CULLMAN, Ala. – United Way of Cullman County is the kind of organization created for moments like 2020 has turned out to be. As the world shut down, the agency shifted into high gear, providing resources for its partners and others, and even seeing new donation records from the community for certain programs.
A message from United Way of Cullman County to The Tribune said:
United Way board, staff and volunteers would like to thank the community for standing with us during this challenging year.
“We want the community to know that because of your pledges and support last year, we were able to respond to the unforeseen needs in our community this year,” said Executive Director Becky Goff.
“We may all be eager to put this difficult year behind us, but we must stop and recognize the generosity of our community, which allowed us to get through these challenges and continue to support those who needed our help the most,” Goff said.
This year, thanks to your United Way, our community was able to benefit from the following resources and support through the generosity of employees, businesses, foundations and grants:
- $33,612 generated for the COVID-19 Community Response Fund
- 17 emergency grants provided to local nonprofits
- Distributed donated food and cleaning supplies to 10 local community pantries
- Provided 4,200 Cullman County K-5 students with “School Tools” with a value of over $45,000 thanks to 23 generous sponsors
- Collected the largest amount to date of school supplies for Cullman County and City Schools during Stuff the Bus
- Responded to nearly 1,000 211 calls and texts for information and resources
- Delivered 500 thank you bags to health care workers
- Invested in and supported 19 local nonprofits
- Hosted food drives to generate resources for Cullman Caring for Kids
- Held the annual Day of Caring Volunteer Outreach Event
- Created a partnership with the Food Outreach forum to coordinate food relief efforts
- Assisted 20,000 Cullman residents through partner programs
- Coordinated Thanksgiving and Christmas food and gifts for struggling families
- Collaborated with local churches and agencies to set up warming stations
For over 40 years, United Way has been on the front lines evaluating community needs, creating solutions to challenges and providing support to cornerstone organizations so that they can focus on the challenges our community is facing. Each year, following the annual campaign, United Way holds its annual citizen review process to allocate resources to local nonprofits. This past year, with the community’s help, 16 network agencies will have received nearly $260,000 in financial support from April 1, 2020- March 31, 2021. In spite of the decline in collections from employee pledges due to closures and layoffs experienced throughout the community due to the pandemic, United Way’s commitment to network partners remains stable.
United Way is currently seeking pledges and contributions for the 2021 United Way Campaign to continue our financial support of local community agencies for the 2021-22 fiscal year. The annual campaign is projected to be short $50,000 due to loss of fundraising events and a decrease in pledges. United Way is asking everyone in the community to join us in support of our community to help us meet our goal. The annual campaign ends March 31, 2021. You can make a donation at www.UWAYCC.org or contact United Way at bgoff@uwaycc.org or 256-739-2948.
For more information on network partners or to view the current financial information of United Way of Cullman County, visit www.UWAYCC.org.
Copyright 2021 Humble Roots, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
