SAYBROOK TOWNSHIP —
Top brass from county government and the county’s industries, schools and nonprofits gathered Wednesday morning for the United Way of Ashtabula County’s CEO Breakfast.
Randy Jones, executive director of the agency, said the breakfast is a local tradition that has become part of launching the annual campaign. The 2012-13 campaign is already under way and has raised just over $100,000, Jones said.
That leaves the agency $700,000 shy of its goal. Jones said the previous campaign’s goal, $793,000, was achieved.
The breakfast was sponsored by FirstEnergy. Trent Smith, regional president for the Illuminating Co., introduced the agency’s campaign video. The video highlighted three focus areas for the local United Way: foreclosure prevention, services for seniors and education.
“United Way volunteers know that education is the key to everything that is good in a community. This program will improve outcomes for children throughout their education experience and beyond. And that will make this a better community for everyone,” Smith said.
Jones said the agency’s board included $15,000 in its budget to partner with the county’s libraries and Dolly Parton Imagination Library to provide free books to pre-school children.
The program, which already has 250 youngsters enrolled, will send out its first mailing of free books in October. Each youngster who is enrolled will receive a book by mail every month for the next year.
Jones said county libraries have the registration forms for the program, which is for youngsters up to age 5.
“We felt that the libraries have that contact with families that we don’t have,” Jones said.
Families that want to participate financially can do so for $30 a year, which would help expand the program beyond the 500 slots United Way is funding.
“It’s hard to buy 12 books for your child for just $30,” Jones said. “It’s a good deal.”
United Way literature notes that when a home goes into foreclosure it depresses the value of other homes in the neighborhood by $8,000, on average. United Way provides funding to programs that assist troubled homeowners with counseling. Those who seek that counseling are 60 percent more likely to avoid foreclosure than those who don’t.
Ashtabula County businessman Rob Schimmelpfennig is chairman of the new campaign.
“The United Way of Ashtabula County is advancing the common good by focusing on the building blocks of a good quality of life,” Schimmelpfennig told the CEOs. “We do that by recruiting people and organizations who can help us get important things done ... people such as you and the organizations that you lead. You provide us with the talent, expertise and resources that can be harnessed to bring about change. That is why your commitment to our United Way is essential.”
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CHIEF EXECUTIVE Officers, school superintendents and other community leaders came together Wednesday morning to mark the start of the 2012-13 campaign for United Way of Ashtabula County. Guest speaker was Trent Smith, regional Vice President for the Illuminating Company (seated, seventh from left). CARL E. FEATHER
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