Spartanburg, S.C. (April 1, 2024) – United Way of the Piedmont is pleased to announce the appointment of eight new board members who bring a breadth of experience and insight to the organization. United Way welcomes this new group to service, thanks continuing board members, and honor those who are departing after years of outstanding service. Welcome to the new members to the Board of Directors: Tony Acevedo, Smith Drug Company Brian Earnest, Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System Julie Fowler, Spartanburg School District 3 Greyson Furnas, Colliers Kate Konopasek, Toray Michael Langley, Cannon Roofing Josh Thompson, Boulier Thompson & Barnes, LLC Nicole Caldwell, Nestlé Thank you to all the departing members: Rob Barrett, JM Smith Corporation : Governance Chair, 2018-2024 Jay Beeson, Mark III Properties : 2021-2024 Dawn Bingham, USC Columbia School of Medicine : Advocacy Chair, 2018-2024 Kathleen Brady, Community Research Group : Immediate Past Chair, 2018-2024 Todd Horne, Clayton Construction Company : Brand Experience Chair, 2018-2024 Lance Radford, Spartanburg School District 2: 2021-2024 Chris Santoro with MTM Investment Management will serve as the Board’s Chair Elect. United Way of the Piedmont thanks all departing board members for their commitment and contributions during their tenure. Their leadership and dedication have been instrumental in United Way’s mission to connect, engage, and inspire people to transform the community. "We extend our warmest welcome to our new board members and heartfelt appreciation to everyone continuing or leaving board service. This new group’s collective expertise and commitment will undoubtedly guide United Way of the Piedmont toward continued positive impact on Spartanburg, Cherokee, and Union Counties," said Paige Stephenson, United Way of the Piedmont President & CEO. View the full list of board members at www.uwpiedmont.org/boardofdirectors .

We are thrilled to announce our new Donor Network Advisory Board members for the 2024-2025 term. These individuals' diverse backgrounds, expertise, and passion for making a difference will help propel United Way of the Piedmont to new heights of success and impact. African American Leadership Society (AALS) is a donor group for those who give $500 or more annually and wish to connect with their peers and engage more deeply in the work of United Way. The AALS Advisory Board are leaders who want to elevate and empower the Black community. AALS New Advisory Board Members: Kensley Aiken – City of Spartanburg Wendy Bennett – American Credit Acceptance Natalie Hurd – Milliken & Company Kevin Rountree – BMW Selena Smith – United Way of the Piedmont & Live Healthy Spartanburg Vanessa Thompson - S partanburg Regional Healthcare System (Retired) Women United is a United Way donor group for donors who give $1,000 or more annually and wish to connect with their peers and engage more deeply in the work of United Way. Members have access to exclusive networking events, volunteer experiences, and educational opportunities. Women United New Advisory Board Members: Janet Cann - Spartanburg Water (Retired) Chandis Digby - Milliken & Company Sara Herring - Milliken & Company Ginger Shuler - Second Presbyterian Church in Spartanburg Hope Talley - Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System Lucy Woodhouse - Wofford College Y oung Leaders is a United Way donor group for donors under the age of 40 or younger who give $100 or more annually. Young Leaders learn about community issues, participate in unique volunteer experiences, and join exciting networking events with fellow young philanthropists. Young Leaders New Advisory Board Members Heath Flood - Loop Recruiting Kara Mason - Johnson Development Associates Bryan Stallard - OTO Development Congratulations to our new advisory board members! Together, we'll continue to connect, engage, and inspire people to transform our community for the next generation of leaders. Learn more about all our donor networks at www.uwpiedmont.org/donornetworks .

The Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) is a refundable tax credit designed to help low- to moderate-income working families, and it’s a powerful tool in the fight against poverty. The credit reduces the tax burden for eligible families and often results in a refund, which can help struggling families make ends meet, afford necessities, and even build savings. Many are still unaware of the benefits of the EITC, but it can make a big difference for millions of people every year, including those right here in the Upstate. That’s why we’re asking you to join us on Awareness Day on Friday, January 26, 2024. To qualify for EITC, a taxpayer must work and have earned income below a certain threshold, based on their filing status and the number of qualifying children they have. The amount of the credit decreases as income rises. The EITC is known for its anti-poverty effects. It can help working families with expenses such as housing, childcare, transportation, and medical bills. In addition, the refund received through the EITC can be used to create a savings cushion to help them deal with unexpected expenses or emergencies. Additionally, the EITC has been shown to improve the total well-being of eligible families. The credit has been linked to overall better health, especially among mothers and children. Having more money from the credit can mean access to better food, housing, and healthcare, which can lead to better health outcomes. The EITC isn’t just about helping families—it also helps the local economy. The EITC generates economic activity and supports jobs. When working families receive the credit, they often spend it immediately, creating demand for goods and services that support local businesses and create jobs. This awareness campaign is essential to ensure that those who qualify receive the credit. There are a variety of local organizations that offer free tax preparation services to low and moderate-income taxpayers, like our Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program at United Way of the Piedmont. Learn how you may qualify to file for free and get help with your taxes at: www.uwpiedmont.org/freetaxpreparation .  The EITC is a valuable tool for combating poverty, improving health outcomes, and strengthening the local economy. By understanding EITC guidelines and eligibility, we can better support working families and help them access valuable tax credits. Let’s work together to increase EITC awareness and support the hardworking taxpayers in our community.

On Monday, January 15, 2024, more than 540 volunteers came together in Spartanburg to serve over 1,000 total hours at local non-profits in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Spearheaded by the City of Spartanburg and United Way of the Piedmont (UWP), the day began with a free community breakfast provided by Denny’s Mobile Relief Diner at the Dr. TK Gregg Community Center. During breakfast, several prominent community members spoke of Dr. King’s legacy. Said Alex Williams, Denny’s Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, “As a company whose mission is to feed people, mind, body and soul, we find inspiration in the servant leader model Dr. King represented through his civil rights work. Participating in the Day of Service as volunteers and with Denny’s Mobile Relief Diner is one meaningful way we prioritize giving back to the Spartanburg community. I’m grateful for the relationship we have with United Way and the city that allows us to do work in the community that aligns with how we strive to treat our guests every day.” Mitch Kennedy, Deputy City Manager with the City of Spartanburg, shared of Dr. T.K. Gregg’s legacy in Spartanburg and spoke of his commitment to the health and safety of his fellow community members. Chunsta Miller, Chair for the UWP African American Leadership Society, highlighted the importance of volunteering and how it bridges a gap, thus contributing to Dr. King’s vision of a Beloved Community. She encouraged everyone in attendance to “go forth and do some good.” Following the breakfast, volunteers from all walks of life spread throughout the city and county of Spartanburg to work with non-profit organizations providing a wide range of services. From “period packing parties” to trail cleanup in Duncan Park to organizing spaces, community members went to work helping provide for those in need by assisting 18 individual organizations. Joseph Walker, manager of the Habitat for Humanity ReStore noted that, “Organizing this space just isn’t something we can do during normal business hours, but with the help of the volunteers today, we’ve made it nicer and much more efficient.” He further commented that, “it’s the attitude of those serving that makes all the difference,” and that same attitude spurs volunteers to take action – to make this day off work for many a “day on” to honor Dr. King’s legacy of service. As Dr. King said, “Everyone can be great, because everyone can serve.”

On Monday, January 15, 2024, people across Spartanburg County will join together to serve their community in celebration of the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and the federal Day of Service named in his honor. MLK day celebrates the birthday of Dr. King by providing for a federal holiday that many people choose to make a “day on” rather than a day off from work. Once again, United Way is bringing our community opportunities to serve. A Day of Service kickoff complimentary community breakfast will be provided by Denny’s Mobile Relief Diner at Dr. TK Gregg Community Center, located at 650 Howard Street at 8 a.m. on Monday morning. From there, participants will move to their various volunteer sites to begin their service to our community. To learn more about the full Unity Week Celebration, visit the City of Spartanburg’s website here . Last year alone, nearly 300 area residents came together to provide over 1,000 hours of community service in honor of Dr. King. His vision of a truly Beloved Community, in which all people work as one to build bridges and create lasting change, becomes more of a reality when we all give our time and serve with our neighbors to transform Spartanburg. Service projects ranging from litter cleanup to “period packing parties” bring together people from all walks of life on the third Monday of January each year. This year, join United Way of the Piedmont and your neighbors in your choice of service projects listed here . However you choose to be a part, as Dr. King said, “Everyone can be great, because everyone can serve.” Each and every effort makes a difference. Sign up today at https://www.uwpiedmont.org/mlkday !

