2014 Community Campaign goal will be revealed from the Historic Denis Sullivan Schooner
On Tuesday, September 3rd, several individuals whose lives have been transformed by United Way-funded programs shared their amazing stories of success during United Way of Greater Milwaukee’s 2014 Community Campaign Kickoff.
More than 400 business professionals, city officials, and community partners were on hand as United Way announced its 2014 Community Campaign Goal.
The event started at 5:00 p.m. and ended at 8:00 p.m. and took place in front of the historic Denis Sullivan sailing vessel at Discovery World on Harbor Drive, in downtown Milwaukee.
There, author and poet Delvyn Crawford, in his moving spoken word performance, told the story of his harsh upbringing and how education and organizations funded by United Way made a difference in his life. Crawford is a fatherhood specialist for Next Door, a United Way funded agency.
Milwaukee Area Technical College student, Charles Grant, fell into the wrong crowd as a teen, dropped out of high school, and ended up in jail. However, thanks to a United Way-funded program, Charles was able to earn his GED and is now pursuing a business degree.
His goal is to start a foundation to support activities that would help kids stay in school and off the streets.
Gretchen and Phil were able to stay together as they faced the many challenged brought on by Gretchen’s multiple sclerosis, thanks to the United Way-funded Aurora Visiting Nurse Association’s Home Health Services. Phil, who was involved with the Milwaukee’s United Way campaign for a number of years, says he has seen first-hand how United Way programs can benefit us all.
Melissa and Angela Vernon are two young women who are among the hundreds who have benefited from United Way-funded “Making Proud Choices” curriculum, which is an integral part of United Way’s successful Teen Pregnancy Prevention Initiative.
The girls now serve as mentors to other young girls.
All of the above attended the Campaign Kickoff.
They are beneficiaries of programming and funding provided by the United Way of Greater Milwaukee, an organization that aims to advance the common good by creating opportunities for a better life for all.
The non-profit focuses on education, income, and health — what they consider to be the building block for a good quality of life.
