Deep Creek Lake MD News and Local Resources: Daily Notes

Partly sunny today with a high near 73 and a low around 59. A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms after 2pm.

Today we honor the men and women who died while serving in our U.S. military. Have a blessed day.

The weather for today will be mostly sunny, with a high near 70 and a low around 60. Saturday will be partly sunny with a high near 75 and a low around 66. A chance of showers, with thunderstorms also possible after noon. Chance of precipitation is 40%. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms. Sunday will be mostly cloudy with a high near 73 and a low around 60. Also, a 50-70% chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after noon.

This weekend is the unofficial start of summer and we’re SO excited! I bought this lightweight hoodie at Deep Creek Lake State Park Discovery Center yesterday — I LOVE it!

The Garrett County Arts Council has announced that Mrs. Kathy Beachler will be the new Executive Director on July 1. She takes over for the retiring Ms. Karen Reckner after a 10-year tenure.

The Garrett County Sheriff’s Office has clarified a recent point: “The Sheriff’s Office had recently placed a notice for residents to be cautious of individuals posing as Potomac Edison employees who may be trying to gain entry into their homes. Although this was a true statement, one local company should not be confused with those individuals who had a criminal intent. HOT SHOTZ Home Performance is a local reputable home energy service provider … should you receive literature from them, please understand that they have your best interests in mind. I am sorry for any confusion that this may have caused. – Sheriff Rob Corley”

Double Oak Farms has mentioned their freezers are stocked fully with steaks, brisket, patties, kabobs, ribs, burger, and roasts for the weekend! Located across from Lee’s Corner Market in Swanton. Open today until 8pm and Saturday Sunday and Monday 9am to 6pm.

The United Way of Garrett County is requesting partnerships with any 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with a focus of education, financial stability or health. Learn more about partnering here but note the deadline for application is approaching soon.

There are many events happening and entertainment acts performing this weekend. Check out the events calendar and entertainment guide but here are some brief mentions: the Kendall Trail 5k, the Oakland Kick-off to Summer, music at Sipside Lounge, MoonShadow and Black Bear Tavern.

Below is the schedule for the last few weeks of school in Garrett County for the 2018-19 school year:

Monday, May 27: Memorial Day; schools closed
Wednesday, May 29: Seniors last day of school
Saturday, June 1: High School Graduation at the CARC
(Southern High at 10:00 AM, Northern High at 2:00 PM)
Monday, June 10: Three hour early dismissal for students
Tuesday, June 11: Last day of school for students; three
hour early dismissal
Wednesday, June 12: Last day for teachers

Have a fun and enjoyable weekend!

The weather today will be partly sunny with a high near 72 and a low around 57. Showers and thunderstorms likely, mainly before 3pm. West wind 13 to 16 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph. Large hail and damaging wind can be threats this afternoon / evening.

This morning’s sunrise courtesy of the Railey Realty camera at the Lakeside Creamery:

Have a HART Guest Bartender Challenge is tonight at Dutch’s at Silver Tree — HART hosts take your bar and food orders and their tips support our homeless animals. Plus silent auctions, 50/50 drawing and lots of fun!

Tomorrow, early, is Birding at Sang Run. Learn tips to birding by ear and listen for distinctive songs, as we stroll through Friends Delight. Meet at the kayak launch. Bring binoculars and wear waterproof hiking boots. Walk is of medium difficulty and will begin at 8am and last approximately 2 ½ hours.

From the Southern Garrett Athletic Association: Congratulations to Josiah Hebb (High Jump), Mike Leydig (High Jump), Aiden Schwab (300 Meter Hurdles), Tia DeGiovanni (Long and Triple Jump), Heidi Nelson (Pole Vault) and Makayla Maule (Discus and High Jump) for qualifying for the State Track and Field Meet this Thursday and Saturday!

The Deep Creek Lake Discovery Center is celebrating 20 Years of “Bringing People and Natural Resources Together” this summer! Stay tuned for special events throughout the summer to celebrate.

