The best way to eat an elephant is one bite at a time, and one Dane County organization is hoping to dig its forks to the occasion Tuesday and make a sizeable dent in the elephant-size issue of local poverty.

On Tuesday afternoon, the United Way of Dane County will kick off what it hopes to be a $17.5 million season with its annual Day of Caring, a volunteer-driven event that sees participants compile things like food, school supplies and hygiene products to be given to those in need.

“It’s a chance to come together, get people more approximate to the issues and how we respond in the community,” United Way President and CEO Renee Moe said. “We need more than ever to come together as neighbors.”

From 1:30 to 3 p.m., hundreds of people will gather at Breese Stevens Field to pack food and health supplies, forming a sort of humanitarian assembly line. They’re tasked with putting together 250 backpacks, 4,000 paper products, 3,000 menstrual hygiene packages, 2,000 healthy snacks and 1,000 encouraging notes, which will go to Porchlight, the Community Action Coalition for South Central Wisconsin, the Road Home of Dane County, Second Harvest Food Bank of Southern Wisconsin and WayForward Resources.

Volunteers at the 2024 Day of Caring heft bags full of donated necessities, packed by around 500 volunteers. This year, more than 900 people have registered for the day.

“We’re really excited to see those numbers back up,” she said.

But just as the volunteer number has increased, so too has the need. More than 58,000 Dane County residents are living in poverty, 10.5% of the population. Calls to 211, United Way Dane County’s help line, are up 36%, with the highest volumes seeking food, rent and utility assistance.

Another issue United Way hopes to address is the racial disparities in Dane County, where Black people account 5% of the overall population but more than 40% of those who are homeless, according to the organization’s data. Black people in Dane County are also twice as likely as white people to be living in poverty, and the average life expectancy of a Black person here, 71 years, is more than a decade shorter than for white, Asian and Latino people in the county.

Fourteen cents of every dollar United Way raises toward its charitable efforts goes toward administrative costs. This year, though, another local organization is looking to bridge that 14-cent gap with its own contributions.

The Dan and Patti Rashke (TASC) Foundation will be underwriting each individual donation, making up for those administrative costs so that all of the money an individual donates goes directly to people in need.

“It takes that barrier out,” Moe said. “That’s a really big deal.”

Registration for the event is still open, so anyone who wants to attend the Day of Caring or otherwise contribute to the United Way can find information on the organization’s website, UnitedWayDaneCounty.org.

Next Tuesday, Aug. 19, is United Way’s Day of Caring at Breese Stevens Field, and it resonates with me in ways it hasn’t before. The world is a bit of a mess. Every day seems to bring a new story of human suffering, and each of those stories contains some evidence of the absence of concern, to say nothing of compassion. Human beings, children and entire families are living in fear, misery and desperation. And people who can do something about it don’t give a damn. So, a “day of caring.” What a concept.

It is not a new concept, of course. United Way of Dane County, or UWDC, has organized the day of volunteering as the kickoff for its annual Community Campaign for almost 25 years now. (Last year’s Community Campaign raised $17.3 million thanks to more than 13,000 people and 500 businesses.) The Day of Caring is a kickoff event where hundreds of people, employees from local businesses, families, groups of friends and community-minded citizens help folks who need it with clean-up, pick-up and fix-up jobs at dozens of designated homes and community spaces. (There are 900 people registered so far for this year’s kickoff.)

It’s an uplifting, positive day that — like United Way of Dane County itself — makes a difference in people’s lives. But, for reasons beyond that, it just feels like we need as many days of caring as we can get right now. And I’m grateful to UWDC for reminding us of that.

Caring — and caring enough to do something about it — is what makes UWDC so special. I believe our county’s United Way stands apart from most United Ways in other communities. Over the last 40 years I’ve been in more UWDC-led meetings than I can count, and I have seen firsthand the level of commitment and dedication, from volunteers, young people, retirees and civic activists, as well as occupants of C-level suites of almost every major business, organization and employer in Dane County. It is a display of trust, confidence and belief that UWDC has earned through decades of hard work, accountability and unparalleled knowledge of Dane County.

