The need is great. Our affiliate agencies have submitted program funding applications for the 2015-16 year. Our planning & allocations committee volunteers have reviewed all the applications and are meeting now to make recommendations to our board of directors. Typically, and this year is no exception, the requests are more than United Way is able to award.

Fortunately, we are preparing to close a record-breaking campaign with a can’t-miss celebration coming up on Thursday, April 9, at the Plymouth Arts Center. Campaign Co-Chairs Kristin Bell-Abell and David Bolland will announce the final campaign number, we’ll learn a little more from Executive Director Jon Doll about United Way’s focus areas in Education, Income and Health, and we’ll also hear from 2015 Campaign Chair Dave Graebner, President of Aurora Sheboygan, about what’s to come next. Heavy hors d’oeuvres will be provided by United Way Affiliate Agency Nourish’s own Chef Todd and a cash bar will be available.

In addition to our co-chairs and vice chair, we will be unable to run our campaign without the help of more than 250 volunteers. These volunteers include all of the employee campaign coordinators who organize their companies’ campaigns, corporate leaders who publicly support and advocate for United Way and the following members of the 2014 Campaign Cabinet: Cabinet Leaders Lenny Melanz and Josh Neeb; Team Leaders Barbara Beck, Alejandra Briceno, Loraine O’Dell, John Schafer and Donna Wendlandt; and Cabinet Volunteers Kim Anderson, Kate Baer, Robin Callan, Diane Cline, Lucas Daane, Judy Demers, Ryan Gartman, Barb Horneck, Lisa Hurley, Brenda Mueller, Ginny Nyhuis, Laura Roenitz, Rachel Rupnik, Nick Stanislowski, Mary Ann Thielke, Scott Throndson, Deb Valenstein and Jennifer Vogler.

Make sure to attend the 2014 Campaign Celebration on April 9 to have a great time and thank our supporters and volunteers. We could not do it without you! Visit uwofsc.org/events for more information.

Don’t forget! April 12 – 18 is National Volunteer Week. To honor the week, we have partnered with UW-Sheboygan and the LTC Culinary Institute to bring the community its first Volunteer Fair. Join us on Thursday, April 16 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Commons Area at UW-Sheboygan. Twenty-six local nonprofits will be there, waiting to meet you and let you know how your skills and talents can help. This is a great way to get involved if you have been thinking of volunteering. You will be able to learn quite a bit about a diverse group of organizations and choose one or more that fit your passions.  If you show up between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. you can enjoy tastes of the fabulous food that the students of the LTC Culinary Institute prepared to celebrate the event and also honor National Volunteer Week.  Make it a point to stop on by! This event is free and open to all. More details can be found at www.uwofsc.org/events.