Education has long been one of the pillars of United Way, specifically with their Success By 6 Impact Council, an initiative that focuses on the benefit of early childhood education in our community. United Way believes in the children of our community and that any investment in them, their future, and specifically their education is one that is worthwhile. Power of the Community is an annual event that the United Way continues to hold as a part of their efforts to promote high-quality early childhood education and support Success By 6 programs in Clay County.
This year’s Power of the Community event will be a virtual silent auction from September 15 to September 20, with the auction closing officially at 7 pm. This virtual auction is in place of the usual event due to the strange and sometimes unpredictable times that we all face today. The auction will still contain many items that no one will want to miss. Items on auction this year are vast and varied, all of them unique. The packages are wide-ranging and for all ages, including items geared towards kids, like a trampoline or the ‘Movie and a Pizza Party’ package. Some of the items, however, will appeal more for the adults, for example, a package including a coupon for a one night stay at the French Lick Resort as well as a round of golf for two. There is certainly something for everyone at the Power of the Community auction, with all proceeds going towards the United Way of the Wabash Valley’s Success By 6 programs in Clay County.
Success By 6 is an Impact Council of the United Way promoting high-quality early childhood development to ensure children enter school ready to succeed. One of the favorite programs created through Success By 6 is Real Men Read, in which adult role models volunteer their time to go to local schools to both read to the children and to encourage them to explore the joy that reading can bring. Each time a visitor comes, the students will get to bring home a book of their own. This encourages them to read, increasing literacy skills and overall desire to read. Since the program began in 2011 over 14,000 children have participated, taking home over 70,000 books. During these stressful times, encouraging children to find an outlet in reading is important, giving them time away from the screens and the stresses that even they face, and finding the joy in reading.
The co-chair for the event, Kathy Deal, had a few words to say on the matter, “Times are tough, and now more than ever we need to rally around our children. Continuing to support them and give them the opportunities that they deserve to have should be among our highest priorities during this time. Programs like these open our children up to the joy that they can discover in the pages of a book or a classroom. Power of the Community helps to secure funding that will grant our children a brighter future. We should take advantage of moments like these!”
To learn more about the Power of the Community, link to the auction, or donate visit the website at uwwv.org/poc. The auction opens September 15, and closes at 7 PM on September 20. This event is providing a fun way to continue to support the United Way as they work to make a change in the lives of those living in our community.
