United Way of Piedmont to host reception at Broad River Co-Op

The United Way of the Piedmont will make its inclusion of Cherokee County official Monday as the organization hosts a reception and information session at the Broad River Electric Co-Op's conference room in Gaffney.

The United Way of the Piedmont's Board of Directors voted last month to assume responsibility for providing funding to support nonprofit and community agencies in Cherokee County. The organization already serves Spartanburg and Union counties, where fundraising efforts generated more than $4 million last year.

The addition of Cherokee County creates a lot of opportunities for United Way of the Piedmont, said the organization's president Kathy Dunleavy.

"We are very much looking forward to the opportunity to serve Cherokee County," Dunleavy said. "Bringing Cherokee County into the fold helps us do more things within the agencies we support."

The organization provides funding for 109 programs in 62 agencies throughout Spartanburg and Union counties and with the addition of Cherokee County it will now directly impact 350,000 residents in the Upstate.

According to Dunleavy, all funds donated from Cherokee County will be used to provide services in Cherokee County.

While some are excited about the county being brought into the same United Way fold as Spartanburg and Union counties, some are not pleased about the issue - feeling the local United Way will lose its identity with nonprofit organizations here if operations are based in Spartanburg.

However, Dunleavy said that is the whole reason why the brief "meet and greet" session was scheduled - so that all companies, agencies and local leaders could see what the organization is doing and hopes to do for Cherokee County.

"We want to show them we are here for them and answer any pressing questions they may have," Dunleavy said. "This will give us a chance to introduce ourselves and let them know we take pride in them giving us such a valuable opportunity."

The reception is scheduled to begin at 5:30 p.m. at the Broad River Electric Co-Op conference room at 811 Hamrick St.

For more information, call 866-345-3086.