The work has included concerted and badly needed efforts that include supporting families, providing housing stability, ensuring children are healthy and able to achieve in school, allowing older adults to enjoy quality lives, and confronting racism and injustice wherever it rears its ugly head. Importantly, UWDC has also demonstrated the wisdom and nimble flexibility to pivot when necessary to address compelling community needs when they arise. And underlying every one of those decisions and action plans — every stay-to-the-end meeting, every hard decision of how to allocate limited resources — is a visible, palpable, explicit expression of caring. People work at, volunteer at and support UWDC because each one of them cares.

There are times I wish United Way of Dane County could change its name. I worry it has become so ubiquitous that we take it for granted: it will always be there, it will always be wisely directing dollars to nonprofit service providers, and it always raises enough money to do that.

But the contrast between the positivity, hope and impact of a Day of Caring, and the often depressing, frightening, soul-sapping times in which we live should motivate us all to give what we can — of our time and/or money, to make sure UWDC really can continue to promote a community that cares. That may require a little more thought and effort given the evolution from traditional workplace giving and paycheck deductions models to now-common online giving. But I’m recommending we make the effort.

There’s still time to register for free to volunteer at the Day of Caring on Aug. 19 at Breese Stevens Field. Or, visit unitedwaydanecounty.org for an invitation to be inspired by the power of many, the kindness of others and how we can incorporate that spirit into our lives in ways that contribute to that effort.

Neil Heinen is a former editorial director of Madison Magazine and News 3 Now. He writes this “I Have Some Thoughts” web-exclusive column monthly.

DANE COUNTY, Wis. (WKOW) — United Way of Dane County is preparing for its annual community fundraising campaign, the Day of Caring, and the public is invited to participate.

Renee Moe, president and CEO of United Way of Dane County, appeared on 27 News at 5 on Thursday to talk about the event.

The Day of Caring is scheduled for Tuesday, Aug. 19, from 1:30 to 3 p.m. at Breese Stevens Field in Madison. This year’s campaign goal is $17.5 million.

Hundreds of local volunteers are expected to assemble thousands of essential care kits called ImPacks and backpacks for students and families in the community.

The event will also feature a food drive and opportunities to learn about challenges facing Dane County. Participants will receive a free United Way volunteer T-shirt, enjoy snacks and work together to make a difference locally.

Click here for more information.

WKOW is a proud event sponsor.

Jersson Isidoro signed up this year for a new pre-apprenticeship program in Madison, hoping it would help guide the next steps of his career in the skilled trades.

He learned construction basics like scaffolding and concrete work. He practiced safety measures and math. And now, he has a job in insulation.

“(The program is) really important,” Isidoro said. “It helps people that are not sure what to do after high school or just if they are interested in the construction area.”

The program, run by the Latino Academy of Workforce Development, was available to more than a dozen students free of charge, and students were paid for their work while training. A $300,000 Lowe’s Foundation grant funded the program and will fund its continued development over the next two years.

Isidoro said he applied after learning about the program through a career fair. Adults authorized to work in the United States with at least an intermediate level of English were eligible to participate. To complete the two-week course, students had to pass testing requirements, an interview and a variety of construction trainings.

“I applied those skills where I work now, like the safety stuff,” Isidoro said. “I’d be more careful, because safety is the most important part when you’re in the field.”

The Lowe’s Foundation awarded 15 of the grants this year to nonprofits, all focused on workforce training in the skilled trades. The Latino Academy’s grant was the only award to a Wisconsin nonprofit.

Nydia Martinez, the Latino Academy’s executive director, said the grant is providing more than money to launch and operate the training course.

“Not only (did the foundation) give us this funding, but they also helped us to establish a partnership with the Lowe’s stores,” Martinez said. “They provided additional tools and support for our students.”

Other partners in the pre-apprenticeship program include the Laborers’ International Union of North America, the Workforce Development Board of South Central Wisconsin and United Way of Dane County.

“They supported the program by helping us to address some access barriers,” Martinez said. “For example, providing resources like … gas gift cards to support individuals to be able to travel to the training areas.”