Across our community, individuals are conducting personal interviews with other community members, asking them about organizations that make a difference and how they are connected to them. These interviews are the ground work for the Community Summit and the future works of the North Penn United Way. Below are some of the dreams community members hold for our future:

DREAMS

"This answer will focus on the dream for United Way: 1) Get the United Way visible (in front of) more people. 2) Get more large businesses in the area involved. 3) Raise more money - be the biggest contributor to other organizations. 4) Serve more organizations. 5) Become the 'ultimate collaborator' in the region."

"Helping others who have experienced brain trauma, helping their families."

"The integrating of three components of the NPUW: strong identify throughout the community, “unending source” of resources of all kinds (dollars, in-kind, volunteers), and a network of leadership with a vision for a lasting, sustaining NPUW."

"Local businesses would allow employees work time and more opportunities for volunteerism leading to more visibility for the NPUW."

"Interviewee's want to help Indian Valley Housing to assist other individuals and families get through the transition from a bad situation to a better life. They will be volunteers for Indian Valley Housing and have spoken to at least two groups about what this experience meant to them."

"Interviewee did not know anything about or was aware of the North Penn United Way. When I talked with her about the various member agencies then she understood how the United Way has helped her. She said she hope the IVHC could help others like they helped her."

"NPUW is a “catalyst for forward-thinking new programs vs. band-aid on a gaping wound”; gives grant(s) to agency (agencies) to keep people from falling through the cracks in the human services system."

"That they want to be given the help to be self-sufficient and think entrepreneurially so they won’t have to rely so much on the United Way for funding. And then the UW can do other work."

"The North Penn United Way should be raising more dollars for the community and the Partner Agencies. The North Penn United Way should have their thumb on community needs and pushing for efficiency in services provided."

"Everyone …sees the value of and wants to be involved with the NPUW and sees that his or her involvement is important! "We need to help our volunteers acquire (or gain the confidence they already have) the ability, knowledge and/or training to be able to motivate more people and businesses to give to and work with the NPUW and its member agencies."

Interviewee has a very positive outlook on the future of the NP community. Her dreams for the future involve a strong community that works together in all areas including non-profits and for-profits to build the best community that we can. It involves the NPUW being the head of the community and helping agencies to collaborate and to work together to serve as many people as possible and to work together."

"1) Change the image of the NPUW – to a different model – not a legacy model anymore. Must change the umbrella image. We are serving too many organizations with overlapping services – must consolidate more agencies so one agency does food, one does housing, one does this and one does that, etc. Some organizations are well healed and don’t really need our funds – this should be looked at very closely. 2) Get more bang for the buck – target dollars to community impact projects. The funds we are raising – whether it be $2 million or $1.4 million – should be targeted for the most good and impact. Do the dollars raised really make a difference in the community when they are spread out over 36 agencies, with a little here and a little there. Use the dollars where the impact is the greatest and creates most awareness. 3) We need community leaders that really care. It is important that we generate interest and support from the younger community leaders."

"1) Focus on the needs of the future, not the past. 2) Be more courageous and aggressive in serving hard-to-serve populations. 3) Strive for more diversity within the UW itself."

"The community coming together to assure all major needs of the community are being met (housing/homeless, seniors, mental health, abuse, etc.). Achieving this through NPUW's great reputation for looking at all needs within the community and trying to help; having volunteers who are excited about the NPUW's ability to reach those needs; business collaborations which inspire other business relationships through their involvement within the NPUW; NPUW helping to coordinate relationships within the community - people knowing people, and finally NPUW's ability to engage more businesses and business leader's involvement, including young people."

"It would be great if 10 years from now we had no homeless and no people in need."

"That the United Way leverage and engage the youth to volunteer throughout the United Way for Service hours for Honor Society, Scouts and or Senior Projects. More visible in the community, through the events in the park or at business so they think about United Way all year round not just when they are asking for donations."

"New citizens that are involved and have a sense of community."

"My dream for the future of my organization, Boscovs' would be for all local non profits use this store to raise awareness and raise funds for their mission. It is vital for nonprofit and for-profit to work together to help the needy of our communities."

