A LETTER FROM OUR BOARD CHAIR, MR. DAVID BRACE

I’d like to begin by thanking each and every donor and volunteer for donating your valuable time, hard earned dollars, and countless efforts in working with the United Way of Greater Knoxville this year. There are many ways to give back to a community, but you all chose the United Way, and your trust couldn’t be more appreciated. Your commitment to this incredible organization and the Knoxville community over the last year has been overwhelming. It has been not only a great pleasure, but a great honor to serve as your board chair over this last year.

In 2018, the United Way of Greater Knoxville supported 119 programs through 56 partner agencies. Through those programs and the efforts of over 1,000 volunteers, I’m proud to say that we positively impacted the lives of over 173,000 people in our great community – almost double the capacity of Neyland Stadium!

2018 was certainly a year of great success for United Way.

But that doesn’t mean our work is finished. As the community will continue to grow, so should our efforts to help it. While we may have helped thousands of people, still so many require our efforts and support. This means that our community needs still exceed the resources and funds we’ve raised. With that information, I issue a challenge to all members to try and make an even greater impact in the community next year. I challenge us all to do more for this great community so that it can grow, and thrive.

Thank you all again for your hard work in 2018. I’m confident that you will all join me again next year to help make 2019 an even better year for the Knoxville community.

Mr. David Brace

Board Chair

2017-2019

We raised $12,001,969 in 2018!

A LETTER FROM OUR CAMPAIGN CHAIR, DR. JIMMY CHEEK

When I began the 2018 United Way of Greater Knoxville Campaign as Campaign Chair, I made it my goal to ask our partners and friends for 10% more this year. Coaches tell their athletes all the time that you have to give 110% in order to be successful, and I wanted to apply that method to our campaign.

In 2018, the United Way of Greater Knoxville helped over 173,000 people – that’s almost double the capacity of Neyland Stadium! That incredible impact is entirely due to companies, groups, and individuals following through on giving 10% more this year. The more our community gives, the more our community receives; and we are so grateful to everyone that has given in the past year.

Though my time as Campaign Chair is drawing to a close, I will continue to be a close friend and partner of the United Way, and I encourage everyone to follow my lead and keep this good work going. Though we have made great strides in the amount of people we helped this year, there is always more to be done – and I look forward to helping United Way of Greater Knoxville do it.

With our volunteer spirit, the Knoxville community can become the best it can be. We just need you!

Sincerely,

Jimmy G. Cheek

2018 Campaign Chair

A LETTER FROM OUR PRESIDENT, MR. BEN LANDERS

Do we ever really think about what we have here in the Greater Knoxville Area? Do we think about who and what helped build this community? We are standing on the shoulders of thousands of volunteers, donors, and partner agencies who have come before us. They made great contributions of their time, talents, and money in an effort to sustain and construct this community, and we are following in their footsteps. The United Way of Greater Knoxville has played a vital role in maintaining the foundation of health and human service support here; and while we’re very proud of our accomplishments in this community, there is still much to be done. We still have our share of social challenges. 2018 was our 96^th year in Knox County, and every moment was spent focusing on how to improve conditions for all of our people – and we’re not done yet.

The United Way concept was dreamt and built 131 years ago by three clergy members and a passionately philanthropic woman in Denver, Colorado. They became a citizens’ activist group and together vowed to ease human suffering in their community. They raised awareness about the issues, raised money to grant out to agencies and partners, and raised hope for every person and life that they touched. While that concept lives on today, the manner in which we accomplish our goals will change. As some volunteer and donor groups move on, others will step up – and how we connect with them will, too. But above all, we will remain a vibrant, listening, and responsive organization fighting for improvements in health, education, and financial stability.

So we say thank-you so much to the people who donate their time, talent, and treasure to United Way. In 2018, thousands of people chose United Way as their way to give back and make a lasting impact on our community, and we could not be more grateful to be the trusted custodians and change-makers in Knox County. Your support and dedication have never been so vital as we tackle new problems all in an effort to make this community the best it can be.

Finally, if you want to see this work in action, let us show you how together we change lives. Please call on us to show you just how much of a difference we all make in our community. After all – to live better, we must Live United!

Ben Landers

President