U.W. Promotes Financial Health and Awareness
CA$H is a community-based partnership aimed at helping working individuals and families plan for their financial health.

United Way of Androscoggin County is partnering with the Lewiston-Auburn Tax Credit Awareness Coalition to promote the largest anti-poverty program known as Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC). This program offers free income tax preparation and credit reporting for low to moderate income workers. Many families are not aware that this federal benefit is available to them – since 2004 over 4 million dollars has come back to our community through this program.

To learn more about this program attend a community meeting at the City of Lewiston Counsel Chambers on Thursday, January 3, 2008 from 9:00-11:00 a.m. or contact Larry Marcoux at the United Way office at 795-4000.

YADA and United Way Partner to Improve L/A
YADA (Youth+ Adult+ Dialogue= Action) is a local group of youth and adults working to make L/A better by getting youth and adults engaged in dialogue. As the leading participating agency, United Way of Androscoggin County is taking an active role in this initiative aimed at making our community more youth friendly and youth empowered.

To date there have been four weeks of adult-youth conversations. On December 6, 2008 at 6:00 p.m. there will be an Action Forum at Lewiston Public Library’s Callahan Hall. All are invited to attend. Contact Committee Chair Larry Marcoux at United Way (lmarcoux@unitedwayandro.org or 795-4000) for more information.

December News

Governor Invites Local United Way Leaders to Statewide Summit
By invitation of Governor John Baldacci, United Way of Androscoggin County Executive Director Joleen Bedard and Community Impact Director Larry Marcoux attended the two-day Economic Summit of Early Childhood. 

As United Way has worked diligently on early childhood issues locally, the organization was charged with sponsoring a team of 11 community leaders to attend and engage in meaningful dialogue and purposeful decision making about Maine’s youngest children. Local representation included Estelle Rubinstein of Androscoggin Head Start & Child Care, Mayor Larry Gilbert, Representative Margaret Craven, Jim Costello Jr. of the Sun Journal, Peter Geiger of Geiger, Mary Jipson-Perry of the Auburn-Lewiston YMCA, Karen Stead of CMMC, Chip Morrison of the Androscoggin County Chamber of Commerce, Phil Crowell of the Auburn Police Department and Joe Bradien and Adam Higgins of the Lewiston Police Department. 

The local group joined 150 statewide leaders to work at making meaningful change for children and families in Androscoggin County and throughout Maine. Click here for more information.

Campaign Achievements Celebrated
November 15 was a night of enjoyment and appreciation as United Way of Androscoggin County celebrated the community’s support of the 2007 campaign.

Campaign Cabinet Chairperson Dick Albert announced United Way had raised 75 percent of the $1,900,000 campaign goal and would need the support of many more, working together over the next several weeks, to meet the fundraising goal.

Special recognition was given to organization’s running New Campaigns, Outstanding Campaigns and the prestigious Spirit of the Androscoggin Award was given to Electro Static Technology.

The event concluded with the presentation of campaign incentive prizes to three generous donors. Richard Daggett of UPS won the L.L.Bean kayak package, Jerry Sirois of Marden’s won a cruise to Bermuda and Marc Roy of Spiller’s won an Arctic Cat snowmobile, which Dan Pulkkinen of Rowe Auburn was on hand to present.
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Thanks to all who have already donated to United Way and demonstrated their commitment to building a better Androscoggin County. If you have not yet made your donation please consider giving online www.unitedwayandro.org or by calling us 795-4000. We are still counting on the community’s support to meet this year’s goal.