Birmingham’s generosity knocks it out of the park again—here’s how

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United Way Annual Campaign - Eliza Harmon
Ashley Grimsley, Eliza Harmon and Jake Bicksler of Brasfield & Gorrie contributed to the team’s food drive. Photo via Eliza Harmon

What do you think of when you think of Birmingham? Its delicious restaurants or its thriving startup scene may come to mind, but something else tops the lists: Birmingham’s charitable giving. To see just how important philanthropy is in The Magic City, we spoke with two campaign coordinators to see what impact the United Way Annual Campaign will have.

Supporting causes like feeding seniors + promoting childhood literacy

Brasfield & Gorrie United Way Annual Campaign
Congrats to Brasfield & Gorrie for exceeding their campaign goal! Photo via Eliza Harmon

No matter what cause you’re passionate about, United Way of Central Alabama (UWCA) probably supports it. In addition to the agencies, UWCA has its own programs like Meals on Wheels, Priority Veteran and Success By 6. Serving a six-county region, the impact of this financial support is widespread.

“Each year, Drummond Company donates an employee as a Loaned Executive (LE) to help raise funds during the annual campaign. Our employee who was chosen as the LE for this year learned after some training with the UWCA that he himself had been impacted by the UWCA—both of his children utilized the Success By 6 program in Walker County, which is a UWCA funded agency!”

Krystal Drummond, Campaign Coordinator, Drummond Company

United Way Annual Campaign coordinators are their link to employees who want to improve their communities.

Coordinators like Eliza Harmon of Brasfield & Gorrie and Krystal Drummond of Drummond Company know firsthand how impactful the United Way is.

“I first got involved with UWCA when I started working at Brasfield & Gorrie. It was the main topic of one of the first meetings I attended as an intern, and the 2019 campaign was one of the first major projects I worked on. From the beginning, I was able to see how large of an impact UWCA makes in this community. Countless Birmingham residents rely on the aid from these agencies.”

Eliza Harmon, Campaign Coordinator, Brasfield & Gorrie

Want to bring hope to your neighbors in need? Donate to UWCA today.

Fundraising + volunteering

Krystal Drummond
Krystal Drummond volunteering with Birmingham-area children at Girls Inc, a UWCA partner agency. Photo via Krystal Drummond

Okay, so the Brasfield & Gorrie United Way Annual Campaign only lasts a few weeks, but what’s great about it is that it’s full of fundraising efforts, hands-on volunteering and even fun competitions.

“The monetary aspect of our campaign is incredible and shows just how much of an impact a two-week campaign can have on United Way agencies. During the campaign, we also have employees speak about how an agency has helped them. The campaign is even more worthwhile when you personally know those who it affects.”

Eliza Harmon, Campaign Coordinator, Brasfield & Gorrie

Each company has its own fundraising goal that employees work together to meet. Along with monetary support, they donate time and effort to projects like the Community Food Bank of Central Alabama. Of course, all the hard work leads to plenty of fun. Everything from exciting games to announce the fundraising totals to team lunches points back to one goal: celebrating United Way.

“I cannot imagine Central Alabama without the positive impact and influence of the United Way of Central Alabama. The UWCA is an integral part of the fabric of our community. The UWCA is a safety net for so many people. You may have heard the phrase: ‘the United Way was built for times like these’ – and it most certainly is a solution and comfort in hard times. The UWCA is both big and broad and small and targeted to leverage the best outreach and impact.”

Krystal Drummond, Campaign Coordinator, Drummond Company

We all know that the end of the year is a busy time for companies, but these companies, and their employees, know their time is worth it.

It’s never too late to support UWCAdonate today. Plus, follow along on their website, Facebook and Instagram for more updates.

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