‘Building Community Together’ is theme of Rowan County United Way campaign: Goal is over $1M
Published 12:06 am Tuesday, September 17, 2024
Kaisha Brown, Rowan County United Way campaign chair giets a ride into the kick off eent by Salisbury Police Officer Major Justin Crews. — Submited by Ali Edwards
Campaign Chair Kaisha Brown addressed the crowd during the kickoff event. — Karen Kistler
From left, Dystanie Richard, Heather Haaland, Richard Reinholz and Chief Patrick Smith, ook at their winning tower. — Karen Kistler
Teross Young , second from right, presented a $2,5400 check from Food Lion to Rowan County United Way. Pictured with Young are, from left, Jenny Lee, exeucitve director; Campaign Chair Kaisha Brown; and Audrey Eudy, United Way’s philanthrop director. — Karen Kistler
Micah Ennis, Rowan County social services director, served as the emcee for the 2024-2025 campaign kickoff. — Karen Kistler
Reopresentatives from mutiple Community Investment Partners listened during the Sept. 13 event. — Karen Kistler
From left, Elaine Spalding, Christina Rary, Leechann McMaus and Peter Franzese work on tower buiding. — Karen Kistler
SALISBURY — Together. That was a key word heard during the Rowan County United Way Campaign kickoff held Friday at the F&M Trolley Barn in Salisbury.
This message was shared by Kaisha Brown, this year’s campaign chair and the communications coordinator for the city of Salisbury.
Brown was introduced by emcee Micah Ennis, social services director for Rowan County and a United Way board member, and made her entrance in a Parking Enforcement vehicle driven by Salisbury Police Department Major Justin Crews as music played and the crowd cheered.
Greeting the crowd with a big smile, Brown added her thanks to everyone for coming, to the United Way staff and board members, all who have helped with the campaign and her Core Team.
She then took this opportunity to announce the campaign theme of “Building Community Together.” Noting that the theme symbolized puzzle pieces, she said it relates to a collective effort and each working together and each having a piece of that puzzle to raise the campaign goal.
“You showing up is a piece of that puzzle,” Brown told the group, but she said the puzzle wasn’t finished as they had a long way to go.
“Over the next eight weeks, our goal is to raise over one million dollars,” Brown said. “With our collective efforts, we can do this,” adding that it takes everyone doing their part, “no matter what we can give because every little bit helps, every piece, everyone just giving their piece of the puzzle, to be a part of that solution.”
And it was for this reason they were gathered there for this event, she said, “to build a stronger community, to build community together.”
The funds that are raised as a result of the campaign will go back into the community, to various organizations where they are used to make an impact in the community in areas such as mental health, substance abuse, healthy lifestyle behavior and basic needs.
The local United Way’s Community Impact Model matches the money that is given with the needs of the community.
Those receiving funds, the Community Investment Partners, were introduced during the event and a representative of the organization was given the opportunity to share about their work and how United Way has impacted them.
These included Scouting of America, Capstone Recovery Center, Families First-NC, Family Crisis Council, Mainstreet Marketplace and Meeting Place, Nazareth Child and Family Connection, One Love Community Programs, Rowan County Literacy Council, Community in Schools-Rowan, Rowan Helping Ministries, Rowan Salisbury Schools, Rufty-Holmes Senior Center, Salisbury Police Department, The Salvation Army and YMCA of Rowan County.
Words of thanks were expressed by the Community Investment Partners to United Way for their investment and partnership, noting that what they did could not be accomplished without them.
Information was on each table highlighting the impact of last year’s campaign noting that 77,304 individuals were served by 21 funded programs with 1,807 referrals being made by NC 211 to local health and human service agencies, connecting individuals with necessary resources. A breakdown was provided of those receiving support in each of the areas.
“Things have changed, the needs have grown, and so being here today and being a part of that change, that is what we’re aiming for and that is our goal,” said Brown as she spoke about the importance of both being aware of the United Way and giving.
Brown recognized her campaign cabinet members and each was called to share their particular division and goal for the 2024-2025 year.
