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The thoughts and opinions expressed in this blog’s posts are thoses of the individual blogger's alone and are not representative, unless clearly and unequivocally stated, of those of United Way of Greater New Haven or United Way Worldwide.

Blogger: Jessica Teta

Jessica joined United Way in the Fall of 2008 and is a graduate of the University of Connecticut with a Bachelor's of Arts in Sociology minoring in Criminology. She is currently pursuing her Master's of Social Work at Southern Connecticut State University.
She is a member of the Resource Development Team, promoting the mission of United Way throughout the Greater New Haven region and helping build sustainable relationships with employee coordinators and community members.

Comcast Supports the Boys & Girls Club of New Haven

Submitted by Jessica Teta on May 3, 2010 - 2:35pm

It's been years since the New Haven Boys & Girls Club has been able to update their space on Columbus Avenue in New Haven. Thanks to Comcast Cares Day, the wait was over.

On Saturday, April 24, 2010, more than 55,000 Comcast employees, family members and friends nationwide kicked off their 9th Annual Comcast Cares Day. Comcast employees partnered with more than 550 local organizations on projects benefiting neighborhoods all across the country.

Since the first Comcast Cares Day in 2001, more than 225,000 Comcast volunteers have contributed over one million hours of service at more than 1,750 project sites in local communities throughout the country. With the addition of this recent Comcast Cares Day, volunteers donated another 300,000 hours of service, bringing the total service hours during all Comcast Cares Days to more than 1.6 million. Over the last eight Comcast Cares Days, the Comcast Foundation has also proudly donated over $8 million in Comcast Cares Day grants to local community partner organizations across the country.

Here in Connecticut, 650 local Comcast employees and their family and friends volunteered to improve seven projects across the state. In New Haven, volunteers worked to spruce up the New Haven Boys & Girls Club. Volunteers, led by David Via, a Comcast employee, brightened up the inside of the building with a fresh coat of paint in many different colors and cleaned up the outside with some new landscaping. It was a great day for everyone who participated. The staff and children were truly grateful for everyhting they did.

Stephanie Barnes, Executive Director for the Boys & Girls Club of New Haven, stated "On behalf of the youth members, parents, staff and board of the Boys &Girls Club of New Haven, we want to say THANK YOU to Comcast and its community of volunteers for giving so generously of their time and resources to the Club on Comcast Cares Day, April 24th,2010. The Club provides a safe place for kids...a place where they can have fun, be free to dream of the future and work to make those dreams come true. Comcast has made our Club much more vibrant and we hope that the enhanced environment inspires even bigger dreams."

Comcast and United Way care about creating the building blocks for a good life, like a quality education that leads to a stable job, a strong and qualified workforce, and good health. Volunteerism is a key component of many companies' philanthropic and community goals. United Way helps companies connect the volunteer power of their employees to where our community benefits the most.

We all have a valuable role to play in our community. In order to live in a vibrant region, in which children are nurtured and have excellent opportunities where people of all ages are connected to one another and hopeful about the future, we all have to do our part. No one person can do it alone, but if we LIVE UNITED, we can all contribute to significant, lasting change in Greater New Haven. For more information about volunteering, please contact United Way of Greater New Haven (203)691-4225 or visit www.uwgnh.org/volunteer.