Don Drinkard and Matt Tanner. PHOTO BY JOSHUA KODIS

At a 20th Anniversary Celebration, supporters of United Against Poverty gathered at the UP Center to applaud the remarkable growth of the nonprofit, whose programs help individuals and families lift themselves out of poverty.

Matt Tanner, executive director, credited the success of the organization to the collaboration and support of many key stakeholders. It all began, he said, when founders Austin and Ginny Hunt took a leap of faith to follow their dream of addressing poverty in our community.

Two decades on, thanks to “committed staff members and leaders; individuals who created all the programs from scratch, marketed and started to cultivate the relationships, the trust and collaborative beliefs, bring us where we are today,” said Tanner, applauding all the past and present staff and board members.

Another key component was forming quality relationships, including nationwide product partners, to ensure “we’re constantly stocked with enough food and household items to tackle food insecurity in our community for well over 15,000 individuals and families every single year.”

Through their crisis stabilization program, Tanner explained, individuals and families confronting a variety of challenges are connected with organizations that can assist them.

Additionally, more than 400 adults have been hired through STEP, their Success Training Employment Program, which began five years ago.

Board president Don Drinkard, who has been involved most of the 20 years, offered a slide presentation to highlight the growth.

The Hunts started what was originally Harvest Food and Outreach in a small building near Oslo Road on Old Dixie, where families continue to be served. The next facility, a warehouse on U.S. 1, enabled an enhanced Member Share Grocery with help from an Impact 100 grant.

Drinkard said the board was clear that the mission should go beyond food insecurity, so a nearby building was outfitted with rooms for STEP classes, counseling, and space for the Department of Children and Families, which helped them reach many more people.

“STEP graduates were successfully finding employment and employment partners were pretty excited to have them, and that helped us a lot. This was the beginning of a clear path of how we could be, or how we could best help people in poverty to a better place in their lives,” said Drinkard.

He noted that while the path was clear, additional space was desperately needed, so UP supporters provided the means to purchase and renovate a 46,000-square-foot former packing facility. In January 2020, following a massive reconstruction, United Against Poverty moved into the UP Center, thanks to some $8 million raised by private philanthropy alone.

“You believed in the vision that someone in need can find hope for a better life. You believed that families struggling with poverty can be helped in a transformative way. We sit here tonight in the reality of that vision. I’m very joyful about that,” said Drinkard.

The building also houses nine partner agencies offering healthcare, domestic violence counseling, mental health support, utility payoff relief, employment placement, education, senior services, veterans assistance and childcare.

“So, ladies and gentlemen, the vision is reality. We should all be very, very proud of what has been accomplished and what UP continues to accomplish,” said Drinkard, thanking donors, board members and staff alike.

Jane McNulty Snead, UP development director, related that she was a product of the STEP program, and thanked everyone for the opportunities it provided. She also recognized the 20th Anniversary Community Champions, who contributed $20,000 or more, for believing in “who we are and where we are going.”

“United Against Poverty is uniquely situated in this community, and we could not do what we do without each and every one of you. If it was 5 cents, $500, $5,000, I thank you, because you have not just helped change my life, you have helped change countless others.”

Photos by Joshua Kodis