The 2019 Graduation ceremony for both Northern and Southern Garrett High Schools will take place at the CARC at Garrett College on Saturday, June 1, 2019. More specific information for Southern can be found here.

A local 11-year-old child, Aaron Ashby, needs help to fight his leukemia. Cindy’s Fund is holding a chicken bbq and blood drive on Friday, June 7, at the Oakland American Legion and they are looking for a  bone marrow match. If you’re a match, they are looking for donations. More details can be found at the link above.

The weather for today will be partly sunny, with a high near 70 and a low around 60. A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms before 2am.

Take your kids (of any age) to the Kitzmiller library and explore a variety of activities that focus on Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM) tonight! From 4:30-5:30pm.

Here’s a photo from behind the scenes of the styled shoot I participated in at North Glade Inn yesterday. Isn’t it just gorgeous?! If you’ve not heard of a styled shoot before it’s basically a mock wedding where vendors can get marketing images taken by photographers.

As the unofficial start to summer approaches (Memorial Day Weekend), the Maryland Transportation Authority (MDTA) reminds the nearly two million motorists anticipated to travel MTDA roadways this holiday to plan ahead, travel off-peak and put safety first:

• Devote your full attention to driving – it is illegal to text and use hand-held cell phones while driving in Maryland.
• Buckle Up!  Every Trip.  Every Seat.  Every Time.
• State law requires vehicles to move over when approaching an emergency, transportation, service and utility vehicle or tow truck with red, yellow or amber flashing lights.  If you are unable to move over, slow down.
• Do not tailgate – keep a safe following distance.
• Make sure your vehicle is “road ready.”  If your vehicle becomes disabled, remain inside and call #77 for assistance.

The weather today will be cloudy then gradually becoming sunny, with a high near 61 and a low around 47.

County Roads Division crews will be completing culvert replacement on Crellin Underwood Road today and delays can be expected between 7 a.m. and 4 p.m. The suggested alternate route for traffic during the time of delays includes Route 39 and Underwood Road. Any questions can be directed to the Oakland County Roads Garage at 301-334-9337 or 301-334-1510

Tonight is the Glade Garden Party if you’re looking for something fun to do: networking, mac and cheese bar and the Terah Crawford Band will provide entertainment! Tickets will be available at the door.

From our friend Lisa with the Wildfulness podcast: an extensive episode on the “Chautauqua Then and Now” Festival in July is posted!

From the Property Owner’s Association: DNR undertook a pilot Zebra Mussel Monitoring project from May 2018 – October 2018. Zebra Mussels are an invasive freshwater mussels species. The following bullets summarize the findings but click here to view the full report:

• Temperature, conductivity, dissolved oxygen and pH are within or near the preferred zebra mussel habitat range in the lake.
• Overall, Deep Creek Lake is thought to be at low risk for zebra mussel colonization due to low calcium and water hardness concentrations in the lake, as these factors are important for zebra mussel growth, reproduction and survival.
• No zebra mussels were found in the lake, at any location, during any of the 2018 visual surveys suggesting the species is not currently present in Deep Creek Lake.
• The 2018 monitoring effort should be continued in 2019 and 2020 to account for inter- annual variability in temperature and precipitation, which can affect water quality.
• Visual surveys should continue at a similar frequency, as in 2018, to ensure that no populations of zebra mussels exist in Deep Creek Lake.
• Additional monitoring, such as random dock surveys, as well as eDNA studies should be considered if determined to be appropriate and resource feasible.

The Del McCoury family has invited any Verso (Luke Mill) employee, spouse and their children to be admitted free on the final day of their four-day bluegrass music festival Delfest. The festival begins this Thursday, May 23 and goes to Sunday, May 26 at the Allegany County Fairgrounds.

