HAMLET — Vagas Jackson, chairman of the UWRC board, opened the ceremony at the Richmond Community College Amphitheater, saying it was to “celebrate the things our partners are doing for the people in our county every day.”
Michelle Parrish, UWRC executive director, took a moment of silence for the last original board member Mr. J. C. Watkins.
In 1965, a group of local leaders came together to start the “Greater Rockingham Charities” known today as United Way of Richmond County.
“As most of you know Mr. Watkins was a leader in our community and didn’t mind giving back,” said Parrish. “He was still involved with United Way through Leak Street Alumni. I truly enjoyed talking with him and he will truly be missed.”
Other board members present were Dr. Katrina Chance, Sabrina McDonald, Norma Bostick and Fred Cloninger.
“When our corporate donors, individual givers, and volunteers work together, we can do amazing things for our community,” Parrish said. “This past year we served 13,789 individuals and served them 115,082 times. In the first quarter of this year, we’ve served 6,455 individuals and served them close to 23,587 times.”
Accepting awards were representatives from some of the county’s largest employers including Trinity Manufacturing, Inc., Richmond County Schools, Richmond Community College, Duke Energy and Richmond County Government.
UWRC helps provide funding for the following partnering agencies: Backpack Pals, Leak Street Alumni, Richmond County 4-H, Sandhills Children’s Center, Richmond County Schools’ Exceptional Children department, American Red Cross, Samaritan Colony, Habitat for Humanity of the N.C. Sandhills, Richmond County Rescue Squad, the Salvation Army, New Horizon Life and Family Services, Our Daily Bread, and Pee Dee Pregnancy Resource Center.
“Bringing together a community of donors, volunteers, and partners to deliver positive change in Richmond County is such a privilege and I truly appreciate being a part of this,” Parrish said. “We continue to invest in our community by being a hand-raiser, problem solver, difference-maker, and game-changer.
As we look forward to kicking off our 2023 – 2024 United Way campaign on Sept. 15 along with our annual “Day of Caring.”
Again, we thank you so much for ALL you do for our local United Way, our partnering agencies, and the community we live in and serve.
If you would like more information on United Way of Richmond County, contact Michelle Parrish at 910-997-2173 or michelleparrish@bellsouth.net.
See the UWRC Facebook page for more photos from the event.
