Latest / WIXN AM 1460 - Shaw Local Radio / Talk-Line: United Way of Lee and Ogle County Executive Director Ashley Richter

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Talk-Line: United Way of Lee and Ogle County Executive Director Ashley Richter · WIXN AM 1460 - Shaw Local Radio

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: We are quarter past the hour. This is Thursday, It's
• 0:02
  Speaker 1: July thirty one, the year is twenty twenty five, and
• 0:04
  Speaker 1: it's time for another informational edition of Talkline here at
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  Speaker 1: WIKES and Radio. Good morning, I'm Steve Maco. It is
• 0:10
  Speaker 1: time for our look at news and information from your
• 0:14
  Speaker 1: United Way agencies of Lee and Ogle County. And who
• 0:18
  Speaker 1: better to deliver the goods than our executive director of
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  Speaker 1: both of those organizations. She's live with us by telephone
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  Speaker 1: this morning, and she's got a full plate of information
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  Speaker 1: to share with you today. Our good friend Ashley Richter,
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  Speaker 1: joins us on WYX and Ashley, good morning, Hi, good morning,
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  Speaker 1: Nice to have you with us, Thanks for joining us.
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  Speaker 1: Thanks to Ashley for again a busy time out of
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  Speaker 1: her day to join us on the radio to spotlight
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  Speaker 1: some upcoming events on the calendar list for the United
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  Speaker 1: Way of Leonogle County. Ashley, we're gonna trip back them
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  Speaker 1: and wrap up the summer of twenty twenty five in
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  Speaker 1: a big way. The United Way of Leonogle County has
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  Speaker 1: been active, of course with I know their summer each
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  Speaker 1: program and we're about ready to wrap that program up right.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, So we just served the meals yesterday and that
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  Speaker 2: was our ninth Wednesday of the summer. So we have
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  Speaker 2: one week left that we'll be serving meals for summer
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  Speaker 2: eats before that program is wrapped up and all those
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  Speaker 2: students are going back to school. So we have about
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  Speaker 2: one week left of the program. But the summer has
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  Speaker 2: been going great. We were able to expand the program
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  Speaker 2: into Oregon, and we've been just so busy with hundreds
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  Speaker 2: of volunteers coming to help us unpacked food, unload food trucks,
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  Speaker 2: pack meals. It's been a great summer. You know, we're
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  Speaker 2: staying very busy, serving more meals than we have in
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  Speaker 2: the past, and we'll have you know, an exact total
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  Speaker 2: after next week. But you know, from the beginning, we
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  Speaker 2: were packing about two hundred to three hundred more wheel
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  Speaker 2: meals every week than we were in twenty twenty four.
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  Speaker 2: So I'm definitely fat increased need in our community. But
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  Speaker 2: I'm just so grateful for our volunteers and our owners
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  Speaker 2: that make it possible for us to run this program
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  Speaker 2: and fill this need in our community.
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  Speaker 1: And you know, obviously you know that, and we we
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  Speaker 1: pinpointed the youth, you know, for this program. Actually, but
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  Speaker 1: we've we've kind of expanded, we kind of let it
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  Speaker 1: out to u those that are just plain in need
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  Speaker 1: of food for the summer. Right.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, so the food is geared towards kids and teens,
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  Speaker 2: but you know many sites adults might stop by for
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  Speaker 2: meals and we never turn anyone away, so it definitely is,
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  Speaker 2: you know, available for anyone that's in need. We don't
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  Speaker 2: have any paperwork, they don't have to fill anything out,
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  Speaker 2: so it is just a program where we're there in
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  Speaker 2: the community to help and we don't ask questions, you know,
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  Speaker 2: if somebody comes by that needs a meal, so you know,
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  Speaker 2: we are very very grateful that we can offer that
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  Speaker 2: and address food and security for you know, kids while
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  Speaker 2: they're out of school. But if there are adults that
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  Speaker 2: are in need and come by and see us serving,
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  Speaker 2: will definitely serve them a meal as well.
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  Speaker 1: Grabb and Go Lunches one more week of grabb and
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  Speaker 1: Go Lunches at those locations that we've been talking about.
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  Speaker 1: Pretty much the Dixon schools, including the old Lincoln School
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  Speaker 1: are involved. I know that the Splash, Padditt Vale Park,
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  Speaker 1: the Wooden Wonderland, Northeast Dixon, those areas of all along
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  Speaker 1: with Saint Paul Lutheran Church on Peory Avenue are all
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  Speaker 1: delivering the goods and as well as the libraries. All
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  Speaker 1: of the libraries in Lee and in Ogle County are
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  Speaker 1: delivering grab and go meals courtesy of the United Way
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  Speaker 1: of Leonogle County. One more Week, One more Wednesday. That's
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  Speaker 1: next Wednesday here in our northern Illinois area. Actually anything
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  Speaker 1: else from the summer that we have to wrap things
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  Speaker 1: up with.