Be sure to register for the 5th Annual Kendall Trail 5K Run/3K Walk that will be held this Saturday. It is a fundraiser for Friendsville Ruth Enlow Library and there are cash prizes for 5K first, second and third place male and female runners ages 18 plus. Special gift prizes for the top three Youth under 18 and to the oldest and youngest runners.

The weather this weekend turned out truly perfect. I didn’t have any of the pop-up thunderstorms in my area until after dark… I’ll take a few more days like that this summer! 🙂

The weather today will be partly sunny, with a high near 71 and a low around 43. Some scattered showers possible before 10am and a West wind 13 to 18 mph gusting as high as 29 mph.

Shoutout to Mike G! His correct answer of Nessie put him in the pool to win and his name was drawn for 2 Garrett County Celtic Festival Tickets! We will be in touch, Mike!

The Board of Garrett County Commissioners are holding their public meeting today at 4:00pm at the Garrett County Courthouse. Topics will be Purchasing Bid Awards, the Maryland Community Development Block Grant Resolution, and the Proposed Fiscal Year 2020 Tax Rate. The full agenda can be found here.

The Chamber’s Business Before Hours event is tomorrow morning at the Sundown Village Cafe Yurts at Wisp Resort. This “Legislative Wrap-up” will provide more information on the legislative impacts to Garrett County directly from Senator George Edwards and Delegate Wendell Beitzel. Register with Holly at 301-387-6171.

There is a ski boat recently listed for sale (under “BOATS”) in our Online Marketplace.

The Garrett County Public Schools Dr. Wendell Teets Foundation is the recipient of a gift of over $617,000 from the Daniel E. Offutt III Charitable Trust. The funds have been specially allocated to the Garrett County Public Schools Special Education Department to support a literacy program.

The National Safe Boating Council has kicked off it’s annual boating safety campaign with National Safe Boating Week held this May 18-24. We also have our boating regulations and watersports safety guides published here on our site.

The End of the Line Bookstore is looking for children’s books! Please drop off any donations at the boxcar bookstore at the Oakland Train Station during open hours: Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday 11am-3pm. All proceeds go to support women and girls in our community. Thank you!

Today will be cloudy with scattered showers and thunderstorms possible after 2pm. High near 68; low around 59. Saturday will be partly sunny, with a high near 76 and a low around 65. Sunday will be mostly sunny with a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms before 9am. High near 78 and a low around 65.

We have published a special “thank you” to the community, volunteers and donors from Northern High School After Prom Committee.

The DNR has released the 2019 planned hydrilla treatment schedule for Deep Creek Lake. In case you need to know, Hydrilla is a fast-growing aquatic invasive plant that scientists first found in the lake in 2013 and have been treating with a herbicide each year since 2014.  The herbicide treatment takes place each summer — for an overview of 2019 treatment locations and plans, including other information related to the treatment process, please visit https://go.usa.gov/xX5sM. The first treatment is scheduled for June 3.

Maryland Department of Natural Resources reminds drivers that it’s common to find eastern box turtles, snapping turtles, painted turtles and red-eared sliders on the road this time of year. If you need to help a turtle cross the road, check for traffic and move the turtle in the direction it was traveling, until it is safely out of vehicle lanes. Do not move the turtle to the side it started from or far away from where it is found. Read more.

Today is the last day to enter the drawing for two Celtic Festival tickets! Scroll down to Thursday’s notes see the details of the contest!

A reminder that Garrett County Public Utilities may be flushing fire hydrants in McHenry today.

Lastly, we have A LOT of events and entertainment going on this weekend — check the calendar for the details on birding, End of the Line Bookstore, the rabies clinic, a fishing rodeo and more! Be sure to wave if you see Mike or I out and about this weekend!

The weather for today is clearing off from what seemed like years of rain (thank goodness!) … today will be increasing clouds, with a high near 61 and a low around 47. Chance of showers mainly between midnight and 4am.

I took this photo looking up from my deck this morning!

Tomorrow, May 17, is National Bike to Work Day! Plan to ride your bike into work or just get out and cruise around the block. Biking is one of my favorite hobbies!

