United Way's Virtual Day of Action

On June 21, the longest day of the year, United Way is calling to action volunteers across greater Stark County to dig deeper to the root causes of our community’s challenges.

Virtual Day of Action mobilizes individuals, families, businesses and organizations to make a difference in United Way’s top three priorities in addressing underlying causes.

Living united means being part of the change. It takes everyone in the community working together to create a brighter future. June 21 is a perfect day for you to let your action speak louder than words!

Tell us how YOU took action! Describe your volunteer activity in an email to Kimberly Douce, director of volunteer resources, and receive a free LIVE UNITED T-shirt!

199 Ways to Take Action on June 21 and Beyond

Stark County celebrates its’ 199th birthday in 2008. Here are 199 ways, organized by root-cause priority,  that anyone can volunteer, lead by example and make a difference in our county:

Early Education & Care Community Priority
Children ages 0-8 enrolled in affordable, quality early education and care programs who are from families at 300% or less of poverty guidelines

1. Bake and decorate cookies with your children to teach math and science skills
2. Build an outdoor classroom at a local school
3. Collect art supplies for children in need   
4. Collect books to distribute to families who might not otherwise own books
5. Collect materials that can be reused into great arts and craft projects and donate them
6. Collect school supplies and book bags for children in need
7. Coordinate a book drive for a school or early care facility
8. Create a butterfly garden for an organization working with children
9. Create a nature trail on school grounds
10. Create safe Halloween kits (flashlight, reflective bag, etc.)
11. Donate your favorite (healthy!) snack to give to children in need
12. Help organize class events at a local school such as a field trip, party or career day
13. Help teach a younger child to read
14. Make a first-day-of-school package with school supplies for children in need
15. Make booboo bunnies for children to receive at a health clinic or at school
16. Make bulletin board decorations for a local elementary school
17. Organize a neighborhood walk-to-school group to accompany neighborhood children to school each day of the week
18. Perform a puppet show at a local library
19. Plan a special event, outing or field trip for kids in a low-income preschool
20. Plan and share craft projects with other children
21. Teach children a special crafting skill
22. Teach computer skills to children
23. Teach music lessons to children in need
24. Help low-income children become familiar with the library and foster their love of reading
25. Educate new parents on autism awareness and early signs
26. Write and sing a catchy song to children so they learn good manners
27. Read with children at a local hospital or wellness center
28. Make flashcards with letters and numbers for students at a pre-school to take home
29. Help low-income families register for kindergarten
30. Take a child to the library and help them sign up for a library card
31. Commit to taking a child to the library once or twice a month. 

Graduation & Training Community Priority
Youth obtain high school diploma or equivalent and continue post-secondary education or training

32. Be a homework helper in an after-school program
33. Contact your legislative officials to advocate funding for education
34. Donate used school books to your local library
35. Donate used computers to schools or community centers
36. Have your workplace partner with a local school for a job shadow day
37. Help children at a local shelter develop greater self-esteem and confidence by giving them individual attention and working with them to enhance their academic skills
38. Mentor a young person to help them fulfill their potential
39. Teach a class on diversity and tolerance at a local community center
40. Participate in a job shadow day
41. Sponsor teachers to attend professional development programs to improve the quality of education
42. Start a club in your neighborhood to support a local school
43. Take high school students on a college tour
44. Teach a photography, art, music or language class to low-income students
45. Tutor an individual learning English as a second language
46. Volunteer at a local shelter to improve literacy
47. Help prepare students for the ACT/ SAT tests
48. Teach students proper study habits at a local community center
49. Help tutor students preparing for the Ohio Graduation tests
50. Help students fill out college applications
51. Help students apply for financial aid
52. Teach kids interviewing skills at a local community center

Avoiding Risky Behavior Among Youth
Reduction in youth risky behavior with focus on alcohol, drug, tobacco use, STDs, pregnancy and obesity

53. Become a Big Brother or Big Sister
54. Befriend a new student
55. Visit your local fire or police station with your children
56. Coach a child’s sports team and be a role model for sportsmanship
57. Help children at an after-school program develop their talents -- have rehearsal time and hold a talent show
58. Invite local police officers to present a drug awareness or safety program
59. Learn to be a peer counselor
60. Make substance abuse awareness posters and hang in community centers
61. Perform a play teaching children about safety issues (or other important issues)
62. Play basketball or other sports with children in need
63. Re-paint or rebuild playground equipment
64. Repair and repaint old bicycles to inner-city children
65. Talk as a family - and with other families and children - about what it means to be “safe kids”
66. Teach a dance class in an after school program
67. Teach kids to swim
68. Create a program at a local community center to talk about the dangers of substance abuse

