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NEWS & VIEWS: FROM THE CHANCELLORPrevious Message | Home | Next Message United Way CampaignOctober 15, 2007 This month marks the beginning of the University’s 2007 United Way campaign. This campaign has always been very important to the University and to me personally. The United Way touches the lives of people all over Allegheny County every day; many of us have used the services of a United Way agency at various ways in our lives. The United Way offers each of us a way to give back to the community and to make a difference in the lives of others. The recent flooding in Millvale and Shaler brought back vivid memories of the devastation brought by Hurricane Ivan, and serves as a powerful reminder of how suddenly any of us could be faced with situations that are beyond our control—and as we have learned from our neighbors in Millvale and Shaler, often misfortune strikes more than once. While we all are hopeful that we never will need to call upon the services of the United Way agencies, we are fortunate that the United Way exists to assist those who find themselves dealing with circumstances that are often beyond our comprehension. This year, I am particularly compelled by the opportunities and challenges the campaign offers to the Pitt community. Earlier this year, the United Way released the Community Needs Assessment conducted by the University’s Office of Child Development. This report provides the focus for the priority areas that present both urgent needs and opportunities for significant impact within Allegheny County. Soon after that report was released, our School of Social Work published a report, Pittsburgh’s Racial Demographics: Differences and Disparities. The two studies led to the conclusion that in addition to addressing the pressing needs of our community, the United Way needed to make a significant investment in prevention strategies designed to address the root causes of many of the problems facing our region, such as:
A key member of the team that conducted the Community Needs Assessment study was Robert Nelkin, who served as director of policy initiatives in our Office of Childhood Development until this past May, when he was named president and chief professional officer of the United Way of Allegheny County. A successful campaign here at Pitt will serve as a tribute to Bob for his many years of service and as a way of wishing him the best of success in this new phase of his career. Bob’s pledge to the community is that “the United Way will wisely invest your dollars in programs that make a measurable difference and create lasting change for people in need.” This year, the University has set a goal of $600,000 for its United Way campaign—which can only be reached with the help of the entire University community. Through our own experiences at Pitt, we understand the power that can come from the support of large numbers of donors, even when their individual donations may be small. Your gift, no matter what the size, can make a significant difference in the lives of those who need help—whether that is providing assistance following a community-wide disaster, providing food pantries to low-income older adults, or providing after-school programs for children. I invite you to join me and be a part of the new United Way vision. Be assured, the United Way will continue its support of high-performing organizations that provide great human services with measurable results. The United Way and its community partners will now begin to lead initiatives and partnerships focused on such challenging goals as reducing school drop-out rates and stemming youth violence. Throughout my career here at Pitt, I have felt privileged to be a part of an organization that works to enrich lives and create lasting change, each and every day. That is why it is such an honor to join the United Way in its efforts to improve the lives of our neighbors and friends in the community. Please join me in a renewed United Way by giving generously. I thank you for your support. |
From the ChancellorFiscal 2009 Operating Budget United Way Campaign Welcome to a New Academic Year! Budget for the New Fiscal Year |