By Kathy Chaffin
kchaffin@salisburypost.com
Despite falling 4 percent short of its 2008 campaign goal, the Rowan County United Way did not have to cut its agencies’ budgets.
Reporting at the United Way’s annual meeting Wednesday, outgoing President Kim Shore said it was the frugality and wisdom of the United Way staff that allowed the agencies to be funded at the same rate. “Hopefully, this will continue,” he said, as “we know the needs are getting greater and greater every year.”
Outgoing Campaign Chairman Chuck Elliot told the United Way staff, agency representatives and volunteers at the meeting that a total of $1,887,603 ó 96 percent of the $1,971,200 goal ó was raised during the campaign.
“When we started the campaign, we knew we were up for a challenge,” he said. The poor economy was obviously a factor, he said, along with the distraction of the election and the negative publicity surrounding the controversy over the extravagant salary and benefits given a former United Way director in Mecklenburg County.
“But because of all the support that we got from the community,” he said, “we did have a great campaign.”
In addition to funding the agencies’ regular programs, Shore said the United Way was able to provide layoff assistance to Rowan County residents affected by the recession. In the last 18 months, he said, the agency has paid out $230,000 to help displaced workers save their homes, pay their rent and utilities, buy school uniforms and supplies for their children and retain or take advantage of a free three-month membership to the YMCA of Rowan County.
Other highlights of the year, he said, include:
– Food Lion’s generous gift of $250,000, which allowed the United Way to start many new initiatives in the community.
– The awarding of “Impact Grants” to United Way and non-United Way agencies for programs identified in the latest needs assessment as critical to the county.
– The inclusion of the Community Care Clinic as a grantee organization of the United Way in 2009 and a regular member agency in 2010. The clinic provides basic dental care for uninsured residents.
“These are some great accomplishments that we’ve made above and beyond what we normally do,” Shore said.
Ending by saying he was proud to have been able to serve as president, Shore turned the gavel over to Burt Brinson, the president of the new board elected at the meeting.
Brinson thanked the 70-plus people at the meeting for entrusting him with the job. The United Way brings out the best of businesses and citizens in Rowan County, he said, in that it provides them an avenue for showing their sense of compassion and care for each other.
The United Way will continue to work hard to meet the needs of the people, he said, while being good stewards of the community’s contributions.
“They will be used in the best interest of the citizens of Rowan County,” he said. “That is our responsibility to every citizen and our responsibility to you.”
Other officers elected at the annual meeting include: Dr. Grant Harrison, vice president of planning; Rich Steinert, vice president of allocations; Penny Greer-Link, vice president of public relations; Dr. Jerry Chandler, vice president of agency relations; and Guy Hoskins, secretary/treasurer.
Board members elected to three-year terms include the Rev. Juanita Allen, Burt Brinson, Gordon Hurley, Dr. Judy Grissom, Jeff Lindsay, Mike McCurry, Gary Page, James Randolph, Cliff Ritchie, David Treme and Dr. Craig Turner.