PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — The United Way of Aroostook held its annual meeting on Wednesday, June 7, at the University of Maine at Presque Isle, where over 150 people gathered to recognize the efforts of partner agencies, donors and volunteers who help improve County communities.
“The people sitting in that room really make up the United Way,” said Sherry Locke, executive director of United Way of Aroostook, about the donors and volunteers who met during the annual meeting. “Whether they’re volunteers or employers or donors that support our work, the room is really filled with people who do good work. When we award our community funding money, it goes to the people in Aroostook County who are making a difference every day.”
This year the United Way of Aroostook awarded funding to 14 agencies. The funding is paid quarterly and agencies are to follow up each quarter with progress reports on their programs.
“Our relationship with them is we say we are invested in you for the next year, we give them a quarterly payment, they give us reporting back so we know how their programs are working and what the needs in the community really are. So it’s not just here’s some money, do what you want. It really is a partnership and an investment in that organization,” Locke said.
New awards were added to this year’s annual meeting: Agency Partner of the Year and Community Partner Award.
“The community partner award, we presented to Steve Farnham of the Aroostook Agency on Aging. Steve is in the process of retiring, he’s been there for over 40 years, so we wanted to recognize his service in the senior population. So that was special,” Locke said.
Partner of the year went to the Houlton agency Aid for Kids.
This year’s volunteer of the year recipient was Jason Parent of the Aroostook County Action Program.
“Jason has been on the board of directors for United Way of Aroostook, before he worked at ACAP he was board president,” Locke said. “He’s been campaign chair and now works at a partner agency.”
Business of the year went to MMG Insurance, which also managed to have the United Way of Aroostook’s top workplace campaign of $26,813.74, which was pledged by MMG employees.
“They increased their giving by 70 percent,” Locke said. “81.4 percent of their employees are currently giving to the United Way, and in addition to that, they did a special fundraiser, which is their golf tournament, and this year that raised $27,159. They’re really coming into our organization, they have an employee who’s on our board of directors, they help us with our community funding, they’re just such a strong partner.”
Every year the United Way of Aroostook begins a new campaign fundraising goal. Last year they announced a goal of raising $550,000.
“We’ve exceeded that. We are currently just over $600,000,” Locke said. So we were able to increase our campaign again because of the generosity of the people of Aroostook County and people trusting us to stretch those dollars.”
This year’s fundraising goal is $600,000 with the campaign beginning on July 1.
“The people in Aroostook County are so good, and they just want to give back, and they want the way they give back to be meaningful, so by connecting with our organizations we’re able to help them fulfill the work that they wish to do,” Locke said.
