United Way of Greater New Bedford works to bring together individuals, businesses and organizations to address our community’s most urgent needs. We believe that to truly improve lives in our region, we must act collectively to impact the critical issues affecting our neighborhoods – building a better community for us all.
Through an annual campaign, we provide funding to more than 60 programs at local health and human service agencies serving residents of New Bedford, Acushnet, Dartmouth, Fairhaven, Freetown, Marion, Mattapoisett, Rochester and Wareham. In addition, we administer a number of programs to address specific needs in our community. Through the Hunger Commission of Southeastern Massachusetts we supply food to emergency soup kitchens and food pantries in Bristol County, while our Community Building Mini-Grants Program provides funding and skill-building opportunities to all-volunteer groups. In addition, our Volunteer Solutions database provides the only local online volunteer tool to match willing volunteers with nonprofits in need of support.
It takes our whole community working together to reach our goals. Whether it requires fundraising, planning, or just getting people to work together, that’s what we do.
We need your support! Visit www.unitedwayofgnb.org to learn more about the different ways that you can help.
“This event is our opportunity to honor the many companies and individuals that supported our United Way campaign throughout the year, allowing us to fund the valuable programs that are so important to our community,” said President Michelle N. Hantman.
Top honors fell to Lockheed Martin, taking home three awards: Campaign Committee of the Year, the Rockefeller Award for raising more than $50,000, and the LIVE UNITED Award, for demonstrating United Way’s message of giving back to the community through Giving, Advocating and Volunteering.
Other recipients of the Rockefeller Award included: Acushnet Company, City of New Bedford and New Bedford Public Schools, NSTAR Gas & Electric, Southcoast Health System, Sovereign Bank and UPS.
Twenty-nine organizations received Campaign Excellence Awards – making it the largest category - based on their above average campaigns in both percent participation and per capita gift.
“This year’s campaign did not hit the mark we had hoped for, but that certainly doesn’t mean that we can stop trying,” said the 2008 Campaign Chair, Beth Sylvia Caldwell, as she addressed a crowd of nearly 300. “More families are accessing services than ever before and it is up to us to make sure that there is help available for them.”
United Way’s Community Building Mini-Grants Program presented a recognition award to longtime volunteer Brian Pastori, while Sid Wainer & Son received the Community Partner Award on behalf of its years of service to the Hunger Commission of Southeastern Massachusetts.
Additionally, South Coast Media Group won the Media Partnership Award for their support of the LIVE UNITED campaign, and Andrew Gallagher received the Spirit of Asking for donating all of the LIVE UNITED photography.
Other awards included the William J. Cabral Award, presented to Fairhaven’s Dorothy Cox for her longtime leadership in community involvement and volunteerism, and the Major Firms Challenge Platter to Morgan Advanced Ceramics – Alberox Products.
The evening also featured remarks from Gig Lang and a performance from The Showstoppers, a past recipient of United Way’s Community Building Mini-Grants Program.
United Way of Greater New Bedford is a non-profit organization that was established in 1953. United Way enables every member of the community to play an active role in local philanthropy by bringing together volunteers, donors, community leaders, and corporate partners to provide quality programs and initiatives that achieve positive results. Its service area has a population in excess of 200,000.