Now in its 20th year, the Stamp Out Hunger! effort is the nation’s largest single-day food drive. In 2011, an impressive 70.2 million pounds of food was donated, which brought the grand total of donations to more than 1.1 billion pounds.

Last year the Fredericksburg area community donated over 54,000 pounds of non-perishables to the  Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive.

Examples of non-perishable items include:
o Canned soup
o Canned meats and fish
o Canned vegetables, fruits and juices
o Boxed goods (such as cereal)

o Pasta and rice

The 5k will start 8 a.m. at Spotsylvania Courthouse Village Pavilion and loop through historic Spotsylvania and the Confederate Cemetery, then back to the pavilion.

There will also be 1-mile and 1/4-mile races starting and ending at the pavilion but not looping as far. The 1-mile begins at 9 a.m. and the 1/4-mile at 9:30 a.m.

The fees to enter will be: $25 for the 5k, $15 for the 1 mile and $5 for the 1/4-mile.  You can pick up race packets at VA Runner in Central Park on Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., or at the village pavilion on Saturday, 6:45-7:45 a.m.

Proceeds will benefit YoungLives Fredericksburg, a ministry for teen moms. Right now, about 40 moms participate in the ministry. They get mentoring, weekly meetings, baby items, life skills and parenting help. To learn more about YoungLives, call 540/318-5324.

There will also be a community Easter Egg Hunt for kids ages 10 and under after the bunny chase. Christ Covenant Community Church is sponsoring the hunt.

If you need assistance filing taxes but can’t afford it, the Rappahannock United Way can help. They have several sites throughout the area where trained volunteers will help you file your taxes for free. Tax sites will be open through April 17.

More than 750 area residents have had their taxes filed for free through the program. This includes Janine Prevaux, who works at Rappahannock Goodwill Industries assembling baseball cards and other donated items.

Prevaux also participates in the Rappahannock Area Community Services Board’s supervised apartment program for adults with intellectual disabilities. Prevaux and 12 other program participants had their taxes filed for free this year, thanks to the United Way’s annual program.

Tracy Smith runs the supervised apartment program and this year he worked with tax site coordinators to open a site at the program office, making it easy for the participants to have their taxes filed.

“Every little bit helps, especially with these folks,” Smith said.

The tax help is available to area residents who make $50,000 or less annually. Tax sites will be open Mondays, 5-8 p.m. at the England Run Library; Tuesdays 5-8 p.m. at the headquarters of the Central Rappahannock Regional Library; Wednesdays, 1-5 p.m. at the United Way office and 5-8 p.m. at the Porter Library; and Saturdays, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the United Way office. For a more complete listing, click here.

The Rappahannock United Way will also hold a free financial event on April 7 at the Central Rappahannock Library from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The event will feature financial advice and counseling, and free credit reports.

*Taxpayers must bring necessary documentation to receive assistance filing taxes:

• Driver’s License or Photo Identification Card
• Social Security card or Individual Tax Identification Number (ITIN) for taxpayer and all dependents
• Copies of all W2, 1098, 1099 forms
• Amounts of any other income
• Childcare provider’s name, address, and tax identification number
• Amounts and dates of any estimated or other tax payments made.
• Notice CP1378 or the amount of Economic Stimulus Payment received
• Spouse in person, if filing jointly
• Proof of account for direct deposit of refund (voided check)

For details, click here or call 540/373-0041.

Through the horticulture therapy program, RAAI participants grow more than 100 plant varieties. According to Melessa Suder, Horticulture Specialist, “RAAI participants have been very active in our greenhouses. They are involved in the entire process from putting labels on the pots to planting to actually placing plants in customers’ vehicles. We have a great team of participants, staff members, board members, and volunteers who have put a great deal of time and energy into the production of these crops. Overall, it’s an enjoyable and rewarding for everyone involved.”

For more than 35 years, Rappahannock Adult Activities, Inc. has provided a community-based developmental day program that promotes dignity, independence, individualization, inclusion, and productivity of people with intellectual disabilities in their home communities. RAAI helps keep these individuals out of institutional settings and allows caregivers respite from care responsibilities. Proceeds from the plant sales provide scholarships to allow participants without funding the opportunity to attend RAAI.

Day support services for individuals without the state funded Intellectual Disability Waiver or another funding source can cost up to $120 a day or more than $20,000 annually. More than 10 local individuals receive financial assistance to attend day support programming each year.

RAAI currently serves more than 150 participants at their six locations in the City of Fredericksburg and Counties of Caroline, King George, Spotsylvania, and Stafford. In addition to the horticulture program, participants volunteer in the community, enjoy a technology lab, and are active in many wellness activities. The Rappahannock Area Community Services Board (RACSB) serves as the fiscal agent. RAAI is a proud partner agency of the Rappahannock United Way.

The theme for this year’s Live United Awards is a baseball tailgate party, and attendees are encouraged to wear their favorite baseball jersey or hat.  The event will be held at Fairview at River Club on 10835 Tidewater Trail.  Tickets cost $10 per person or $75 for a table of eight.  To get tickets or details, click here.

