United Way of York County celebrates 100 years of service to our community in 2021. We began as The York Welfare Federation, an organization that raised funds on behalf of 17 member agencies. Today, as United Way of York County, the mission of raising community funds remains the same, but the strategies have broadened in order to meet the growing and changing needs of people living in York County.
Join us this year as we take a look back at 100 years of impact, and look ahead at the future we can build together for York County: A future where every person in our community can thrive.
100 Ways to Celebrate 100 Years
In the Community 1. Wear your Live United T-shirt out in public, to the gym, or running errands.
2. Give a high-five to anyone you see wearing a Live United T-shirt!
3. Create and deliver cards to the employees of a nonprofit thanking them for their work.
4. Drop some new or gently used books by a Little Free Library.
5. Thank an essential worker at the grocery store, gas station, or other business.
6. Donate blood through an American Red Cross blood drive.
7. Pay it forward by paying for the car behind you in line at the drive-thru window.
8. Give an extra generous tip to your waiter/waitress or server.
9. Clean up a vacant lot or park in your neighborhood with a group of friends.
10. Have a garage sale and donate the proceeds to United Way of York County.
11. Volunteer to purchase groceries or do the grocery run for your neighbor who may have difficulty getting to a grocery store on their own.
12. Leave a basket of snacks out for your mailperson or delivery person.
13. Send flowers to a local senior living community centers, to brighten up a senior’s day.
14. Donate excess or overflow produce from your garden to a local food bank or food pantry.
15. Have a backyard or neighborhood dance party with families on your street to promote a fun, healthy lifestyle for kids of all ages.
16. Drop a $5 gift card for coffee or gas into the mailbox of a neighbor, with an anonymous note to “Enjoy!”
Get Social 17. Tell a friend about United Way of York County’s 100th anniversary!
18. Like United Way of York County on Facebook.
19,. Follow United Way of York County on Twitter (and send a tweet to say hello!)
20. Follow United Way of York County on Instagram.
21. Connect with United Way of York County on LinkedIn.
22. Subscribe to United Way of York County updates on YouTube.
23. Share a 100th anniversary social media post to your feeds and your networks.
24. Share a photo of yourself in your Live United T-shirt and tag United Way of York County.
25. Post an example of how your office Lives United.
26. Post an example of how your family Lives United.
27. Like a social account of one (or more!) of our Partner Agencies
28. Include the United Way of York County 100th logo in your email signature, on your social media profiles, or on your company website.
29. Do a random act of kindness every week for a month — or every day for 100 days!
30. Get your friends and family to sponsor you on a 100-mile walk or bike ride.
31. Share the United Way of York County’s 100th anniversary timeline, and tell us when you first got involved.
32. Say thank-you to 100 people who’ve made a difference in your life.
Give33. Donate $100 to the United Way of York County Community Fund.
34. Increase your donation to the 2021 United Way of York County Campaign by $100.
35. Ask 10 friends to give $10 each to the 2021 United Way of York County Campaign.
36. Donate your gently used or unworn kids’ clothes to a Partner Agency or local closet.
37. Donate your extra pantry items to a local food bank or food pantry.
38. Clear out your children’s bookshelves and donate gently used reads to United Way of York County’s #yorkreads initiatives.
39. Become a member of Emerging Leaders Society.
40. Become a member of Women United.
41. Get the whole family involved! Collect 100 pennies, nickels, dimes, quarters, or $1 bills to donate to United Way of York County.
42. Endow a gift to United Way of York County.
43. Add United Way of York County to your will.
44. Ask for donations to United Way of York County for your birthday.
45. If you run a small business or have a side hustle, donate a portion of your proceeds one month.
46. Select United Way of York County as your charity when shopping through Amazon Smile.
47. Support back-to-school drives in September for items needed by local elementary, middle and high schools.
48. Donate Spanish-language books from our #yorkreads initiatives Wish List on Amazon.
Advocate 49. Share information about 211 with someone in need.
