United Way of Central New York

🥧 PIE FOR A PURPOSE! 👏
A massive, whipped-cream-covered thank you to the ten City of Syracuse personnel who stepped up to the plate -- and took a pie to the face -- for today's "Pie Your Boss" event. For a $2 donation to United Way of CNY, city employees had a chance to throw a whipped cream pie at their boss!

💙 Mayor Sharon F. Owens
💛 Deputy Mayor Corey Driscoll Dunham
❤️ Syeisha Byrd
💙 Veronica Voss
💛 Leah Witmer
❤️ Vincent Scipione
💙 Evan Loving
💛 Richard Alsever
❤️ Benjamin Orsatti
💙 Josephine Galdamez

Your incredible sportsmanship and good humor today directly benefit United Way of Central New York, helping us continue our mission to fund vital health and human service programs across Onondaga County. 🙌

When city leadership shows up like this, it proves that building a stronger, more equitable Central New York isn't just work -- it's a team effort (and sometimes, a hilariously messy one!).

City of Syracuse - Office of the Mayor
Syracuse Parks & Recreation

Cheers to community and connection! 🥂

Women United members are invited to join us on June 10 from 5-7 PM for a fun happy hour at Aurora Brewing Co!

Not a Women United member yet? If you're looking to get involved and come to more events like this, stop by to learn more and meet some of the awesome members of the group. No formal agenda, just good conversation and great company!

See you on the 10th!

Join us in congratulating Tina from Upstate Medical University, an official grand prize winner of our Step Up Challenge! 🥳

Because Tina stepped up her support for United Way of CNY, she is ready to relax at home with an incredible $3,000 gift card generously donated by Raymour & Flanigan Furniture and Mattresses.

Thank you, Tina, for your incredible generosity and dedication to our community!

Want to win big and support the community? You could be next!
The Step Up Challenge isn't over yet. When you increase your yearly donation to United Way of CNY by $52 or more ($1 a week!), you are automatically entered to win. We still have weekly $50 Wegmans gift cards and TWO more $3000 grand prizes up for grabs!

Ready to step up? https://www.epledge.unitedway-cny.org/epledge/comm/SinglePageRegPledge.jsp?SA=3677481&EnvelopeKeyHex=6963253E44252C21653F425B583427302760353F382C5E492C3C3622222F7E3E

No donation necessary to enter or win.

This Memorial Day, the team at United Way of Central New York pauses to remember and honor the incredibly brave men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice to protect our country and our freedom.

And we’re reminded of our Day of Caring in 2024, when volunteers from SRC, Inc. spent the day at the Onondaga County Veterans Memorial Cemetery, dedicating their time and energy to cleaning, restoring, and honoring the final resting places of our local heroes.

Celebrating Leadership & Impact: Thank You, Kerry Tarolli!

United Way of Central New York extends our sincere appreciation to Kerry Tarolli as she concludes her term as Board Chair.

Since 2018, Kerry has served on the United Way of Central New York Board of Directors, as a member and Vice Chair. In 2023, she was elected Board Chair. As of March 2026, she now assumes the role of Immediate Past Chair.

Kerry has also been influential in growing King + King Architects outstanding employee campaign and developing new opportunities as a member of our New Business Committee.

Please join us in thanking Kerry for her years of dedicated service! 💛❤️💙

The Syracuse City School District students will be ready for the future! Thank you to our program sponsors at M&T Bank, Reisman Foundation, Emergent and South Side Growth for your support.

SCSD students are gaining STEM knowledge and a love of reading – thanks to the United Way of Central New York's Full STEAM Ahead program!

Last year, the program provided age-appropriate STEM-themed books to students at STEAM at Dr. King Elementary School each month. This year, the program has expanded to 4 SCSD schools – providing more than 1,200 students at Dr. King, Dr. Weeks Elementary School, McKinley-Brighton Elementary, and Roberts Pre-K-8 School with a new book (and corresponding family tip sheets to engage with the book content as a family) every month during the school year. to the United Way for this generous support.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and we want to remind you of a truth that’s easy to forget: you never have to carry the weight alone. 💚

Life can get overwhelming; financial stress, housing insecurity, or finding childcare can heavily impact our mental well-being. True wellness starts with having your basic needs met.

That’s where 211 CNY comes in.

Whether you are looking for mental health resources, crisis intervention, or help navigating everyday challenges, 211 is your free, confidential, 24/7 service. By dialing 211 (or visiting www.211cny.com), you’ll be connected with a trained specialist who can point you toward the local support you need.

Mental health care is community care. Let’s look out for one another this month and every month.

👉 Need help? Dial 211 or text your zip code to 898-211.

211 is proudly answered by Contact Community Services and supported by United Way of Central New York. 211 CNY is a program funded by the United Way of Central New York, United Way of Greater Oswego, Onondaga County, Oswego County, and 211 New York.