United Community Services Communications Department Records

Accession Number: 
UR002493
Extent: 
6 linear feet (6 SB)

The United Community Services of Metropolitan Detroit has its origins in the establishment of the Detroit Community Union in 1917. The Union was reorganized into the Council of Social Agencies of Metropolitan Detroit in 1932, and merged with the Detroit Community Chest in 1951 to become the United Community Services (UCS). UCS operated alongside the United Way for Southeastern Michigan (United Foundation until 1989), which was primarily a fundraising organization. They merged to form the United Way Community Services in 1995, which merged with the United Way for Oakland County to become the United Way for Southeastern Michigan in 2005. UCS was an umbrella organization for a wide range of social welfare agencies in the Metropolitan Detroit area, and sought to promote social services (including child care, family, health, recreation, and community planning) through the centralized planning, coordinating, and budgeting of those agencies. The Communications Department, previously known as the Public Relations Department, was responsible for promoting UCS and member agency activities to the public, through press releases, newspaper, radio, and television advertisements, promotional brochures, and other advertising campaigns. The department also counseled other UCS departments and member agencies on their promotional campaigns.

The United Community Services Communications Department Records consist of correspondence, reports, press releases, promotional brochures, and newspaper clippings related to the publicity efforts of UCS. The collection documents the promotional strategies used by UCS to promote its activities, seek volunteers, solicit funds, and increase public knowledge of UCS and its member agencies. The collection also contains information pertaining to internal UCS administrative functions, including the UCS Assembly nominating committee and the organization’s annual meetings.

Date: 
1928-1992, bulk 1947-1984
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UR002493.pdfUR002493_guide.pdf106.47 KB