United Way of Kaw Valley

06/05/2026

https://www.wibw.com/2026/06/04/mirror-inc-services-reflect-community-needs-with-support-united-way-kaw-valley

Your donation creates stability and hope. Healthy and resilient communities start with healthy and resilient humans. Mirror, Inc., and their Work for Success program reconnects their clients with home, family and community after challenges like addiction, incarceration, and homelessness. Their staff are valuable participants on our Tuesday partner call for Shawnee County service providers. Thanks to WIBW Melissa Brunner for highlighting another way your donation makes a difference.

Make your contribution now or on June 10 at uwkvdayofgiving.org.

Mirror, Inc.'s Work for Success program is among partners you can help with a gift to United Way of Kaw Valley's Day of Giving on June 10.

06/04/2026

Day of Giving 2026 is less than a week away! Thank you Topeka Rescue Mission Ministries for sharing how United Way donors make a difference for our unsheltered neighbors through job readiness, food distribution, volunteer recruitment and special projects like Nancy Perry Day of Caring. Thank you to WIBW for helping us bring this important work to the forefront as our media sponsor in Topeka and Shawnee County.



https://www.wibw.com/2026/06/03/topeka-rescue-mission-shares-how-united-way-support-makes-difference

Give at uwkvdayofgiving.org to support work right where you live and work.

The Topeka Rescue Mission is just one organization that will gain support from United Way of Kaw Valley's annual Day of Giving on June 10.

05/22/2026

Chances are high that ALICE will be working on the Memorial Day holiday. The service providers we depend on sometime feel invisible. Make sure to see them this weekend and visit the United For ALICE website to learn more about community-building work that gives all households a chance to flourish.

“Excuse me, where can I find citronella candles?”

“If we have any left, they would be in Aisle 5,” the salesperson says with a tired smile.

Coffee in hand, you head toward the aisle — only to find an empty shelf. Of course. Everyone is preparing for weekend.

Thankfully, there’s always online shopping. You pull out your phone and place the order in a few clicks. They’ll arrive tomorrow, just in time for the BBQ.

On the way home, traffic slows near the park. Volunteers are setting up flags and folding chairs for the community’s Memorial Day ceremony. One volunteer talks to an official while another carefully ties ribbons around the stage.

In this short time span, how many ALICEs did you recognize? The salesperson who directed you to Aisle 5. The barista who prepared the coffee you're sipping. The delivery driver who'll be dropping off your candles tomorrow morning. Maybe even some of the community volunteers looking to make this a memorable holiday ceremony.

ALICE shows up on holidays and every day to keep our communities running in countless ways.

Join us in showing up for ALICE — by building communities where every household has the opportunity not just to get by, but to flourish. We can start by spreading the word! Visit our website (link in comments) to learn more about ALICE in your community.

05/19/2026

Need a pick-me-up? How about volunteering? Check out all the opportunities across our four counties today at https://www.kawvalleyvolunteers.org/!

05/14/2026

Thanks to Ross Elementary: Signature Music School and SparkWheel for inviting us to their Community Resource Fair! Our Topeka Community Resource Navigator, Ashley, loves making connections for all of our neighbors!

05/08/2026

Just a reminder to on Saturday, May 9!

This is the face of a kid who is ready to STAMP OUT HUNGER this Saturday, May 9!

Ways you can help:

1. Fill the Stamp Out Hunger bag you received in the mail (or any plastic bag) with nonperishable food items (below) and leave it near your mailbox Saturday morning for pickup by your mail carrier or a volunteer. Every donation supports Harvesters' mission to provide food for those in need, and it's super easy to donate. ❤️

2. Volunteer to be a station volunteer in KC or a route volunteer in Topeka and help make sure these vital donations are received and organized. This drive comes at a critical time where kids will be out of school and families will face the reality of summer hunger.

Sign up for KC: https://cerv.is/0015x13359
Sign up for Topeka: https://cerv.is/0015x13331

P.S. There will be more than several hundred donations that will need to be picked up, so don't be alarmed if it doesn't get picked up the first day. You can leave it out for a few days if needed.

Great items to donate are:
- Rice🍚
- Peanut butter🥜
- Canned beans🫘
- Canned meat🥫
- Canned fruits and veggies🥫
- Pasta🍝
- Dried herbs and spices🌿
- Cereal 🥣

05/07/2026

Just a quick note to let you know that our Lawrence office will close at 10:30 and our Topeka office will close at 11:00 this Friday, May 8, as we wrap up our own United Way workplace campaign.

Want to have fun in your workplace while raising money to build a healthy and resilient community? We should talk. Send us an email or stop by for a conversation about a workplace campaign. Or become an individual donor today by using the DONATE TODAY button on our website: https://www.uwkawvalley.org/.

05/01/2026

It's hard to explain how excited we are to expand Junior Leader Reader into Jefferson County! We'd love your help with the first session. It's easy and fun, and you'll be the classroom hero! Special thanks to Jessica Schenkel Realtor - Better Homes & Gardens Real Estate Wostal Realty for making this possible.



United Way of Kaw Valley: Young Leaders Society

For folks who live in Jefferson County, we have 7 volunteer spots that need to be filled for our first round of Jefferson County JLR NEXT WEEK! We really appreciate your support !! Sign up at the link below and share this post with folks who might be interested in reading to kids!

https://bit.ly/JLRJEFFS26