On April 1, 2022, United Way of the Piedmont welcomed seven new members to its Board of Directors. These corporate and community leaders from Spartanburg, Cherokee, and Union Counties join 27 other diverse members of United Way's volunteer board. United Way of the Piedmont welcomes the following new members to the 2022-2023 Board of Directors:  Parkes B. Coggins, MHA Vice President Cardiac Services and Operations Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System Parkes is currently the vice president of cardiac services and operations at Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System and has served in that role since June of 2020. Prior to this role, he was the vice president of hospital integration, responsible for integration activities related to the acquisition of Mary Black Health System by Spartanburg Regional, on January 1st, 2019. Prior to the acquisition, Parkes was the chief executive officer of Mary Black Health System Spartanburg and held the same position at Carolinas Hospital System Marion (now Marion Medical Center) between 2015 and 2018. Parkes held other positions including chief operating officer and assistant chief executive officer at other CHS and HMA affiliated hospitals since 2007. Parkes received a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Newberry College and a Master of Health Administration from the Medical University of South Carolina. Parkes resides in Spartanburg with his wife, Meredith, and three children, Hannah (6), Browning (4), and Grady (8 months). Kurt Dallas President Product Solutions AFL Kurt Dallas, President of AFL Product Solutions, leads global product-based businesses and is responsible for driving strategies for growth and delivering an enhanced customer experience. Kurt began his career with AFL in 1991 as senior applications engineer and advanced into technical management, project management and product development. In 2007, he assumed responsibility for AFL’s cable business and by 2015 started managing AFL’s connectivity business. By 2017, Kurt was named executive vice president of AFL’s cable, connectivity, and equipment businesses, managing a large portfolio of products. During his career with AFL, he has led multiple U.S. and international manufacturing operations and sales in the United Kingdom, Germany, Australia, New Zealand, and Mexico plus the equipment businesses in North America. Kurt also serves on AFL’s Board of Directors. Kurt is a graduate of Memphis State where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering and holds a Master of Science in Engineering Management from the University of Tennessee. He is active with SWITCH and Set Free, plus organizations focused on cancer research and prevention, and he volunteers with Hands on Greenville, Habitat for Humanity and the International Justice Mission. Kurt has been married for 33 years and has two children plus one grandchild. He attends Fellowship Greenville and in his spare time, he enjoys golfing, boating, traveling, and spending time with his family. Dana Gottman Chief Human Resource Officer AFL Dana graduated from Missouri State University in Springfield, MO with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications, with an emphasis on Public Relations. Her first job, post-college, was at JP Morgan Chase Bank in their Springfield, MO call center. Eventually life led her to Spartanburg, where she began working for American Credit Acceptance (ACA) as a Talent Acquisition Manager in 2011. Over the course of almost 12 years, she had the opportunity to work in other parts of HR and is now the Chief Human Resource Officer for ACA. Dana met her husband, Maxwell, while attending Missouri State University. His work brought them to Spartanburg in late 2010 where they worked together for several years at ACA before starting a family in 2013. They have two children, Elliott (8) and Zoey (5). Angela Halstead Vice President and Broker in Charge Coldwell Banker Caine As Vice President and Broker in Charge of Coldwell Banker Caine in Spartanburg and Broker in Charge of the Caine Referral Company, Angela considers it a privilege to hep agents reach their full potential in real estate and in life. In her previous 22-year career at Milliken & Co., she held a variety of positions including roles in sales and marketing, which eventually led to her position as the Global Sales Process Leader for her division. Her experience in training and guidance for sales teams around the world directly translates into her role as a broker today. As a support system for the agents, she challenges them to find innovative ways to grow their business. Beginning her real estate career as a commercial sales agent, she has now found her calling as a residential broker in charge at Caine. Angela is married to her husband, Clifford, and enjoys being a mother to their two beautiful children. She also volunteers in the community. Currently, she serves as the President of the Board of Trustees for Ballet Spartanburg, and the immediate past President of the MLS Board of Directors for the Spartanburg Association of Realtors. She also serves on the CHEAC committee for Spartanburg District 7 Schools and is an active member of the Episcopal Church of the Advent. Bennie Harris Chancellor USC Upstate Bennie L. Harris, Ph.D., serves as USC Upstate’s seventh chancellor, where he fulfills his purpose to inspire and develop young people to change the world. He believes higher education offers opportunities for people to experience possibilities and achieve their greatest aspirations. Before his appointment at USC Upstate, Dr. Harris served as senior vice president for Institutional Advancement at the Morehouse School of Medicine (MSM) in Atlanta, Georgia, beginning in 2014. At MSM, Dr. Harris co-chaired the institution’s five-year strategic plan and served as a