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  Speaker 2: So that's been a big thing. And I know we
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  Speaker 2: briefly talked, but just a little update on our Mini
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  Speaker 2: Food Center as well. That's at the Dixon Public Library.
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  Speaker 2: We have been so busy serving food out of there too.
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  Speaker 2: To kind of tie that into our food and security
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  Speaker 2: programs that you know, we typically our United Way office
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  Speaker 2: has committed the stocking that Twesday and Wednesday, but we
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  Speaker 2: would like to get that out to the community that
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  Speaker 2: the community can also help fact food. So if you
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  Speaker 2: have a local organization or your church would like to
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  Speaker 2: do a food drive for the Mini Food Center as well,
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  Speaker 2: we would love to have have them involved and help
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  Speaker 2: us be able to you know, keep up and get
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  Speaker 2: more food in there throughout the week. So the community
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  Speaker 2: is definitely welcome to contribute to that at anytime as
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  Speaker 2: well and help us in that effort. That has been
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  Speaker 2: very busy in the community and well received. So we're
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  Speaker 2: just you know, appreciative of the support of the community.
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  Speaker 2: And we've received a generous sponsorship from OSS to help
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  Speaker 2: us take on the food purchasing when the grant from
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  Speaker 2: the Health department food purchasing ends. But we are you know,
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  Speaker 2: it's just a great partnership and community collaboration. But I
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  Speaker 2: just wanted to put that out there. If the community
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  Speaker 2: or anyone would like to get involved, they can they
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  Speaker 2: can do that as well.
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  Speaker 1: Absolutely, this started in Ogle County. This started through the
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  Speaker 1: Oregon and Ogle County Health departments, and it has morphed
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  Speaker 1: into again our Northern Illinois air and now the Dixon
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  Speaker 1: Public Library one of the latest to have that mini
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  Speaker 1: mart available. And this is just drop off food, pick
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  Speaker 1: up food, right, Ashley. I mean, this is just open
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  Speaker 1: to those that want to donate and to those that
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  Speaker 1: just want to stop buying pick up a food.
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  Speaker 2: Stuff, right, Yes, yep, twenty four to seven. No appointment needed.
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  Speaker 2: You just come by and saying if you'd like to
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  Speaker 2: make a donation, you don't have to run it by
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  Speaker 2: a United Way or the library first you can just
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  Speaker 2: go inever's convenient for you and drop it off. And
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  Speaker 2: we do have all the information on our Facebook so
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  Speaker 2: you can see kind of what you can and cannot bring.
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  Speaker 2: But we have all that listed there if you have
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  Speaker 2: questions as well.
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  Speaker 1: All right, So again that mini food mart again operating
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  Speaker 1: and as Ashley mentioned, very busy, you know with donations
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  Speaker 1: first of all, and Ashley mentioned organizations that would like
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  Speaker 1: to hold food drive so give to that food mart
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  Speaker 1: location at the Dixon Public Library. Invited to do that
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  Speaker 1: and again those that are in need that's located at
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  Speaker 1: the library again a stop off at the library to
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  Speaker 1: pick up a needed food fed items again courtesy of
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  Speaker 1: the United Way in part again with that mini food
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  Speaker 1: Mart at the Dixon Public Library doing their thing for
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  Speaker 1: this summer. And this is just this is not just
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  Speaker 1: the summer. This is going to run all year.
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  Speaker 2: Right yeah, yeap, year round, okay, okay.
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  Speaker 1: So that's a year round activity at the Dixon Public Library. Actually,
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  Speaker 1: Richter's our guest today from the United Way of both
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  Speaker 1: Leonogle Counties. She's joined us for the final talk line
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  Speaker 1: of July of twenty twenty five. Here at WI Exam.
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  Speaker 1: Let's move to the calendar of event list because we've
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  Speaker 1: got a couple of activities coming up in the month
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  Speaker 1: of August that we want to spotlight. And the first one,
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  Speaker 1: let's take them chronologically, is August the sixteenth. Talk about
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  Speaker 1: this Shop for a Cause event.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, so we're partnering with Freshbrine's boutique in Dixon and
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  Speaker 2: they're holding a Shop for a Cause event on that Saturday,
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  Speaker 2: August sixteenth, and that will be during their open hours,
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  Speaker 2: which I believe are ten to four that Saturday, and
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  Speaker 2: they will be donating a percentage of all the sales
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  Speaker 2: from that day to United Way. So if you're looking
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  Speaker 2: for it back to school shopping or you know, getting
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  Speaker 2: out with friends, you can stop in there and know
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  Speaker 2: that your purchases will also benefit United Way. And I
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  Speaker 2: believe she also has like a color analysis going on
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  Speaker 2: that day too, so you know, in line with that,
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  Speaker 2: she's kind of added a special event at the store,
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  Speaker 2: so when you stop by, you can shop, get a
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  Speaker 2: color analysis don while you're there, and also now that
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  Speaker 2: you're supporting United Way in the process. So that's a
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  Speaker 2: great thing to do if you're if you're looking you're
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  Speaker 2: out and about that Saturday and want to shop for a.
