I learned a long time ago people donate resources to three, five at the most, organizations. In my case, those three are the Greek Orthodox church, Kent State University, and United Way of Summit/Medina (UWSM) — not in that order.

Helping the United Way can be a great way to make a positive impact on your community. United Way works on various issues such as education, financial stability, and health, and they collaborate with local organizations to create long-term solutions.

Many companies partner with United Way to organize workplace giving campaigns. We have a great workplace giving program. If your workplace hosts one, you can get involved by contributing financially or helping to promote the campaign to your colleagues. I currently serve on the UWSM Executive Committee and in 2023/2024, I was the campaign chair helping to bring in new workplace campaigns.

Let me say State and Federal Communications’ work with United Way started decades ago. We had just hired Nola Werren to the staff and she asked why we didn’t donate to United Way. Her father, Chuck Hogan, had led the United Way in Trumbull County. I called Bob Kulinski, then president of United Way in Summit County and our program started.

We built our workplace campaign after speaking with other leaders in Akron. We learned from a past campaign chair about the Fair Share + Program. This took the UW Fair Share amount — average 1.5% of someone’s salary — and added $1 per paycheck. In our case, which would be $24 more a year.

The local United Way provided a free PTO day at Christmas if they brought in 100% participation. We adjusted it a bit and now provide the day before Thanksgiving off for 100% participation. We reached it most years, but we did not in 2024. It really is okay; our campaign exceeded all other goals.

There are a lot of ways to help United Way. Some include:

• Volunteering your time — United Way offers a variety of volunteer opportunities. You can help by participating in community service projects, mentoring, tutoring, or assisting with special events. My staff particularly likes Stuff the Bus and Read-to-Me day.
• Advocate — This is easily done by spreading awareness about United Way’s mission by sharing their work on social media, writing to local leaders, or organizing events promoting their initiatives.
• Join a committee — If you are interested in a leadership role, consider joining one of United Way’s committees or their board. This is a way to contribute your professional expertise to help the organization succeed.

State and Federal just finished its 14th Annual Donuts and Cider campaign. We started this to add to what we were pledging to UWSM. We take orders from the community and Joe May and Nicolette Koozer lead the team to set up our table on Halloween Day. We donate all sales to UW. It does not bring in a lot, but we usually donate $1,000 to UWSM and a lot of people enjoy delicious donuts and apple cider.

What can I tell you about our company’s campaign, which just ended:

• 43 people pledged $65,022
• 22 people pledged Fair Share +
• 30 people pledged at leader levels starting at $500

People have their thoughts about the United Way. All that is known is in Summit/Medina County we are making changes with our Bold Goals, which are:

1. Ready for Success — 65% of Akron Public School third graders read at or above grade level.
2. Youth Success — College and Career Readiness where 90% of APS high schoolers graduate in 4 years, with 60% college/career ready and Youth Opportunities and Success where 60% of Akron youth employed or active in extracurriculars.
3. Financial Empowerment — 11,000 people in Summit County and 2,500 people in Medina County.
4. Health Equity — Reduce the Black infant mortality rate in Summit County to 6 per 1,000 live births.

There are 11,000 United Ways in this country. Find yours and make a difference.

Thank you.
Elizabeth Z. Bartz
@elizabethbartz

If you asked who the top 12 companies who donate to United Way Summit Medina (UWSM), you would be shocked to know State and Federal Communications ranks #12 and we have 12 leaders at the company. We also have 100% participation!!!

We have been involved with United Way since 1998 and we have G R O W N every single year. Shortly after our program started, I offered to match the contributions made by the staff, which was directed to our own United Way agency…I still do that every single year. Now I know every company cannot do that, but we are blessed and grateful we can help the best we can.

I want to introduce you to United Way Summit Medina because it really has done amazing things, especially in the past eight years when James Mullen moved, with his family, from the Nashville United Way as our new President and CEO.

Last month we held Knight at the Civic which is when we start our new campaign. We watched Dan Polletta’s Uncharitable, which is an amazing film about nonprofits in our country.

What I really want to talk to you about is our Bold Goals, which we talk about to everyone.

Bold Goal #1—Ready for Success by helping 65% of Akron Public School third graders reading at or above grade level.

Bold Goal #2—Youth Success in College and Career Readiness and Youth Opportunities and Success. This includes 90% of Akron Public Schoolers graduating in four years, with 60% college/career ready. In addition, helping 60% of Akron youth employed or active in extracurriculars.

