After months of being in a stay at home order with little to do, the Greene County United Way felt that it was time to get the community involved again. “We wanted to figure out a way that we could safely … do something to get people out of the house and around the community, without forcing them into an uncomfortable position,” MaChal Forbes, Executive Director of Greene County United Way , said. Brainstorming led their committees to pitch the idea of a Selfie Scavenger Hunt.
Registered members will be given riddles that will lead them all across the county to find locations or items to then take a savvy selfie with and submit. Each correctly solved riddle will result in a raffle ticket to submit at the end of each week for all four weeks of September.
If you are unfamiliar with the GCUW, their motto states “[we] change lives throughout Greene County by identifying community needs, supporting the services that meet those needs, and providing results to our residents.”
Throughout the past months, the GCUW partnered with the “Community Foundation of Greene County” and have been able to donate over $105,000 to local nonprofits through their newly created, Greene County Emergency Response Fund. These donations were used for purchasing masks and hand sanitizers to paying the electric bills.
Since March, GCUW has been excited to finally get back into the lives of the community. Their Scavenger Hunt is the first of three events to conclude 2020. The next two events consist of the Greene County Mystery Road Rally in October, and in December, a virtual holiday singing concert.
At the beginning of the pandemic, many of the GCUW’s events were cancelled. This allowed for a loss of funds due to lack of fundraising opportunities. Luckly, many local businesses that have donated to those events in the spring months have requested that their sponsorships be used for the new events coming up, which is tremendously helpful.
“We are learning how to live, work, and socialize in this new world we are living in. I feel the need to get outside, get out of the house, and feel like I’m doing something fun again,” Forbes said. “This is something you can do with your kids, your friends, and your grandparents! All you need is a car and some detective skills.”
To register, follow the Greene County United Way on Facebook and join their private group for the Selfie Scavenger Hunt to receive the weekly riddles. Submit your selfies through Facebook messenger or email Machal Forbes at mforbes@greenecountyunitedway.org
Successfully solved riddles will be reposted on their page.