Great Jewel Osco iTunes Offer: Use to start your food drive.

Jewel Osco has a great deal we just saw in our weekly ad that ends this Wednesday, July 14: Buy $30 in P& G products (Charmin, Tide, Iams, Pampers, Bounty, Pantene ProV, Olay, Crest, and more) and get a $15 iTunes Gift Card. Our first thought was of our annual Day of Caring, which again will have a food drive focus—buy $30 worth of products for our local pantries and reward yourself with a $15 gift card so you can download that new album you’ve been eying.

Examples of qualifying products are in the ad. As you can see, there’s quite a selection. Good products to purchase for donation include the toiletries, like shampoos, conditioners, toothpastes, and deodorants. So take advantage of the great offer and use it for a good cause. Look for more details about our Day of Caring food drive by signing up for our monthly eblast on our website.

What does it mean to Live United? New cool video!

We’ve been urging you to “Live United”, but what exactly does that mean? Watch the video to find out several ways you can work to Live United. From making someone laugh to advocating for a cause, you can find opportunities to Live United every day. Do your part. Plant a seed. Watch it grow. Live United.

It’s National Volunteer Week: Thank you to our volunteers!

You share your time, your expertise and your passion. You inspire us and the people around you. And, this community is better because of you. That’s really what it means to LIVE UNITED. In celebration of National Volunteer Week 2010, United Way of Elgin salutes the people who don’t just wear the shirt, they live it. Whether you volunteer for United Way, a local nonprofit, a school or your church, you’re making a difference.  And, thanks to you, we’re creating opportunities for a good life for all.

Celebrate National Volunteer Week by searching opportunities at Elgin-area nonprofits.

Enjoy the Elgin YMCA’s Healthy Kids Day April 17

The Elgin YMCA will be hosting “Healthy Kids Day.” Event details:

• Who: Kids and families
• When: Saturday, April 17, 10AM-1PM
• Where: Elgin Community College Business Center, 1700 Spartan Dr.

The day includes a free health fair, games, workshops, a special appearance, giveaways, and more. Kids are sure to enjoy the Elgin Fire Department trucks; kids yoga; martial arts, football, cheer, boxing and soccer demonstrations and drills; and inkless kid’s safety fingerprinting. Families will enjoy the cooking demonstration, family zumba, and picking up health and summer camp info.

Volunteer to help Elgin-area education programs

We at United Way understand the importance of education. As we pointed out last week in our Education Highlight, it’s one of our three main focus areas, and we have several education impact programs and initiatives directed at helping children and youth achieve their full potential.

The recent district education budget cuts are disheartening for all involved, and have truly aimed a spotlight on available education opportunities in our community. We just want to acknowledge that, while the district is currently struggling, a lot is happening in the community to improve education and help children continue to succeed. With the budget cuts, some of the programs United Way of Elgin supports will be needed more than ever. Read up on those education programs we support here.

If you’d like to get involved and volunteer for various community education programs, here are a few current opportunities:

• Help kids with their homework at the Boys and Girls Club after school program.
• Tutor elementary students at the Salvation Army
• Teach basic reading or English as a Second Language at the Literacy Connection
• Be a classroom assistant for One Hope United

You can also donate $30 to sponsor free books for one child for a year through our Dolly Parton Imagination Library.

Boys & Girls Club week officially declared March 21-27

On Wednesday, March 10th, Mayor Ed Schock and the Elgin City Council declared March 21-27 Boys & Girls Club Week.

As part of a national celebration with Clubs across the country, the Boys & Girls Club of Elgin will be hosting “Game Show Week” and will have some fun events for members including:

• Members doing 30 minutes of silent reading will get one vote for the staff member pie in the face contest.
• Teens that bring a friend will be entered into a special drawing.
• Every member will vote on the color of new membership cards.
• On Friday, March 26, the Club will have a special pep rally for Alejandra, who goes to Champaign to compete in the state Youth of the Year competition!

The Boys & Girls Club of Elgin offers after-school and summer programs for at-risk youth. From 2-6pm the Club needs volunteers to help with homework, facilitate art projects, and play games with elementary-age children. In the evenings, mentoring opportunities are available with teen members. Only an hour a week can really make the difference in a child’s life! To learn more, check out the Boys & Girls Club volunteer opportunity.

The United Way of Elgin supports the Boys & Girls Club through its “Project Learn” program. The Boys & Girls Club of Elgin is not just a place to hang out. In its three different locations: the Clubhouse; Ellis Middle School; and Larsen Middle School, the Club offers a multitude of different programs for its members. The Project Learn program offers high-yield learning activities, which include leisure reading, writing activities, discussions with knowledgeable adults, helping others, homework help and tutoring, and games like spelling bees, trivia games, math bingo, etc. that help to develop young people’s cognitive skills. You can read more about Education programs United Way of Elgin supports to help children and youth be successful in school.