By Amelia Hitchens
Features Editor
The United Way of Licking County has been working alongside Denison University to improve life and wellbeing in Licking County. Their mission is to unite the community to make people’s lives better, and they hope to do so with the help of Denison faculty and students.
United Way started off by creating a community blueprint that highlights areas of interest that could use improvement in Licking County. Many people are involved in creating this blueprint through an intense survey including professors, doctors, psychiatrists, and also the average man on the street.
This year, the main areas of focus were behavioral health, children, youth and families, and poverty. This information was then passed to Denison in hopes to receive funding and support from our community.
President Adam Weinberg explained, “The Community Blueprint is impressive. It will be important for Denison and every other large organization in Licking County to find ways to support its implementation.”
A dinner was held at President Weinberg’s house to talk about the upcoming project with United Way.
Luellen Deeds, Outreach Director of United Way in Licking County, stresses that “it is very important that there is a measurable outcome in everything we do.” Deeds feels that reaching out into the community is extremely important and Denison goes above and beyond to support the community.
Working with programs such as Big Brother’s Big Sisters is one of many ways Denison students can get involved with the Licking County Community.
President Weinberg feels that reaching out into the Newark community and Licking County is a great way for students to become involved.
He added, “Denison has a very long and strong partnership with the Licking County United Way. The new Community Blueprint gives us an opportunity to align our community work and philanthropic efforts in ways that will make a difference throughout the county.”
Denison has been working with United Way for many years, and President Weinberg is interested in how we can built upon that tradition.
He would love to see our sororities and fraternities begin focusing their philanthropic work on non-profit organizations in the Newark and Licking County Communities.
The opportunity to give back to the Licking County community is a very rewarding experience that many individuals of the Denison Community take part in.
President Weinberg feels that “Denison faculty, students and staff do so much important work throughout the community. The Community Blueprint will gives us new ways to contribute. It’s exciting.”
Photo Courtesy of United Way of Licking Co.