In today’s episode of the Stephen Cooley Real Estate Show, Stephen and Rebecca Melton, president of the United Way of York County, discuss the ways of donating money to the community. On the other hand, you’ll learn how to apply for funds, if you’re in need.
A community is only as strong as how you help the most in need in that community and the United Way is such a great way to do that.
You can:
- donate,
- volunteer or
- just perhaps be familiar with some of the programs that are available on United Way’s website www.unitedwayofyc.org.
If you’re in need, you can call 2-1-1 24 hours a day every day of the week. Whether you need help with a utility bill or your rent, the counselors are there to give you advice anytime.
For more useful information watch this video:
STEPHEN: Hello, I’m Stephen Cooley and welcome to the Stephen Cooley Real Estate Show. I’m so excited today to have Rebecca Melton on the show. Rebecca is president of the United Way of York County and it’s an honor to have you because United Way of York County give so much to our community and it’s such a great place for us to give our money because you’re such great stewards of that money.
You know, I’ve struggled over time and we’re to give money and making sure you’re giving it to a place that really needs it and the money is spent wisely and United Way of York County we can.. You make those decisions.
REBECCA: Yes we do with volunteer citizens and our local board of directors so I think people sometimes have a misconception but we are local and we’re governed by a local board of directors and they make decisions about what programs we fund and what we can provide to the community.
STEPHEN: Absolutely and I was reading about that on your information as the decision makers or local people and really all the money stays here other than just a little bit of joint marketing with the national group.
REBECCA: Right, 1% of our budget goes to what we call United Way Worldwide. So 1% of 1.6 million.
STEPHEN: And Rebecca and giving when people want to give to their community and struggle with where to give it you guys have a very systematic way of making sure that the people need the money who get it. There’s an application process and you’re really focused on the things that the community needs which is education and improving the workforce and their help.
REBECCA: Absolutely and we just recently did a needs assessment with Winthrop University which further said to us you know what it is the community need and we’ve got their input as well what would they like to see York County look like to be even more successful than it is, so we do base of our programs on those needs.
STEPHEN: Absolutely and so again when you’re giving your money and you give it the United Way of York County several things happen: 1. You’re making sure that you’re giving it to people who need it and 2. You’re giving it to someone with the United Way who’s good stewards and also when we unite our money it’s more forceful than one person giving $10 to an organization. We all pull our money with United Way and then you can have a bigger impact than an individual can be on their own.
REBECCA: We can in several programs like an example of that is in education – we know that there’s early childhood education, we know that there’s after-school education, we also know that there’s workforce development and making sure that people get a high school degree or a GED so by funding and looking at all those different avenues we’re able to help more people.
STEPHEN: Absolutely, you know, a community is only as strong as how you help the most in need in that community and United Way’s such a great way to do that. Tell us about the 2-1-1 phone call and what that is because I find that so interesting and so helpful.
REBECCA: Well, if people are in need the number that they can call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week is 2-1-1. It’s based out of Columbia but it’s York County help support that initiative it’s a statewide but for instance if you’re in York County and you need help with a utility bill or your rent you would call 2-1-1 and there are counselors that are there 24 hours a day every day of the week to give you advice and to tell you some places that perhaps you can call or what you need to do to get help and I think the beauty of it is you can call anytime.
STEPHEN: That’s amazing that 24 hours a day, 7 days a week from your phone you call 2-1-1 and tell your needs and they can direct you to groups who can help you.
REBECCA: Absolutely. It really is. Thousands of calls are made each year, last year I think there were over 15,000 calls that were made for various reasons.
STEPHEN: Rebecca when you go to your website United Way of York County you really read all the organizations in Rock Hill that you support in York County that you support, you guys are involved in almost everything.
REBECCA: Well, we are. We have 26 agencies that we fund but we have some 33 programs and also we have internal programs like 2-1-1 that the United Way administers..
STEPHEN: And out of those 26 organizations they really rely on the money coming from United Way to fund their programs.
REBECCA: They do and they’re doing a lot of great things in the community and they’re allowed to do some innovative programs that perhaps they couldn’t do without our funding.
STEPHEN: Yeah, I think in knowing other communities and I’m from another town in South Carolina, York County is just a wonderful place to call home and we really take care of our people in need and what a great opportunity through United Way to do that there’s also an opportunity on your website I’ll get you give it to us where people can give monthly and or make one-time donations but they can get involved on on a regular basis.
REBECCA: That’s right, they can donate they can also volunteer or just perhaps be familiar with some of the programs that are available here in York County and our website is www.unitedwayofyc.org.
STEPHEN: Excellent and we’ll put that up on the screen. Rebecca Melton president of the United Way of York County you all do such a magnificent job and thank you so much for coming on the show today and sharing this information because the United Way is the right place to give your money to help our community and thanks for all the hard work you do.
REBECCA: Oh thank you so much.
STEPHEN: Thank you again. We’ve got beautiful homes for sale in your area, please stay tuned we’ll be right back.
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