Cornerstone Family Medicine has announced they will be providing OB services at the Grantsville Medical Center. Read more on this announcement here.

Subway at the Lake has been renovated and is now open (under new ownership).

Are you interested in volunteering at the Discovery Center and/or Deep Creek Lake State Park? Or, just want to find out more about the volunteer group and what they do for the park? Plan to attend the quarterly meeting TONIGHT at 6:30 pm in the science room at the Discovery Center to learn more. No RSVP necessary.

Last minute tickets are still available for the next business casual networking social for the Deep Creek community – the Glade Garden Party! The 2019 “Social for the Locals” party generously hosted by North Glade Inn is on Tuesday, May 21!  Enjoy the homemade food, dance to the DJ, sing along to the band entertainment and swap stories with new friends over cocktails. We are Deep Creek and we can’t wait to meet you!

The Maryland State Police have announced that there will be a sobriety checkpoint at some point during the week of May 19, 2019 and May 25, 2019 in an attempt to reduce the number of drugged and drunken drivers on Garrett County Roadways.

The Appalachian Regional Commission announced the creation of a Substance Abuse Advisory Council (SAAC). This group will develop recommendations for building a recovery ecosystem throughout Appalachia. This will be important work in reversing the opioid epidemic — I am blown away by the statistic that the 2017 death rate for opioid overdoses in Appalachian counties was 72 percent higher than non-Appalachian counties.

The Garrett County Celtic Festival contest is still open! Check out the Celtic Fest schedule at http://gccelticfestival.com/kid and email us the name of the monster kids will learn about at 11:00am. Winner will be randomly drawn from all correct entries received by Friday May 17th at 4:00pm EST.

The weather for today will be mostly cloudy with scattered showers mainly before 4pm. Gradually becoming mostly clear overnight; a high near 47 with a low around 40.

A reminder that anyone affected by the Luke Mill closing can go to workforceallegany.com to register for assistance.  A recruitment fair will be held today at the Bruce Outreach Center from 11-7pm.

There is also a meeting for loggers affected by the Luke Mill closure: Today’s Mountain Loggers meeting will be at the Garrett County Fairgrounds Ag Heritage Building at 6pm and state legislators, county commissioners, and county economic development staff will be in attendance to discuss the impact of the Verso Mill closing. They ask that anyone planning to attend RSVP to Andrew Sisler at 304-288-1927.

The Garrett County Health Department will be holding rabies clinics this week and various locations throughout the county — tonight the event will be held at the Gorman Fire Dept. from 5-6pm.

The Maryland Amphibian and Reptile Atlas is now available from the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. This atlas is a result of over 1,000 community scientist volunteers and biologists working together to document distributions of reptiles and amphibians across the state.

Win 2 tickets to the Garrett County Celtic Festival, in Friendsville, MD on June 1st. Take the whole family to celebrate the cultural heritage of Celtic peoples from Ireland, Scotland, Wales, and Brittany and their influence on Appalachia with a daylong festival by the bonnie banks of the Youghiogheny River in the Town Park in Friendsville, Maryland.  The Celtic Festival is a family friendly event featuring traditional and contemporary Celtic music, Irish and Scottish dancing, Highland athletes, Pipe & Drum bands, Clans, living history and educational presentations, Celtic Marketplace, Bairns (Children’s) activities area, and many activities planned throughout the day.
TO WIN: Check out the Celtic Fest schedule at http://gccelticfestival.com/kid and email us the name of the monster kids will learn about at 11:00am. Winner will be randomly drawn from all correct entries received by Friday May 17th at 4:00pm EST.

From the Maryland MVA — Some Maryland driver’s licenses & ID cards may be recalled if they are not in compliance w/ federally-mandated Real ID requirements. Need to check if you’re affected? Use our #REALID lookup tool: https://bit.ly/2zViPzN and learn more here.

Sunday was rainy and everything is really green around the lake. Today will be showers with a high near 50 and a low around 38.New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.