Family Stability Community Priority
Reduction in families and households experiencing domestic violence, abuse and neglect

69. Adopt a family: give gifts anonymously or holiday gifts, have a friendship with them, have barbecues together
70. Arrange and give flowers to women living in a shelter for the next holiday
71. Arrange for low-income families to have family portraits taken
72. Attend a city council meeting with your family to express an opinion on a community issue
73. Become a spokes family for a cause you care about
74. Befriend a new neighbor
75. Collect items to make baby bags for low-income families who recently had a baby (diapers, baby bottles, pacifiers, burp rags, formula, baby food, etc.)
76. Contact and write letters to governmental leaders about the problems surrounding homelessness in your area
77. Educate families at community centers about early signs of drug abuse – and provide information on where to go for help
78. Contact your local political representative about key issues affecting families
79. Create a family story hour and read to them at a local shelter
80. Decorate bags and fill them with hygiene products for people entering a shelter
81. Donate leftover bulk food to a local shelter
82. Gather clothing from your neighbors and donate it to a local shelter
83. Get together with some friends to buy holiday presents for a family at a shelter
84. Grow a vegetable garden and donate some of the food to a shelter
85. Have a birthday party supply drive to give a child in need  
86. Help cook and/or serve a meal at a homeless shelter
87. Help new families to America learn about culture, language and U.S. citizenship
88. Hold a teddy bear drive for foster children, fire victims, etc. and donate them
89. Hold a week or series of days where employees bring two lunches with them to work – the second lunch can be donated to a local food pantry or shelter
90. Make “New Kid on the Block” survival kits for new kids in the neighborhood or school.  Include items like a welcome card, school calendar, cool places to go, etc.
91. Decorate name cards to personalize shelter beds
92. Make pillows, cards, games or stuffed toys for children in foster care
93. Organize a carpooling campaign in your neighborhood for low-income families
94. Organize a musical instrument drive and donate the instruments to a charity or community center – in addition, offer music lessons
95. Volunteer to pick up donations for a local shelter
96. Plan a meal, purchase ingredients, and prepare food for a small group of residents or a family in transitional housing
97. Offer to pass out materials on issues concerning you neighborhood
98. Organize a public issues forum for your neighborhood
99. Organize a sing-along at a children’s hospital
100. Organize and direct a play at a community center research homeless issues with your family and help your friends and neighbors understand the problem as it relates to your community
101. Sponsor a birthday party for a homeless child
102. Work with low-income families to celebrate their “New Home” by collecting kitchen supplies, toiletries, cleaning supplies, etc.
103. Work with the police to organize a citizen safety watch
104. Write letters to local and governmental leaders about the need to protect children from abuse and neglect
105. Volunteer at a domestic violence shelter
106. Help new mothers with the first 12 weeks postpartum
107. Work with families on parenting skills at a local community center or pre-school
108. Talk to low-income families about the importance of reading to young children
109. Help low-income families create a filing system to store important documents
110. Arrange for the police department to talk at a community center about internet safety
111. Donate movies and popcorn to a shelter and host a movie night
112. Help low-income families create healthy menus on a budget
113. Provide tips for stress management at a community center
114. Arrange for a counselor to talk about peer pressure at a local community center – and tips on how to deal with it
115. Talk with low-income parents about effective communication skills
116. Arrange for a babysitter so low-income parents can spend an evening doing something they enjoy

Economic Independence
Greater Stark County residents acquire and sustain employment paying a housing wage

117. Assist an older friend, neighbor or family member in developing a new resume, preparing for an interview
118. Conduct mock interviews with older or younger economically disadvantaged individuals as part of an effort to help them find employment
119. Contact and support political candidates who will give actions, answers and accountability for financial stability
120. Work with a nonprofit organization to help build a home
121. Hold a clothing drive at work for interview appropriate attire and donate to a local employment agency
122. Teach at an adult literacy center
123. Teach computer or other job-related skills
124. Volunteer with your local literacy council to help people learn to read
125. Help a newly employed individual file their tax return
126. Help a low-income family file for the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC)
127. Teach budgeting skills to low-income working families
128. Help a low income individual create an e-mail account and post their resume online
129. Help a family file for an amended tax return
130. Teach budgeting skills to widows
131. Collect and donate training manuals and books for specific job related skills and certifications
132. Coordinate a mentor program for apprentices
133. Contact a local literacy council and provide supplies for a graduation party
134. Volunteer to teach students basic checking skills
135. Teach job related skills at a community center
136. Teach basic budgeting skills to low-income families
137. take a newly employed individual to the bank to sign up for a checking and savings account

