Campaign kickoff for United Way of Etowah County held
Contributors to the United Way learned today the agency has met almost half its fundraising goal for the year.
The campaign kickoff for United Way of Etowah County on Thursday afternoon was a legal-themed luncheon at Convention Hall.
This year's theme is "Can a T-shirt Change the World?"
"The philosophy behind Live United is that we are all connected and interdependent," Christie Knowles, campaign chairwoman, said. "When you reach out a hand to one, you influence the condition of all. It is an invitation to be part of real, lasting change.
"But if no one recruits people to a cause, then nothing will ever happen," Knowles continued. "Change can only happen when we join together."
Pacesetter Co-chairwoman Valerie Richardson announced Thursday that, through the Pacesetter campaign, United Way already has raised $643,235 — almost half of this year's fundraising goal.
The Pacesetter campaign begins two months before the full fundraising campaign starts. Pacesetters are businesses in the area that help kick start the campaign.
Richardson announced the results of the Pacesetter campaign: Alabama Power Co., $54,224; Family Savings Federal Credit Union, $22,736; Gadsden City Schools, $33,690; Gadsden State Community College, $32,600; HealthSouth Rehabilitation, $24,000; Hindsman, Hall and Storey, $13,599; Life of Alabama Insurance, $13,787; UPS, $3,345; Riverview Regional Medical Center, $42,000; United Way employees, $6,059; United Way Board Members, $40,339; Leadership Givers, $119,834 and Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co., United Steel Workers and the Local 12, $255,674.
Some of the figures reported were partial, and businesses are still collecting pledges.
United Way supports 26 local programs and agencies throughout the county that focus on education, financial stability, health and safety.
Fundraising will continue through the upcoming months, culminating Nov. 4 with "Closing Arguments and Final Verdict" at Convention Hall.
United Way drive breaks record
The United Way of Etowah County on Thursday celebrated its record-breaking
fundraising drive during an event at Gadsden Convention Hall.
“We made history at United Way of Etowah County,” campaign chairman
Todd Hindsman said.
The $1,353,047.71 that was raised will be used to support the
26 member agencies United Way works in partnership with to advance
the common good by focusing on education, financial stability and
health.
Hindsman said United Way connects people regardless of their economic
status.
“Lots of communities have lines that divide those who have and
don’t have,” he said. “... United Way doesn’t divide lines. It
connects them. When we connect the lines, amazing things happen.”
During Thursday’s event, campaign leaders from 11 divisions gave
reports on how much was raised. Most of the divisions exceeded
their fundraising goals.
The divisions are commercial, education, financial, government,
health institutions, health professionals, industrial, nonprofit,
out of area, residential, professionals and retail.
The commercial division raised $83,197, making 104 percent of
its goal.
“The division did so well last year I wasn’t sure I could compete,”
Mark Hamilton, commercial division leader, said. “But the companies
came together and did a great job.”
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The education division raised $136,731.74, which was 102.4 percent
of its goal.
The financial division raised 7 percent more than last year, according
to its leader, Jeff Allen. It raised $148,666.40, which was 106.2
percent of its goal.
“The financial institutions in Gadsden really stepped up their
game this year,” Allen said. “We had seven companies with 100 percent
participation: Generations Bank, Family Savings, People’s Independent
Bank, Keystone Bank, Regions Bank, Exchange Bank and Superior Bank.”
The government division had a total of $112,758.73, which was
110.5 percent of its goal.
The health profession division made 112.1 percent of its goal
by collecting $57,185.22 in pledges.
The industrial division collected $488,232.98,
which was the greatest amount in pledges. Goodyear Tire & Rubber
Co. collected more than half of the funds.
“This year, they hit a record-breaking score
with an average gift of $217.98, 68 percent participation rate
and a total of two leadership givers,” division leader Kevin
Phillips said. “This year, Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co.-USW
Local 12 raised a total of $246,606.”
Collections from the other divisions: retail, $43,863.08; residential,
$34,518; professionals, $37,281.88; out of area, $15,000; nonprofit,
$25,780.34; and health institutions, $169,832.34.
United Way kicks off annual campaign
“Let’s get ready to live united,” a commanding
voice roared over beats pumping through the speakers at Gadsden
Convention Hall.
The large crowd cheered and clapped as 18 people
dressed in white pants, black T-shirts and baseball caps came through
a small door to high-five mascot Swoop and take their places at
the front table.
