Special to Iredell Free News

United Way of Iredell County was recently recognized at the Southeastern Regional Conference of United Ways for its outstanding efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Iredell nonprofit was the only mid-sized United Way recognized with this award for the 11-state region.

“We are proud to accept this award because it represents the incredible work of so many partners across Iredell County to serve this community during a very difficult time,” said Shannon Viera, United Way of Iredell County board president.

“Together, these partners were able to invest over $2 million into serving our friends and neighbors during this crisis, providing food, shelter, medical and mental health support and getting people back to work, serving the people of our community over 241,000 times.”

Executive Director Brett Eckerman added: “We couldn’t have achieved any of this without our institutional partners at the Iredell County Community Foundation and United Way of Central Carolinas, without our mission partners at Iredell County Government, Iredell \-Statesville Schools and the City of Statesville, and without our donors like Lowe’s Home Improvement, DENSO and so many other corporations and individuals who gave generously. We’d also be remiss not to recognize the incredible sacrifice and commitment made by our healthcare partners over this time to meet the needs of families, often at great personal risk.”

Marian Steele Clark, vice president of community investment and chair of the initial COVID-19 response fund, said the work was a “labor or love” for the volunteers and donors.

“So many folks stepped outside of their normal roles to do whatever was necessary to serve and support our community,” Clark said. “We are deeply grateful for that sacrifice and caring and hope that this award serves as a little validation of what a special community we are a part of.”

The impacts of COVID19 continue to disrupt the health, education and financial stability of families across our community. If you need help, call 2-1-1 and speak with a trained referral specialist who can get you to the programs and services needed. If you wish to donate to support this continuing work, visit www.uwiredell.org or mail a check to PO Box 1312, Statesville, NC 28687.

About United Way of Iredell County

United Way of Iredell County fights for the health, education and financial stability of every person in our community, partnering with 24 local non-profit agencies through our annual campaign, and many other local groups and initiatives year-round to achieve this goal. More information is available at www.uwiredell.org.