Joe Fowler and Christa Shouse of United Way of Central Kentucky Present at Facility Managers Meeting

Our thanks to Joe Fowler, President and CEO of United Way of Central Kentucky (UWCK), and Christa Shouse, Director of Development of UWCK, for presenting at our March Facility Managers Meeting.
UWCK serves residents in Hardin, Breckinridge, Grayson, LaRue and Meade Counties by forging partnerships, mobilizing resources, and finding solutions. The organization provides grant funding for a variety of organizations and nonprofits from around its service region and organizes programs such as the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program, which provides free tax assistance for qualifying residents and 2-1-1, a free, confidential referral and information helpline. In response to the destruction caused by the recent tornado outbreak in Western Kentucky, UWCK received over $30,000 in donations from community members to help those impacted.
During her remarks, Shouse explained some of the ways in which local businesses and individuals can contribute to UWCK, including payroll deductions, one-time gifts, recurring credit card payments, roundup payments and more. She also stressed the importance of management support among contributing employers.
Brett Barnes, Systems Manager for Metalsa in Elizabethtown and Board Chair for UWCK, also spoke during the meeting. During his remarks, Barnes stressed UWCK’s role in providing for those in need in the community and helping to foster a better workforce in the region. He also discussed the importance of UWCK workplace campaigns among regional employers and hands-on volunteer opportunities available through the organization.
“I think that we have a social responsibility,” Barnes said.
Also during the meeting, Fowler discussed ways in which UWCK is providing engagement with the local community by hosting events at or adjacent to its Elizabethtown office, including a trick-or-treating event, financial literacy classes and a community garden.
Known as the Williams Street Community Garden, the garden project will be sponsored by Swope Family of Dealerships, and members of John Hardin High School’s FFA will provide support for the project and will serve as mentors for the local youth through the garden. The project also will serve as a fundraiser for UWCK, as local businesses can sponsor a flower bed in the garden.
“We’re just here to be a partner and friend and help out where we can,” Fowler said.
Fowler also discussed UWCK’s Tocqueville Society, which is made up of philanthropists who demonstrate extraordinary generosity to the community by making an annual investment of $10,000 or more toward UWCK. He said moving forward, local members of the Tocqueville Society will be given a more prominent role in the decision-making process behind distributing UWCK funds.
In addition, Scott Gunter, General Manager at AGC in Elizabethtown, and Margy Poorman, President/CEO of the Hardin County Chamber of Commerce, both lauded UWCK’s impact in the community during the meeting.
“I would definitely encourage any business to have a [UWCK] campaign,” Gunter said.
“I value United Way so much and what you do in the community,” Poorman added.
For more information on UWCK, visit unitedwayck.org.
For more information, or if interested in attending the next facility managers meeting, please contact the Elizabethtown-Hardin County Industrial Foundation at 270-737-0300.