Recording its biggest turnout ever, over 250 community members gathered at the Annual Meeting of United Way Services of Geauga County on April 15th at the Notre Dame Education Center Auditorium. Guests learned how United Way made connections to improve the community from a variety of key volunteers, including State Senator John Eklund.
“This year was unique as we brought together key organizations from within and outside Geauga to tackle our biggest problems,” states Kimm Leininger, Executive Director at United Way. “We were able to join forces with the Center for Community Solutions, Case Western Reserve University, and the Cleveland Foundation to improve how services are delivered to our residents. We want to make sure our agencies are not just providing a quick fix but actually helping people become financially self-sufficient for the long-term.”
Lynn Bender, a Board Member for United Way, spoke about new programs that were funded as a result of collaborations with health and human service providers. “Last year, we provided funding for the Family and Community Services program called Next Step, which provides temporary housing, educational and employment support, and life skills training to 18-24-year-olds who are unemployed, underemployed and/or homeless. This has proven to be a vital program for these young adults that helps them become independent,” said Bender.
State Senator John Eklund noted that substance abuse, in particular, opiate abuse, is an ongoing problem in Ohio, and Geauga is no different. “We are addressing this issue at the state level with a variety of programs, and it is being addressed locally with the help of United Way funding. This is a battle that needs to be waged on a variety of fronts, so I’m happy that we have effective organizations like Lake Geauga Recovery Centers, Ravenwood Health, and University Hospitals who are providing a variety of treatment options.”
Campaign Co-chairs Brian Muoio of Huntington Bank, Jarrod Tudor, of Kent State University, thanked the community for raising $849,450 to be invested into identified strategies. Brian Muoio said, “We are humbled by the fact that people are willing to provide support to those who are disadvantaged in our county. I feel very lucky to work in such a generous community.”
United Way thanked sponsors of the event: Kent State Geauga and Regional Academic Center, Waste Management, Troy Chemical and the Lynn Bender Team of Keller Williams.
image courtesy of: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NpoVg0r9ruo
