67°
STAMFORD, Conn. - Danette Melchionne, a lifelong resident of Stamford, is a true believer in giving back to the community that shes called home for over 40 years. And Melchionnes beliefs are more than just credence: in addition to her work as Community Relations Coordinator for GE Asset Management, Danette spearheads the United Way campaign that raised $285,000 for the community last year alone.
We try to make it fun, says Melchionne. We do things like create pingpong tournaments, an online auction, and dunking booths where people can dunk a GE exec, she adds. One of the major initiatives, the Third Annual United at the Cove 5K which will be taking place Thursday, September 20, 2012, is a walk/run for GE employees, as well as local residents.
Melchionne has coordinated the United Way efforts for 10 years and has plans to help them expand. One of the most remarkable elements of United Way is the way it helps families in need, she says. "Instead of just feeding money to people, and putting a Band-Aid on the problem, United Way aims to fix the problem," Melchionne says, highlighting focus areas of the organization such as education, childhood obesity and financial planning for underprivileged families.
And United Way isnt the only beneficiary of Melchionnes efforts. She is on the GE volunteers council, coordinating volunteer opportunities at local nonprofits for some of the 400 employees in the Stamford GE office. She also volunteers at local soup kitchens and holds a seat on two PTO (Parent Teacher Organization) boards at her children's schools.
She notes that taking part in community affairs isnt just a good thing to do - its the right thing to do.
It takes a village to raise a child, adds Melchionne. And you need a successful community.
