Live United.

Photo provide by United Way of Norman

Live United. 

By Sabrina DuFran

        The United Way is an organization that improves lives by the caring power of communities to advance in the common good around the world. Norman's campaign "Live United" is tied with the Unitied Way national campaign, which raises money for non-profit organizations in the community.

     The public of the United Way of Norman campaign is the community individuals of Norman. Donations to the Norman United Way go directly to the Norman people with 85 cents of every dollar helping the community. Funded are 33 programs at 24 agencies in the Norman Area. These programs are divided among four Impact Areas:

• Basic Needs
• Successful Children and Youth
• Strong and Safe Individuals
• Families, Seniors and Persons with Disabilities

     This year's campaign funding goal is to raise $1.95 million. As of September 18, 2010, the Pacesetter campaign, which is a prelude to the community campaign, had already raised $991,372, half of the total goal. The Pacesetter group is composed of local social service agencies, businesses and community organizations, and has proven to be a good indicator of how the year's campaign will develop. This  first accomplishment was announced at the annual kick-off of the main event, Day of Caring.

       Norman's main activity, Day Of Caring, matches volunteer workers with community agencies and organizations for the day, giving the agencies an opportunity to complete projects that require more manpower than they normally would have. More than 100 volunteers gave of their time this year for Norman's United Way kick-off event.
       Other planned events included a ticketed "Celebrity Sing" for community leaders which provided dinner, dancing and a live auction at the Riverwind Casino. Donations raised assisted with the start of the campaign.
       The Stuff The Bus event collected a bus load of school supplies for Norman students in need. The two high school Rotary Interact Clubs along with the United Way Teen Advisors gathered to promote this drive for those public school students who were unable to begin the year with their needed school supplies.

       Since the community of Norman lies in the greater metro area of Oklahoma City, many Norman residents work outside of Norman. A strategy exists even for such a difficult situation as this. Giving to the United Way through payroll deduction at an individual's place of employment many times creates a loss of interaction with their community. With "Designate 7100" these Norman residents are able to select Norman as the designated community to receive their donations while still enabling them to partcipate in their employee's United Way drive.


United Way Funded Programs:

• Central Oklahoma Community Action Agency
• Health For Friends
• Legal Aid Services of Oklahoma
• NAIC- Norman Addicion Information and Counseling
• Transition House
• Bethesda
• Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Oklahoma
• Bridges
• Cleveland County CASA
• Center for Children and Families, Inc.
• Community After School Program, CASP, Inc.
• Mary Abbott Children's House
• Parents Helping Parents
• Kaleidoscope
• Meals on Wheels of Norman
• ABLE- Council for Developmental Disabilities
• Among Friends
• Full Circle
• Thunderbird Clubhouse
• Aging Services Inc.

 

Non-profits Find Ownership

Non-profits Find Ownership
By Tabitha Brown
May 1, 2008

Bridges, a United Way sponsored organization, is located in Norman, Oklahoma where roughly 100,000 people reside. Because it is such a localized not for profit organization, much of the research High 5 Public Relations conducted was primary. Although there was some secondary research conducted as well. Bridges is a very unique organization with no other association like it. Of the organizations found that were somewhat similar, many of them were in Canada or the UK. Bridges is definitely one of a kind.

Norman is a town full of young people with an ever changing young population. With over 25,000 college students coming in and out of Norman every four years because of OU, the number of solicited volunteers is constantly changing for many non-profit organizations.

Bridges, however, seeks out the assistance of young professionals, people who are already in a career in the Norman area. Prior to the organization being named Bridges, it was called Independent Living Services for Youth (ILSY). It was found that those individuals who lived in Norman and knew of the organization were very enthusiastic about it. I believe a woman at the Norman Next meeting I attended put it best when she said, “Those of us who have made Norman our home really hold ILSY very dear to our hearts.”

In all of the primary research conducted it was discovered the name was not conducive to the organization and its purposes. Therefore, a name change would be necessary. It was also discovered that, although the organization’s name would help, the awareness of the group needed to increase as well if more volunteers were going to donate their time and money. The research validated the many of the thoughts the organization already had.

Norman Organization to Implement Name Change

Norman Organization to Implement Name Change
By Sally Swafford What’s the name again? What does it mean? Is it a cow? Isn’t that some sort of dairy product? These questions, along with many others are asked when the name “ILSY” comes to mind. Independent Living Services for Youth is far from being a dairy manufacturer.

ILSY serves as one of the few organizations that houses high school students. Many have lost their homes due to different circumstances, whether it is abuse or simply turning into a legal adult and being kicked out of the house by their parents. About half of the 200 students involved in the organization have the opportunity to live in the apartments, which are owned by ILSY. The other students are given the assistance of finding homes and managing their finances. Through ILSY, many students can find a positive influence or mentor, which may be lacking in their lives.

The story of ILSY begins in the early 1990s with a few high school counselors. Noticing many students could not attend school without a parent signature, the issue of homeless high school students was brought to their attention. These counselors, and many other passionate volunteers helped get the OU School of Social Work helping with this case. Though this organization may be striving in many ways, it is certainly lacking in one major area: its name. Many people when hearing its acronym don’t immediately know what the organization does. The name isn’t catchy and is often confused with the Department of Human Services, which is government funded. ILSY, on the other hand gains its funding from the United Way of Norman and other independent donors such as churches and families.