United In Purpose 2023

Katie Koglman • June 8, 2023

United In Purpose 2023

United in Purpose 2023 

May 17 - 19 

Houston, TX 

 

I wasn’t going to attend this conference.  After all, I had just returned from Great Rivers Conference in Rochester, MN and, United in Purpose was scheduled to take place during Wooster’s Reading Under the Lights event, that I, along with our super committee, worked all year to help put together. 

 

United in Purpose 2023, was a conference for United Way organizations from all over the world – an opportunity to come together, rally around the brand and learn best practices from one another.  There would be 1,100 people were in attendance at this conference.   

 

Like I said, I wasn’t going to attend.  However, someone nominated me to be a presenter – and present on Reading Under the Lights, as a best practice for other United Way organizations to implement in their community.  I couldn’t turn down the opportunity to brag about our community and share the successes of Reading Under the Lights. 

 

While at this conference, I also enjoyed many opportunities for self-growth, learning other best practices and networking with leaders like me across the country.  On day one, I received a notification through the conference app, “Cathryn Gore, would like to connect”.  So, I responded “Hello!”.  After a few back-and-forth communications, we decided to meet for lunch that day, and were inseparable for the rest of the conference.  Cathy is the CEO of United Way of Danville-Pittsylvania County in Virginia – she is also a triathlete!  We were able to network and really learn and lean on one another for the next few days.  She is making incredible strides in her community – I wanted to learn more from her!   

 

I also got to experience two minutes of fame, as I was honored to share the stage with Catt Sadler, a tv personality, author and podcaster.   A few presenters were chosen to highlight their best practice.  Of course, I was energized by this opportunity, but more importantly – I was able to showcase a successful program here in our community that not only reduces the summer reading slide in children, but also gives our corporate partners a chance to engage directly with their future workforce.   

 

There were about 120 people in my session and since the conference Kayley (my colleague) and I have been doing many one-on-one zoom meetings with United Way organizations all over the country.  In fact, United Way of Lea County in New Mexico just wrapped up their first Reading Under the Lights event!  In attendance, was another United Way leader – whom I had only met virtually,  Michael Apfelberg from United Way of Greater Nashua in New Hampshire.  As soon as we saw each other, we gave big hugs!  Michael and I have shared many ideas back and forth throughout the last couple of years.  It was so great to meet in person.  He even invited me to go Facebook Live with him after my presentation.   

 

One of the most meaningful concepts at the conference is that multiple organizations with their respected leaders are in one location (as we are all our own organization, not umbrellas, not charters – but separate charitable organizations) sharing our best practices and knowledge with one another to make our communities the best that we can.  Every United Way organization is a little different, filling the needs in their community, but we all share the same logo.  We all want to close gaps and open opportunities for every person in our communities. 

 

Other topics covered at the conference included, but not limited to: Corporate Partnerships beyond the Workplace Campaign, Culture Transformation, Ensuring Strong Board and CEO Partnerships, 2-1-1 National Strategic Vision, and many sessions on fundraising, volunteerism, and leadership. 

 

Thank you to whomever nominated me to present!  If you are interested in learning more about the United in Purpose Conference or Reading Under the Lights. Please feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn or directly via email katie@uwwh.org 

Celebrating 30 Years of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library

