Huntington has a “Heritage of Caring”

Heritage Days 2025, June 11 through June 15, will celebrate the people of Huntington and how they care for one another with the theme, “A Heritage of Caring.” Over the years many individuals, businesses and organizations have united the community in caring for one another. Each week the Huntington County Chamber of Commerce will highlight one of these entities in this column.

The mission of the United Way of Huntington County is to unite the community through visionary leadership, assessment of needs and the mobilization and dispersion of resources to enhance the quality of life for the citizens of Huntington County.

Sarah Kemp is the executive director of the United Way of Huntington County located at 88 Home Street, Suite 7. The nonprofit organization has been caring for the complex challenges of our community since 1958. According to United Way records, over $1.8 million dollars has been invested in Huntington over the last five years, strengthening social well-being and promoting opportunities for all in the areas of Healthy Communities, Financial Security, Community Resilience and Youth Opportunity.

The United Way encourages community members to be an advocate for education, income, health and the improvement of people’s lives. Its focus on community impact plays a key role in advocating good public policy. It encourages people to work together to raise awareness about important issues, and create solutions to social challenges.

The local board of the Emergency Food and Shelter Program (EFSP) is chaired by the United Way of Huntington County. When EFSP allocates funding to the State of Indiana, the local board announces the funding, accepts and reviews applications for funding and gives recommendations for awards. This national initiative was created to help people with economic emergencies by providing funding to local organizations to address hunger and shelter needs.

The United Way and a group of volunteers joined with local agencies on April 26 for Allocation Day. The pledges collected from the local 2024 United Way campaign will help to support the 24 grant applications received from 16 different agencies that day. These agencies provide services whose missions align with the United Way of Huntington County’s Impact Portfolio.

The goals of this portfolio include education that every child enters school ready to learn, and all identified students have access to age-appropriate mentors and other academic supports. Financial stability goals were also made to ensure families’ basic needs are met by providing immediate assistance in the event of an unforeseen crisis, and to increase financial stability for families. Health and wellness goals were set to provide immediate assistance to ensure physical and/or emotional safety in the event of an unstable situation or imminent danger, and provide support for community members as they pursue a healthier lifestyle.

In line with the education goals of the United Way, in collaboration with Huntington County Community Schools and the Youth Services Bureau, Kinder Kamp is funded. It is a two-week, half day school preview for kindergarten students in all six elementary schools to help jump start their kindergarten experience.

The United Way of Huntington County believes that every child should enter school ready to learn. In 2021 the United Way of Huntington County introduced Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library to the community. They are committed to helping families embrace their role in raising readers and mobilizing the community to support families and their early learners. The United Way believes reading to children during this critical period is not merely a pastime; it is a strategic investment in their cognitive, social and emotional well-being. Literacy is not just about decoding words on a page; it is about empowering individuals to think critically, communicate effectively and navigate the complexities of this world with confidence.

Providing food services and contributing to a healthy community, Ride United: Last Mile Delivery, is a collaborative effort that delivered 3,095 Teen Pack food deliveries last year to Huntington County middle and high school students in need. The United Way is also a part of the Huntington County Health and Wellness Coalition. It is a group of organizations and individuals dedicated to identifying and removing barriers to increase access to healthy food, active living opportunities and mental well-being. The group meets on the third Monday of each month at 1 p.m. at the Youth Services Bureau. To learn more visit Health & Wellness Coalition.

The United Way also cares for the needs in Huntington County by participating in Sprout by 5 Early Childhood Coalition, which is focused on five key pillars within early childhood: childcare needs, building a strong foundation of health and safety, supporting school readiness, driving economic development and fostering community growth. For more information visit Early Childhood Coalition or contact Courtney Bonbrake at courtney@huntingtonccf.org.

The Prevent Child Abuse Council of Huntington County is also supported by the United Way. The issues surrounding child maltreatment differ are addressed and primary prevention is front and center. The Huntington County PCA meets the first Monday of each month at 1 p.m. at the Youth Services Bureau. To learn more visit Huntington County PCA or the Facebook page PCA Councils.

Community conditions that empower youth and families to choose healthy behaviors and live drug free lives are the goals of the partnership of the United Way and Huntington County’s Local Anti-Drug Coalition Efforts. The Coalition collects data and assesses needs regarding alcohol and drug abuse and addiction in Huntington County. This partnership helps access current and prospective funding sources for opportunities and programs in the areas of prevention, treatment and justice, reviews grant proposals and give recommendations and pursues community involvement as needed. LACE meets the third Monday of each month at 12 p.m. at the Youth Services Bureau. To learn more visit LACE.

The Huntington County Domestic Violence Taskforce also works with the United Way, and has a goal to promote awareness and spread information on domestic violence in Huntington County. This taskforce meets the second Tuesday of the month at 2 p.m. at the Huntington County Department of Child Services. Check out the Facebook page Domestic Violence.

The Huntington County Community Learning Center expansion project started in 2016, and the United Way of Huntington County was the fiscal sponsor for the project. In partnership with the local community, 1.45 million dollars was raised for this expansion. The United Way of Huntington County is part of the Learning Center Advisory Council, which meets quarterly with other community stakeholders.

The United Way of Huntington County and its funded partners do life-changing work, and they make a difference in the lives of community members in Huntington County. Whether it is in the area of children and youth opportunity, health goals or food and financial assistance, it all increases the quality of life in Huntington County. The current board of the United Way includes Jay Peters, chairman; Ryan Lemon, vice chair; Michael Zahn, treasurer and Ben Ogden, secretary.

Participate in the upcoming United Way Disc Golf and Pickleball tournaments, June 21. Gather your friends and families at Memorial Park from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and support the work of the United Way. Sponsorships are available.

For more information or to donate to the United Way of Huntington County, call (260) 356-6160, email at info@huntingtonunitedway.com, or visit the website at: huntingtonunitedway.org.