The United Way of Wayne County’s (UWWC) 2023 Community Campaign officially wrapped up on Dec. 31. The year began with a goal of raising $850,000 to impact over 17,000 lives across Wayne County.

While it is possible to have a few additional investments applied in the first few days of 2023, together with major investors, residents, and businesses, United Way of Wayne County reached 99.7 % of its goal. Equating to $847,344.89 raised to impact approximately 16,947 lives in Wayne County.

Savannah Lambert, Resource Development Director, shared a few words on the 2023 campaign saying, “Seeing the outpour of support and dedication in our community has been incredibly uplifting. I am not surprised Wayne County could unite and help us impact so many lives.” Lambert added, “I was so thrilled to see the impact we can make when we come together as a community. I hope for this continued success in 2024.”

The 2023 campaign’s success was in part due to a collaborative Board of Directors and campaign volunteers led by Campaign Chair, Bethany Perry. Their efforts combined with the support of many others helped to facilitate employee campaigns at over 90 businesses and schools across Wayne County.

By hosting an employee campaign, companies make it easy for their employees to give back through payroll deductions. These annual campaigns are the primary source of funding used to support the 13 agencies and 19 programs that are vital to this community. Each year the United Way of Wayne County strives to bring people together in the workplace to help build a stronger community through these campaigns. Every ounce of support, no matter the size, is vital to the success of our mission and goes a long way toward a positive impact on our county’s residents.

Executive Director, Sherry Archibald, shared a brief message regarding this year’s campaign saying, “Thank you, Wayne County, for graciously supporting us to help improve the lives of thousands in our community in 2023. While the needs grow stronger every year, our non-profits exceed expectations, serving Wayne County citizens,” says Archibald. “Our staff and Board of Directors are grateful to partner with so many non-profits making a difference. Our interest is to continue to create a strong partnership with them as we identify community needs and seek solutions. I hope that our community continues to join us, in some capacity, for our 2024 Campaign and help us support Wayne County.”