"To look at 2018 and see that those that needed services are no longer in need…they are now volunteering or donating to further support the mission of the NPUW. For the North Penn United Way to truly match the needs in the community: those in need, agencies, businesses and volunteers, and knowing all of these groups. They would be recognized as a leader in research to understand the changing needs of our region and as a community leader addressing those needs, matching corporate, political and community leaders towards those trends."

"Make the North Penn community a safer place by sponsoring more affordable events for teenagers. Nights at the movies, dances set up by volunteers."

"In her own work situation, Interviewee is the United Way coordinator and would love to increase employee participation and hopes to get a program of corporate matching funds going. She would love to see the model of communities helping themselves be replicated as she has seen in her township with volunteers banding together to take care of township ball fields, swimming pools, etc to offer programs for the children of the community."

"That the North Penn United Way would have even more partnerships and that more businesses and community groups would be involved. Where there are service gaps, agencies and businesses would be brought together. Those who may not have thought about the possibilities of collaboration would be helped to see how together we can do so much more. Advocate for what is needed, that did not exist before or that can or should be better. We've done it before and we can do it again!"

"The most inspiring dream for the future of Souderton Area High School is to build a cohesive community within the High School. Not just teachers and administrators mentoring students, but students acting as mentors for other students."

"To stay focused; do what they do best; re-connect with the community; identify with the community. Be the agency that matches the need in the community with those that have resources in the community; Be the coordinator."

"Double or triple the capacity of involvement; see the change in the people's lives as a result of less poverty, less hopelessness and less loneliness. Also see a single mother in struggle today improve her life tomorrow."

"Able to meet the needs of more people in our communities."

"To embrace the increasing diversity of the North Penn Community and find a way to engage these new residents in giving back to the community."

"Keep doing what the organization has been doing and expand as the needs of the community expand."

"The dream for the community is that the NPUW finds innovative ways to connect people, organizations and events. The Univest Grand Prix was one example of an "unnatural" connection that the UW might want to explore as a way to broaden it's reach. If the UW can help make connections between businesses and organizations to further leverage resources and also to connect volunteers. One way the UW could help send a message is through seminars to educate the community about the how UW donations and volunteers, from the national to the local level, help to provide critical services to the community. Can we bring back the graphs that were used to show how much money has been raised and also tie that to what these dollars have done in the community. People might feel compelled to give if they see that there is still a need and that if the "bar" is reached that essential community services can then be provided. Can the UW use e-mail to send out updates to the community about dollars raised and the impact that UW funding has had on the community. We need to create a broader awareness in our community."

“That United Way would continue to impact the lives of people and stay in existence for years to come.”

“Their organization has many people willing to get involved with projects on an annual basis. She would like to be involved with planning the project from the beginning to make it most effective. Would like to see NPUW help people who are working but can’t seem to make it all work, such as single moms, also getting more kids, church’s and agencies involved with current needs.”

“Seeing regular "Days of Caring" making a difference in the community. United Way supporting a large network of organizations helping to improve the lives of children and families in our community for the next generation.”

"Interviewee was very desirous of seeing NPUW staying, and becoming more so a “premier fundraiser”, for he thinks that that is where their greatest effectiveness lies. He was appreciative of their ability to coordinate the redistribution of funds & resources with very little overhead, resulting in minimal loss from net income to output."

"To have an increasing base of volunteers. To have the donors help get the word out and promote the cause. NPUW to be the leader and the stronger arm to the individual organizations."

"Interviewee is a tremendous leader and visionary. She is always looking to partner and collaborate with others to benefit the CD students, the organizations and the overall community. Interviewee has a wonderful, broad perspective."

"Interviewee's primary "wish" upon closing was to see the small town "Main Streets" survive and thrive. Again, she felt that the health of a town is measured by it's Main Streets and institutions. Her other wish was to seek out and support the homeless. She feels that this population is not "seen" in the local community, but she knows it exists (these individuals spend a lot of time at the library). She would like to see this issue addressed and brought to light."

"Creating a more personal touch, driven by passion."

“The dream is to continue to make a difference in the lives of the children the High School can serve with the hope of giving them better opportunities than they would have in the Public School System.“

"Well, for our United Way to win the award, it needs to promote the needs of our community more assertively. So often the needs around us go unnoticed because many people do not know where to look. I can see the United Way being a strong advocate for the welfare of our community by raising our level of consciousness to needs and helping to coordinate resources to address these needs."