News Summary
The United Way of Southern Kentucky held its Annual LIVE UNITED Awards Ceremony, recognizing organizations, businesses, and individuals for their community service. The event highlighted key initiatives like Read Across America Day and the Dolly Parton Imagination Library. Special awards included a $500,000 Milestone Award to Logan Aluminum and various Community Impact Partnership Awards, emphasizing early childhood education. UWSK also announced plans for initiatives to support community needs, including the ongoing U.S. Bank Handbags for Hope auction and the upcoming Feed the Need store drive.
Bowling Green, Kentucky – The United Way of Southern Kentucky (UWSK) held its Annual LIVE UNITED Awards Ceremony on Thursday evening, acknowledging the extensive contributions of organizations, businesses, and individuals for their commitment to community service over the past year. The event aimed to celebrate community engagement, philanthropy, and volunteerism, and featured a recap of UWSK’s significant initiatives, emphasizing its core pillars of giving, advocating, and volunteering.
This year’s ceremony recognized several successful community programs including Read Across America Day, the Dolly Parton Imagination Library, Feed the Need, Day of Caring, and 211. Additionally, UWSK introduced new initiatives such as Operation Ready Child, Glass4Good, and Baby2Baby, showcasing a commitment to addressing various community needs.
Emceed by Steve Thurmond, the event emphasized the achievements made during the past year and highlighted the importance of community partnership in driving change. Debbie Hills, UWSK’s President and CEO, presented a historic $500,000 Milestone Award to Logan Aluminum, recognizing them as the first organization to reach this fundraising milestone for UWSK.
A number of Community Impact Partnership Awards were bestowed upon entities dedicated to enhancing early childhood education. The Barren County School District received the Kindergarten Readiness Award for achieving a 32% increase in kindergarten readiness scores, while the Renshaw Early Childhood Center at Western Kentucky University was honored for its innovative work with English Language Learners and children with disabilities.
Other award categories celebrated included:
- Greatest Giving Increases for both employee and corporate giving
- Leadership Investment Awards
- Volunteer Investment Awards
- Organizations recognized for their employee volunteering rates
- Top campaigns for corporate and employee giving in 2023
- The Spirit United Award, received by Warren County Public Schools for their contributions to early childhood education
In recognition of individual contributions, Laura Sisco, a foster and adoptive mother, was presented with the Shooting Star Award for her passionate advocacy and support for children facing difficulties.
The highest honors of the night, the LIVE UNITED Award, were awarded to Logan Aluminum for organizations with over 200 employees and American Bank & Trust for those with fewer than 200 employees. These awards highlighted the vital roles these businesses play in enhancing community life through their time, resources, and financial support.
As part of ongoing community initiatives, UWSK is currently running the U.S. Bank Handbags for Hope online auction to support the kindergarten readiness initiative. Additionally, UWSK’s Emerging Leader Society made a significant impact by donating 100 food boxes for Thanksgiving, which included turkeys and various side items, thanks to partnerships with local businesses.
The donated food boxes were distributed to multiple local charities, including Goodwill Industries and The Foundry Christian Community Center. Furthermore, UWSK is preparing for its annual Feed the Need store drive on March 29-30, focused on restocking food pantry shelves to ensure food security for the community.
This annual awards ceremony illustrates UWSK’s commitment to fostering partnerships and collaboration within the community to drive positive change and address pressing needs.
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Additional Resources
- WBKO: United Way of Southern Kentucky Celebrates Outstanding Community Partners
- Wikipedia: Community Service
- WNKY: Handbags for Hope Online Auction Raising Funds for Childhood Education
- Google Search: Child Education Initiatives
- BG Daily News: Food News
- Google Scholar: Community Philanthropy
- Toledo Blade: Bowling Green Food Pantry Honored with MLK Award
- Encyclopedia Britannica: Food Pantry
- WBKO: United Way Southern Kentucky Holding Annual Store Drive
- Google News: Annual Store Drive in Kentucky
