United Way luncheon discusses community coheseiveness
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The Hopkins County chapter of United Way met for lunch on September 29 to celebrate their donors and discuss their goals for 2021.
“We appreciate your support and those that continue to give year after year,” president Mike Horne told those gathered.
Horne noted that in the previous year, local businesses were extremely supportive both with their time and funds, specifically in light of the pandemic and economic downturn.
“Y’all really kept us going,” he said.
Current campaign chair Kristy Moseley said the current fundraising season has been “eye-opening.”
“Until you sit in and see these different organizations… it opens your eyes about how much our community is in need.”
One United Way’s largest donors, Sulphur Springs Independent School District, also benefits the most from the sense of community the organization creates, according to keynote speaker Superintendent Dr. Mike Lamb.
“I’ve never seen the togetherness here like any other community I’ve been in,” Lamb noted. “This is no longer, to me, just another fundraiser. This is something special.”
While Lamb said the school “enjoys being in the top five donors,” he said the direct financial contributions United Way makes to local organizations in need “make school happen.”
“All the programs they fund help support the school, so we’re a giver and a receiver,” Lamb said. He cited CanHelp, Community Chest food pantry, 4H and others who provide for students’ basic needs that help them survive and thrive in the school setting.
“When you roll up all the organizations United Way gives money to, we couldn’t have school without them,” he stressed.
A partial list of charities supported by United Way of Hopkins County includes:
- TEEN COURT- $4,000
- THE DINNER BELL-$4,000
- SULPHUR SPRINGS SYMPHONY LEAGUE- $1,000
- SAFE-T (Shelter Agencies for Families in East Texas)-$4,000
- SHADOW RANCH THERAPEUTIC RIDING CENTER- $4,000
- NETCAC (Northeast Texas Child Advocacy Center, Inc.)- $3,500
- MEAL-A-DAY OF SULPHUR SPRINGS- $8,000
- LAKES REGIONAL COMMUNITY CENTER ON BEHALF OF ‘OUR PLACE’-$4,000
- LAKE COUNTRY CASA-$10,000
- HERITAGE CHRISTIAN COUNSELING CENTER-$8,000
- ETCADA (East Texas Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse)- $1,500
- HOPKINS COUNTY COMMUNITY CHEST- $40,000
- CANHELP- $18,250
- HOPKINS COUNTY CHRISTIAN ALLIANCE ON BEHALF OF COMMUNITY CUPBOARD- $7,000
- BRIGHT STAR BASEBALL- $1,000
- BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA, CIRCLE TEN COUNCIL- $1,500
- HOPKINS COUNTY 4-H- $2,000
- JEHOVAH JIREH FOOD PANTRY- $3,000
By Taylor Nye
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