Home ยป We're #1!

We're #1!

Recently released statistics show that The Fort Wayne-area collected more pounds of food than any other similarly sized community in the nation during the May 8 Letter Carriers’ Food Drive. Area letter carriers, schools and residents contributed more than 622,000 pounds of food this year. Last year, the community gathered 453,513 pounds and the total in 2008 was 352,000 pounds. All food collected stays local; it is distributed to food pantries throughout the region. Campbell’s Soup rewards winning communities with 1,000 cans of donated food.

 “The National Letter Carriers’ Association ranks the winning communities each year,” said Milton Gray, food drive chairperson. “Once again this year we collected more food than any other area with a similar population. The response from our citizens is just tremendous! I’m so proud to live in such a generous community.”
 
The annual National Association of Letter Carriers’ (NALC) National Food Drive to “Stamp Out Hunger” is the largest one-day food drive in the nation. Carriers collected a record 77.1 million pounds of food in the 2010 drive. The drive is held annually on the second Saturday in May in more than 10,000 cities and towns in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.
 
“Fort Wayne is the City of Churches, an All-America City, the City that Saved Itself, and I think we should add ‘The City of Generosity’ to those titles,”  said Ron Turpin, board chair of United Way of Allen County. “Our residents know that we must all work together to build a stronger community and they step up when asked to do their part. United Way is proud to be a part of this food drive, which inspires such generosity.”
 
Donations were collected by more than 1,400 local branches of the 300,000-member postal union and delivered to food banks, pantries and shelters that serve the communities where they are collected. Assisting in the effort are rural letter carriers and other postal employees, as well as members of other unions and thousands of civic volunteers.

Partners in the local and national effort include the National Association of Letter Carriers, the National Rural Letter Carriers’ Association, U.S. Postal Service’s Priority Mail, Campbell Soup Company, Feeding America, United Way Worldwide, Valpak Direct Marketing and the AFL-CIO. Locally, Kroger/Scott’s Stores donated the bags for food collection.

  

Indiana 211

 

 

 

Learn United is a community effort to improve the reading skills of children across Allen County. Visit www.learnunited.org for more information, or call 260-469-4030.

Men's Night Out Fundraiser
Bourbon, beer, cigars and dinner at Club Soda on September 13. All proceeds benefit United Way of Allen County. Call or email Robin Holley at robinh@uwacin.org or (260) 422-4776 for more information.

Women United's Power of the Purse Event
A fundraiser to support early childhood literacy efforts in Allen County. The evening will include both live and silent auctions of new, gently used and celebrity-owned designer purses. It is scheduled for September 29 at the Fort Wayne Country Club at 5:30 p.m. Seats are $50/each.  If you would like to attend, contact Robin Holley at robinh@uwacin.org or call her at (260) 417-3804.

Senior Health Fair
The 18th Annual Senior Health Fair is set for October 1, 2010. Download the brochure here.

2010 Day of Caring
Day of Caring was a huge success with 1500 volunteers and approximately 9,000 volunteer hours logged! Visit our facebook page to see photos of the great day! Click here to see media coverage.

American Pride Ride
This year's 9th Annual American Pride Ride consists of a Teddy Bear Run to Lutheran Children's Hospital. If you'd like to join Organized Labor for the ride, or purchase a bear for the patients at Lutheran Children's Hospital, contact Vickie Meyers at (260) 422-4776.

Goals for the Common Good
United Way's assessment of community conditions and how to address important community  needs. Download report.

FamilyWize
Information about prescription drug cards that could save you money. Learn more.

E-newsletter
Sign up to receive our e-newsletter.