2013 United Way campaign beginning
Van Wert County United Way news
“One campaign concludes and the next one begins,” said United Way Executive Director Deb Russell. “We ended our 2012 campaign raising $436,722, or 87 percent of our $500,000 goal.
“This was an increase over 2011 and we are very grateful to the businesses, industries, banks, schools, and individuals who supported us during this campaign,” Russell added. “It means so much to the 24 local agencies that are receiving United Way funding.”
Russell also thanked RJ Coleman of Central Insurance, the 2012 campaign chair. “RJ did a lot of work at various levels to increase our campaign dollars and we appreciate all that he did,” she noted.
Anita Carvajal of Eaton Corporation is the 2013 campaign chair. She began work in the early spring, making plans, putting committees and strategies together for the campaign. A big item on that list is who will be our pacesetter company.
“Deb and I met and compiled a list of who we thought would make a good pacesetter to set the tone for our campaign,” Carvajal said. “We decided we would approach Teem Wholesale and National Door and Trim.
“We met with Tom Turnwald Jr. and Rick Anderson and, before we left the meeting, we had a definite ‘yes we can do that’,” she added. “We are very pleased and grateful to be working closely with Roy Salisbury and Heather Germann, who are leading the way at these two companies”.
This past week, representatives from both companies toured the following United Way agencies: The Salvation Army, Wee Care Learning Center, and the YWCA Summer Food and Transitional Housing Programs. Tours are a good way for people to see first-hand how agencies use their United Way funding, what an impact their contribution has on an agency, and that those programs might not exist if it were not for that funding.
It is also important for people to realize that when United Way says contributions stay local to help people in their own community it really does, as they witnessed at the above agencies.
“We emphasized that we only visited three agencies, but we fund 21 more than we saw,” Carvajal said. “Each one just as important as the other because they all serve a different need in the community and the needs are great.
“It is imperative that we reach that $500,000 goal this year and National Door and Trim and Teem Wholesale are doing a great job getting us started to reach that goal,” she added. “They have lots of fun and food activities planned at their companies and we look forward to working closely with them.”
Continue to look for updates and photos on the United Way’s Facebook page.
POSTED: 07/13/13 at 6:54 am. FILED UNDER: News