The Orioles are here at the lake.  No, not the baseball team, the birds.  Been putting out grape jelly and oranges and we had our first pair at our house on Saturday. They flew the coop (yes, that was witty) too fast for me to get a picture, but they are a sure sign summer is on the way!

Speaking of summer, the Deep Creek Lake Lions Club held their annual boat auction Saturday afternoon.  Good turnout and lots of boats sold, with some really good buys I think.  Here’s a photo of auctioneer Dana and club president Chris in action. Nice job folks!

Lions Boat Auction

The Garrett County Health Department joins the country in celebrating National Prevention Week this week. This observance is dedicated to increasing the prevention of substance abuse and the promotion of mental health and brings together individuals, organizations, coalitions, states, and communities to celebrate the events and activities held throughout the year to raise awareness about the importance of preventing substance abuse and mental disorders.

The Friends of Deep Creek Lake just issued their May newsletter and it includes some interesting history, thoughts, funding insight/opinion and even a call-to-action for all their constituents.  You can read it by clicking this link.

The Board of County Commissioners will conduct a Public Work Session today starting 5:30 pm on the Preliminary Garrett County Government Fiscal Year 2020 Operating and Capital Budget. This meeting will be held at the Garrett County Courthouse in the Board of Garrett County Commissioners Public Meeting Room.  The public is invited to attend.

Get involved with Garrett Lakes Arts Festival (GLAF)!  They are holding an information session for potential volunteers this evening from 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm at the home of Betty and Troy Ellington. I (Mike) have had the pleasure of serving on their board in the past and Mary, Andrew, Betty and the team do some great work bringing performing arts to our county, but they can’t do it alone. Stop by and chat, have a glass of wine and maybe you can help continue their great work.

We have two free tickets to give away to the Garrett County Celtic Festival. The festival will be held in Friendsville on June 1st and is a family-friendly event featuring traditional and contemporary Celtic music, Irish and Scottish dancing, Highland athletes, Pipe & Drum bands, Clans, living history and educational presentations, Celtic Marketplace and many other activities. Check out the schedule of kid friendly events and then send us an email at info@deepcreektimes.com and tell us the name of the monster children will learn about at 11:30 am.  We’ll draw a winner from the correct answers and let you know if you are the lucky one!

The weather for today will be cloudy with showers likely. A high near 64 a low around 44. Saturday will be mostly cloudy with a chance of showers, mainly after 3pm. A high near 60 and a low around 47. Sunday has showers and thunderstorms possible after 2pm; a high near 56 and a low around 44.

Why not go mining for some gold on Saturday?  Actually the 15th annual Blue and Gold Mine Sale is on in Morgantown Saturday morning.  All sorts of stuff and to find a new home for and it raises funds for the United Way – over $65,000 in the past five years.

A little closer to home is the Grantsville National Road and Town Wide Yard Sale.  There will be food and lots of individual yard sales all around.  Plus, there will be re-enactors from Braddock’s Road War.  I think General Braddock may have held the first yard sale in the area way back in the day.  Not sure, but lots to do and buy at this one.

There’s a Mad Hatter Tea Party at the Mountain Fresh Farmers Market Saturday from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm at the pavilion in Oakland.  This event will pair teas with numerous homemade baked goods and of course, there will be plenty of fresh produce and other goodies. There will also be photo ops with some interesting characters.

The Deep Creek lake Lions Club, of which I am a brand new member, is holding their annual boat auction on Saturday at 1:00 pm at the Lion’s Club Park on Bumble Bee road.  You can find more information and auction items here.  All proceeds go to support the Lions Blind camper and Blind skier programs.

The above just gives you a sampling of what is going on Saturday of this weekend. Check out our Upcoming Events and Entertainment Guide sections for more to do and see all weekend.

There are several rabies clinics scheduled around the area. Only $5 for each pet.

Garrett Regional Medical Center has been awarded as a model for their cancer navigation program. Way to go!