critical member in developing the school’s Leadership Academy, a program designed to promote leadership among faculty and staff. He dramatically impacted the school’s fundraising outcomes, launching a $225 million comprehensive campaign and growing fundraising income to $235 million over seven years. In addition, MSM has received $177,309,691 in funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) since 2015. Dr. Harris previously served in leadership positions at Lipscomb University, DePaul University, the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and Washington State University. Since moving to the Upstate of South Carolina, Dr. Harris has been appointed to serve on the boards of several civic organizations, including the Spartanburg Academic Movement, Ten at the Top, OneSpartanburg, The Charles Lea Center Administrative Board, United Way of the Piedmont, the Franklin School, NCAA Big South Conference. He is also a member of the Greenville Chamber of Commerce Accelerate Steering Committee. A native of Rosedale, Mississippi, Dr. Harris earned a Bachelor of Science degree in industrial engineering from Mississippi State University, a Master of Business Administration from Washington State University, and a Ph.D. in educational leadership from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. He is married to his college sweetheart, Frankie A. Harris, and together they have three adult children, Bria, Bennie II, and Branden. Frannie Stockwell Executive Director Cherokee County Chamber of Commerce Frannie is the Executive Director of the Cherokee County Chamber of Commerce. She is involved in the community and participates as a board member for United Way of Piedmont, Ten at the Top, Crimestoppers, Rise Against Drugs and Alcohol, Institute of Innovation Advisory Board, the Clemson Extension, and is a member of Rotary International. Frannie is married to Greg Stockwell and has three children, Emily, Erica, and Dylan. Timika Wilson Co-Lead Union County Community Remembrance Project LTC (Ret) Timika M. Wilson was born in Frankfurt, Germany. A 1992 graduate of Union High School, she was commissioned into the United States Army in August 1997 from the Clemson University Army ROTC program. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Ceramic Engineering. She is a graduate of the Engineer Officer Basic Course, Engineer Captain’s Career Course, United States Army Recruiters School, Fort Jackson, South Carolina, and Combined Armed Services and Staff College. She has a Master's in Engineering Management from Missouri University of Science & Technology. Timika has served in a multitude of leadership positions at every echelon from tactical to strategic in various Army Major Commands from FORSCOM to TRADOC. This service includes four combat tour deployments in support of Iraq and Afghanistan as an Engineer Planner and Construction Management Action Officer providing oversight and administrative support for military construction projects to help rebuild Afghanistan infrastructure, facilitate housing for troops across Afghanistan, and master plan entire basecamps in a contingency environment. As Deputy Commander at the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Jacksonville District, she provided emergency support operations expertise at the Florida State Emergency Operations Center coordinating USACE resources, funding, and personnel response for three Hurricanes including Blue Roof missions for temporary roof replacement and mobile unit support for on ground USACE assets. With this diverse experience, Timika has developed the managerial, leadership, and training skills required of an adaptive and dynamic individual ready and able to support the mission in any situation. She retired in 2018 and committed to continuing her service. She is the Union County Democratic Party Chair focused on “Voter Registration, Education & Participation” growing the party from 81 to 391 active members, the Equal Justice Initiative endorsed Union County Community Remembrance Project Co-Lead that facilitated the UCCRP JUNETEENTH Remembrance & Celebration in 2021 on the day of the holiday’s Federal recognition, Union County Vision Council, Board Member and Special Projects Committee Chair for the L.W. Long Community Resource Center raising over $40K for the historic Union Community Hospital renovation and rehabilitation, Spartanburg Community College Union Campus Advisory Committee, Union County Chamber of Commerce – Individual member, and WeGoJA Foundation Board of Director. She is an active member of Eta Sigma Sigma Greenville Alumnae Chapter of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. (Divine 9) serving as the National Programs & Local Community Service Committee Chair that facilitated Operation Big Bookbag at the Upstate Circle of Friends providing over one hundred bookbags, new books, builder kits and pencil sets to young students. She is the Undergraduate Chapter Advisor for Mu Psi Chapter at Clemson University and the 81st Southeastern Region Conference Undergraduate Advisor of the Year 2021 while serving as UCA for both Mu Psi and Nu Chi Chapters at Clemson University and Lander University, respectively. She is a Union, It's Time We Talk Podcast Panelist responsible for programming and booking guests with an audience of over 1,100. She also volunteers as a leader or member for several other local organizations to assist and inform residents of Union County, SC for a better Union. Timika M. Wilson resides in Santuc, SC with her parents, Sergeant First Class Retired, Leon and Peggy Wilson who were born in Santuc and Carlisle, respectively. Timika learned her servant leader principles from her parents and is committed to continuing that tradition. For more information about United Way's Board of Directors, please visit: uwpiedmont.org/boardofdirectors .

