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The United Gift Fund awarded a total of $57,635 raised over the last several months to local nonprofit agencies in need.
Larry Griffin
lgriffin@thesmokymountaintimes.com
The Swain County United Gift Fund (UGF) gathered in the United Bank meeting room Thursday, March 28, and over hot soup and fizzy drinks celebrated raising $57,635 to go towards local businesses in need of funds.
The fund accepts applications every year from local organizations and nonprofits in need, and then they conduct a fundraising drive, with the proceeds distributed after the new year to a selected group of those the board deems the most in-need. The UGF has raised $356,422 since it started in 2018.
At the lunch event, light pockets of conversation circled the table as people enjoyed the beef and vegetable stew and salad.
Mike Shakar, Swain UGF chairman, stressed that the UGF’s strength was that it was a completely local benefit.
“It’s important that what we do stays here in Swain County,” he said.
Several officials from nonprofits and groups who received the funds were in attendance. They all took turns going around the table. Leila Duncan, president and chief executive officer with Big Brothers Big Sisters WNC, said the UGF money would help expand their program. Kathy Posey with the SCC Foundation described how the money would go toward the college’s New Century Scholars program, which helps students in Swain, Macon and Jackson counties through middle school, high school and then enrollment in college.
Kimberly Donaldson with the Maroon Strong Foundation said the money from the UGF would help them “provide supplemental material” and food for school events.
Head librarian Jeff Delfield made light of the current ongoing library expansion project when it came his turn to speak.
“I’m known as the project manager for the expansion, but I also run the day-to-day operations in my spare time,” he said, eliciting laughter.
He said the UGF funds would benefit that very day-to-day operation he joked about, including adding new “educational programs, magazines and books.”
Swain County Department of Social Services Director Bree Clawson said the funds would go toward growing the foster care program in the county – much needed, she added later: in one current case, a 17-year-old is living in the DSS office because there’s nowhere else for him to go.
Dan Manley with Bryson City Food Pantry said that would also be aided by the UGF funds. Manley said new, broader standards for the pantry after they’ve partnered with MANNA Food Bank in recent years “exploded” the amount of people using their services, and “that’s why this [UGF] money is so important.”
“We all know what food prices are like,” he said.
Shakar said it was sometimes tough to decide who gets the funds from the UGF every year.
“We had a big surge in donations during Covid,” he said. “It was a little surprising. It’s gone back to a reasonable level now. We’re not able to meet all requests—it can be a tough decision. That’s why we have members sit on other boards. Where’s the real need?”
He said the whole board welcomed requests for the UGF money.
“We’d rather have you ask for three and we can give you five,” he said. “Our motto is ‘give once to benefit many.’ We don’t want to discourage anyone. They want to give - they don’t want to have to choose.”
Shakar added that they were working on ramping up their social media presence, too - to further get out the word that the funds are available.