Chairman of United Way TCI, Mark Fulford, on a recent visit to Sydney Australia, used the opportunity to meet with fellow Australian United Way Chair, Liz Dibbs and CEO Clayton Noble to discuss common areas of interest and challenges facing the not for profit organization operating in their respective countries.
Fulford was given a tour of the United Way Australia’s office located in Sydney where he met staff and volunteers of the organization, thanking them for their service to community.
Discussions between the two chairs spanned from how to spark increased interest in volunteerism, fund raising initiatives and encouraging greater involvement and participation from board members and the community.
Similarly, the key areas of focus for the sister organizations are identical, concentrating on early childhood reading introduction and literacy.
United Way Australia is comprised of all the Australian chapters of UW. According to Chair Dibbs, “Our key initiative, READ LEARN SUCCEED, operates across many geographically and culturally diverse communities. Early literacy skills and school readiness is supported through Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library and youth employment and career development is promoted through school and business partnerships”.
United Way Australia is led by a 20-strong team, located in Sydney and greater NSW and is dedicated to creating community and systems change to break the cycle of disadvantage. UWTCI is also led by a board of 12 directors and supported by over 100 registered volunteers dedicated to impacting the community through reading and youth job placement.
According to Fulford, “United Way TCI’s number one area of focus is literacy. We have been able to introduce our “Yes I Can Read” intervention program which is a growing success. We have hosted several reading events to motivate and encourage children to read and have impacted the lives over 500 children through our various initiatives, including our summer enrichment program which was oversubscribed and a huge success.”
He further expanded, that “the future of the Turks & Caicos Islands looks bright, but there is so much more work to be done and we would appreciate the full support of all partners, inclusive of our communities and those that love to visit our beautiful islands be it via volunteerism or donation towards one of our many programs, we need community involvement.”
United Way serves more than 1,100 communities across 37 countries and territories worldwide. United Way brings people together to build stronger, more equitable communities where everyone can thrive. With 11.5M volunteers, 6.8M donors, 29K community partners and 45K corporate partners, UW is strengthening education, economic mobility, and access to health.
If you or someone you know is interested in volunteering and serving your community in a meaningful way, contact info@unitedwaytci.com
Comments