Bold Goal #3—Financial Empowerment. We are helping financially empower 11,000 people in Summit County and 2,500 people in Medina County.

Bold Goal #4—Health Equity by reducing the Black infant mortality rates in Summit County to 6 per 1,000 births.

We have already updated these goals since their creation and now the goal is to reach these by 2028.

I know so many folks in state government affairs are asked to oversee their company’s United Way Campaign. I am always looking at signs when I travel to see how others encourage participation. At State and Federal Communications, I use our American Express points to thank employees for their participation. (Do not worry, these premiums do not account for more than 30% of the pledge received (more than $500).

If you are interested, I am happy to send you a copy of the United Way Summit Medina report for 2022. Just drop me a line and make sure I have your address.

There is so much United Way does in your community. Find out how you can help your United Way.

State and Federal Communications, Inc. is hosting its 11th annual Donuts and Cider Sale on October 29, 2021!

Become the favorite co-worker, and kick off Halloween weekend with a sweet treat for your office!

Krispy Kreme glazed donuts are $9 for a dozen and apple cider is $5 for a gallon.

All proceeds will benefit the good work of our friends at United Way of Summit and Medina.

Place your order by Monday, October 25, by contacting Joe May at jmay@stateandfed.com or calling (330) 761-9960.

Orders can be picked up on Friday, October 29, from 8 to 10 a.m. at the front of our office: 80 S. Summit St. in downtown Akron.

State and Federal Communications was recognized by the United Way of Summit and Medina for being a leader in the Greater Akron community. At its 2021 Annual Meeting, leaders from United Way spoke about the unprecedented year that 2020 became. State and Federal Communications was a table sponsor for this event, with fourteen staff members present. The program closed with President and CEO Jim Mullen speaking about the future, and the progress towards their Bold Goals.

State and Federal Communications received the 2020 All In Award, for “achieving 100% campaign participation and engaging employees at all levels of the organization.” In addition, the company received the 2020 Firestone Award, for “unmatched participation in the United Way campaign with fewer than 100 employees.”

Learn more in the video below:

On Thursday, October 31, State and Federal Communications is hosting its Tenth Annual Halloween Donuts and Cider Sale. All sales go directly to the United Way of Summit County.

Drop in and say hello from 8:30 to 11:00 a.m. and enjoy a delicious treat, or take some of these goodies to your office!

We’ll be in the lobby of 80 South Summit St. in downtown Akron, across from Quaker Square.

The Krispy Kreme glazed donuts are $1.00 per donut or $8.00 per dozen. The chocolate iced donuts are $1.00 per donut or $9.00 per dozen. The apple cider will be $1.00 per cup or $8.00 per gallon.

To reserve your donuts, email Joe May at jmay@stateandfed.com, or call us at 330-761-9960.

On read to me day, volunteers sign up with the United Way of Summit County to read to an elementary school classroom for 30 minutes.

Joe May and I were assigned to a kindergarten and third grade class at the Harris-Jackson Community Learning Center in the Akron Public School (APS) system.

I read “Leo the Late Bloomer” and “The Three Little Wolves and the Big Bad Pig” to the kindergartners. These books were recommended by retired APS teacher, Zoe McClish.

The kids LOVED both books, and the teacher was quite excited when I gifted them to the class.

Upon finishing, I got a Certificate for Participating, and even received some sweet hugs for coming in!

Joe May read “The Chocolate Touch” and “Pippi Longstocking” to his third grade class.

The teacher and the students were truly excited to receive those books as gifts too!

 
We are kicking off the holiday season with our Stock(ing) the Sleigh project for the Akron community.  This year we are collecting socks for the homeless. Our sock drive begins today and ends on Monday, December 18. All donations will benefit the Haven of Rest, which serves hundreds of homeless people in the Akron area.

Also, we are gathering snacks for the children in the Akron Public Schools with United Way’s Holiday Snack Pack Drive! It starts today and runs until Monday, December 11. You can be a champion for a hungry child in the Akron Public Schools by bringing in snack items – you can find the list of snacks here.

State and Federal Communications has a year-round commitment to supporting the United Way of Summit County. This includes taking part in the annual campaign, Read to Me days, and the Day of Action. But, everyone’s favorite is the office’s annual Halloween Donut and Cider sale and “pay-to-play” costume event. Not only is the event great fun, but all proceeds go to the United Way.