By Kayley Cox • July 1, 2025
Celebrating 30 Years of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library This year, I was honored to attend the virtual Homecoming Conference celebrating the 30th anniversary of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library . As the Local Program Partner that fundraises for our program in Holmes and Wayne Counties, I was excited to participate—even if I was a little disappointed the event wasn’t held in person at Dollywood. Still, I committed to making the most of the experience by actively engaging in sessions and discussions throughout the event. The conference offered a wide range of sessions, from strategies to strengthen relationships with local public libraries to creative ways to boost enrollment. One of the highlights for me was connecting with fellow program partners not only from across the U.S. but also from the UK, Canada, Scotland, and Australia. It was both inspiring and energizing to share stories and best practices with peers from around the globe, all united by the same mission: to get books into the hands of children. One of the biggest takeaways from the three-day virtual event was the importance of celebrating how far we’ve come. When our United Way launched the Imagination Library in 2019, Holmes County had zero children enrolled. Today, we have 1,629 current participants and 1,362 graduates. Wayne County shows similar success, with 3,924 children currently enrolled and more than 4,100 graduates. That’s over 11,000 children who’ve been directly impacted by this program! Those numbers are impressive, but the real question is: what do they mean for our children and our community? Cincinnati Children’s Hospital reminds us that children aren’t born with a reading network—it must be built through exposure and practice. Reading aloud to young children strengthens their language development and cognitive growth. By age three, a child’s brain is already 80% developed. Imagination Library provides families with the tools to support this crucial development—at no cost to them. That’s nothing short of amazing. As the conference wrapped up, I felt refreshed, motivated, and more enthusiastic than ever about the work we’re doing. The connections I’ve made through the network of Local Program Partners have deepened my sense of support and community. This work matters. I see it in my own children who are enrolled in Imagination Library. I hear it from families across Holmes and Wayne Counties. And it’s reflected in the data for the young readers who participate in this program across the world. So, if you have a child under 5 in your life, check today that they are enrolled in Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. And if they aren’t enrolled, sign them up today! Go to www.uwwh.org/get-books It’s free, fulfilling, and most importantly, it’s fun 😊.

From Grandma to Goal-Getter: My goal setting journey, part 2

By Katie Koglman • June 2, 2025
From Grandma to Goal-Getter: My goal setting journey, Part 2

Books and Balance: Cultivating Mental Well-being Through Reading

By Kayley Cox • May 12, 2025
Growing up, I had a complicated relationship with reading. I thoroughly enjoyed reading various chapter books or series, ranging from the Arthur to The Baby Sitter’s Club to A Child Called “It” series. But once I reached middle school, many of the English classes I attended had required reading for the course, and the requirement meant reading was no longer an option, but rather it was mandatory, and to take notes, and to be tested on the material! The required reading lists often burned me out, leaving me disinterested in picking up a book for pleasure. I would go through phases of wanting to read more, but the enthusiasm was often short-lived. As an adult I have really tried to be intentional with reading. As someone who has made a New Year’s Resolution to “read more” the last 6 years, I have really tried to focus on finding what genres interest me because when I do, I do in fact “read more,” and I like it! It also makes me happy. I feel like I have more to talk about in conversations and enjoy the dialogue reading a book brings, along with the mental break it provides me from daily life. As a parent of two young children, I have really tried to make it a priority to foster a love of reading in my kids. I encourage them to choose the books we read, and to take it a step further, I have also been intentional that my children also SEE me reading. Reading books for my own enjoyment. I want them to remember that reading isn't just something we do together, but also something we can do for ourselves. It’s a form of self-care and can really help our health-our MENTAL health. Literacy plays a critical role in children's mental well-being. Research from Scholastic and the Yale Child Study Center-Scholastic Collaborative for Child & Family Resilience highlights the powerful influence of books and literacy on mental health. It shows that a love of reading can boost self-esteem, increase empathy, and mitigate anxiety and depression. Reading can introduce children to different types of people from all walks of life, and not only that, introducing children to different points of view, perspectives, ideas and ways of life. This exploration can foster creativity and imagination and innovation – traits that are needed for our community to evolve and grow. And this exploration can provide an opportunity to show that no matter your thoughts, you are not alone in them. By modeling reading, I hope to instill in my children the understanding that books, while educational tools, are also powerful allies in maintaining mental health. Our brain, just like anything else in the body, needs exercise. And we have the power to put the book down or keep turning the page. Whether it’s going to library to pick out our selections, or borrowing books through the Libby app, I challenge you to give yourself a moment of escape with a side of perspective that a good book can bring. Then, track your progress through Wayne County Public Library’s Beanstack app to follow your book journey. This action has truly helped me prioritize reading for my mental well-being while also instilling the love of reading in my children so they too can create a balance for their own mental health.
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