United Way of Greater Chattanooga hosted approximately 120 supporters at its annual meeting and campaign celebration during which key companies, volunteers and clients were recognized for their efforts that helped the organization achieve success in 2009, including raising a little more than $11.6 million.

Approximately $9.1 million was raised for support of services, plus $1.3 million in grants and other income that are used to advance the common good by educating children to be ready for school, helping families and individuals build economic stability, and supporting the most vulnerable in our communities.

Officials said the UW administrative fundraising costs are covered by an additional $1.25 million added to the campaign from UW’s endowment.

Board Chairman Tom Edd Wilson addressed the organization’s accomplishments and the outstanding community support that he said helped it succeed in 2009. He noted that in 2009, as United Way focused its work around “advancing the common good,” it had to execute different strategies, raise resources differently and collaborate differently within the community.

He said the United Way of Greater Chattanooga "has always sought a path to actually make a difference, but fundamental change will involve the organization working in broader partnerships with both funded and non-funded partners throughout the community who are focused on similar community outcomes."

Campaign Chairman Bill Wilder, Vice President of BB&T Huffaker Trimble, announced the 2009 campaign’s grand total of $11,635,723 and thanked the community for its generosity.

He said, “The 2009 United Way Campaign once again represents the power of a team effort that results in significant impact to thousands in our city and surrounding communities where United Way provides services and programs. Our community has truly Lived United in 2009 by volunteering their time, advocating for a better community and giving to support the impact work of United Way.

“The marathon theme I selected for 2009 has been accomplished as together we prepared, stayed focused, set the appropriate pace and now have finished the race is strong fashion. I am most pleased to share the campaign total of $11,635,723 which exceeded our stretch goal. More important than achieving a goal is the impact of how these resources will help build a stronger and healthier community for all and continue being good stewards of these campaign resources.”

Mr. Wilder presented several companies and volunteers with awards "for their tremendous efforts that helped to push the 2009 campaign up to the stretch target goal."

Nominees for the Company of the Year awards were assessed on participation, fundraising, Leadership participation and other aspects of campaign involvement. Winners were determined by a panel of judges.

The following companies and volunteers were recognized for excelling in their United Way campaign efforts:

Large Company of the Year – Hamilton County Government
Mid-sized Company of the Year – Chattem
Small-sized Company of the Year – Henderson Hutcherson McCollough, CPAs
Chairman's Award – Unum and Publix
Leadership Award – Chambliss, Bahner & Stophel
New Business Award – City of East Ridge and The Vincit Group
Employee Campaign Manager of the Year – Pam Hust, Hamilton County Govt.
Campaign Volunteer of the Year – Phil Ball, W.R. Grace
North Georgia Campaign Volunteer of the Year – Mary Carpenter, Gateway Bank

In addition to the company awards presented, United Way recognized the Building Stable Lives Pilot Project in East Lake as the United Way-funded program that demonstrated the most far-reaching community impact in 2009 by presenting them with the Impact Program of the Year award. This program focuses on taking the neediest families and individuals in that community (based on 2-1-1 calls) and showing them how to be more financially independent and resilient. In 2009, 2-1-1 calls from the East Lake area decreased more than any other area, and almost half of all families who participated in the project increased their monthly income by almost $1,000.
East Lake Church of the Nazarene and its pastor Carlton Espy were recognized as the Service Volunteer of the Year for the church’s work distributing more than 1,600 coats as part of News Channel 9’s Coats for Kids program and for serving 68 families by hosting United Way’s annual Giving Tree event.
United Way's Alexis de Tocqueville Society (a society of donors who invest $10,000 or more to United Way) presented Olga Sidlinskiy with the Courage Award for overcoming personal difficulties and becoming self-sufficient with the help of Services for the Deaf in North Georgia, a United Way partner program at Partnership for Families Children and Adults.

After the awards ceremony, United Way recognized its new board members and introduced its new 2010 to 2011 Board Chairman Nick Decosimo, who is the managing principal for Decosimo Certified Public Accountants.
United Way advances the common good by educating children to be ready for school, promoting economic stability so people can provide for themselves and their families, and by caring for the most vulnerable in our community.

Officials said, "Thanks to an endowment fund that covers all overhead and administrative expenses, 100 percent of contributions received go directly to these services that help individuals and families in greater Chattanooga, including North Georgia and Northeast Alabama."