This fall, United Way of the Piedmont and our partners collaborated to ensure that greater food security becomes a reality for more local individuals and families. This year’s Fall Food Drive stands as a testament to our collective efforts to help meet our community’s most pressing needs. Companies and individuals were encouraged to participate in the annual Fall Food Drive virtually and in person with all items or complete boxes being distributed to The Bridge at Green Street and Total Ministries in Spartanburg. This year alone, $3,545.88 was donated through the Roonga virtual giving platform, providing for nearly 100 full boxes. Complete boxes donated by local businesses and individuals totaled 980, with an additional 543 loose items donated. The impact of this kind of giving will last for months to come, as the staff at the Bridge and Total Ministries will attest. More than 1,000 full boxes of food will go a long way to helping ensure that our neighbors, who are often forced to make decisions whether to buy groceries or pay the bills, can have extra support during the months ahead. Also, in Union County, many meals will be provided to those in need. Donations from Union Medical Center and the Union Career Center were particularly impressive and helped push the total number of items donated to 2,383! In Cherokee County, with substantial donations from Cherokee Medical Center and Plygem, a total of 1,332 items will go to our neighbors there. Marissa Human, Director of Events and Projects at UWP notes that, “Thanks to the generous support of our workplace partners and wider community, many of our neighbors now have less stress and extra food this holiday season. We’re proud to help meet this immediate need so more families can thrive long-term“.

With 135 people in attendance, a record number of community members, civic leaders, and nonprofit leaders came together to hear from Forrest Alton, Co-Founder & President at 1,000 Feathers, and Hannah Jarrett, Vice President of Community & Collective Impact at United Way of the Piedmont, about homelessness in our community during the United Way of the Piedmont Coffee & Conversations event at the T.K. Gregg Community Center. 1,000 Feathers is a consulting firm grounded in identifying and addressing head-on the struggles within specific communities and finding ways to overcome seemingly impossible odds. They believe in a future where all communities and the people who live in them have the strength, resiliency, and ability to reach their full potential. 1,000 Feathers has been working with organizations involved in our Spartanburg Homeless Task Force over the last year to identify strategies to prevent and end homelessness more effectively in our community. Their findings resulted in the Place to Call Home Report, which was shared at the event. The report findings are summarized below: The Vision: a Spartanburg where homelessness is recognized as a solvable problem and where everyone has a safe, secure place to call home. This will be accomplished by concentrating on four primary long-term focus areas: Prevent: 1. Reduce environmental and systemic barriers to employment with a strategic emphasis on quality, affordable childcare and transportation that connects people to jobs. 2. Implement a homeless prevention strategy to qualify and assist at-risk households that allows them to stay housed and sets them up for long-term success. Serve: 3. Invest in and coordinate the activities of organizations serving the homeless in our community, specifically those: • providing emergency assistance, and/or • offering behavioral health, mental health, and substance abuse case management services. 4. Meet the needs of a diverse group of residents by building and operating more emergency shelter, temporary shelter, transitional housing, and permanent supportive housing, along with offering supportive residential programs for those transitioning out of chronic homelessness. House: 5. Reduce housing cost burden by developing collaborative strategies to increase the availability of affordable, accessible, and safe housing in our community. Leadership: 6. The effort needs a permanent governance structure and backbone organization to provide leadership and stability. During this hour-long conversation, Forrest and Hannah clearly outlined the results of the study and the approaches they recommend to make homelessness brief and rare in Spartanburg. The audience also participated in the conversation by completing polls and asking questions. Hannah Jarrett, VP of Community and Collective Impact of United Way of the Piedmont noted that, “While we still have a long way to go toward ending homelessness in Spartanburg, this report and its priorities promise transformation in the way we approach this complex issue.” To support housing and homelessness work in our community, you can donate to our Home for the Holidays campaign at www.uwpiedmont.org/home4theholidays .

