Issued Quarterly by United Way of Union County, Inc., 232 N. Main St., Suite I, P.O. Box 145, Marysville, Ohio 43040-0145 Shari Marsh, Executive Director -- Dave Bezusko, Campaign and Public Relations Director
Vol. 5, No. 2 Summer, 2007
In this issue: -- Just what the doctor ordered -- Community Care Day projects run the gamut -- PuttFORE Kids! Mini-Golf Tournament raises $4,000 for youth programs -- Agency Spotlight: Windsor & Community Seniors -- By the Numbers -- Little things can add up to big bucks for United Way -- Lend a hand. Volunteer. Getting involved is easy and rewarding.
Just what the doctor ordered A prescription for a special need The diagnosis: 7.9% of Union County residents have no health insurance coverage. “Which means that they have limited resources for prescription coverage,” said Tim Kelley of the Union County Health Department. “In addition, many seniors have hit what they call the ‘donut hole’ in Medicare Part D where there is no assistance in paying for prescriptions.” Kelley says many family budgets are broken by the high cost of medication. Or worse yet, necessary medication isn’t obtained at all. The prescription: A collaboration of resources including United Way, the Union County Special Needs Council, local pharmacies, a Pennsylvania marketing firm, and you. Together, we’ve helped nearly 400 households in the last year pay the bills to get their pills. Here’s how it works. Uninsured residents who need financial assistance for medication can go to any local pharmacy or contact the Special Needs Council, a United Way Member Agency located within the Union County Health Department. If they go to a pharmacy, they’ll receive a free FamilyWize Prescription Drug Discount Card. The cards offer immediate discounts. To date, 73 Union County families have used them and received an average savings of 26 percent. The savings are generated by the participating pharmacies which have agreed to accept prices for medications that are closer to the prices they make available to insurance companies. The cards are available at Dave’s Pharmacy, CVS, Kroger, Rite-Aid, Wal-Mart, and Walgreen’s in Marysville, as well as the Plain City Druggist. More than 1,000 cards are now available thanks to Membership Services Corporation, a Pennsylvania marketing firm that has distributed cards via local United Ways across the country, including 36 Ohio communities. “I think it’s a great deal,” Kelley said. “And since there’s no cost involved, any savings is helpful. How can you lose?” If uninsured residents contact the Special Needs Council, they’ll meet with Kelley, who determines if they are eligible to receive up to $125 to pay for needed medication. Only United Way dollars fund this program ($34,000 this year). This is where you come in to play. We couldn’t be providing this service without your United Way gift. Kelley works in conjunction with Dave’s Pharmacy and Wal-Mart, where discounts of thousands of dollars have been given for the program to help stretch United Way dollars. And last month, United Way received a $1,000 grant from CVS/pharmacy to support the program. “What we try to do is make sure that individuals who need life-sustaining medications get them,” Kelley said. “We’re able to match people to the best long-term assistance. Kelley also helps clients sort through a confusing maze of potential assistance. He’ll sometimes refer clients to other agencies or check NeedyMeds.com, a website where discounts via pharmaceutical companies are offered. “For most medications, there is some kind of program to help,” Kelley said. “They offer pretty generous programs and they’re pretty easy to apply for.” Because the Special Needs Council fits seamlessly into the already existing role of the Health Department, administrative costs of the program are less than 1%.	A United Way collaboration of community partners is helping uninsured Union County families save an average of 26 percent on prescription medication.                   Uninsured residents... can go to any local pharmacy or contact the Special Needs Council, a United Way Member agency located within the Union County Health Department.                       "For most medications, there is some kind of program to help."
Community Care Day projects run the gamut spread the caring from border to border Make renovations to Plain City Food Pantry. Check. Install hand rails for Richwood senior citizen. Check. Build wheelchair ramp for disabled Marysville resident. Check. Conduct drive for Marysville Clothes Closet. Check. Landscape project at Richwood Civic Center. Check. Enhance Jerome Township park playground. Check. Gravel a driveway for a handicapped Richwood resident. Check. Build flower boxes and visit with nursing home residents. Check. Painting, washing windows, weeding yards for area senior citizens. Check. Check. Check. The “to-do” list was lengthy. But 250 volunteers completed 145 service projects on Tuesday May 15 and United Way’s 11th annual Community Care Day was deemed a success. “I came away with such a warm, fuzzy feeling because of the gracious people we were able to make happy,” said one volunteer from Honda of America. “Count me in next year.” 116 projects were done at the homes of individual senior citizens who couldn’t do the work on their own. Others were done at area parks or agencies that serve the community. The event symbolizes the spirit of Union County and captures United Way’s mission of bringing neighbors together to improve lives. From the mailbag: Marysville resident Rose Koper visits with Jim Wing, of Wing Builders. The Union County Builders Association completed some major improvements at Koper’s home. Dear United Way, Thank you so much for all the great help you provided on Community Care Day. I so very much appreciate all that was done by the group of wonderful workers from the Union County Builders Association. May God bless. Love and prayers, Rose Koper, Marysville	Volunteers from Scotts clear brush from the future football home of the Junior Panthers youth football team in Milford Center. Home Depot’s team of volunteers build a new set of steps so a Marysville resident can get in and out of his home with his oxygen tank. Students With A Mission members wash windows for residents at the Pleasant Valley Senior Center in Plain City.
