Helping children succeed is a focus area in UWNEMN’s investment plan, and how better to determine ways to do that than ask local youth themselves?

At UWNEMN we are grateful year after year to year to see how both large and small businesses consistently show up to support our partners, programs, and initiatives in our service area.

United Way of Northeastern Minnesota (UWNEMN) is proud to announce that longtime volunteer Ray Erspamer was awarded the Minnesota Alliance for Volunteer Advancement (MAVA)’s Excellence in Volunteerism Award this week in recognition of his years of commitment to UWNEMN, its partner agencies, and its programs.

With more mentee referrals yet to come, there are currently 17 local children awaiting a mentor to be paired with this school year through United Way of Northeastern Minnesota (UWNEMN)’s Lunch Buddies mentoring program.

236 area students participated in the third year of Community Steps – a partnership between United Way of Northeastern Minnesota (UWNEMN) and the Mountain Iron Fire Department (MIFD).

33 local children participated in the first-ever United Way of Northeastern Minnesota (UWNEMN) Community Steps event in Koochiching County August 9th.

Community Steps began as a collaboration between the Mountain Iron Fire Department and UWNEMN three years ago.

What’s your “why”? Why do you invest both time and through monetary donations to UWNEMN? I have always enjoyed volunteering and working with others who feel the same. It does not take much to make a difference in someone’s life which in turn enriches mine.

United Way of Northeastern Minnesota (UWNEMN)’s service territory covers the largest United Way geographical area in the state (there are 34 independently run United Ways in our state and 2,200 United Ways across the nation), which means that we need to work hard to find creative solutions that serve many different communities, all with varying needs.

When Derek DuSold volunteered to mentor a local elementary student “as a favor to a close friend” last school year, he had no idea the impact it would make – for both his mentee and himself.

Forty local children will “start off on the right foot” for this upcoming school year when United Way of Northeastern Minnesota (UWNEMN) brings the Community Steps program to International Falls.