Spartanburg, S.C. (March 29, 2022) - United Way of the Piedmont is excited to announce the allocation of funding by the Youth Philanthropy Board. United Way’s Youth Philanthropy Board is comprised of local high school students who serve on the board for one year and learn about community issues and connect with community leaders. They also go through a micro-grant making process to better understand how organizations can apply for and receive funding. This year the group reviewed and approved funding requests for six local youth programs: Ball4Good – Celebrity Basketball Games Ball4Good is a youth run organization that raises funds and supports communities and nonprofits through sports, volunteering, fun activities, and grant-making. Ball4Good is hosting a Celebrity Basketball game, and funds raised will help promote opportunities to support youth who have been impacted by cancer, build a library for blind students, provide a sensory room for children impacted by autism, support afterschool programming, invest in mental health support, and provide mentorship opportunities. Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Upstate – Big Appreciation Party Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) creates and supports meaningful one-to-one mentoring relationships that ignite the power and potential of youth. To thank their current volunteer mentors and foster engagement and recruitment, BBBS Upstate would like to host a “Big” Appreciation party. Brown Girls Read – After School Program for Girls of Color Brown Girls Read (BGR) is designed to assist young girls of color from 4th grade through 12th grade with reading, writing, and public speaking skills. Their After School Program will enable 100 at-risk and underprivileged girls of color to participate in the program at no cost to them or to their families. Hub City Farmer’s Market –Youth Farm Youth Farm is a program for high school students ages 14-18 to work on the Urban Farm eight weeks during the summer. During this time, youth are exposed to workshops focusing on sustainability agriculture, health and wellness, mindfulness, college and career readiness, diversity & inclusion, financial literacy, and more. Junior Achievement of Greater SC – Inspiring and preparing the future workforce in Spartanburg and Cherokee Counties Junior Achievement’s (JA) mission is "to inspire and prepare young people to succeed in a global economy" through experiential, real-world, volunteer-led programs focused on teaching workforce readiness, soft skills, achieving financial literacy, and developing entrepreneurship. Funding from the Board will support two middle or high school classes in receiving JA programs. Uplift Outreach Center – Enhancing Communication Between LGBTQ+ Youth and Their Parents The Uplift Outreach Center provides a safe, open, and inclusive space for LGBTQ+ youth and their allies ages 10-22 in the Spartanburg and surrounding areas. Funds will support a program that will address poor communication between adults and teens. Uplift is planning to work with a local counselor that specializes in working with LGBTQ+ youth. Savannah Ray, Director of UWP’s Education Engagement and Partnerships, spearheads the Youth Philanthropy Board program. She said, “Working with the members on the Youth Philanthropy Board has been an amazing experience, because they’re all passionate about helping the youth in our community,” Savannah said. “I’m proud of how far they’ve come and I’m excited to see how they’ll continue to move forward.” The Youth Philanthropy Board accepts applications from rising high school juniors and seniors in the late summer every year. To learn more about the Youth Philanthropy Board, visit United Way’s website, www.uwpiedmont.org/youthphilanthropyboard. About United Way of the Piedmont United Way of the Piedmont is a local nonprofit that fights for the education, financial stability, and health of every member of our community. Our mission is to connect, engage, and inspire people to transform our community. We are more than fundraisers. We forge unique partnerships, find new solutions to old problems, and mobilize the best resources by inspiring others to join the fight. We believe that everyone deserves the opportunity to not just survive, but to thrive. Learn more at www.uwpiedmont.org.