Forty percent of people in the United States in the last two years have either skipped filling a prescription or reduced dosage because the medicine was too expensive.  To address this, Rappahannock United Way partners with FamilyWize to organize and coordinate community-wide distribution of free prescription drug discount cards.

Total saving between 2005 and 2010 in the Greater Fredericksburg area amounted to $245,676, saving individuals, on average, $20 per prescription and lowering the cost of medicine by 35%.  In 2011 alone, RUW facilitated $34,848 saved—over 14% of the total of the past six years!

“Your role as the coordinating distribution and reporting partner for your coverage area is central to the assistance we have been able to provide together for so many people in your community,” FamilyWize co-chairs shared in a letter to Rappahannock United Way.
Savings in the state of Virginia over the past six years is $18,552,385, with $5,661,975 alone saved in 2011—30.5% of the total.  Nationwide, the savings amount to a staggering $284 million.

In its annual report, FamilyWize states that “no one should have to choose between buying medicine, or food, utilities, rent and other necessities.”  The organization strives to improve access to healthcare and help people get the medicine they need.

Visit Rappahannock United Way’s website to learn more about participating pharmacies, and to print your own prescription discount card that covers all medicine not covered by insurance, Medicaid, Medicare, or other plans.

Volunteers from StellarOne will pull free credit reports and offer credit counseling.

Trained volunteers will also prepare taxes for free.

The event will be 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the RUW offices, 3310 Shannon Park Drive; Fredericksburg, Va 22408.

There will be a money management workshop at 10:30 a.m.

For details, click here.

Just kidding! But if you’re interested in more ways to help our area’s homeless, here are some ideas:

Micah Ecumenical Ministries needs donors for the special gifts program. Supporters of the program will get a call every few months to supply specific needs, like hard-to-find sizes or items needed for specific work attire. To participate, email meghann@dolovewalk.net. Micah also needs money for prescriptions and bus tickets. Other wishes include: men’s and women’s new underwear, $25 gas cards, socks (grey or white only) and batteries (AA, C and D). 540/479-4116. Or click here.

The Thurman Brisben Center needs: cleaning and laundry supplies, like bathroom cleaner, Pine Sol, Dawn dishwashing soap, heavy duty mops, heavy duty buckets, indoor/outdoor brooms, powdered laundry soap and bleach. Other needs include: coffee, sugar, creamer, breakfast cereals, iced tea, juice boxes, shampoo, shaving cream, toothpaste and deodorant. Call 540/899-9853, click here or email klally@brisbencenter.org.

Stafford and Spotsylvania County McKinney Vento programs need toiletries for homeless students and slow cookers and can openers for families living in motels. Call Lisa Dolan at 540/582-2480.

Mary’s Shelter needs used cars, laptops, vacuum cleaner, gift cards to Wal-Mart and Target, children’s books, toilet paper, newborn diapers, breast pumps and baby slings. 540/623-5778 or click here.

During Rappahannock United Way’s 2011 Annual Campaign, RUW staff and supporters called on community members to be heroes to those in need—and the community responded, raising a total of $3,544,379.21. 

These gifts will impact the lives of thousands of individuals and families in the Fredericksburg area.

Today, RUW hosted its annual Campaign Celebration and Awards Luncheon, an event to recognize and thank corporate contributors, community leaders, nonprofit partners, loyal donors and dedicated volunteers for their collective effort to make the 2011 Campaign a success.

RUW recognized organizations and individuals who went above and beyond to host successful  United Way campaigns.

  The following companies’ campaigns won awards for Best Campaign: Union First Market Bank; Hilldrup Moving & Storage; Carter Machinery; URS; BB&T; Rappahannock Area Community Services Board; Bowling, Franklin, & Co., LLP; Target; and Little Tire Company, Inc. 

Rappahannock United Way also recognized Union First Market Bank as a new member of the Chairman’s Division, workplaces that raise over $100,000.  Union First Market Bank joined GEICO and Mary Washington Healthcare in this division after increasing its campaign total by 27% from the previous year. 

Each year, RUW recognizes companies with its Chairman’s Awards of Excellence, awards that distinguish four workplaces for notable accomplishments.  For the 2011 Campaign, GEICO won Excellence in Leadership Giving.  GEICO established a Leadership Circle comprised of employees who gave $500 and above and raised almost $190,000 in Leadership Gifts.  The Free Lance-Star was awarded Excellence in Employee Engagement for its innovative ways of generating excitement around the campaign, including a filmed skit, employee incentives and luncheons, and a trivia contest.  Rappahannock Electric Cooperative (REC) won Excellence in Corporate Spirit.  REC increased participation, engaging its employees with a game show week to spark enthusiasm and educate about the cause.  Mary Washington Healthcare (MWHC) won Best Overall Campaign.  MWHC increased its number of leadership donors, established incentives for donors new and old, hosted over 60 employee meetings, and held 18 fundraising events, including cake pop sales, silent auctions, and a taco fiesta.

Rappahannock United Way also recognized volunteers who championed the United Way cause within their workplaces.  Sandy Heckman of SunTrust, Sharon Johnson of Printpack, Inc., and Sandy Fudge of URS were recognized for their commitment to improving the community through RUW through their workplace’s campaigns.