It was a gorgeous day for a Rotary meeting! President Laura Lane reminded everyone that 2nd Quarter dues had been emailed and to please pay them in a timely manner. After all Rotary business items were discussed, Laura Lane introduced our speaker for the day - Kim Tanner who is the VP of Resources and Development at United Way of the Coastal Empire.
She began her presentation with praise for Terry Enoch who is the 2020 Campaign Chair and for Michael Solomon who is a United Way Ambassador. United Way of the Coastal Empire (UWCE) was established in Savannah over 82 years ago. Even though they operate independently from United Way, they do share the same global mission which is to improve lives. They want to help give people access to the basics: a quality education, a place to live, financial stability, good medical care, and food to eat. UWCE helps support 54 non profits in a four county area. Within the past week, UWCE has hit 41% of its annual campaign goal! 95 cents per dollar raised goes back into the community.
In response to the COVID pandemic, UWCE established a Rapid Response Fund to support those in need. It started with $80,000 and is now up to $600,000. Over 1900 people have been assisted and 88% of those who called had never received prior assistance. UWCE is also helping support two other programs that were implemented due to the pandemic: City of Savannah CARES and Chatham County CARES. These programs are helping citizens avoid evictions during this time. UWCE is trying to bring help and hope to those in need. Kim said that the community leadership in Savannah and the surrounding areas has been wonderful. To learn more about United Way of the Coastal Empire and about how to get involved, please visit uwce.org