In March, United Way of America announced the launch of Operation Caring Communities, a “neighbor-to-neighbor mutual assistance project to aid United Ways affected by disaster.” The OCC’s “adopt a community” plan involved dividing the nation into nine regions, each with a “champion” or lead United Way agency coordinating the region for a one-year period. Each region is assigned several Gulf Coast United Way agencies in order to help those most devastated by the 2005 hurricane season.

Since then, Operation Caring Communities has done numerous things for the Gulf Coast Region which will be featured in United Way for the GNO Area’s E-Newsletter.

In late March, Ellenor Simmons, United Way for the GNO Area’s Disaster Response Director, requested 1000 AO Safety Multipurpose Respirators from Operation Caring Communities to give to organizations gutting houses and other rebuilding work in the Greater New Orleans region. Susan Hager, OCC Champion for the Northeast, with United Way of New York State, put forth an amazing effort in shepherding this donation to United Way for the GNOA.

Because the respirators are manufactured in Massachusetts, Hager contacted Donna Jackson, Director of Community Investment at United Way of Tri-County in Framingham ( Massachusetts). Jackson collaborated with United Way of Southbridge, Sturbridge and Charlton, Inc. in Southbridge, Massachusetts - the city where the masks are manufactured. Fortunately, the parent company of AO Safety - Aearo Technologies - is closely involved with the United Way of Southbridge, Sturbridge and Charlton, Inc. As a result, these respirators which normally retail at approximately $40 per unit were manufactured at the special rate of $12 per unit for a savings of $28,000. The cost of the respirators along with the shipping cost was covered by United Way of New York State.

United Way for the GNO Area was granted the request for 1000 respirators the last week in May and is in the process of completing the distribution list of agencies to include organizations that agree to loan out respirators to individuals or smaller groups after sanitizing them. Those organizations that agree to take on that additional responsibility will be provided with additional respirators. Thanks to our United Way family, the impact will go farther within the community.