We have recently found out that US Cellular offers $1,000 grants for local community groups. Visit the link for more info.

We wish all moms everywhere a great weekend and a special day on Sunday. Don’t forget our area restaurants, many of which have special menus or buffets for Mothers Day.  And, Moms, don’t forget to stop by Lakeside Creamery or Huey’s Ice Cream for your free scoop or ice cream Sunday.

Yesterday was sunny and warm. Another great day at the lake. Today will be partly sunny with a slight chance of showers and maybe a thunderstorm this afternoon; thunderstorms likely overnight. A high near 70 and a low around 61. South wind around 11 mph, with gusts as high as 21 mph.

The Property Owners Association of Deep Creek Lake just shared a copy of the Department of Natural Resources’ new brochure: Before You Launch, Before You leave, directed toward all boaters in an effort to protect the lake from invasive species. Here’s the link. Please share this as well.

The American Association of University Women (AAUW), which is quite active around the lake, is holding a Dough Raiser at Uno’s today from 11:00 am – 10:00 pm. If you print out the coupon from our events page and present before you order, Uno’s will donate 20% of your check to AAUW.

The Adult Book Club will be meeting today at the Accident branch of the Ruth Enlow Library at 11:30 am.  Newcomers are welcome to attend.

I just heard that the Town of Oakland is looking for some volunteers for their Kick Off to Summer event on May 25th from Noon to 6:00 pm.  They specifically need two runners (to stock beer, etc., must be over 21) and two money takers (hmm, that is an interesting title).  Contact Michelle Ross at town hall for more information.  She can be reached at 301.334.2691.

Note that we have been advised that the Deep Creek Volunteer Fire Company is not currently soliciting for donations by telephone, nor do they ever. DCVFC be sending out their donation letter drive at the end of the month on an official fire company letterhead with a return envelope. Do not send monies to any other solicitation. If you receive a solicitation other than what is described, please contact the Garrett County Sheriff’s Office.

The Western Maryland Watercolor Society is hosting their 31st annual  spring show titled “The Color of Water,” which will be held in the Allegany Art Council’s Schwab Gallery.  All proceeds, including from the sale of a series of 5″ x 7″ works for $20 each, will benefit the Allegany County Public Library System. Here’s a link the the Allegany Arts Council site, which lists information on this and other upcoming events.

The National Women’s Business Council just released their “Rural Women Entrepreneurs: Challenges and and Opportunities” report.  Garrett County is blessed with some great entrepreneurs, with especially noteworthy women business owners, so this report is very relevant.  Here’s the link to the report.  Check it out, as it is a good read with some interesting findings.

Yesterday was perfect at the lake.  Today will be mostly sunny with a high near 67 and a low around 55.

Here’s a shout-out for the children at Yough Glades Elementary School.  They are trying to raise money to replace their 21 year old playground and I feel guilty because I missed mentioning their fundraiser at Uno’s last night. So, here’s a link to their Facebook site so you can keep apprised of future news and events regarding their fundraising adventure.

Our Town Theatre in Oakland is hosting an Old Time Music Jam on May 9th from 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm.  Anyone interested in attending is welcome and all musicians, beginners to advanced are encouraged to bring instruments and participate.

Here’s something different:  This Saturday, the Garrett Jazz Ensemble will host a swing dance and concert in the Special Events Center at Garrett College (Bumble Bee Road side of campus) starting at 6:00 pm. They will have light refreshments and there will be a cash bar. Sounds like a fun evening for mom and it is only $5.

I bet you don’t know what day May 17th is? Hint: May is Boater Safety Month.  Check out this short AccessDNR video from the Maryland Department of Natural Resources and you will find out what May 17th is toward the end of the video.  The rest is interesting too.

Check our our page on Boating and Watersports Satefy, too.

