United Way of Central Alabama kicks off fall campaign

In a world where superheroes dominate pop culture, it’s good to be reminded that real, everyday heroes are making a difference in our communities.

That’s one reason United Way of Central Alabama has chosen “Be an everyday hero” as the theme for this year’s fall fundraising campaign.

The organization has set this year’s goal at $36.5 million, which will help support more than 100 agencies throughout the region. They range from the A.G Gaston Boys & Girls Club to Alabama Goodwill Industries, from the American Cancer Society to the American Red Cross. Other agencies supported by United Way of Central Alabama include the Birmingham Jewish Federation, Children’s of Alabama, Girl Scouts of North Central Alabama, the Hispanic Interest Coalition of Alabama, and the volunteer support organization Hands On Birmingham.

“To raise this amount of money is truly a community effort,” said Drew Langloh, president and CEO of United Way of Central Alabama. “It’s everybody in the community coming in together, saying, ‘I want to help my neighbor, I want to help people less fortunate than myself.’”

Langloh has worked his entire 32-year career with the United Way of Central Alabama.

“I am a social worker, and to have the opportunity to work with individuals and corporations throughout our community and find better ways to change lives and help our community is a social worker’s dream come true,” Langloh said.

United Way of Central Alabama has been a part of the community since 1923. This year, Charity Navigator awarded the organization with its the highest rating, four stars, for the 17^th consecutive year. The award acknowledges strong financial health and commitment to accountability and transparency.

“When people give to the United Way, they are helping with the fight for better health, better education, and greater financial stability,” Langloh said.

The need is real:

• One in six people in Alabama struggles with hunger, and 24% of those are children.
• Only 21.4% of four-year-olds in Central Alabama have access to the state’s highly recognized First Class Pre-K program.
• An estimated 15.6% of the population live in poverty in Central Alabama.

But so are the positive results supported through last year’s campaign:

• Nearly 93,000 people received services from United Way partner agencies and programs.
• More than 387,800 meals were served to seniors and those with disabilities through Meals on Wheels and the Senior Nutrition Program.
• A total of 1,126 children received meals daily through the Summer Feeding Program, and seven new feeding sites assisted with food distribution.
• More than 2,420 seniors received Medicare counseling through United Way’s Area Agency on Aging.
• More than 13,900 children received literacy support in kindergarten through third grade from United Way partner agency programs.
• Nearly 7,000 people received job training from United Way partner agency programs.
• There were 30 financial workshops conducted, reaching 300 individuals.
• Priority Veteran, a program specifically created to help homeless veterans find stable housing, assisted 555 veterans.
• There were 39,200 calls received through the United Way of Central Alabama’s 24-hour call-in and referral center.
• Nearly 6,400 seniors called the United Way Area Agency on Aging of Jefferson County to connect to senior services.

Learn more about United Way of Central Alabama and this year’s campaign by visiting https://www.uwca.org/.
(Courtesy of Alabama NewsCenter)