Olivia DrakePresident Michael S. Roth, tri-chair of the 75th anniversary Middlesex County United Way campaign, recalled the university's first campaign on behalf of United Way (then the Community Chest) in his Oct. 11 letter to the Wesleyan community. Noting that times were tough as the Great Depression lingered, he said, "The response at Wesleyan was remarkable. Every member of the Wesleyan faculty and staff stepped in and donated funds to help less fortunate neighbors meet their basic needs. "As then, our neighbors today are struggling in tough times. And as then, through the United Way, we can help." Through the campaign,…
Wesleyan employees can help strengthen lives and improve community conditions in the 15 towns in Middlesex County by participating in the 2009-10 Middlesex United Way Campaign. Wesleyan has set at a goal of raising $130,000 through its annual workplace campaign, which supports the building blocks of life - education, income, health and housing. Through the agencies it funds, United Way hopes to increase children's readiness to learn by school entry; increase economic self-sufficiency of individuals and families; reduce the rate of risky behaviors among youth and adults; and increase the ability of individuals and families to attain affordable housing. The…
Swedish sweet bread, Greek jam cookies, Iranian walnut puffs and Irish soda bread were just a few tasty treats sold recently to benefit a local food pantry. On Nov. 20, Wesleyan hosted an ethnic bake sale in the Usdan University Center. More than 70 bakers and volunteers contributed to the event, helping to raise almost $1,200 in two and a half hours. All proceeds were given directly to Middletown’s Amazing Grace Food Pantry. "It was so wonderful to see the Wesleyan community come together as one and see what we could do for the community during these tough economic times,"…
In 1996, Linda Putnam realized she was dying of metastatic colon cancer. She assumed she'd spend her last days of life in a nursing home. "When we told her that she was going home to be with her family and be cared for by hospice nurses, she was relieved," says Putnam's daughter, Camille Dolansky, project coordinator for planned giving. "Having hospice care (more…)
When Frank, Angela, and their two children are evicted from their New York City apartment, they have no choice but to move into a homeless shelter. After a few difficult months, an apartment becomes available in a nearby housing project. There’s only one catch: Frank needs a job in order to qualify or the apartment will get rented to someone else. While the rest of the city prepares for Christmas, Frank and his 10-year-old stepson, Justin, roam the cold streets of New York trying to find a job by day's end. While this is the story line for the feature…