At “2024 Annual Meeting & Awards,” United Way looks back at 2023 and what lies ahead
Published 12:09 am Tuesday, January 23, 2024
United Way Executive Director Jenny Lee (center) stands with the Helping Hand Award winners. From left to right: Bill Burgin, Jayne Helms, Brad Walser, Josh Barnhardt, and David Hartman. Brad Dountz/Salisbury Post.
The Rowan County United Way's “2024 Annual Meeting & Awards” had a terrific turnout at the F&M Trolley Barn. Brad Dountz/Salisbury Post.
Champion of Philanthropy Award winner Steve Fisher (center) stands in between Jenny Lee (left) and Audrey Eudy (right) of the United Way. Brad Dountz/Salisbury Post.
The award trophies that were handed were quite the sight to see. Brad Dountz/Salisbury Post.
Humble Hero Award winners Mary Anne Moore (left) and Janet Haynes (center) stand on stage with former United Way Board President Eric Slipp (right). Brad Dountz/Salisbury Post.
SALISBURY — The Rowan County United Way hosted its “2024 Annual Meeting & Awards” ceremony at the F&M Trolley Barn on Jan. 19, to elect board members for the coming year and to recognize the people who have given the most back to the community.
“Every year we love to honor all of our volunteers, companies and supporters who get us through the year, who make all of our work possible. It’s one of our favorite events,” Marketing and Communications Manager Tara Allen said.
During the ceremony, Eric Slipp, the past board president in 2023, handed the reins over to the new board president, Desiree Dunston, who could not attend the ceremony, but prepared a recorded message to share her appreciation for her new position. Slipp believes these kinds of events are important to ensuring the United Way puts everything that they do in the proper perspective.
“When you look around this room of volunteers and people who have given up their time and talents, their treasures, they’ve given them unselfishly,” Slipp said. “Too often we don’t take stock, whether it’s as individuals or whether as organizations. We’re too busy pressing forward working on the things of today or the things of tomorrow. To prepare for something like this, it is taking stock. What did we do and how did we touch things? How were we novel about it?”
A partial list of the awards given to people and organizations in Rowan County included the Humble Hero Award, Campaign Champion Award, Corporate Impact Award, Excellence in Leadership with Community Impact, and the Helping Hand Award.
Stephen Bullock, this past year’s campaign chair, announced that the United Way raised $1,054,378 in 2023. The United Way also shared who its upcoming 2024 committee members will be.
Janet Haynes, along with Mary Anne Moore, won the Humble Hero Award for their “exceptionality and kindness” that “remind us we all have the opportunity to be heroic to those in need by stepping forward to volunteer.” Haynes first became aware of the United Way at 18 years old when she began working at F&M Bank as Paul Fisher’s assistant. Now she describes herself as a “backroom volunteer for the United Way, supporter, and big fan for almost 43 years.”
“I’m so honored. I know there are a lot of humble heroes out there, but for them to pick me, it’s just something I will never forget,” Haynes said.
The United Way Task Force was given the Helping Hand Award for its work in trying to find a location for ‘The Hub,” the future site for the United Way and a community center for local nonprofits.
“It feels great. We have a very hardworking committee that are all working diligently to help a permanent home for the United Way,” award recipient Brad Walser said.