It was a baseball-themed opening day for United Way
of Etowah County, and the fundraising efforts for this year are
off to a considerable start.
Representatives announced Thursday that, through
the Pacesetter campaign, the organization already has raised $648,547
— almost half of this year’s fundraising goal.
Organizers hope they can keep that momentum all the
way to the “World Series” in November.
“We are excited because in the economy we’re in,
for this community to come back and sustain funding for these 26
agencies — it’s phenomenal,” said Joanne Hightower, executive director
of United Way of Etowah County.
United Way supports 26 local programs and agencies
throughout the county that focus on education, financial stability,
health and safety.
Campaign Chair Todd Hindsman said there are needs
throughout the county.
“We have an opportunity to get involved with those
lives of our friends and neighbors,” he said.
This year’s campaign theme is “How I live united.”
The Pacesetter campaign begins approximately two
months before the full fundraising campaign starts. Through contributions
from the organization’s 15 Pacesetter agencies, United Way is well
on its way to reaching its $1,308,000 goal.
Pacesetter Chair Christie Knowles announced the breakdown
of the contributions: Alabama Power Company, $56,074; Gadsden City
Schools, $36,700; Gadsden State Community College, $44,898; HealthSouth
Rehabilitation, $20,982; Hindsman, Hall and Storey, $13,463; Life
of Alabama Insurance, $12.726; Mountainview Hospital, $5,576; Riverview
Regional Medical Center, $73,810; UPS, $16,586; Family Savings
Federal Credit Union, $20,054; United Way Board members, $28,149;
Leadership Givers, $108,069 and Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co.,
$228,605.
Figures were not available for the United Way office
and Gadsden Regional Medical Center.
“Companies make up 50 percent of the United Way campaign,
so they’re a big part of the team,” Knowles said.
Fundraising will continue through the upcoming months,
culminating Nov. 4 with the World Series event at Gadsden Convention
Hall.
Hundreds of volunteers work on Day
of Action
More than 300 volunteers set aside their regular jobs Friday
and took on tasks at local agencies for United Way of Etowah County’s Day of
Action.
Cutting hedges, painting walls, washing windows and
reading to children were just some of the many ways volunteers
gave back to the agencies that make a difference in the community.
Day of Action Chairwoman Catherine Martin said more
that 1,200 hours of work were donated Friday morning.
“Seventy-five jobs were completed for 17 agencies,”
she said. “This year, we had to reach outside of United Way because
we had so many volunteers. We partnered with the city of Gadsden
and Habitat for Humanity to accomplish several projects.”
The Day of Action kicked off United Way’s annual
Pacesetter Campaign.
“Combining our Day of Action and our Pacesetter kickoff
helps employees see their donations at work,” said 2010 Campaign
Chairman Todd Hindsman. “There is nothing like meeting the staff
at a local agency. There is nothing like working side by side with
our community partners.”
Lori Norman, with help from her co-workers at Healthsouth
Rehabilitation Center, washed windows, painted rails and trimmed
shrubs at the Family Success Center on East Broad Street in Gadsden.
“This takes us from our everyday work and lets us
give back to an agency that helps so many,” Norman said. “It’s
a very worthwhile cause and an excellent opportunity.”
Jennifer Lowman, a volunteer with the AT&T Pioneers,
said her group donated its time to cut the grass, landscape, trim
trees, pressure wash and paint at the Barrie Center for Children
on East Chestnut Street in Gadsden.
“We volunteered here last year for the Day of Action,”
Lowman said. “We liked it so much and we were so impressed by the
Barrie Center that we wanted to come back and help them again this
year. We know that this organization needs help, and we just want
to do as much as we can. ”
Several volunteers from Gadsden State Community College
and Riverview Regional Medical Center cleaned the Salvation Army
on First Street in Gadsden.
“It’s always good to give back to the community and
be around the people that you’re helping,” said Dana Simpson of
Riverview Regional Medical Center. “They’re always so appreciative.
We’re glad to offer our help.”
A luncheon to launch United Way’s 2010 fundraising
campaign will be held Aug. 26 at Gadsden Convention Hall.
United Way honors 'community heroes'
By Katherine Poythress
Times Staff Writer
.
The United Way of Etowah County was one of only two United Way 
chapters
in Alabama that raised the funds it needs to maintain level operations
this year, said Executive Director Joanne Hightower.
Volunteers raised more than $1.3 million for the
local United Way chapter during its annual campaign in 2009.
