The United Way of Indian River County celebrated its Tocqueville Society and Torchbearer supporters at its Donor Reception: A Toast to Season at the Orchid Island Beach Club.
“As donors, we all face a similar challenge. There’s a lot of worthy causes and a lot of urgent needs in our community,” said Matt Rundels, market president at Northern Trust, in welcome.
“United Way does a really great job of cutting through that complexity. They know where the greatest need is. They help your support get there in the most efficient way.”
A video presentation highlighted the collective strength of United Way, which assists one in four residents through the funded programs of its partner agencies, and ended with a series of “What if” questions.
“It’s a simple question; it’s a powerful question. What if the right help showed up at the right time? What if someone who was lifted up turned around and lifted up others? Our next guest didn’t just ponder that, she became the answer,” said Rundels, before introducing Joleen Garcia, development and gift coordinator at Indian River Habitat for Humanity.
Garcia moved here in 2018 following a difficult personal transition, and began reclaiming her life after being introduced to SafeSpace.
“From that moment on, I realized I was never truly alone. Every time I reached out for a lifeline, United Way was already there,” said Garcia.
“Because so many organizations have given so much to me, I felt a deep calling to give back,” said Garcia, who signed up whenever United Way volunteer opportunities arose.
Serving as a Workplace Campaign loaned executive sharpened her professional skills and helped her build a network of lasting community relationships. As a Habitat Homebuyer Program participant, she is now sharing her journey toward affordable home ownership with donors and other potential homeowners.
She has also served on the UW Governance and Citizens Review Panel, the heart of the grant-making process and, as she prepares for motherhood, is utilizing Healthy Start Coalition programs.
“It gives me such peace of mind to know that the support I’ve leaned on for so many years isn’t just for me. It now extends to my newborn daughter. Because of donors like you, she will grow up in a connected, supportive community designed to help her thrive,” said Garcia.
“I genuinely believe that the people in this room are the reason Indian River County has a safety net at all,” said Meredith Egan, UWIRC CEO.
United Way last year invested $3.68 million into community impact across the county, with $1.6 going directly to 48 programs and 34 partner agencies. Another $2 million drove coordinating initiatives, disaster response, and the invisible “convening work that makes everything more efficient and effective across the county.”
Programs enabled access to nutritious meals, mental health services, dental care and senior services; early childhood education, after-school programming and leadership development; emergency case management, affordable housing, job training and free tax preparation; and shelter on the coldest nights of winter.
“None of those programs operate in isolation. They work because United Way is the connective tissue holding them all together. We are the backbone,” said Egan.
“Our annual impact report carries a simple mission statement: To improve lives by mobilizing the caring power of the community. You are the caring power of the community. You are what makes our mission possible,” said Egan.
“Tonight I want to thank you personally. I’ve seen firsthand what your support can do. And for all the Joleen’s that we have yet to meet, the multitude of ways that we can intersect to ignite hope, and stability for someone in need, it is all because of you.”
For more information, visit UnitedWayIRC.org.
Photos by Joshua Kodis
