A woman seeking employment finds clothes for her job interviews through the Women’s Opportunity Center and becomes a full-time assistant manager at a local store. A teen trying to make friends joins a soccer group at the Greater Ithaca Activities Center and discovers a sense of belonging. An elderly man receives 12 meals each week through Foodnet Meals on Wheels. A young mother looks to the Child Development Council for advice on helping her autistic 18-month-old son.

Over the next few months, Vice President KyuJung Whang, 2013-14 Cornell United Way Campaign chair, and University Librarian Anne Kenney, co-chair, hope to bring such real-life examples of individuals benefiting from United Way support to the attention of the Cornell community.

“When people think of the United Way, they usually think of the large, national organization or of responses to sudden disasters,” Whang says. “They don’t think of the thousands of people in our local area who are helped each year through hundreds of programs that are supported by the United Way of Tompkins County.”

Kenney, who did an informal survey of library staff who have been helped by programs receiving United Way support, concurs. “We want Cornell students, staff and faculty to know that their pledges help people throughout Tompkins and surrounding counties, many from Cornell. Without your knowing it, the person working next to you, down the hall or at your bus stop could be a direct recipient of the support you give,” she says (see below).

“Directly or indirectly, we all benefit from the critical human services throughout our community that rely on United Way support,” says President David Skorton.

The 2013-14 United Way of Tompkins County campaign kicks off Sept. 20 with the 11th Annual Stephen E. Garner Day of Caring and the food, personal care items and school supplies drive. A noontime program will be held at the large pavilion at Stewart Park.

Boxes for the drive have been distributed across campus; members of the Cornell community are encouraged to contribute nonperishable goods, personal care items and school supplies for collection by Sept. 19. Cornell’s United Way campaign and the Cornell Student United Way campaign also begin Sept. 20.

Pledge cards will be distributed in October.

Library staff benefit from United Way

The experiences of library staff members demonstrate the wide range of local services that are supported by the United Way:

Jackie Beal, human resources, says that her two grandchildren enjoy programs offered through Ithaca Community Childcare Center Inc. (IC3): Her 2-year-old granddaughter goes to the intergenerational program at Kendal and her 5-year-old granddaughter attends IC3’s summer camp.

“My son loved AP physics as a junior and started thinking about picking a college based on this interest,” says Zsuzsa Koltay, Assessment and Communication. “But he really couldn’t imagine what life as a physicist would be like. … [The Learning Web] acted as a matchmaker to pair him up with a Cornell physicist this summer. They have been meeting twice a week, and as a result Matt has been involved in researching optical metrology.”

Eric Acree, Africana Library, says: “I have been involved with GIAC, mainly with programing events for teens… [including hosting] teen visits to the Africana Center, where I have shown films and lead discussions. … We have worked closely with GIAC in strengthening town-gown relationships, taking advantage of Afrika Bambaataa’s scholar in residence appointment.”

“The afterschool program at the YMCA is wonderful,” says Jennifer Sawyer, Library Alumni Affairs and Development. It provided flexibility for my son to take swimming lessons two days a week and then they offered ‘free swim’ on Fridays for the kids in the program, which he loved.”