United Way Workplace Champions were saluted on March 21 for helping to raise over $890,000 for the Union County community.
That was 89% of the organization’s $1,000,060 goal for 2018-19. Campaign dollars raised are then allocated to the 26 Partner
Agencies to support 40 programs that United Way funds throughout Union County.
“These awards are only a small gesture of appreciation for the contributions of the people and businesses that made this years’ campaign a success,”
Dave Gleeson, United Way of Union County 2018-19 Board Chair, said, “We should consider ourselves fortunate to live and work in a community that takes such pride in helping others.”
Highlights from money raised by donors over the past year include:
Over 15,000 books were mailed to over 1,200 pre-school aged children in Union County who are members of the Dolly Parton Imagination Library.
With the community’s assistance, almost 50,000 meals were delivered through the Food Pantry Network that includes pantries in Marysville, Milford Center, Plain City and Richwood.
This network is overseen by The Salvation Army.
Union County’s donations helped 77 community members of the area who are battling cancer and were provided patient assistance by the Union County Cancer Society.
Finally, more than 72,000 meals were provided by the Memorial Meals Program for approximately 3,600 residents through the Mobile Meals and Community Meals programs.
In addition, dollars raised from this year’s United Way campaign are used to provide basic needs like food, hygiene items, and shelter,
as well as aiding with disaster response, early literacy, mental health counseling, legal matters, substance abuse prevention/recovery, and needed prescriptions.
Numerous businesses and/or organizations were awarded with a 2018-19 Celebrate United Award, once again demonstrating the community’s continual support of United Way and its mission.
The 2018-19 Ultimate Goal Buster, United Way’s top honor given to the most outstanding workplace, was presented to Union Rural Electric (URE).
URE has supported the United Way of Union County through a workplace campaign and corporate sponsorships for many years. URE made it a goal to raise $4,000 this year
and beat their goal by 33% for a grand total of $5,942. In addition, URE has hosted the Annual United Way of Union County Campaign Awards for the past several years.
“URE had an amazing campaign and specifically requested that Karen Reutty, from our partner agency The Union County Cancer Society, speak at their kick-off event as
many of the URE employees have been personally touched by cancer,” Corinne Bix, Campaign Director, said.
The Top 10 Workplace Campaigns are as follows:
Honda of America Mfg. with $208,614;
Nationwide with $143,842;
Scotts Miracle-Gro Company with $102,860;
Nestle Product Technology Center with $30,782;
Memorial Health with $26,993;
Marysville Schools with $22,804;
Richwood Banking Company with $19,511;
ContiTech with $10,454;
Union County Board of Developmental Disabilities with $8,933
Parker Hanifan with $7,388.
“We changed and simplified our award criteria this year,” Bix said, “We asked each workplace to create a goal and awarded Goal Buster Awards to those who exceeded
their goal and Workplace on the Move Awards to those workplaces that exceeded the previous year's campaign total.”
Eight workplaces earned a Goal Buster Campaign Award for giving levels achieved this fall. These include:
DP& L; Fifth Third Bank;
Liberty National Bank;
Jonathan Alder Local Schools;
Marysville Public Library;
Tolles Career and Technical Center;
Union County Prosecutor’s Office;
Union County Sheriff’s Office
The Union County Family YMCA was awarded an Honorable Mention Goal Buster Award as they were in the final running for the Ultimate Goal Buster Award.
“Almost half of all Union County Family YMCA employees gave to this year's campaign for an average gift of $35 each,” Bix said,
“Many of the Y's employees are part time and 26% are between the ages of 14-17 years old, many of the younger employees participated in the campaign which is quite impressive.“
Four workplaces earned a Goal Buster Campaign Award and ranked in the Top 25 campaigns and include:
McCarthy and Cox;
Meijer;
UCO Industries;
Union County Dept. of Job and Family Services.
Bob Chapman Ford and Moriroku Technology North America earned a Workplace on the Move Award and ranked in the Top 25. TechSite in Plain City also earned a Workplace on the Move Award.
The following workplaces ran a United Way campaign and include: Allen, Yurasek, Merklin and Owens-Ruff; Central Ohio Youth Center; Conrad, Liebold, Woerner and Co.; Costco; Fairbanks Local Schools; Loving Care Hospice; Maryhaven; The Mental Health and Recovery Board of Union County; Turning Point Domestic Violence Shelter; Union County Chamber of Commerce; Union County Commissioners Office; Union County Engineer's Office and West Central Ohio Correctional Facility.
Additionally, the following campaigns ranked in the top 25: City of Marysville; North Union Local Schools; Select Sires; Sumitomo Electric Wiring Systems and The Union County Health Department.
Good Neighbor Awards were presented to the following for participating with United Way on special projects throughout the year. These include:
Alan Wilson CPA; Care Train of Union County; Crooked Door Studio/Crooked for a Cause; Culver’s of Marysville; Georgia Tobin; Eufinger Law Offices; Honda Federal Credit Union; Interim Health Care; Jerome Village Company; LeCrone Communications; Mailings by Brooke; Midwest Express, Parrott Implement; Primrose School of Marysville; St. John’s Lutheran Church & School; Silver Scene Players; The Winchester Institute; True Oldies 1270; VFW; Union County Foundation and WalMart.
United Way’s annual awards breakfast were funded with the corporate support of Jerome Village; Liberty National Bank; Memorial Health and the Union County Foundation, ensuring that no donor dollars were spent on the recognition event.
United Way works to bring neighbors and resources together to improve lives in Union County. United Way of Union County has raised more than $20 million for local needs since it was established in 1958. More than just a fundraiser, United Way collaborates with local businesses, government, and non-profit organizations to solve pressing social service issues large and small.
For more information, please visit www.unitedwayofunioncounty.org.
URE employees accept the Ultimate Goal Buster Award at the United Way of Union County's Workplace Campaign Awards event held on Thursday. URE employees beat their workplace campaign goal by 33% and raised $5,942. From left to right: Tim Sherwood, Beau Michael, Matt Zarnosky, Ben Hoyer, Robert McClintock, Laura Hutchins and Dave Speicher
