United Way's partnerships with businesses, individuals and non-profits throughout the region help create change in our community. This week, it was our turn to provide something back as an employee benefit to Covidien workers as a thank you for our long-standing partnership.    

On Wednesday and Thursday, United Way and the Work-Life Fit Committee of Covidien’s Women’s Leadership Alliance, in partnership, offered three learning workshops to Covidien employees at the company’s New Haven and North Haven sites. The workshop featured Diane Frankenstein, author of Reading Together: Everything You Need to Know to Raise a Child Who Loves to Read.  

Andy Eder, an area business leader and United Way board member, was the event's patron and the Jewish Federation of Greater New Haven was a planning partner.

Collectively, more than 45 Covidien employees attended the workshops, which focused on the importance of “conversational reading,” a topic with strong ties to United Way’s emphasis on early childhood education. Research shows that early childhood education, including reading to children at a young age, is the foundation for a good life, setting individuals on a path of personal fulfillment, economic security and social contribution.

The workshops were offered at no cost to Covidien employees, and all participants received a complimentary copy of Frankenstein’s book as well as a children’s book.