Wednesday, December 19th marked the date of the official announcement of the partnership between the United Way of Wyandotte County and the local Faith Community.
A few months ago representatives from the local faith community and the United Way of Wyandotte County set out to develop a partnership. “The framework for the partnership was designed around our commitment to connect United Way and the Faith Community together,” said Wendell Maddox, President/CEO of United Way. “We’ve come to realize that in order to have the greatest community impact, it is necessary to partner with organizations that have similar goals, rather than duplicate programs and services,” added Father Ron Reed, Chairman of the United Way Faith Community Council (FCC) and Pastor of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church.
After a series of meetings, the Council decided to establish a network of resources. The first resource is a Faith Based Directory of Services. In an effort to include as many organizations as possible, a survey was mailed to nearly 300 local faith based organizations. A hardcopy of this directory will be available by the Summer of 2009, and will be mailed to organizations throughout the county. In the meantime, please feel free to utilize our second resource, this Faith Connections website. Both are designed to serve as resources for those who provide services or have church members in need of services. If you would like to include your church in the directory or on this website, please contact Adam MacDonald at (913) 371-3674.
We hope you will join us in making this partnership a success.
Our Faith Committee has evolved this year! With the critical and solid support of United Way and its staff, we have gone well beyond our initial function of fundraising. In many ways, we are returning to the faith root of the United Way. We now serve as a resource for the faith community. We also provide occasions of fellowship and good will for people of all faiths in Wyandotte County. With our United Way, we are doing something that is not happening anywhere else in the Metropolitan Kansas City area! I truly hope you will join us in making this partnership a success.
United Sunday is a collaboration between local faith based organizations and the United Way of Wyandotte County. Each year one Sunday is set aside for pastors to talk to their members about the programs and services offered by United Way and its partner agencies.
This year the United Way Faith Community Council (FCC) wanted to take United Sunday one step further by holding a United Church Service. “The purpose of this service was two-fold,” said Rev. George Kemper, Event Chairman, and pastor of Ebenezer Christian Fellowship Church. We wanted to inform fellow clergy of the newly formed partnership between United Way of Wyandotte County and the local faith community, and to begin mobilizing a ministerial alliance of all faiths in our community.”
In addition, congregations had an opportunity to make a donation to the United Way Faith Campaign. Proceeds help fund programs and services in Wyandotte County.
If local faith based organizations are not able to join us at a United Sunday Service, we ask that they talk to their members about the partnership between the Faith Community and the United Way of Wyandotte County, and invite them to share their blessings with their neighbors through United Way.
All United Sunday Services are free and open to the public. Please check back for the time, date and location of United Sunday 2008!
Your questions will be welcomed by Adam MacDonald. He can be reached via phone at (913) 371-3674 or by e-mail: amacdonald@unitedway-wyco.org