Annual campaign goal set at $850,000
This year’s United Way of Logan County fund raising campaign is off to its strongest ever thanks in large part to NEX Transportation Inc.’s pledge of more than $100,000.
Attendees participate in a roundtable discussion Wednesday during the United Way of Logan County’s campaign kick-off event at St. Patrick Church, 316 E. Patterson Ave.
Tod Johnson, who leads NEX, said associates were given the same, consistent message during a spring drive.
“We told them about the good things United Way supports and that there are people in our community who are way less fortunate than us,” he said during Wednesday’s kick-off luncheon at St. Patrick Church.
Prior years of NEX giving pale in comparison to the 2017 commitment. Johnson reported $348 was given in 2014, $2,363 in 2015 and $4,017 in 2016.
“Our vision is to become a world class company,” he said. “Those were not world class numbers.”
Communication and simple opportunities to win useful gifts compelled 385 associates which is more than 70 percent of the workforce to give.
NEX matched those contributions dollar for dollar helping the local United Way start the latest with more than $193,000.
Rick and Jill Hatcher are campaign co-chairs for the 2017 campaign. The goal is to raise $850,000, all of which stays in Logan County.
“I look those numbers and see them as dollars of opportunity to help in our community,” Rick Hatcher said. “In our daily lives we can put a smile on a person’s face by opening the door for them. But that smile can be temporary.
“By supporting United Way, you have a chance to change a person’s life forever.”
United Way of Logan met all 20 Standards of Charitable Accountability as established by the Better Business Bureau. Just 10.5 percent of its annual budget is used for administration costs.
Since 2012, annual giving has increased 33 percent from $663,401 to $830,199 in 2016.
The charity supports 27 agencies and provided 18 grants through its Community Impact and Youth Allocation funds.
Some funding highlights include:
- $135,967 for housing/financial stability through financial assistance programs, homeless shelters, domestic violence shelter and income tax return preparation;
- $97,166 for hunger through the local food pantries, meals-on-wheels, and other distribution programs;
- $48,475 for local drug prevention and treatment programs; and
- $48,437 for early childhood literacy/Dolly Parton Imagination Library.
Read complete story in Thursday’s Examiner.
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