United Way of Summit County today announced the date for its upcoming Annual Meeting, set to take place on April 25. Over the past year, the organization has worked to develop a series of Bold Goals, which will be unveiled at the event. These goals will serve as unambiguous benchmarks, and will enable the organization to report on its progress and direct its efforts to serve the most pressing needs of the local community.
At last year’s event, United Way’s president and CEO, Jim Mullen, invited attendees to reimagine United Way, and to envision a better future for Summit County. With nearly half of all Akron children living in poverty, and two thirds of Akron Public Schools third-graders failing to read at grade level, longstanding community problems called for new and innovative solutions.
In the months since, conversations with hundreds of local stakeholders – from business and community leaders to neighborhood residents to partner agencies – have led United Way to a revamped approach to its work. By expanding its programmatic work, strategically leveraging the power of its investments, offering more opportunities for volunteer participation and facilitating greater community engagement by local businesses, United Way has forged a new path – one focused on achieving meaningful, measurable change for the people of Summit County.
Having laid this groundwork, United Way will forge ahead, mobilizing a large-scale effort to improve the day-to-day lives of local children and families – too many of whom struggle to succeed. “The challenges our community face require us to be something more than just fundraisers,” says Mullen. “We need to be game changers.”
“There’s so much promise in Summit County, and so much passion in the people who live and work here,” he adds. “The time is now to make our vision of a better future a reality.”
To sponsor a table or purchase a ticket for United Way's Annual Meeting, visit www.uwsummit.org/annual meeting.