"Why was that, in a year when we had more than
10 percent unemployment?" she asked rhetorically in her closing
remarks at the United Way of Etowah County's annual meeting Thursday
morning.
"Because you and your companies advocated and
volunteered," she said. "That was the difference."
The morning event, which took place over breakfast
at the Senior Activity Center in Gadsden, focused on recognizing
and thanking the organization's partner agencies, volunteers and
advocates.
"As important as United Way donors are, the
volunteers are equally important." said Matt Hayes, 2009 president
of the UWEC board of directors. "All of you are the advocates
and heroes of our community, working to make Etowah County a better
place to live."
The four building blocks of the United Way are to
promote education, financial stability, health and safety in the
communities it serves, said last year's campaign chairman and the
2010 board president, Todd Edmondson.
"Advancing the common good means opportunities
to access the basics that we all need for a good life," Edmondson
said.
Many organizations can work separately to address
each of those issues, but "United Way wants to be the catalyst
to identify the best practices, bring everyone to the table and
find the resources to make it happen," he said.
Volunteers shared statistics to help paint a picture
for the work that has been accomplished by United Way partner agencies,
but also the work that remains to be done.
• Education: In Etowah County, 37 percent of
children do not have adequate school readiness skills, and only
61 percent of children graduate high school in four years with
a standard diploma, said Lisa Thacker, vice president of community
planning.
• Financial Stability: Twenty-three percent
of working families in Etowah County are low income, and 37 to
40 percent of those families spend nearly half their income on
housing, said Vice President of Planning Jon Costa.
• Health: Of all babies born in Etowah County,
10.6 percent of them are born to an unmarried teenage mother, said
the Rev. James Elliott, citing the Alabama Department of Health
Kids Count Data Book. Nearly half of Etowah County's high school
students and 20 percent of eighth-graders drink on weekends, and
30 percent of high schoolers smoke, he said.
• Safety Net: Unemployment reached 10 percent
and higher last year, causing a 30 percent increase in requests
for help, said Joyce Luker, a board member and allocation panel
chairwoman for safety net agencies.
The United Way's partner agencies work hand-in-hand
to alleviate these conditions, and each volunteer shared a breakdown
of the more than 100,000 times last year a service was performed
by a United Way partner.
"We thank you for your work every day, and we
thank the individuals and companies that support this work throughout
the year," Luker said.
Girlfriend Gala event raises $34,000
By Laura Catoe
Times Staff Writer
Published: Monday, March 29, 2010 at 4:17 p.m.
Last week's fifth annual Girlfriend Gala netted $34,000 to promote
childhood literacy in Etowah County.
The gala is a fundraiser for United Way Success By 6 and the Dolly
Parton Imagination Library. Through the Imagination Library, every
child in Etowah County, ages birth to 5, is eligible to receive
one book a month.
According to Tracey Webb, Success By 6 program director, the funds
raised at the gala will provide 971 children with 11,772 books
during the next year.
Nearly 600 women attended this year's gala. There
were 74 elaborately decorated tables and 80 volunteers. Floral
artist Benny Campbell was this year's master of ceremonies.
The theme was "Fabulous in the French Quarter," and
the evening ended with a parade led by a jazz band winding its
way through the tables as gala participants joined in.
"I hope everyone had a great time," Webb said,
"food, good fun and good girlfriends."
Webb asks anyone who would like to be involved with
2011's gala to call Success By 6 at 256-547-2581. The contact number
is the same for anyone who knows a child to be enrolled in the
Imagination Library.
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United Way celebrates $1.3 million raised
MARC GOLDEN | GADSDEN TIMES
Buy
photo
The United Way Campaign Cabinet reveals this year's pledge
amount at the United Way of Etowah County Campaign Victory
Celebration Thursday at Convention Hall. The total of pledges
and contributions for the next year is just over $1.3 million.
By Katherine Poythress
Times Staff Writer
Published: Thursday, November 5, 2009 at 6:41 p.m.
Last Modified: Thursday, November 5, 2009 at 6:46 p.m.
The United Way of Etowah County celebrated raising more than $1.3
million during its annual fundraising drive with a luncheon Thursday
afternoon.
The lighthearted event featured reports from each
of 11 division leaders who oversaw the fundraising campaign within
specified areas, such as education, industry, retail, government
and health care professionals. Each of the division leaders said
the amounts raised in their areas exceeded this year’s goals, and
the dollars continued trickling in even during the victory celebration.
