More than 240 Southern Kentucky residents joined United Way of Southern Kentucky (UWSK) for the annual Live United Awards Reception and Annual Meeting on Thursday, January 10th at the National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green.

The reception celebrated the triumphs of companies who excelled in furthering the mission of United Way of Southern Kentucky. The awards structure was centralized around the call to action issued by United Way of Southern Kentucky for those in our community to LIVE UNITED through giving, advocating, and volunteering. More than 30 awards were presented to organizations from Allen, Barren, Logan, Simpson and Warren counties.

UWSK presented the following awards to organizations for their support in 2012:

GIVE AWARDS

(NOTE: Basic criteria for all “give” awards is that the organization must have the same or increased giving versus the prior year)

Greatest Giving Increases (employee and corporate giving combined)

Increase of $5000 - $9999

Country Oven Bakery

LORD Corporation

Increase of $10,000 and up

UAW – GM Corvette Assembly

Top Givers (employee and corporate giving combined)

Top Five givers with same or increased campaign dollars

Fruit of the Loom

Logan Aluminum

Trace Die Cast

UAW – GM Corvette Assembly

Warren RECC

Leadership Investment Awards (employee giving)

Most leadership dollars from organizations employing:

Less than 100

BKD LLP

100 - 249

LORD Corporation

More than 250

Fruit of the Loom

New Campaign Partner of the Year

Highest giving, per capita and participation

PBI Bank – Bowling Green

Outstanding Nonprofit Agency Campaign

Highest giving, per capita, participation and increases (giving, per capita, participation)

Housing Authority of Bowling Green

Kentucky Legal Aid

Give United Award (campaign of the year)

Highest giving, per capita, participation and increase from organizations employing:

Less than 100

BKD LLP

100-249

Warren RECC

250+

Logan Aluminum

PACESETTER CAMPAIGNS

Pacesetter Campaigns are defined as those organizations that increased in any two of the following areas during their United Way campaign: increase in corporate giving, increase in employee giving or increase in percentage of employee participation.

American Bank & Trust

Barren River Area Safe Space

Barren River District Health Department

BB&T – Bowling Green

Bell, Orr, Ayers & Moore PSC

Berry Plastics

BKD LLP

Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce

Bowling Green Daily News

Bowling Green Metalforming

Canteen

Citizens First Bank – Bowling Green

Citizens First Bank - Glasgow

City of Bowling Green

Country Oven Bakery

Dillards Department Stores

English, Lucas, Priest & Owsley

Family Enrichment Center

Federal Mogul - Glasgow

Felker Brothers

Fruit of the Loom

Hancock Bank & Trust

Harlin Parker

HeathCo, LLC

Hope Harbor

Housing Authority of Bowling Green

Jim Johnson Auto Group

J.M. Smucker Company

Kentucky Legal Aid

Logan Aluminum

Pennyrile RECC

Russellville Schools

Span Tech

South Central Bank of Glasgow

T.J. Samson Community Hospital

UAW-GM Corvette Assembly

UPS

U.S. Bank - Bowling Green

Ventra Plastics

Warren County Water District

ADVOCATE AWARDS

Advocate United Award

Organization that has most promoted United Way on numerous levels in support of the Give, Advocate, Volunteer mission

WBKO

VOLUNTEER AWARDS

Volunteer Investment Awards

Top Organizations with the largest % of employees volunteering in multiple United Way functions (allocations, campaign, marketing, board of directors)

BB&T – Bowling Green

English, Lucas, Priest & Owsley

J.M. Smucker Company

U.S. Bank – area wide

Western Kentucky University

Volunteer United Award

Organization that embodies United Way’s volunteering mission through participation in multiple United Way functions and United Way critical service areas

U. S. Bank – area wide

SPIRIT UNITED AWARD

Organization that embodies the Live United spirit through year round support and enthusiasm for United Way

RR Donnelley

Honorable Mentions:

English, Lucas, Priest & Owsley

UAW – GM Corvette Assembly

Finalists for the premier award for the year, the LIVE UNITED Award, were previously announced. This award was presented to the company that exemplifies United Way’s core Give, Advocate and Volunteer goals through outstanding campaign support including increased giving, high participation and per capita, advocating internally and externally on behalf of United Way and its critical service areas throughout the year, and exceptional volunteer participation from a large base of employees. The top 3 finalists for the LIVE UNITED Award included: English, Lucas, Priest & Owsley; Fruit of the Loom; and UAW – GM Corvette Assembly.

Following the recognition of the three finalists, the Live United Award was presented to:

Fruit of the Loom

2012-13 campaign totals for dollars raised as of the day of the event (1-10-2013) were also announced. To date for the 2012-13 United Way campaign, donors have pledged a total of $1,766,624 for Southern Kentucky friends and neighbors. This represents a 2.5% over the goal of $1.722 million and volunteers are continuing to pound the pavement working on campaigns that have yet to report. These efforts will continued through March at which time the grand total raised in the 2012-13 United Way of Southern Kentucky annual campaign will be reported.

Specific accomplishments in 2012 were announced including:

• Nearly 400 individuals volunteered their time to raise money.

• As of 1-10-2013, more than 8,795 people have contributed to the 2012-13 United Way campaign.

• As of 1-10-2013, 130 individuals and families, including 19 new members, committed to be part of the Leadership Circle, each contributing $1,000 or more, for a total amount raised of $196,563.

• These numbers continue to rise as 2012-13 campaign efforts continue to move forward.

Examples of services that were provided in 2012 were celebrated including:

• 41 programs and 32 agencies funded

• $1,162,223 invested in those programs

• BRASS crisis advocates responded to 5,331 calls on the two United Way funded, 24-hour phone lines.

• The Salvation Army provided 43,272 hot meals to 5,041 low-income individuals.

• Kentucky Legal Aid established $154,000 in annualized child support for 135 children in low-income, single parent homes.

• 96% of the 610 youth enrolled at Boys & Girls Club increased their knowledge in 5 of 7 program areas such as Character & Leadership, Health & Life Skills, and Education & Career.

• 82% of the children completing the early education program at Wee Care Child Care demonstrated school readiness by meeting the appropriate milestones.

Also recognized was United Way’s continued work to directly impact issues and problems in the community in 2012:

• 55,966 nonperishable food items collected by 803 volunteers in the Feed the Need food drive

• 1,210 volunteers joined nonprofit agencies in our area to complete 105 projects in our annual Day of Caring

• Low income children continued to be impacted through reading and book distribution programs in our Invest in Success program

Thanks to the generosity of people in Allen, Barren, Logan, Simpson, and Warren Counties, United Way hopes to expand on the 51,594 services that were provided to residents of Southern Kentucky moving forward in 2013.

During the Annual Meeting, incoming members of the United Way of Southern Kentucky Board of Directors were approved including:

• Howard Bailey – Western Kentucky University
• Emily Breitmeyer – Regional Child Development Clinics
• Chad Cooper – Allen County Schools
• Thad Connally, III – First Choice Home Medical
• Anne Leonard – Greenview Regional Hospital
• Clinton Mills – Hitcents
• Mike O’Kelly – First Security Bank
• Ann Puckett – BKD LLP
• Blake Richey – Re/Max of Kentucky
• And for term renewal: Stacey Hughes – Logan Aluminum

In addition, the following slate of officers were approved by the membership for 2013:

• Tad Pardue – Chairman
• Joe Tinius – Chair Elect
• Ann Puckett – Treasurer