50. Follow your legislators on social media and get to know their positions on issues that matter to you.
51. Call your legislator and thank them for supporting high-quality early childhood education — or encourage them to do so!
52. Sign your name to show your support for Start Strong PA and Pre-K for PA, which support expanded access and affordability for high-quality early childhood education.
53. Tell 100 people why YOU support United Way of York County.
54. Share a United Way Storytellers video from our YouTube page and include why you support the Community Fund.
55. Share on social media why United Way’s investment in education is important to you.
56. Share on social media why United Way’s investment in health is important to you.
57. Share on social media why United Way’s investment in financial stability is important to you.
58. Take a tour of a United Way of York County Partner Agency and share with others what you learned.
59. Share your United Way story with us and tell us why you give back.
60. Nominate a Partner Agency to receive $100 through Give Local York.
61. Share how United Way of York County or a Partner Agency program has impacted you.
62. Add United Way to your volunteer experience on your LinkedIn page.
63. Advocate about a cause you care about by sharing information with others.
64. Share information about MyFreeTaxes.com and encourage people to claim the tax credits they are eligible for.
65. Be informed: Learn how York County ranks in education, health, and financial stability through the Common Good Forecaster.
Volunteer 66. Set a goal for how many hours you will volunteer in 2021 — and make a plan to achieve it!
67. Take 10 minutes and pick up trash around your neighborhood.
68. Help your neighbor shovel their sidewalk, mow their lawn, or rake leaves.
69.Volunteer to answer calls to 211 through CONTACT Helpline.
70. Sign up to deliver meals to those who are homebound or in need.
71. Share your time as a COVID-19 screener at a local hospital or vaccination site.
72. Connect with an organization that offers phone calls and connection to seniors over the phone.
73. Organize a clothing drive of professional attire to support individuals who are job hunting or preparing for interviews.
74. Sort or distribute food at a local food bank or food pantry.
75. Volunteer at a United Way of York County Partner Agency.
76. Participate in United Way of York County’s 2021 Day of Action.
77. Record yourself reading a children’s book and share it with an early learning center as a guest reader story time.
78. Mentor a young person in York County through Big Brothers Big Sisters.
79. Volunteer to serve on a United Way of York County Allocations Panel.
80. Serve on a nonprofit board or committee in York County.
81. Invite a co-worker, neighbor, family member, or friend to volunteer with you.
82. Share your voice and tell us why you volunteer in York County!
In the Workplace 83. Host a donation drive (Children’s books, canned goods, diapers, or another needed item) to collect items for a United Way of York County Partner Agency.
84. Collect supplies and put together hygiene kits for individuals experiencing homelessness.
85. Hold a competition in your office to see which building or department can raise the most money toward the United Way of York County Community Fund.
86. Start a workplace wellness committee at your office.
87. Display an ‘I support UWYC’ window decal on your office door. (Need one? Let us know!)
88. Post a United Way of York County yard sign outside your company’s offices. (Need one? Let us know!)
89. Send us photos of you or your company supporting United Way of York County through the years.
90. Organize a service project with your co-workers at a United Way of York County Partner Agency.
91. Make it a United Way day and encourage employees to wear their Live United Ts.
92. Host a poverty simulation at your workplace.
93. Nominate a young leader in your organization and encourage them to attend an Emerging Leaders Society event.
94. Invite us to speak with your company leadership about how we can partner together.
95. Ask your company to be a sponsor of an affinity group event this year.
96. Identify the person at your organization who has given, advocated or volunteer with United Way of York County for the longest time — and tell us about them!
97. Offer employees paid time off to volunteer through Day of Action or throughout the year.
98. At your United Way workplace Campaign kick-off event, have everyone stand in the shape of a One-Zero-Zero and take a bird’s eye view picture.
99. Share with a co-worker why you support United Way of York County.
100. Post on social media why your company supports United Way of York County.
Have another great idea to add to the list, or want to share photos or a story with us? We'd love to hear from you. Send an email to chains@unitedway-york.org.