Emergency & Disaster Services
Individuals basic needs for food, shelter and clothing during crisis situations are met through temporary assistance

138. Create disaster kits for your home in the event of an emergency
139. Help a nonprofit with their disaster preparedness plan
140. Organize a canned food drive and donate it to a food pantry
141. Help families develop emergency evacuation plans
142. Get CPR and First Aid certification
143. Donate blood
144. Assemble basic first aid kits for low-income families (Band-Aids, gauze, first aid ointment, etc.)
145. Help low-income families create disaster kits for their homes
146. Talk to children about tornado safety
147. Help low-income families complete a home fire safety checklist
148. Collect smoke detectors and batteries for low-income families

Seniors & Disabled
Individuals with disabilities and seniors maximize their ability to live in a safe environment with independence and dignity

149. Address letters for seniors or disabled persons
150. Adopt a “grand friend” and write them letters and visit them
1. Arrange a youth history hour at a nursing home where older people can   talk with children about their lives
152. Ask a nursing home what entertainment they would like to receive and work with families to organize the events
153. Bring a senior citizen with you when you volunteer
154. Clip coupons for seniors who may be on a tight budget and help them shop
155. Create an intergenerational wisdom quilt (ask adults or seniors  for quotes for advice to youth, write them on pieces of paper then tape them to the wall)
156. Deliver meals to homebound individuals
157. Go for a walk with a senior citizen in your community
158. Have a “senior” prom at a nursing home
159. Have a resident talent show or musical program for a nursing home
160. Help a senior friend or neighbor manage their medications
161. Help seniors make life story scrapbooks
162. Improve safety at the homes of low-income, isolated seniors
163. Lead a craft project with children that will help elderly in a nursing home
164. Make cards or write letters for seniors or disabled people who may not be able to write any longer
165. Make care package for an elderly or shut-in person
166. Organize a barbecue at a nursing home
167. Organize a Bingo evening for residents at a nursing home
168. Organize a neighborhood group to do simple modifications on an older neighbor’s home
169. Read books or the newspaper on tape for visually impaired people
170. Set up a buddy system for children with special needs in your community
171. Socialize animals that will help people with developmental disabilities
172. Take a senior or disabled person to the pooling booths
173. Visit senior citizens at a nursing home
174. Volunteer at a summer camp for children or adults with disabilities, leading activities like craft projects, swimming lessons or sing-alongs
175. Help a senior citizen file their taxes
176. Give manicures and pedicure to residents at a nursing home
177. Create large print emergency numbers cards for seniors
178. Collect calendars for nursing homes residents
179. Take a wheel-chair bound person for a weekly walk
180. Organize a youth group to take disabled teenagers on an outing
181. Arrange transportation for a senior to go to a doctor visit
182. Arrange transportation for a senior to do errands and shopping

Access to Health Care
Individuals and families have ongoing primary medical, dental, vision and mental health care

183. Contact and support political candidates who will give actions, answers and accountability on health care
184. Become an organ donor
185. Create a campaign to encourage biking or walking
186. Distribute water at a city festival, event or race free of charge
187. Donate your hair for children with cancer or other medical conditions
188. Get an annual physical and encourage other family members to do the same
189. Hold a drive to collect sunscreen for children
190. Implement a workplace health and wellness program to generate awareness
191. Kick off a fitness challenge in your community
192. Order pedometers for family or friends and take walks together
193. Organize a group of friends to walk around your local shopping mall on a regular basis.
194. Provide employee vaccinations (i.e. flu shots) and increase employee health benefits
195. Help low-income families put together an exercise plan
196. Put on a health fair for your neighborhood
197. Start a healthy-recipe exchange with a group of friends
198. Teach children about diet and exercise to prevent chronic illness
199. Train employees to perform first-level health services

Community Priority Program Spotlights
Meet the service providers and individuals creating lasting change with innovative programs aimed at resolving underlying causes of our area’s challenges.

Throughout the summer, United Way of Greater Stark County will spotlight various programs and their service providers across the county who are making a measurable difference in Early Education & Care, Graduation & Training and Family Stability. Check back with us to see who is making an impact!

Click here for United Way of America’s National Day of Action site!