Spartanburg, SC (April 5, 2022) - United Way of the Piedmont is now accepting Letters of Intent as part of their Community Investment Process for 2023-2025. Earlier this year, United Way launched their new Community Impact Agenda , announcing their goals and focus areas for the next ten years. Within the agenda, United Way outlines their strategies for improving our community within the areas of Education, Economic Mobility, and Health through their internal programs, collective impact work, and community investments. While United Way has funded local nonprofit programs as part of their work for over 85 years, their newest investments will be based on their alignment with their Bold Goals : Decrease the number of families living below self-sufficiency by 11,000 (10%). Decrease the number of individuals living in poverty who are unemployed by 3,700 (75%). Decrease the number of cost-burdened low-income households by 6,000 (10%). Bringing all their work into alignment with these goals enables United Way to have a deeper impact in the community, creating long-lasting change for thousands of families. Programs operated in Spartanburg, Cherokee, and Union Counties that align with the impact agenda are welcome to submit Letters of Intent by April 29, 2022. Letters of Intent may be submitted via the United Way grant portal , creating/logging into an agency account on the portal and clicking “2022 CIP Letter of Intent” from the menu on the left. Information about United Way’s Community Impact Agenda, funding timeline, and frequently asked questions can be found at uwpiedmont.org/funding . Please reach out to Hannah Jarrett (hjarrett@uwpiedmont.org) with any questions or concerns.

How important is it for kids to learn to read and build strong literacy skills? Most experts agree it’s essential. Research shows: An introduction to books early on is the single most significant factor influencing a child’s educational success. 1 Kids who read proficiently by third grade are four times as likely to graduate on time. 2 Earning a high school diploma helps kids avoid incarceration 3 , find a job that pays a sustainable wage 4 , and live a healthier life 5 . Literacy skills are vital because opening a book leads to so much more than reading. Books help kids develop new skills and abilities that help them in school and after graduation. Here are the four skills kids learn when they read: Skill #1: Empathy Books provide an opportunity for kids to learn about people, places, cultures, activities and other things different from what they’re experiencing in their current environment. Reading stories of how others handle situations allows them to gain a new perspective. It’s an idea that is supported by research. According to research from The New School in New York City 6 , reading fiction improves a reader’s capacity to understand what others are thinking and feeling. Skill #2: Self-confidence Kids become what they see. When a character looks like or has similar characteristics to the child reading the book, the story can show them new possibilities. That could be a new career idea, place they can travel, food they can eat or even different ways to react to things that are happening in their lives. Additionally, activities like choosing their own book, reading aloud and problem-solving while reading can help children develop agency which leads to self-confidence. Encourage their development while reading by asking questions about characters in the book, like “what should she do next?” or “why do you think he did that?” Skill #3: Expanded Vocabulary The more words kids read and hear the more opportunities they have to expand their vocabulary. Knowing more words fosters better written and verbal communication – an essential skill for school and the workplace. When reading out loud with kids, identify one new vocabulary word and talk about it. If the story has the word “ spectacular,” ask them what they think it means, then share the definition as you know it: “Spectacular means very good.” Emphasize the pronunciation of new words to help kids connect the phonics to the letters within the words. Skill #4: Pattern Recognition Every story has a beginning, middle and end. The logical sequence of events in each story helps a reader understand what is happening. This story pattern can help kids start to recognize the order and sequence of effective communication. It can also help build pattern recognition that translates into other school subjects such as math and science. Building literacy skills is critical to the success children can achieve. Having access to books and reading support is vital, and right now, too many children don’t have either. In the U.S., one in four kids grow up not knowing how to read at a basic level 7 . The statistics are even grimmer for children who come from under-resourced neighborhoods. Three in five families who struggle to make ends meet have no books in their homes for their children 8 . United Way of the Piedmont promotes literacy through our Prepared to Thrive initiative to give more kids the opportunity to build the skills they need. Programs like these are possible because of generous supporters in our community. If you want more kids in our community to get access to the books they need, please consider donating today . Sources 1 National Commission on Reading 2 Donald J. Hernandez, Double Jeopardy: How Third-Grade Reading Skills and Poverty Influence High School Graduation. The Annie E. Casey Foundation; Center 3 U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics 4 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics 5 Center for Disease Control and Prevention 6 The New School in New York City via Scientific American 7 National Assessment of Educational Progress 8 Reading Literacy in the United States: Findings from the IEA Reading Literacy Study

CAMPAIGN BEST PRACTICES: CONTEC, Inc.

By Paige Stephenson and Troy Hanna. Read the original post on GoUpstate here .

