For nearly 16, years the philanthropic women’s group, Women United, has sought to empower Utah County, most recently by getting books into kids’ hands. A program at United Way of Utah County, Women United works to support and assist in programs that empower parents and the community to better serve and educate children. From supporting early childhood development programs to reading in schools, the members of Women United have provided incredible resources to children and their families.

“Women United is making sure children have access to books and that parents know the importance of reading,” said Stephanie Anderson, EveryDay Learners Director.

In their efforts to better educate children, the most important question for Women United has not been “what?” but “how?” — specifically, “How do we get essential texts to children?”

To solve this question, Women United supports United Way programs such as Welcome Baby, which is able to supply books to new parents through their volunteer-based “home visits,” as well as their weekly “Ready To Learn” parenting workshops. They have also been able to donate books directly to Title I schools, lending libraries and various other community organizations.

Courtesy Mele Fangu

Last year alone, Women United was able to donate more than 5,000 books through their various partnerships. You can often catch members of Women United reading to children in schools across Utah County and taking time to tutor students.

But these donations are not possible without the generous support of the incredible Utah County community. On March 21, Women United hosted a “Book Bingo Bash” fundraiser featuring items for auction donated by various businesses and individuals in the community. This year, Women United was particularly honored to have Provo Mayor Michelle Kaufusi as emcee during the bingo portion!

Many attendees walked away with games and gift cards from winning at bingo, and the proceeds from the auction items helped to fund the various literacy programs supported by Women United. As Women United and United Way of Utah County work to support more and more people in the community, they are always looking for more hands and more help. If you would like to make an impact in your community by getting involved with Women United or United Way of Utah County, please visit our website at http://unitedwayuc.org.

These programs and the “Book Bingo Bash” event would not have been possible without the support and generous donations of NuSkin, Crumbl, Greenhollow Catering, The Reserve, Thanksgiving Point, United Way employees, the Women United Board, and other anonymous donors, attendees, and bidders. We would also like to offer a special thanks to past and present Women United members, United Way of Utah County’s CEO Bill Hulterstrom, EveryDay Learners Director Stephanie Anderson, Mayor Michelle Kaufusi, and all the staff and volunteers of United Way of Utah County.