These include Presidents Division, Jared Tice; Chairman’s Division, Jonathan Williams; Industrial 2, Donna Honeycutt; Commercial 1, Dale Peeler; Commercial 2, Nick Means; Commercial 3, Elia Gegorek; Public Employees, Peter Franzese and Rodney Harrison; Education, Carol Ann Houpe; Industrial 2, Audrey Eudy; Nonprofits, Dystanie Richard and Miriam Ramirez; Special Gifts, Kevin Auten; Leadership Giving, David Post; Medical Professionals, Gary Blabon; All Other Professionals, Elizabeth Cook; and Community Business, John Drye.
As Ennis got the event underway she likewise focused on everyone working together.
She thanked everyone for being there and then asked them, “you know why I came today? Because I need you and I’m pretty sure you came because you need me, too. We need each other, don’t we? We need one another and isn’t that the beauty of what our Rowan County United Way helps us with?”
Connecting, building bridges, weaving together and making stronger those areas in the community that have weakened were all things that the Rowan County United Way is and what they do, Ennis said.
Plus, she said, this event is about impact, noting that “those who are serving and those who we are serving together, we’re having an impact and we’re doing great work with limited resources and we’re coming together to try and bring more resources to the table.”
She expressed thanks to those who came together to make the event successful as she thanked F&M for the event space; Miller Davis Agency for their technological expertise; the P-R committee members who helped in planning the campaign; the media sponsor; Dr. Wendy Bernhardt who gave the invocation; Linda Black of Black Tie Occasion for the catered meal; those who attended and support United Way; and the hundreds of volunteers that work throughout the campaign.
Ennis next expressed a big thank you to the car dealerships who have made the car giveaway possible as she announced that “this year with your donation, you could win a brand new car worth up to $25,000.”
This, she added, is made possible because of the generosity of Ben Mynatt Nissan, Cloninger Ford and Toyota, Randy Marion Honda and Kia and Team Automotive Group.
A new feature has been added to the auto giveaway, Ennis said, as it is going digital and every donor who gives at least $78 to the Rowan County United Way Campaign will get one entry form to fill out and sign. The first deadline to turn in car tickets for a chance to be a finalist is Monday, Sept. 23 at 5 p.m., and the three for one deadline is Oct. 7 at 5 p.m. Entries must be in the Rowan County United Way office, 131 W. Innes St., Suite 201, at these designated times in order to be entered into the drawing, she said.
A fun team exercise was provided by Dr. Shirley Disseler and her son Ryan Disseler of Brick Ed Academy. Representatives of the Community Investment Partners were asked to stand at one of the multiple tables containing buckets of plastic building blocks. Others from the crowd were enlisted to come forward so that each table had four participants. They were given seven minutes to see which team could build the tallest free-standing tower together as a team.
As Brown organized the groups at the table and handed it to the Disselers to conduct the activity, she said, “as we build community together we have to know what our differences are and how they work together in order to move forward to build a stronger community.”
Shirley Disseler had everyone prepare to start the activity and each team began assembling using different strategies as they worked together until the call to stop and step away from the tables.
After measuring the different towers, the foursome of Salisbury Police Chief Patrick Smith, Dystanie Richard with Capstone Recovery Center, Heather Haaland with Nazareth Child and Family Connection and Richard Reinholz with YMCA of Rowan County was declared the winner with a tower measuring more than 48 inches in height.
During the kick-off, a special announcement was made about the upcoming Into The Light Suicide & Mental Health Awareness Walk and attendees were encouraged to participate. It is scheduled for Oct. 5 beginning at 7:20 a.m. at Catawba College’s Shuford Stadium with all proceeds directly supporting local, accessible mental health treatment programs and services, said Ennis.
Brown said that the purpose of the event on Friday was to provide information about United Way, but it is also “to go out and raise funds.”
Brown then called Teross Young with Food Lion to come forward for a check presentation. Young said that one of Food Lion’s principles is care and they care about their associates and their communities.
“This year our Associate Giving Campaign also kicks off this month in line with the United Way,” he said, “and we recognize all the great work that the United Way is doing in Rowan County, and we wanted to help celebrate that today.” He then presented a check for $2,500 to the Rowan County United Way on behalf of Food Lion and its associates.
Sharing that United Way has a special place in her heart, Brown said she was honored to be the chair of the campaign and concluded with thanks for everyone who was at this event and for their dedication to the county.