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  Speaker 1: Cause, absolutely, and again support United Way if you can't
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  Speaker 1: support them in any other areas, do this Shop for
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  Speaker 1: a Cause at Fresh Fines in Dixon on August the sixteenth.
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  Speaker 1: They'll be donated a portion of their proceeds to the
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  Speaker 1: United Way costs. And then two days later you got
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  Speaker 1: another collective event.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah. So we started a nonprofit coffee collective with United
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  Speaker 2: Ways Whiteside County and we hold quarterly workshops. So something
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  Speaker 2: we wanted to do was partner together to offer free
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  Speaker 2: resources to nonprofits in our communities in the SoC Valley.
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  Speaker 2: So we are holding a nonprofit coffee collective. It's at
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  Speaker 2: Sock at nine am and that event will be focusing
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  Speaker 2: on telling your story. So we're we have Star media
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  Speaker 2: coming in and they're going to be sharing resources on
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  Speaker 2: how nonprofits and organizations can up their marketing and how
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  Speaker 2: they're telling the story of their organization. Whether that's just
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  Speaker 2: to share the great work you're doing, or to help
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  Speaker 2: cultivate you know, donors, or just resources that are available
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  Speaker 2: to us as nonprofit organization. So if you are a
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  Speaker 2: nonprofit profit or any business can come. You don't have
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  Speaker 2: to be a nonprofit. We're geared towards nonprofits. But if
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  Speaker 2: you have some questions and want to learn more about
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  Speaker 2: marketing and sharing your your organization for your group's story,
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  Speaker 2: we'd love to have you there. It's a free workshop
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  Speaker 2: for the community. So and that will be at Soock
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  Speaker 2: that morning at nine am.
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  Speaker 1: All right, no preregistration answer you, do you have to
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  Speaker 1: preregister for this?
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  Speaker 2: Nope, you don't need to pre register. You can just
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  Speaker 2: stop over.
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  Speaker 1: Okay, all right. That is August the eighteenth, nine am
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  Speaker 1: Shock Valley Community College for that nonprofit coffee collective event
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  Speaker 1: taking place at SBCC. Then we jump into the month
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  Speaker 1: of September with an early activity that you are just
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  Speaker 1: getting started with, and that is your campaign luncheon that
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  Speaker 1: will happen in Ogle County.
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  Speaker 2: Actually, yes, yeah, So we just got details out about
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  Speaker 2: this yesterday, but we'll be holding a campaign celebration luncheon
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  Speaker 2: for our United Way of Ogle County campaign. So at
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  Speaker 2: this event, we celebrate everything from last year, the twenty
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  Speaker 2: twenty four campaign, how much money we raised, the impact
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  Speaker 2: of those dollars and the agencies that we were able
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  Speaker 2: to support through our grants, as well as kicking off
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  Speaker 2: our twenty twenty five campaign, so we do things a
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  Speaker 2: little different in Ogle County with that event, but tickets
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  Speaker 2: are available. It's twenty dollars for an individual ticket or
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  Speaker 2: one hundred and fifty for a table of eight and
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  Speaker 2: that will include lunch. And we were meeting at the
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  Speaker 2: Jarrett Prairie Center and Byron this year for that event.
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  Speaker 2: So to have groups there, organizations, volunteers, anyone that's involved
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  Speaker 2: with the United Way, or if you're interested in learning more,
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  Speaker 2: it's a great event to come to where you can
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  Speaker 2: get lunch and hear about the work we're doing. So
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  Speaker 2: all that information is up and ready and tickets around
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  Speaker 2: sale now.
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  Speaker 1: And to wrap things up for our United Way coverage
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  Speaker 1: this time around, we're going to talk about a very
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  Speaker 1: important day in September and that's the day of Carrying
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  Speaker 1: leading to your campaign kickoff.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, so Lee County our campaign will kick off in
• 10:29
  Speaker 2: September as well, and we're always looking for volunteers. So
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  Speaker 2: if you're interested in helping raise funds and get involved
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  Speaker 2: with the United Way, we are always looking for campaign volunteers.
