Photo courtesy of Sara Lynn Hill.
United Way of Central Alabama, which includes some volunteers from Vestavia Hills seen here, is celebrating its 100th anniversary this month.
UPDATE: A previous version of this story incorrectly stated The Exceptional Foundation is funded through United Way. The Vestavia Voice apologizes for the error.
Vestavia Hills City Manager Jeff Downes may wear many hats in the city of Vestavia, but one of the most enjoyable is the “chief cheerleader” for United Way of Central Alabama.
“I’ve always been a strong supporter of the United Way,” Downes said.
The organization shows a heart for those who need uplifting and cares for the “least of these,” Downes said. Several years ago, Downes began leading Vestavia Hills employees to raise money each year for United Way, and this year, he chairs the organization’s cabinet over community divisions, which helps raise funds from local governments, educational institutions and organizations, nonprofits and similar agencies, Downes said.
The help that United Way provides is also personal for Downes, whose stepson Chad has special needs and attends The Exceptional Foundation. When Downes first met Chad, he could not speak and had severe learning disabilities. Downes and his wife were told they’d need to learn sign language in order to communicate with him, he said.
Over time, Chad learned to talk and now regularly says, “I love you, Jeff,” Downes said.
Downes has volunteered with the Big Brother Big Sister program and has led volunteers from Vestavia there as well.
“They [United Way] can’t function without resources,” Downes said. “If I can help them achieve their goals financially, many others can see it.”
United Way is celebrating 100 years this month, and has made major impacts throughout the region, including in Vestavia Hills.
“We are firm believers that when we come together as a whole, the possibilities are endless,” said Drew Langloh, UWCA president and CEO. “Our 100-year impact on the Central Alabama community proves this, and we look forward to continuing to pave the way for real, tangible change for the next 100 years.”
Those future plans start with a celebration of where they’ve been and where they’re headed. On June 24, UWCA supporters, partners and neighbors are invited to CityWalk in Birmingham from 3 to 8 p.m. to enjoy live music, food, performers, games, a partner agency fair and more.
In the coming months, UWCA will also unveil six community park projects, one in each county served by the organization.
United Way has been special to Kimberly Jackson for around 15 years now. She’s seen it change people’s lives firsthand.
“It really resonates for me in my service on several nonprofit boards that are United Way agencies; I get to see how important United Way’s support is to those agencies and how impactful it is,” she said.
Jackson is the president of the board of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Birmingham, and she said for the past seven years, she’s seen how funds from United Way have made a difference in the lives of Birmingham-area children and teens.
Big Brothers Big Sisters is one of more than 200 programs, services and initiatives in six central Alabama counties that are meeting community needs. UWCA pools resources from donors to help fund the work of these agencies.
“As long as we can continue to undergird and support United Way, those nonprofit agencies will have the support they need,” said Jackson, who lives in the Liberty Park area.
Stephen Armstrong, executive vice president of O’Neal Industries, said he became more involved with United Way when he joined the Visiting Allocations team, a group of volunteers who evaluate the businesses and agencies benefiting from United Way’s funds. That work includes a financial review, talking with leaders and seeing the difference the money makes, he said.
Armstrong also helps United Way run their campaign and meets with area businesses and organizations about each year’s fundraising campaign. As someone in the metal industry, he meets with similar businesses, he said.
“I feel so good about how the United Way goes about helping people in our communities,” Armstrong said. “I think giving back to the community is important for all of us. I feel blessed to be able to do it and participate.”
Jackson said bringing different voices to the table is one of the best parts of UWCA.
That’s how it all started 100 years ago, Langloh said — around a table. In 1923, a group of local business people got together to deal with the social problems in the rapidly growing city of Birmingham.
“When you read the minutes from back then, you begin to understand that the organization was seen as a device or a mechanism,” Langloh said. “Oftentimes, they would come together if there was a big issue brewing in the community that needed attention.”
Now with more than 200 agencies, UWCA is hoping to raise its endowment to $100 million to ensure that kind of assistance keeps going.
“The whole reason for United Way is to serve the community,” said Langloh, who has worked with UWCA for 24 years, 15 of those as CEO. “To me, it all starts with this fundamental belief that this organization is owned by the community, not owned by anyone in particular. Because of that, we’ve been successful in that each generation that comes along has picked it up and stewarded it through their time and then handed it off.”
For more information about the centennial celebration, visit uwca.org/100years.
