Member News

On Thursday, February 13, 2020, at Mt. Hope Estate & Winery, United Way of Lebanon County held The Faces of Impact Celebration Dinner, the first of what they hope will  become an annual event celebrating  the impact of United Way investments within Lebanon County.

The evening began with approximately 150 attendees coming together to network and view the faces of impact posters that depict stories, statistics, and outcomes demonstrating local lives that have been changed by United Way and their grant-funded program partners. Guests then enjoyed dinner while the official event program began with welcome remarks given by event emcee, Ray Maillet of WLBR/WQIC. Ray thanked the event sponsors, UPMC Health Plan, Kreamer Funeral Home, and Members 1st Federal Credit Union, as well WellSpan Health and Penn State Health as the overall campaign sponsors.

Brooke Smith, United Way of Lebanon County’s CEO, then shared a story of how her passion for community impact work and advocacy for children stems from her first professional experience, working as a foster care case manager. Witnessing the struggle of the children and families she worked with inspired her to pursue a career that involved influencing systemic change. . She also recognized two key board members with the Robert P. Hoffman Volunteer Excellence Award for their expertise and guidance through United Way’s leadership transition: Rick Scott and Ron Stohler. Next up, Brooke and campaign chairman, Greg Weaber of Cornwall Manor, awarded the campaign awards to the following businesses and individual who went above and beyond this year:

Community Commitment Award: Cornwall Manor
Employee Engagement Award: Henise Tire
Employee Giving Award: APR Supply
Award of Excellence: Butler BlueScope
Campaign Cabinet MVP: Shaylene Scheib of the The Hill School

The most anticipated part of the evening was the announcement of the incentive prize winners:
· Year-long family membership to the YMCA: Theresa Binner, Ebersole
· Pizza-a -week for a year sponsored by Domino’s: Alane Reigel, Cornwall Lebanon School District
· Weber Grill sponsored by Martin Appliance: Dr. J. Byard Yoder, WellSpan Good Samaritan
· Hersheypark 4-pack of season tickets including drink plans sponsored by Hershey Entertainment & Resorts: Chris Bui, Butler BlueScope
· $500 gift card (3) to Giant: Bill Allwein, Hershey Company; Betsy Bowman, Lebanon County Housing; Vonda Deveney, Cornwall Manor
· Choice Prize (2020 Harley Davidson Iron 883 from White’s Harley Davidson OR $2500 from Boscov’s and $5000 from Fulton Bank): Angela Bentz, HACC
· Grand prize - 2020 Hyundai Accent sponsored by Ebersole, Klick Lewis, and Ladd Hanford: Cindy Eisenhauer, WellSpan Good Samaritan

At this point in the evening, Brooke Smith shared that the total raised during this year’s campaign to date was $1,408,955. She also shared the exciting news that Thomas Harlow, President of WellSpan Good Samaritan Hospital, in partnership with his leadership team will be serving as next year’s campaign chair(s). This team includes Stephanie Andreozzi, Kelly Smith, Patty Donley, Ginny Follet, Jeff Smith, and Bob Shaver. The evening concluded with closing remarks from Philip Domencic, United Way’s 2020 Board President.  

Thank you to everyone who joined United Way for the Impact Celebration, all of the individuals and businesses who have donated to United Way, and all of the agencies who are doing the hard work to improve lives throughout Lebanon County.

About United Way of Lebanon County: As a trusted community leader, United Way of Lebanon County fights for the health, education, and financial stability for all people within the county. United Way seeks to strengthen key areas of need by leveraging community-based partnerships and maximizing resources to build our communities and impact the complex problems facing our county in order to help every citizen - young and old - thrive. For more information, visit unitedwaylebco.org.