The Board of County Commissioners will be conducting a Public Work Session on Monday, May 13th at 5:30 pm on the Preliminary Garrett County Government Fiscal Year 2020 Operating and Capital Budget. This meeting will be held at the Garrett County Courthouse in the Board of Garrett County Commissioners Public Meeting Room and it is open to the public.

Here’s a poignant and important note from Juli McCoy, Executive Director of our regional United Way.  Rather than just posting in our News section, we thought we would include it here:

On the heels of the local United Way campaign completion, it was announced that Luke Mill would close its operations leaving 675 individuals without jobs. Over the course of the next few days it was reported that for every single job lost, there would be an additional three also affected. These numbers are crippling. Will these labor-skilled employees find new work in our community? Some will. What about those who don’t?

I have been with County United Way for over four years and have watched the annual campaign in each county slowly decline. Just this year our Allegany County campaign lost over $20,000. The closing of the Luke Mill brought a loss of over $11,000 in Allegany County and over $12,000 in Mineral County. You see, the employees graciously gave a small portion of each paycheck to the campaign. It wasn’t an amount that would be missed from day to day, but the one or two dollars per pay that they collectively gave made a big difference in the communities we serve…in the communities where we all live.

I don’t believe it’s a far stretch to assume very few understand United Way. Of course, we provide information when we make presentations at local businesses and we, a staff of three and a half, do what we can on social media. We’ve been working tirelessly to do a better job of talking about what we do. But as the old saying goes – you can lead a horse to water… County United Way – the local chapter which operates out of Cumberland, MD and serves Allegany, Garrett, Hampshire and Mineral Counties individually (a different setup than most chapters) – is over 60 years old. It has served these communities for decades. We are fortunate to have a handful of volunteers who have been with us for most of those decades. Those volunteers, along with many others, have gone on a journey with us over the past 18 months as we have worked to transform ourselves into a more modern, responsive organization. This is not your grandfather’s United Way.

United Way has always adapted to change. In a climate where more and more working families are struggling to keep their heads above water, United Way is the organization in your community equipped to respond to those needs. The dollars we raise and grant to nonprofits have flexibility other dollars simply do not. What that means for someone in need is that when they seek help from United Way programs, there is no question of income. If someone in our community needs help, we help them. We will always provide dollars to assist low-income children and families – this is at the heart of what we do. Where we have made a transformation is asking our partner organizations to consider that “at-risk” and hard times has no income limits. Each and every day, many of us are facing that one life event which could put us at risk of losing everything we have. For every person, that one life event is something different and “everything lost” is defined in many different ways.

We have had to do more with fewer dollars. New generations no longer write a check and feel confident that their money will be used as they hope. Organizations must let donors follow their dollars from deposit to awarded grants to implementation and impact, which is not unreasonable. We cannot continue to ask our longtime donors to bear the weight of supporting our organization and it is necessary to seek new donors who will see the value and true impact we make.

Without United Way, these working families will be even more limited. Programs will decline to a point in which only small numbers of individuals can be served, leaving thousands with no resources. Who are these individuals? Your grandmother who has to choose between food and life-saving medications. Your niece or nephew who go to after-school and summer programs, giving them a safe place when otherwise they would be left alone during vulnerable times. Your coworker who struggles to keep the heat on for herself and children during our chilling winters. Someone who attends your church and uses our resources while she raises her grandchildren. Your father, brother, cousin, neighbor, friend.

This is not a plea for donations. Rather, this is an invitation to our community to learn what we do and why. We will continue to work hard to prove our worth and value and showcase the tremendous impact we have during events and outreach. County United Way does not rely on government grants or resources – it is only through local dollars from individuals, employees through payroll deduction and through businesses who see a value in what we do.

To the Luke employees who have supported us, thank you. Thank you for seeing the value in our work. We want you to know your dollars made a difference in our region for so many. More importantly, it is our hope that the programs you have helped support will be there to support you when the need arises.

For more information, visit cuw.org or dial 2-1-1 for program and service needs.

Juli McCoy

Executive Director, County United Way