This year’s Halloween Donut and Cider sale was another resounding success, with 58 dozen donuts and 20 gallons of cider sold. Joe May, corporate social responsibility manager, says the sale “gets bigger and bigger every year.”

The staff delivered imaginative costumes as well as tasty treats. We were treated with visits from Kylo Ren, the friendly Starbucks barista, a flowery Snapchat filter, and U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg, among many others. Elizabeth Bartz, our president and CEO, and Joe Vegas, with his sharp silver jacket, just shined with joy at how much we helped the United Way yesterday.

Here’s a glimpse of the office fun yesterday:

On Tuesday, October 31, State and Federal Communications is hosting its Eighth Annual Halloween Donut and Apple Cider Sale. All sales will go directly to the United Way of Summit County.

Drop in and say hello from 8:30 to 11:00 a.m. and enjoy a delicious treat. We’ll be in the lobby of 80 South Summit St. in Downtown Akron, across from Quaker Square.

The Krispy Kreme regular and chocolate donuts are $1.00 per donut or $7.00 per dozen. The apple cider will be $1.00 per cup or $8.00 per gallon.

To reserve your donuts, you can email Joe May at jmay@stateandfed.com, or call us at 330-761-9960.

Before the week is over, be sure to catch up on any state government and ethics news you may have missed in this week’s video digest!

State and Federal Communications does all it can to give back to the community. One of the main ways we contribute is by working with the United Way. Along with the many other United Way programs we participate in, we have a yearly campaign to collect donations for its Stuff the Bus program.

The Stuff the Bus program collects school supplies for children from the Akron Public Schools. This year’s campaign runs from July 9 to September 6. There are three different ways to participate in Stuff the Bus: request a collection bin, volunteer at the Sort-a-Thon, or deliver the backpacks to the students. We are getting collection bins to gather supplies, but each part of this event is important and contributes to making it successful. The United Way will be collecting supplies from July 9 to August 18, the Sort-a-Thon takes place on August 22, and Delivery Day is September 6.

State and Federal Communications loves being a part of a program that encourages education. We want to see Akron Public Schools’ students succeed and grow into educated men and women. State and Federal Communications firmly stands behind this cause, and we really promote the message within our company and campaign to get our whole staff to participate. We are excited to Stuff the Bus this year as we have many times before!

To learn more, visit the United Way’s Stuff the Bus website.

Written by interns Katelynn Chilson and Olivia Williams: State and Federal Communications has a strong commitment to helping our community. We believe we all have a responsibility to help our community, and we try to give back in whatever ways we can.

Every year we join Summit County United Way and participate in their Day of Action. In previous years, we’ve helped landscape the Lake Anna YMCA, sorted clothes and painted at Goodwill, and painted the gymnasium walls at the East Akron YMCA. On June 21, we helped to put on a carnival at the YMCA Family Enrichment Center in Akron, Ohio. It was a wonderful experience to help the kids with arts and crafts, officiate potato sack races, and run other carnival-inspired games.

We had a great day at the YMCA Family Enrichment Center. Seeing the excitement on the children’s faces made for a fun-filled and inspiring Day of Action.  Each year we are reminded why we love volunteering our time to the growth of our community, and each year we love to see the community coming together to make Akron the welcoming city it is.

Check out a few more of our favorite photos from this years Day of Action!

On Monday, October 31 State and Federal Communications is hosting its annual Halloween Donut and Apple Cider sale. All sales will go directly to the United Way of Summit County.

Drop in and say hello from 8:30 to 11:00 a.m. and enjoy a delicious treat. We’ll be in the lobby of 80 South Summit St. in Downtown Akron, across from Quaker Square.

The Krispy Kreme donuts are $1.00 per donut or $7.00 per dozen. The apple cider will be $1.00 per cup or $8.00 per gallon.

To reserve your donuts, you can email Tony Didion at adidion@stateandfed.com, or call us at 330-761-9960.

The new school year has arrived and State and Federal Communications is proud to support United Way of Summit County’s Stuff the Bus program to make sure all children in the Akron Public Schools have the supplies they need! We had a wonderful time gathering a mountain of crayons, markers and notebook paper.

Thank you United Way for everything you do to make our community thrive.