The Brown County United Way held their annual Campaign Appreciation Luncheon on Wednesday recognizing donors who made pledges totaling $275,378 to help local agencies. This amount exceeded the United Way’s 2012-2013 goal of $250,000.
United Way Board of Directors Vice President Dion White explained that it takes everyone to make the campaign a success which makes the funding of member agencies possible.“What you do every day and what the service agencies provide, you are making a difference in someone’s life,” said White.
United Way Executive Director Karen Lynch told luncheon attendees about another United Way luncheon held in February where board members surprised member agencies with checks dividing up the $25,000 raised in excess of the $250,000 goal.
Guest speaker, Sheila, spoke of her experience of being a client of one of the United Way’s member agencies, the Ark Domestic Violence Shelter. Sheila recounted how she went from making a salary of $150,000 to living in poverty for a year before she had the strength to take a stand against mental abuse she and her children were going through. Sheila recounted the story of how she chose to become a single mom and was unsuccessful in an attempt to “be strong” to make it on her own. Struggles eventually led her to seek help from the Ark. Because of donations to the Ark, she explained that she and her children received “vital outreach services” provided by the Ark such as counseling, shelter, job training, and basic skills to take action against the abusive situation and rebuild the lives of her family that had been so hurt by the abuse. Sheila also explained that abuse is not just physical and that mental abuse can be just as harmful.
“Abuse comes in so many forms, but it all stems from mental abuse,” she explained. “I had to own responsibility to take action, take the first step to protect my children and myself. The Ark was that first step.”
Brown County United Way supports 13 agencies in Brown County which include:
American Red Cross
The Ark
Big Brothers Big Sisters
Boys & Girls Club
Brown County 4-H Clubs
Pearl Griffin Memorial Latch Key Program
Brown County Association for Retarded Citizens
Cancer Services Network
C.A.S.A.
Family Services Center
Girl Scouts of Central Texas
Mid-Texas Council on Alcohol and Drug Abuse
Salvation Army Loaves & Fishes
The 2012-2013 campaign raised these funds through generous contributions received from many businesses and individuals. The top three donors of this year’s campaign were 3M Company (pictured above) with donations totaling $78,922, Kohler Company with $50,813 and Brownwood Regional Medical Center with $20,068.
The following businesses and their employees contributed to the campaign and were recognized at Wednesday’s luncheon:
Top Donors
3M
Kohler Company
Brownwood Regional Medical Center
$5,000-$10,000 Donors
Atmos Energy
Landmark Life Insurance
TexasBank
Citizens National Bank
Kroger
Superior Essex
City of Brownwood
United Parcel Service
Oncor Electric
$3,000-$5,000 Donors
Brownwood ISD
Central Texas Foundation/J.R. Beadel
DanHil Containers
Howard Payne University
Stephen and Sandra Kelley Foundation
$1,000-$3,000 Donors
Texas Juvenile Justice Department – Ron Jackson Unit
Center For Life Resources
AT&T
Chevron Phillips – Performance Pipe
Family Services Center
Enterprise Rent-A-Car
TxDOT
The Ark
Federal Express
Representatives of these top donor companies 3M, Kohler and BRMC are pictured below. From left to right are: United Way President Veta Young, Mike Patek of 3M Company, Dean Unsworth of Kohler Company, Donna Hair of Brownwood Regional Medical Center and United Way Vice President Dion White.
