Bruns 2020-21 United Way campaign chair

VW independent/submitted information

United Way of Van Wert County Executive Director Vicki Smith announced Kim Bruns as the campaign chair for 2020-21.

“Kim is going to be a great leader in this year’s campaign. She has always reminded me that we are doing what we do to help individuals,” Smith said. “She will be such an asset with working through this unprecedented time and how we do things a little different to raise funds and awareness. 

“She actually volunteered to be the campaign chair in the midst of a new job change in her career,” Smith added. “Who actually does that except for a person with passion for the United Way like Kim?” 

Bruns grew up in Van Wert, graduated from Van Wert High School, and was one of the five finalists for the R.K. Thompson Self-Reliance Award in 1990. She graduated from Bowling Green State University and moved back to Van Wert because she loved the community that had a huge impact on her life. 

Bruns, who said she wanted to give back to her amazing hometown, has worked for local social service agencies in her lifetime (Westwood and Thomas Edison).  She is currently the community services director for West Ohio Community Action Partnership, which offers several programs in the Van Wert community, and is also vice president and program chair for the Women’s Leadership Collective Board. Bruns has volunteered her time and support with many other local agencies (Crisis Care Center, Relay for Life, Special Olympics, and Thomas Edison,) but she truly loves and enjoys her volunteer work and support with the United Way because it assists individuals and families with a wide range of needs through the 33 agencies that it funds.  

Bruns has been a member of the United Way Board of Trustees for the past six years, first joining as a member in 2015 and then the executive board in 2016. She has served on the Admissions & Review Committee, as well as being a member of the Day of Caring, Fiesta Fun Friday, Rivals United, Campaign and Chip in for Change committees. Now she will serve as campaign chair.

“I am excited to be this year’s campaign chair,” Bruns noted. “This year’s campaign theme is #AlwaysUnited. 

“We have had great support over the past several years with our campaigns, but this year is going to be a different campaign,” she added. “We know that there are so many people that have been affected with the Covid-19 pandemic: with loss of jobs, lack of food, kids needing extra educational support, and we want you to know that we are “AlwaysUnited” and there for you. 

“We have been leading the way with our programs and agencies that have supported the hard times,” Bruns went on to say. “We are going to need every donation this year to be able to continue to support our 33 programs. If we reach our goal of $500,000, we will be able to relieve the stress of our agencies having to do fundraisers and raise money to implement these needed programs. I hope that this year you are able to join me in the campaign that supports #AlwaysUnited.”