As Koochiching County students return to their classrooms, so do United Way of Northeastern Minnesota (UWNEMN) programs, Buddy Backpacks and Smiles United.
At least 150 Koochiching County students at-risk of hunger will receive weekend meal kits full of nutritious, shelf stable food throughout the entire school year through UWNEMN’s Buddy Backpacks, while uninsured and under-insured Koochiching County children – and their parents (up to age 26) – will receive free or reduced-cost dental services in their local schools through Smiles United.
Both programs are made possible through donations to UWNEMN, which has been supporting Koochiching County since 2001.
While UWNEMN’s office is based on the Iron Range, the organization’s work in Koochiching County – and the fundraising needed to support that work – are kept separate. To launch the fall fundraising efforts, UWNEMN staff will be returning to the area this month to speak directly with Koochiching County residents and materials demonstrating UWNEMN’s local impact.
Local donations to UWNEMN support the school-based programs as well as year-round programs like: Imagination Library, which provides free monthly children ages 0-5; Comforts of Home, which supplies Koochiching County families experiencing housing crises with household goods to get back on their feet; and the United for Veterans program, from which funding and services are available to Koochiching County veterans.
In addition, UWNEMN also provides funding to Koochiching County nonprofits, including: the Salvation Army, Servants of Shelter, Friends Against Abuse, Falls Hunger Coalition, and Koochiching Aging Options.
UWNEMN Board Member and PCA/Boise Paper employee Julie Ehrman said she encourages friends, neighbors, and coworkers to “Give Where You Live” and support UWNEMN’s Koochiching County campaign.
“Without local funding support, UWNEMN’s programs are not possible in Koochiching County, and our local children need weekend meal kits, books in their homes, and preventative and restorative dental care,” Ehrman said. “Without local community members’ donations, UWNEMN will not be able to provide support to local nonprofits serving Koochiching County residents who need our help.”
Koochiching County resident and Boise Paper retiree Mike Silvers volunteers for the local Buddy Backpack program, delivering the meal kits to Koochiching County Schools, with the help of Walt Buller and Soren Oleson. Silvers says he hears directly from school staff about the impact the program has on local children.
“These are our kids, our grandkids, our neighbors, our nieces and nephews, and without funding from our residents, these children will not have this very necessary program available,” he said. “Our community members as volunteers and donors coming together to help others is what United Way is all about. People need to know that when you support UWNEMN, you support all of us in Koochiching County.”
Donations this year are especially important, Ehrman noted, as the popular Power of the Purse event – which in the past raised $17,000 - $20,000 for Koochiching County’s UWNEMN programming – will not be held this year.
“There were not enough volunteers able to dedicate the time needed to host the Power of the Purse successfully, as it is a huge undertaking,” she said.
Koochiching County residents’ support of this year’s UWNEMN campaign is critical to making local programming possible, UWNEMN Executive Director Shelley Valentini reiterated.
“Sometimes people hear ‘United Way’ and think of the worldwide organization,” Valentini said. “They don’t realize that gifts to local United Ways stay local. All United Way organizations are run independently; UWNEMN is an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
When you donate to support UWNEMN in Koochiching County, your dollars stay local. Funds raised in Koochiching County stay right here, allowing UWNEMN to provide needed services and to support critically important local nonprofits.”