UWCC and Local Businesses Raise Funds Through Giveaway
by Angie Matthiessen, Executive Director – United Way of Charlotte County
es-sen-tial
adjective
a thing that is absolutely necessary
ALICE stands for Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed. ALICE is our working population who lives paycheck to paycheck, just above the poverty line, with limited ability to get ahead in life. ALICE is the grocery store clerk, the fast-food restaurant cashier, the nursing home CNA.
We are thankful for ALICE, many of whom worked tirelessly to earn the label of Essential Worker during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic. Without them showing up every day in 2020, who knows how difficult it would have been for us to have made it through to 2021. They scanned our groceries behind layers of plexiglass. They bagged our carryout and delivery orders wearing a mask and gloves. They cared for our loved ones while we kept our distance.
Yet while some have maintained steady employment throughout the pandemic, much of our ALICE population struggled more financially in 2020 than they have in years.
As United Way of Charlotte County (UWCC) nears the end of our annual campaign, where we raise the funds to help our ALICE population reach their full potential, we invite you to join us in our mission to mobilize the power of our community to break the cycle of poverty.
As our local ambassadors, UWCC’s Campaign Cabinet mobilized area businesses who, despite their own financial struggles caused by the pandemic, were eager to do their part to break the cycle of poverty in Charlotte County. Our Campaign Cabinet teamed up with Punta Gorda Airport and several generous local businesses to provide you an opportunity for an Ultimate Travel Package that will support the work we are doing to help ALICE.
The Ultimate Travel Package includes:
- $250 Allegiant travel voucher
- One week of long-term parking at Punta Gorda Airport
- Two-night stay and $100 dining credit at the Wyvern Hotel
- "Active Package for 2" with paddleboards and kayaks from Holidaze Boat Rentals
- $50 Smuggler's Gift Card to use at Harpoon Harry’s, The Captain’s Table, or Laishley Crab House
- $50 F.M. Don's "Chef Inspired" Restaurant gift card
- $50 Illusions Salon & Spa gift card
- $25 Pioneers Pizza gift card
- Four tickets to the Peace River Botanical & Sculpture Gardens
- Two sunset cruise passes from King Fisher Fleet
Every $20 gets you a chance to win. You will get a bonus chance for every $100 – six chances instead of five! Make your selection at www.ucaretowin.com by March 30. The lucky winners will be drawn on April 2. Other packages and prizes are available, which are listed on the website.
I want to express my gratitude, on behalf of United Way of Charlotte County, to our Campaign Cabinet for putting the effort in to speak on our behalf to obtain these wonderful donations. And I also want to express my gratitude to these local businesses who have stepped up to support ALICE, even though their livelihood was impacted in the past year just as much, if not more, than the rest of us.
Charlotte County has always stood together during times of adversity, and a global pandemic is clearly no exception. United Way of Charlotte County fights for ALICE, but we can’t do it alone. We need your support for local businesses, local families, and your local United Way to help our community thrive. We are on the cusp of reaching 100% of our campaign goal. With just $50,000 left to hit that total, will you join us in supporting ALICE?
Your support, like ALICE, is essential.
For more information, please visit www.ucaretowin.com or call the United Way of Charlotte County at 941-627-3539. Mission: Mobilizing the power of our community to break the cycle of poverty. Angie Matthiessen is the Executive Director of United Way of Charlotte County. She can be reached at director@unitedwayccfl.org.