United Way of the Piedmont is offering free tax assistance to Spartanburg, Cherokee, and Union County residents through its Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program. Any family making $60,000 per year or less qualifies for this free service. United Way’s VITA volunteers help families in our community keep more of what they've earned by getting their tax returns without paying unnecessary predatory tax service fees . Because the VITA program provides all the tools and training needed for volunteers to become IRS-certified tax specialists, volunteers come from a wide variety of backgrounds. Abby Harwell, who has been a VITA volunteer for two years, shared her experience of working with the program. “I always ask myself ‘If I had an hour to leave someone better off than when I met them, how would I do it?’” she said. As a VITA volunteer, Abby interacts with different people every week. From teenagers with their first jobs, to retirees and self-employed business owners. Not only did she help with taxes, but she also heard their stories. “Many people weren’t able to pay for basic things like rent and utilities because of the pandemic,” Harwell said. “They were going to use their tax returns to pay off debt from past due bills and late fees.” Harwell realized that many families were wrongly advised about how to fill out W-2 forms, which led to some residents facing large amounts of debt owed to the IRS. During the hour that she spent with these families, she recognized the opportunity she had to help them become prepared for future years. “I walked each family through the best ways for them to maximize their withholdings and refunds so they wouldn’t face financial crises,” Abby said. “For some families, this knowledge was the difference between being able to keep the lights on and losing their homes.” For Abby, this was the highlight of becoming a VITA volunteer. “For me, VITA is about more than taxes,” she said. “It’s about making financial stability accessible to all families.” For more information about VITA, visit uwpiedmont.org/freetaxpreparation .

United Way of the Piedmont announced today its first Director of Advocacy, Emilee O'Brien. The new position was made possible by the ‘StriveTogether’ grant that pushed for the advancement of local and statewide policy. O’Brien’s role will also serve as a joint position with its partner Spartanburg Academic Movement. “I chose United Way and SAM for their shared commitment to closing opportunity gaps relating to educational attainment, economic mobility, and community health outcomes,” O’Brien said. As new Director of advocacy, O’Brien says she's ‘excited to plant roots in the Spartanburg community.’ United Way and SAM plan to strengthen their commitments to advocacy. Together, with similar agendas, solid strategies, and a new director, they hope their efforts will bring policy change that amplifies success for the community. President & CEO of United Way of the Piedmont, Paige Stephenson, says the new position was a natural partnership for United Way and SAM. “When we’re looking at the overlap between us and SAM, everything we’re about from a policy-advocacy perspective is dealing with economic mobility, education and health. For SAM, they’re leading with the education piece and trying to create statewide public policy efforts," Stephenson said. "Whenever you’re doing that, you’re taking into account things that deal with the economic mobility of the family and the stability of that families’ housing and income, so as we look at expanding our commitment to advocacy it was a natural partnership for us to create," said Stephenson. Head of Spartanburg Academic Movement, Russell Booker, said O’Brien’s enthusiasm and unique skill set will drive community action “Above all, she has a passion for education and will work to help our organizations champion a policy agenda aimed towards the betterment of our children and communities,” Booker said. “This position will accelerate our advocacy efforts, amplify the voice of public education, and shepherd equitable policies on behalf of Spartanburg’s children.” Emilee is a Political Science and Poverty studies graduate of Furman University. She received her master’s degree in Educational Transformation with a concentration in advocacy and policy from Georgetown University. She interned at Riley Institute’s Center for Education Policy and Leadership where she participated in research and intergroup dialogue. She was also a Post-Baccalaureate Fellow for Social Justice and Community-Engaged Learning.

Bank of America has awarded United Way of the Piedmont a $15,000 grant for its Homeless Prevention Fund. The grant will help improve economic mobility for residents within Spartanburg, Cherokee and Union counties. The Homeless Prevention Fund is one of several interventions of United Way’s Bold Goals. By 2030, the organization wants to decrease the number of individuals below self-sufficiency by 11,000, decrease the number of cost-burdened low-income households by 6,000, and decrease the number of unemployed individuals living in poverty by 75 percent. The fund represents an upstream approach to help families escape homelessness and avoid financial crises. Bank of America’s grant will help expand United Way's assistance through interventions like transitional housing, opportunity housing, Community Resource Coordinators, and transportation to work. Stacy Brandon, President of Bank of America Upstate, said the grant for United Way illustrates something significant for the three Upstate counties. “Supporting the United Way of the Piedmont Homeless Prevention Fund is part of Bank of America’s longstanding commitment to advancing economic mobility in the Upstate,” said Brandon. “In partnering with organizations like United Way, we seek to help our neighbors address critical needs and provide resources that create long-term paths for their success.” United Way of the Piedmont and Bank of America share over 25 years of partnership aimed at increasing and improving financial stability for individuals and families in the Upstate. Since September 2020, 234 households received assistance through the Homeless Prevention Fund. After connecting with United Way’s Community Resource Coordinators, the fund helped to prevent 212 of those families from becoming homeless and helped 22 families escape homelessness. For more information, visit www.uwpiedmont.org/boldgoals.