Tis the season when we open our hearts to year-end philanthropy! And here in Monterey County, both #GivingTuesday and MCGives offer creative ways to maximize our gifts.
#GivingTuesday celebrated on November 28, is a national day set aside to celebrate and encourage philanthropy. Locally, you can double your impact by making your #GivingTuesday donation through MCGives! When you give to United Way through MCGives, every dollar you give (up to $75,000) will be matched!
Your donation through MCGives supports our Big Idea – Spring Spruce Up – to ensure that our youngest learners have safe, fun outdoor spaces to practice what they learn in the classroom and that will stimulate the development of skills children need to succeed in the classroom and in life.
We’re building on the success of Spring Spruce Up 2017, which was a resounding hit with teachers and children! Together with volunteers from the local community, and partners like Enza Zaden and The Dunes at Monterey Bay, United Way refurbished an outdoor play space for The Marina Child Development Center.
After the project was completed, Lizelle Wulff, Head Teacher / Site Supervisor for the Center said: “Thanks to United Way, the Marina Child Development Center has a beautiful outdoor play area where children can enjoy practicing their learning though play. Our young learners love to explore outside and the Spring Spruce Up provided us with a more engaging space for outdoor exploration. Now, they have more plants and trees to take care of, a cistern to collect rainwater with, a labyrinth to go around in, and logs to sit on for an outdoor classroom. United Way’s Spring Spruce Up project supported our vision of providing safe, healthy, engaging and beautiful learning environments for our young learners”.
Here at United Way Monterey County, we agree with Lizelle. Play and learning go hand-in-hand. When we help children play, we promote the development of fine and gross motor skills, language, socialization, personal awareness, emotional well-being, creativity, problem solving and learning ability.
This year we want to give the gift of pay to more young children. You can make our vision for our children a reality.
Celebrate #GivingTuesday by making your gift to United Way Monterey County through MCGiVES! Your investment gives kids a solid foundation for success in school and beyond. The MCGiVES! campaign runs through December 31.