PuttFORE Kids! Mini-Golf Tournament raises $4,000 for youth programs Mini-golfers of all ages came out to SportsOhio in May to play in United Way’s inaugural Putt FORE Kids! Mini-Golf Challenge. The event raised nearly $4,100 for our Youth Arts & Recreation Grant Fund enables children to participate in structured activities. Since the event, the following youth organizations have received grants: Camp Nuhop - summer camp for developmentally disabled children Marysville Art League - to assist with the production of a play written by an area teen. Marysville Junior Baseball/Softball - for registration fees. Power Surge Teen Expo - for free admission tickets. Richwood Area Business Association - to sponsor a youth dance. Raymond Junior Baseball - for registration fees.	Brian O’Kane watches his son, Ivan, tee off at the Putt FORE Kids! Mini-Golf Challenge.
Agency Spotlight Windsor & Community Seniors 376 Rosehill Drive, Marysville (937) 644-8464 Valeta Durban What it does: Provides programming and activities that further the quality of life for Marysville area senior citizens. Provides a wide range of social services, activities, educational opportunities, and entertainment, promoting good fellowship and companionship of its 650-plus members. Programs include Late Bloomers, the Windsor Singers, bingo, crafts, bowling, day trips, computer classes, chair aerobics, potlucks, euchre, and other card games. Windsor serves as a gathering site for the Community Meals lunches offered by the Memorial Meals Program. Members are updated with Ragtimes, a monthly newsletter.	Volunteers serve lunch to the seniors who gather at the Windsor & Community Seniors.
By the Numbers 337 The number of households served by The Salvation Army’s Homeless Prevention Program in Union County last year. To be eligible for assistance, residents must have an eviction notice or utility shut-off notice in-hand. Salvation Army pays the next month’s rent or the utility bill, then provides case management to make sure the problem doesn’t occur in the following months. 990 The tax form that all non-profits submit to the IRS. United Way’s recently completed form and independent audit are available for public viewing as we maintain open books and transparent financial statements. Once again, Holbrook & Manter filed a clean audit to United Way’s Board of Trustees at its June meeting. 4,233 The number of individuals in Union County on the Food Stamp Program (reported by the Union County Department of Job & Family Services for 2006). $10,000 The corporate gift given by Best Buy in Marysville to United Way upon the store’s Grand Opening in March. The store also made a $1,000 donation to the Union County Cancer Society in August and will conduct a United Way campaign this fall. 489,813 The number of hits on United Way’s Online Auction site last October. United Way will be conducting a second auction this October. Visit us on our website at: www.unitedwayofunioncounty.org. You can donate your items now.
Little things can add up to big bucks for United Way Save your printer cartridges Scotts and Memorial Hospital recycle their used printer cartridges for United Way. You could save them from your home and workplace too. United Way earns $1 for every inkjet cartridge and $3 for every laser cartridge. It may not seem like much. But since last year, we’ve raised $3,150 in our partnership with Crawford Home Automation Systems. E-mail us at uwuc.dave@rrohio.com to begin recycling your cartridges today. Search the web and help United Way. Use GoodSearch, powered by Yahoo!, as your Internet browser's search engine, type "United Way of Union County" as the charity you want to support, select "Marysville, Ohio" and United Way will earn one cent for every search you conduct. Use Goodsearch.com You use Google and Yahoo to search the internet, right? Replace those search engines on your browser with Goodsearch.com. Powered by Yahoo, this website donates a penny for every search conducted to the non-profit organization of your choice. Log on and choose United Way of Union County, Marysville, Ohio as the recipient.	You could have a used printer cartridge collection bin in your workplace. Participating workplaces have helped United Way raise $3,150 since last year.
Lend a hand. Volunteer. Getting involved is easy and rewarding. Marysville native and New York Giants linebacker Chase Blackburn took the time this off-season to conduct a photo shoot encouraging local volunteer activities with United Way and its Member Agencies. With Blackburn starring in the NFL, United Way of Union County is able to put a local spin on United Way’s long-time national partnership with the league. In addition to the photo shoot, Blackburn donated several autographed items for United Way’s Online Auction coming this October. More than 1,700 people volunteer with United Way and our Member Agencies here in Union County, providing much needed manpower and support. You can join them! There are literally hundreds of volunteer opportunities right here in your own backyard. You could: Deliver meals-on-wheels Be a lunch buddy for a child Coach a youth sports team Learn CPR Coordinate a food drive at work Be a Board Member Help staff a special event Give blood Hang posters Work a weekly shift at a pantry Call our office at (937) 644-8381 or visit us at www.unitedwayofunioncounty.org. We can customize a volunteer experience that’s right for you.	send your comments to: United Way of Union County, Inc. 232 N. Main St., Suite UW P.O. Box 145 Marysville, Ohio 43040-0145 or eMail us at: mailbag@unitedwayofunioncounty.org