The message was clear, from the welcome to the standing room only crowd at the Expo Center by BCUW Executive Director Lani Forbes to the rousing send off by the Delton Kellogg High School Band an hour later: the United Way is ready, willing and able to work their hearts out to improve life for the people of Barry County for the 83rd year, “Tackling the problems most people shy away from.”
The 2017-2018 Campaign United Way kickoff Thursday was followed by the Day of Caring, with volunteers fanning out across the county to tackle community improvement projects Thursday and again Saturday. “I love Day of Caring.” Forbes said. “It is so awesome to drive throughout Barry County and see so many people coming together to change something, to do something.”
Guest Speaker Gary Kimble, Woodland native and retired after 41 years in education, came from a family that volunteered. He was four or five years old when he realized that some people needed help. When no one else stepped up, his mother took a group of children swimming two or three times a week. “That’s what started it for me,” he said.
He has been “trying to give back to the community” since, with students in his teaching career, serving on the YMCA board, youth mission trips for 25 years, and most recently, a driver for the Commission on Aging’s Meals on Wheels program. He delivers to 20 to 30 homes in Hastings every other week, on a 2 1/5 hour route. “But, I go out almost every day as a sub for a someone who can’t make it,” he said.
Most of the clients are elderly, some home bound, and the drivers are often the only persons they see. “There is a big turnover, but you get attached to them,” Kimble said. They build relationships and can spot problems, and get them help from the COA and other resources. They also serve as monitors of the old folks, in some cases addressing critical situations, even saving lives.
Why volunteer? Kimble has four good reasons. Because:
One: Someone has to step up, why not you?
Two: The feeling helping people gives you. Some of the people on the Meals on Wheels route should be in nursing homes, but they are not. The COA fills that gap.
Three: The personal pay-back to society. It’s your turn to give back.
Four: It builds community pride and strength. Virtually all communities in Barry County host hometown celebrations entirely with volunteers. All volunteers build a community.
Volunteer Center Director Morgan Johnson said the BCUW faces hard issues, tackling objectives, joining forces and knocking down barriers. The Day of Caring with 50 projects throughout the county, the support of 16 local non-profits and the value of the volunteer’s time are, “examples of great things that happen when people work together. Volunteers can see the impact they make.”
The Over the Hill Gang, campaign Co-Chairs led by Gary Buckland, with David Hatfield and Keith Murphy, had some fun with the crowd. They argued about who really is over the hill; one said he is not at all, one is teetering on the edge and Buckland admitted he is, “really over.” He confessed they contemplated robbing banks, the way the original gang did to raise money, but after some advice from law enforcement, decided to ask for donations to the United Way instead.
But, Buckland also delivered a serious message: what’s given to the United Way are really not donations, but investments in something more valuable than gold, “the children and families in Barry County. Nothing is more important.”
The value of volunteers can be measured in dollars and cents, “but, the return on that investment cannot be measured. There is no way of measuring the benefits; they are not donations, but investments to measure with the success of families and young people,” he said.
Forbes said last year, residents of the community used the services of the 34 United Way programs more than 60,000 times. She thanked the volunteers, staff, sponsors and the pacesetter companies and organizations for their hard work.
“Where last year we were at 16.3 percent of the campaign goal, thanks to the pacesetters…we are beginning this campaign at $125,726 or 20 percent of the goal!” she said to loud applause.
“This is people coming together to change something, they make a difference. Who will tackle the problem that most shy away from? We will! You tackle the issues with your contributions.”
One hundred percent of United Way donations stay in Barry County and 100 percent is directly invested in programs, thanks to the Florence Tyden Groos Endowment fund held by the Barry Community Foundation.
Photos: (upper left) Co-Chair of the BCUW campaign Gary Buckland and BCUW Executive Director Lani Forbes share a laugh during the kickoff.
(upper right) Guest Speaker Gary Kimble, a volunteer Meals on Wheels driver for the COA, tells why he began volunteering and why you should. too.
(lower left) At the head table at the kickoff of the Barry County United Way 2017-2018 campaign are, from left, Co-Chairs David Hatfield, Keith Murphy and Gary Buckland; Executive Director Lani Forbes; Volunteer Center Director Morgan Johnson; Guest Speaker Gary Kimble and Pastor Bryce Feighner from Hastings First United Methodist Church.
