United Way of Western CT Produces Award Winning Video

ALICE Acts of Kindness video was selected a winner in the 37th Annual Telly Awards

United Way of Western Connecticut (UWWC) produced a video in collaboration with Sniffen Pictures which was recently recognized as a Bronze winner in the 37th Annual Telly Awards for its piece titled, ALICE Acts of Kindness. United Way’s video won a Bronze Telly in the Charitable/Not-For-Profit category. With over 13,000 entries from all 50 states and numerous countries, this is truly an honor.

This United Way video captures the reactions of customers of a local PriceRite grocery store that were surprised at the check-out counter with free groceries. This was made possible by the generosity of a donor who wanted to help struggling households directly. The filming took place in early February, and UWWC CEO Kim Morgan paid for nearly $2,000 worth of groceries for more than 40 shoppers.

This video was produced to advance the work of United Way. UWWC works collaboratively in the community to bring together the people and resources needed to address the needs of hardworking individuals and families we call ALICE® (AssetLimited, Income Constrained, Employed), a growing number of households who are working, yet unable to afford the basic necessities of housing, food, childcare, health care and transportation. The United Way ALICE Report revealed that 35% of Danbury residents go to work each day and still struggle to make ends meet. That means that thousands of individuals and families in our area dread going to the grocery store because of the stress and difficulty in stretching their limited dollars to feed their family.

The random acts of kindness in this video not only alleviated a little stress from the lives of those struggling, it also inspired some shoppers to pay it forward to others. From people who had just lost their job, to families who were taking food off of the conveyer belt due to lack of money to pay the whole bill, to a woman who was buying food to make meals for the homeless, the stories were both gut-wrenching and inspiring. For more information on how to help, get help, and to view the video, please visit: www.uwwesternct.org/kindness.

“It was heartwarming to see how much it meant to people to receive even the smallest gift of food,” said UWWC CEO Kim Morgan. “Even the cashiers, who very clearly had a personal connection to those being helped, were so appreciative and moved at the acts of kindness. We are grateful to PriceRite for letting us come into their store to surprise their customers. Their entire team was a pleasure to work with.”

Credit goes to the production studio of Sniffen Pictures in Southbury which took UWWC’s idea and produced this award-winning piece on a pro bono basis. “Local non-profits like UWWC can find it challenging to find funds to engage professional media services,” said Scott Sniffen of Sniffen Pictures. “Sniffen Pictures is honored to help spread awareness regarding ALICE.” Scott Sniffen is an accomplished director, producer and director of photography, and will add this recent recognition to his vast award collection.

The Telly Awards was founded in 1979 and is the premier award honoring outstanding local, regional, and cable TV commercials and programs, the finest video and film productions, and online commercials, video and films. Winners represent the best work of the most respected advertising agencies, production companies, television stations, cable operators, and corporate video departments in the world. A prestigious judging panel of over 500 accomplished industry professionals judged the competition, upholding the historical standard of excellence that Telly represents. Approximately 25% of entries are chosen as winners of the Bronze Telly. To find out more about the Telly Awards, please visit their website at www.tellyawards.com.

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Submitted by Danbury, CT

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