The overall amount raised as of 1 p.m. Thursday totaled
$1,305,499, which exceeded the United Way's campaign goal by 3
percent, according to campaign chairman Todd Edmondson.
"That is better than we could have hoped for
in this economy," Edmondson said. "What a challenging
time to run a United Way campaign, but we are seeing more big-heartedness,
more people united together than ever before. Our strength is in
numbers, and our strength is in you."
The $1.3 million raised will go to support more than
three dozen local organizations focused on meeting the physical,
financial and educational needs of residents in Etowah County.
"This year we really focused on being generous
and others-minded," said financial division leader Jenny Tunstall.
"We've all been asked to reach into our pockets a little deeper,
and I think we did that."
This fundraiser's highlights included tens of thousands
in new dollars from the various divisions and new highs in participation,
with Blue Cross Blue Shield employees leading the way in gifts
at $945 per capita.
The industrial division contributed nearly half a
million dollars, and People's Independent Bank reached 100 percent
participation among its employees with its first-ever United Way
rally.
In the education division, Striplin Elementary School
exceeded its previous year's contributions by 110 percent, according
to division leader Pam Clough.
The day's numbers could have been mind-boggling and
boring, but moments of levity kept the good news in perspective.
Like when Tunstall enlisted the help of her "loaned executives"
Lee Cox, Jay Hedgspeth and Chris McGinnis to rap the financial
division's reports - to challenge the popular perception of bankers
as boring business people, she said.
After giving a breakdown of the $139,830 in contributions
from banks and accountants, "Ice Lee" and Hedgspeth danced
off the stage rapping, "You can take that right to the bank."
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not be re-published without permission. Links are encouraged.
| United Way's Day of Action |
 |
| David Freeman, a volunteer from Goodyear, tosses
folded sheets to his daughter, Hollen, while sorting through
donated items at the Salvation Army during United Way's Day
of Action Thursday, June 25, 2009. (Gadsden Times, Sarah Dudik) |
By Miranda Sparks
Times Intern
Two hundred volunteers braved the Alabama heat in hopes
of making a difference, of giving something back. United
Way's 12th annual Day of Action saw 50 projects completed
for 19 agencies in need of an extra pair of hands.
"The volunteers are amazing," said Jessica Brown,
resource development and marketing director for United Way. "They
are so willing to give that four hours on a June afternoon
to go outside and sweat.".....Read
More Here and Watch
Video Here and Here |
United Way officials thank community for
efforts
GADSDEN
TIMES | ERIC T. WRIGHT
Lou
Lacey, who received United Way services when she was a victim
of a violent crime while a student at Auburn University, speaks
Wednesday at the United Way of Etowah County's annual meeting
to recognize 2008 Leadership Givers, agencies, board of directors
and contributors.
Published: Wednesday, March 18, 2009 at
7:21 p.m.
Last Modified: Wednesday, March 18, 2009 at 7:24 p.m.
You may save someone's life by just lending a helping hand or
a smile.
And the United Way of Etowah County knows that firsthand.
At the organization's annual meeting Wednesday, officials thanked
the community for its efforts and rewarded community members
on their contributions.
Lou Lacey of the Children's Hospital Intervention and Prevention
Services in Birmingham was the guest speaker. She said the United
Way deserves a "thank you" from everyone as well.
Since 1982, Lacey has been looking for a way to repay the organization
for its kindness during her time of trouble.
She was a victim of a violent crime while attending Auburn University
and that was the first time she encountered the United Way.
"When I entered the hospital, the first person I encountered
was a United Way volunteer who was so helpful," Lacey said. "She
offered so much words of wisdom and encouragement to me during
that time in my life."
During this episode, Lacey found her calling of advocacy and
charity.
At that point. she re-evaluated her life and took a direction
that would become an inspiration to many others, simply because
someone inspired her.
"It is more important to measure ourselves during times
that are difficult," Lacey said.
Since her Auburn days, Lacey has been searching for the United
Way volunteer who changed her life, but has not found that person.
As a result of her encounter with the volunteer, Lacey has become
active with the United Way as a volunteer counselor, professional
staff member and Loaned Executive.
She currently serves as the director of the CHIPS Center, an
outpatient treatment program for child abuse victims at Children's
Hospital of Alabama.
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may not be re-published without permission. Links are encouraged.