United Way of the Piedmont (UWP) announces the release of an updated guide to behavioral health services in Spartanburg, Cherokee, and Union Counties. This is a project of the United Way’s Behavioral Health Task Force (BHTF). The BHTF is a task force of agencies and community leaders who meet to determine the best practices and means of reaching and serving mental and behavioral health needs in our community. Listing support and rehabilitation services and therapy options, as well as crisis numbers and links for 2-1-1 and other resources, the Behavioral Health Resource Guide is accessible online and available as a PDF. Through our collective impact model, we share data with our partners while working to improve access to care for those living with mental health and addiction challenges. In addition to the Resource Guide, the BHTF also helped bring to fruition the Eubanks Peer-Support Living Room in the fall of 2018 – a safe space for those struggling with mental health and addiction issues to find peer-led support and guidance as they work to live with hope and healing. Hannah Jarrett, VP of Community and Collective Impact at UWP remarks that, “It’s been several years since an updated version of the Behavioral Health Guide was made available to the public. We’re pleased to present this resource to our community and to have a part in shaping the future of behavioral health services in the Upstate.” Download a copy of the Behavioral Health Guide and help spread the word! Together we can help more people access resources and thrive.

At this year’s annual gathering at Drayton Mills Catering, United Way of the Piedmont (UWP) was pleased to bring together members of our community, from donors and volunteers to community partners and advocates. Several awards were presented to deserving members of our community, and a “pin wall” helped attendees visualize the important issues UWP addresses and how they go about addressing them. Following a warm welcome by Alex Moore, VP of Brand Experience and Paige Stephenson, President and CEO of United Way of the Piedmont came the well-deserved awards. Paige also made special mention of the AmeriCorps and VISTA members of the year, LerKeshia Littlejohn and Elizabeth Taylor, who received their awards in a separate ceremony. A board member herself, representing Women United, Andrea Moore was proud to present the Women United Award to Marsha Moore for her unwavering support and dedication to getting all members of this special donor group involved to deepen the impact this group of outstanding ladies can make. Joey Fowler, a board member and member of the African American Leadership Society (AALS) was excited to present the Tomeka Pierce African American Leadership Society Award to Nessa Logan. Both as a volunteer and as a donor, Nessa always jumps right in to help and lift up others in their times of need. Parkes Coggins, United Way board member and Chair of the Resource Development Committee gladly presented the Walter S. Montgomery Young Leader Award to Maggi Whiston. Despite having to travel from Columbia, where she resides, Maggi attended every event held by the Young Leaders donor group, and encouraged participation by leading by example, volunteering for many United Way signature projects. Laura Barbas-Rhoden, also a United Way board member, was honored to present the award for Advocate of the year to Gia Quinones. The BIPOC and Latinx Outreach Director at the Spartanburg Area Mental Health Center, Gia uses social media to connect with bilingual audiences and dance and movement to share uplifting messages and mental health resources. Todd Horne, a United Way board member and chair of the Brand Experience Committee was excited to present the Tom Barnet Award for Volunteer Service. Always willing to jump in and help, Beth Rutherford is one of the longest-running volunteers for United Way poverty simulations, where UWP demonstrates to different cohorts the difficulties faced when living life below the poverty line. Kathleen Brady, former Chair of the United Way board of directors was pleased to present the Community Partner Award to Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System. As a long-time partner of United Way, Regional has many touch points on service projects throughout the community, as well as always being responsive, collaborative, and eager to help wherever needed. Each award recipient embodies what it means to be involved with your United Way. Their volunteerism, advocacy, donations, and general support enable UWP to continue striving toward its bold goal of reducing the number of individuals living below self-sufficiency by 11,000 by the year 2030. Also introduced at the Community Gathering was the Transformers initiative. A new monthly giving option, the Transformers program allows individuals to give by credit or debit card, ensuring sustainable impact and local transformation. Learn more here . By connecting, engaging, and inspiring others, UWP will help build a community where more families have the opportunity to thrive.