Debbie Campbell, the executive director of the United Way of Lewis County, gives the Business of the Year award to Shane Wood, of Twin Star Credit Union, during the organization’s annual community partnership luncheon at the Great Wolf Lodge in Grand Mound last year.
United Way of Lewis County is set to host a Community Partnership Luncheon on Thursday, Oct. 4 at Great Wolf Lodge.
“It’s going to be kind of an inspiring luncheon about United Way’s new strategic focus, which is lifting families out of poverty by 2030,” said Executive Director Debbie Campbell. “... With this luncheon, the hope is we expand our base of support, which really means we want people to donate dollars, their time and their voice. This goal is huge and we can’t do it alone.”
United Way of Lewis County is a nonprofit that focuses on lifting families out of poverty by the year 2030. Specifically, the organization wants to eliminate intergenerational poverty by focusing on early literacy, youth success and financial stability.
The luncheon aims to bring together the business community, organizations and individuals and will feature special guest master of ceremonies Drew Mikkelsen, who is the South Sound Bureau Chief at King 5 News.
“He is very connected and very committed to Lewis County,” Campbell said. “It kind of started in 2007 when he covered the flood as a TV reporter — he just fell in love with the community and covered it for years. He chose United Way as one of his charities.”
Additionally, the luncheon will highlight success stories of lives that United Way of Lewis County has changed.
“We are working currently with our partner agencies and one of our conversations is a client from the Head Start program,” Campbell said. “(We will show) where they started with Head Start and where they are now. We want to be able to make that measurement.”
Centralia Chief of Police Carl Nielsen will also discuss ways the community has worked to eliminate the homelessness crisis.
United Way of Lewis County will collect peanut butter at the event for local food banks and to help struggling families in Lewis County.
“We are not just about the distribution of money,” Campbell said. “We are (also) helping the food bank. We called and asked what they are always short on — they said peanut butter hands down.”
The Community Partnership Luncheon is sponsored by Lucky Eagle Casino & Hotel, Great Wolf Lodge, Washington State Employees Credit Union, Confederated Tribes of the Chehalis Federation, Boeing, Security State Bank and The Chronicle.
The United Way of Lewis County Community Partnership Luncheon will take place at 12 p.m to 1:30 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 4 at the Great Wolf Lodge, located at 20500 Old Hwy 99 SW.
The deadline to register for the Community Partnership Luncheon is Sept. 27. Tickets are $30 per person, or $240 for a table of eight people. After Sept. 27, the cost is $35 per person. People can register at https://www.lewiscountyuw.com/community-partnership-luncheon, or by calling 360-748-8100.