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  Speaker 2: So we will have a day where we meet together
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  Speaker 2: and train and then kind of in the community our
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  Speaker 2: kickoff for the campaign is Day of Caring, and Day
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  Speaker 2: of Caring is a half day. We meet Saturday, September thirteenth,
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  Speaker 2: typically nine to Mune, and then we match local volunteers
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  Speaker 2: with local service projects. So we will put out a
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  Speaker 2: flea to all of our nonprofit organizations, you know, our schools,
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  Speaker 2: organizations that you know we want to help and support
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  Speaker 2: in our communities, and then we ask volunteers to sign
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  Speaker 2: up of you know, family, sign your family up, sign
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  Speaker 2: a group up from your your business or organization, and
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  Speaker 2: then we'll match you with the service project. So let's
• 11:19
  Speaker 2: say there's a group that you know, we have a
• 11:20
  Speaker 2: project we could use help with landscaping, and we need
• 11:23
  Speaker 2: four people, and I can take a group before from
• 11:26
  Speaker 2: an organization and match them to that. So a week
• 11:29
  Speaker 2: before the event, they'll find out what projects they're doing
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  Speaker 2: and you know, make sure they have all the supplies
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  Speaker 2: that they need, and we help provide all of that
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  Speaker 2: for them. So it's a great day. Last year we
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  Speaker 2: had one hundred and twenty five people come on Saturday morning.
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  Speaker 2: We were able to complete fifteen local service projects in
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  Speaker 2: three hours. So you know, you just think of that
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  Speaker 2: collective impact among Lee and Ogle County and the work
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  Speaker 2: we're able to do in such a short amount of
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  Speaker 2: time together. So you know, you can also sign up
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  Speaker 2: as an individual and we'll put you on a team.
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  Speaker 2: So all that information is it's on our Facebook and
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  Speaker 2: our website where you can sign up, and you know,
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  Speaker 2: we hope to make it the biggest one yeah this year,
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  Speaker 2: so looking forward to it.
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  Speaker 1: That's September the thirteenth, that day of carying half day
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  Speaker 1: event again where the volunteers get out and do their
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  Speaker 1: thing for needed areas across And if you are are
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  Speaker 1: in need, Ashley, how do how do you contact a
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  Speaker 1: United Way to get on the list of the you know,
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  Speaker 1: those that need to be cared for.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, So if you have a project, if you're an
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  Speaker 2: organization that can use help, you don't have to be
• 12:33
  Speaker 2: a partner agency to submit a project. You go online.
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  Speaker 2: We do have information there. You can also call us
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  Speaker 2: at eight one five two eight four three three three nine.
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  Speaker 2: And then we do have a Google a form that
• 12:51
  Speaker 2: we can't email you or I can fill that out
• 12:53
  Speaker 2: for you where we submit details on your project. So
• 12:57
  Speaker 2: all of that you can also find on our website
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  Speaker 2: United Way of Lee County dot org. Or if you're
• 13:02
  Speaker 2: looking for Ogle, it is Uwogle dot org. And then
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  Speaker 2: you know, we're happy to talk on the phone answer
• 13:08
  Speaker 2: any questions you might have as well.
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  Speaker 1: All right, so check out their websites for this day
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  Speaker 1: of Caring on September the thirteenth. This is both in
• 13:16
  Speaker 1: Lee and Ogle County where they're going to be doing
• 13:19
  Speaker 1: their thing for that half day on that September the
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  Speaker 1: thirteenth and hopefully competed, as Ashley mentioned, completing a lot
• 13:27
  Speaker 1: of projects for organizations across our socc Valley area. And
• 13:30
  Speaker 1: that campaign kickoff runs shortly after that. Obviously we'll be
• 13:33
  Speaker 1: following that as we move through the year right here
• 13:35
  Speaker 1: on WIXENT again. Call United Way of Lee County for information,
• 13:39
  Speaker 1: go on their Facebook page, go to their website for
• 13:41
  Speaker 1: a lot of information that actually talked about today, Ashley Richter,
• 13:44
  Speaker 1: we thank you so very much for stopping by and
• 13:46
  Speaker 1: filling us in on what is happening a busy time
• 13:48
  Speaker 1: for the United Way of Lee and Ogle County, and
• 13:50
  Speaker 1: we thanks, we thank you for joining us today here
• 13:53
  Speaker 1: at WIXN.
• 13:54
  Speaker 2: No problem. Thank you so much Steve for having me.
• 13:56
  Speaker 2: I appreciate it.
• 13:57
  Speaker 1: Ashley Rictor is our executive director of ed Ways of
• 14:00
  Speaker 1: Leonogo County. Our guest today on the talk line here
• 14:03
  Speaker 1: at w Why ecent time to go to press with
• 14:04
  Speaker 1: Tim Lee Danks