​

For its annual Day of Caring, United Way of St. Joseph County matches volunteers from local workplaces with nonprofits in need of assistance. This year, 101 volunteers served at six agencies across the county. The process is similar to how United Way distributes funds donated through its annual campaign, which gets underway at Notre Dame this week and runs through Friday, December 5.

When the campaign concludes at the University, as well as at Beacon Health System, 1st Source Bank, and other workplaces, United Way determines how much money was raised and where the greatest needs are in the community. It then grants money to nonprofits with programs intended to help people move out of the cycle of poverty.

Case in point: Cultivate Food Rescue

Cultivate Food Rescue is one of many nonprofit organizations that have historically applied for and received funds raised through United Way’s campaign. Cultivate also partners with United Way’s People Gotta Eat program, a network of more than a dozen local pantries.

“We work with each of those pantries to make sure they have the food that they need. We serve those pantries so that they can serve more people,” said Jim Conklin, co-founder and executive director of Cultivate.

Cultivate rescues unserved food from venues across the region, including Notre Dame, and transports the food to its kitchen, where volunteers repackage items into meals for local families.

“Our model is based on more than 8,000 volunteers a year coming in to assemble meals. The hours of labor are donated and the food is donated. United Way’s approach really speaks to how this community operates. We pitch in,” he said.

Day of Caring

On a recent fall afternoon, 40 staff members representing Notre Dame Research; the Transformational Leaders Program; Finance; University Operations, Events, and Safety; and the Mendoza College of Business were dispatched to Cultivate Food Rescue for the Day of Caring.

After watching an informative video about food conservation and taking precautions such as removing jewelry and covering hair, the volunteers were divided into work groups and given tasks to complete over the next two hours.

Jason Landrum, administrative coordinator for the Transformational Leaders Program, helped his team chop 850 pounds of potatoes. “Notre Dame is the county’s largest employer. I think lending a hand is a great way for us to give back to the community,” Landrum said.

A few feet away was Jessica Tezich, an admissions assistant in Mendoza’s graduate enrollment office. She and her co-workers filled individual meal trays with a protein, a vegetable, and a starch.

“I wanted to experience Cultivate because I’ve heard about it in the community for years, but I had not had the opportunity to come here. We’re helping the community that we live in and we serve in every day, and that’s very rewarding,” Tezich said.

Example of United Way in action

Volunteers also had the opportunity to learn about United Way. While filling meal trays on the assembly line, Maggie Neenan-Michel, manager of the Mendoza Faculty Support Center, shared her firsthand experience.

“United Way was instrumental in helping my family secure medical equipment for my mother, and I’ve never forgotten that. She needed a wheelchair and some home health items so she didn’t have to live in a facility. My dad just gave United Way a call and someone guided him to the right resource, and the turnaround time was really fast,” Neenan-Michel said of the free services her mother received.

Tezich seemed intrigued by the opportunity to give to United Way. “Give if you are able to, whether it’s something small or something big. I never regret giving when it goes to a great cause,” she said.

Notre Dame faculty and staff are generous. Thirteen percent of all the funds raised through the United Way of St. Joseph County’s workplace campaigns comes from University of Notre Dame employees.

The United Way campaign at the University of Notre Dame is open until Friday, December 5. For more information about United Way and how to donate, visit unitedway.nd.edu.