed, given a new pair of shoes, and touched with a message of hope through a partnership between Samaritan’s Feet, Department of Social Services, United Way, South Carolina Department of Education and churches throughout the state. Samaritan's Feet (www.samaritansfeet.org) is a humanitarian relief organization that puts shoes on kid's feet all around the world. They will partner with hundreds of volunteers to give these children a pair of shoes. The shoe distribution will take place at various locations in all 46 counties in the state.

Train to Become a Future Board Member

Blueprint for Leadership is United Way of the Midlands’ comprehensive community leadership and board development program. Participants in this program can expect a challenging curriculum that prepares them to assume volunteer leadership roles within the nonprofit sector and helps them achieve their highest potential by working to place them on local boards. Since its inception in 1989, Blueprint for Leadership graduates have served in leading community roles and on nonprofit boards throughout the Midlands.

The Blueprint for Leadership program utilizes a combination of classes and practical experiences to help participants develop leadership skills, increase knowledge of the community and acquire the skills necessary to be successful community leaders. The first class will be held on February 12, and the remaining seven classes will continue on the second and fourth Thursdays of the month through May with graduation in June. Class members are also invited to the Young Leaders Society social on the evening of January 28 at Solstice.

Class topics include:
• Board Membership in Perspective - United Way 101
• Board Member Responsibility - Roles
• Board Member Responsibility - Fundraising
• Board Members and Governance
• Social Service Delivery: Developing Outcome-Based Programs
• Diversity: Expanding the Paradigm of Board, Staff, and Programs
• Emerging Trends in the Nonprofit Sector

Cost:
Corporate sponsorship is $500, public sector (government) and nonprofit sponsorship is $250 per participant. Tuition must be submitted by the time of the first class session.

How to Apply:
Applications may be found at http://www.uway.org and are due to United Way of the Midlands by January 21, 2009. If you are a member of COR, you should submit your scholarship application by January 16, 2009 to info@ourcor.org.

Join Other Midlands Leaders for a Special Announcement

We invite you to join with other Midlands community and business leaders for an exciting public announcement and briefing on an extraordinary coalition and a new comprehensive plan to address homelessness in our community. For the past several years, businesses, downtown development leaders, human service agencies, housing and faith-based community leadership have worked together to develop a comprehensive approach to homelessness and the means to achieve it. Please join us on June 26 for a major announcement on a comprehensive new beginning to address the issues surrounding homelessness and better meet the needs of the homeless. For more information, call Mac Bennett at 803.733.5410

Help United Way of the Midlands win the National United Way Facebook challenge!

http://apps.facebook.com/causes/94501?recruiter_id=2633866

VOLUNTEER...LIVE UNITED in SC

United Way of America, the national United Way organization, is hosting a facebook challenge. There will be three phases. The first phase involves recruiting as many people as possible to our cause. This phase will run from June 21-June 28 so we have one week to get as many people as possible to support the cause. There are cash prizes for United Way of the Midlands so invite all your friends!

If United Way of the Midlands has the most members added during the contest, it will receive a $2,500 grant for its local United Way and young adult programs. Second place gets $1,500 and third gets $1,000.
Contest Starts: June 21 12:00am
Contest Ends: June 27 11:59pm

Give. Advocate. Volunteer. LIVE UNITED!

Young Leaders Society - Learning with Leaders - June 24, 2008

Date: June 24, 2008

Business Etiquette - It's more than just eating with the right fork!

Date: Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Time: Registration begins at 5 p.m. - Program begins promptly at 5:30 p.m.
Venue: The Inn at USC - 1619 Pendleton Street, Columbia, SC 29201
Parking will be available in the parking lot in front of The Inn and in the Senate Street garage.

Cost: Free to YLS members, $10 for non-members
YLS members should register by emailing yls@uway.org.
Non-members register here.


Susan V. Benesh will give a one-hour seminar on business etiquette that includes a question and answer session. Ms. Benesh provides contemporary etiquette and protocol services to individuals in the corporate, professional and social arena and is active in corporate and special event planning with more than 20 years experience. Ms. Benesh is a veteran of business etiquette in the U.S. as well as internationally, traveling on this basis to more than 15 countries throughout Latin America, the Asian Pacific and Europe. Ms Benesh received training and is certified in business etiquette and international protocol by the Protocol School of Washington. Ms. Benesh has been featured on CNN as well as local television for her knowledge and expertise on entertaining and event planning.

REGISTER FOR THIS EVENT

Volunteer with United Way of the Midlands

The United Way of the Midlands Volunteer Center offers a unique way to find and share volunteer opportunities in and around the Midlands. You can register and search for volunteer opportunities with their partner agencies based on your interests:
http://volunteer.united-e-way.org/uwotm-2/volunteer/

As a user you will be able to find opportunities that you feel passionate about, log your hours and find unique alternatives to give back to the community.