2012 Annual
Meeting

Wednesday, March 7
11:30 am - 1:00 pm

Overland Park Convention Center

$35 per person; Tables of 10 available for $350

Click here to make a reservation

Urban Neighborhood
Initiative

The Urban Neighborhood Initiative (UNI) is one of the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce’s “Big 5” ideas announced in September 2011. The UNI will collaborate with an East Side low-income neighborhood to identify and begin to address issues to improve the opportunities of its residents.

United Way of Greater Kansas is serving as managing partner for the initiative.

To learn more, click here.

2011 Campaign Raises More Than $36.2 Million for Greater Kansas City

United Way volunteers, who’ve been working tirelessly for the past 10 weeks asking friends, neighbors and co-workers to help those in need by giving to United Way, have reason to celebrate. Campaign Co-Chairs Peggy Dunn and Jay Lind announced that United Way volunteers raised more than $36.2 million, which is $1.1 million more than United Way raised last year.

Co-Chairs Dunn and Lind received help unveiling the total for the more than 750 United Way supporters, volunteers and community leaders, from members of United Way’s volunteer Campaign Cabinet, who played a crucial role in helping make the 2011 fundraising campaign a success. The Campaign members rolled over giant building blocks labeled education, income and health, representing United Way’s three impact areas to reveal the total of $36,277,414. The money was raised through the efforts of thousands of volunteers who organized and conducted campaigns at Kansas City area companies, schools, nonprofit agencies and government offices.
Read more...

View the complete list of 5% Challenge Companies
View the completed list of Corporate Leadership Council Members

United Way, GM and Volunteers Join Forces to Install Playground Equipment

Boy Scout on Playground It had been at least 23 years since children at Melcher Elementary School in Kansas City, Missouri, had playground equipment at their school. Thanks to GMC, United Way and more than 30 community volunteers, that is no longer the case.

The special equipment, designed to build upper body strength, balance and agility, was donated by GMC as part of a Monday Night Football Tour. GMC is working with United Ways throughout the country to install new playground equipment at a local school in every city that is hosting a Monday Night Football game this year. The morning after the Kansas City Chiefs took on the San Diego Chargers, a collaborative effort was underway at Melcher Elementary in the Kansas City, Missouri school district. Playing on the new Playground

United Way coordinated the effort, in which community volunteers from United Way, FedEx, P.B. Hoildale Co., Conklin Fangman Cadillac Buick GMC, Friendship Baptist Church, and Construction and General Laborers Local 264 joined the parents of children attending Melcher Elementary to install the equipment.

Since the 1970’s the number of overweight children has tripled in the U.S. to the point that community health experts say one out of five children is now overweight or obese. United Way and the NFL are trying reverse the trend by encouraging young people to eat healthy and get at least 60 minutes of exercise each day. This playground project should help do just that.