Residents are invited to come out on Thursday and help the local United Way kick off their 2016-17 funding campaign while learning more about what the agency does for the community.
The kickoff event will be held at noon on Thursday in the Community Room at Medical Care, located at 1500 W. Elk Ave.
“Everyone is invited,” said Josh McKinney, the Community Impact Coordinator for United Way of Elizabethton/Carter County. Lunch for the event is being provided by Chick-fil-A.
In addition to learning about the United Way organization, attendees will also have the opportunity to learn about some of the other service organizations that support residents in Elizabethton and Carter County.
“We are going to be recognizing our partners for the campaign year that we will be funding,” McKinney said. “They will also be on hand to share information about their organizations and services.”
During the event, McKinney said he will share the story of United Way and what the local chapter does for the local community. In addition to McKinney, United Way of Elizabethton/Carter County Board President Candy Craig will also speak as will the 2016-17 Campaign Chairman Corey Paulson.
“Community United is the theme this year,” McKinney said. “The idea behind it is that it takes an entire community bring about change.
“We want to be a catalyst for that change,” he added. “We want to help bring our community together.”
One of the most important things a community needs to do, McKinney said, is to recognize the needs present in the community and then focus on addressing those needs. For that to happen, he said the community must come together and work as a team.
“No single organization can meet all the needs of an individual,” McKinney said. “It takes a lot of organizations offering a lot of different services to meet those needs.”
While the campaign kickoff event is about United Way having a successful year, it is more importantly about bringing the community together so that everyone can be more effective.
For those in the community who may be in need of assistance of one form or another, McKinney said Thursday will provide the perfect opportunity to come out and see what services are available through the various agencies with programs to support local residents.
For more information on the United Way Kick Off event or on the agency itself, please contact McKinney at 423-543-6975 or e-mail director@uwayecc.org.