Rev. David Kowaleski, 2011 president of the Orrville Area United Way board of directors, welcomed volunteers and community partners to the organization’s 54th awards celebration and 2012 annual meeting. 

          Kowaleski, who also served on the campaign cabinet, congratulated Campaign Chair Annette Fejes and her campaign volunteers, and expressed appreciation to the communities of Orrville, Dalton and Marshallville for their support.  He said, “It is my pleasure to announce that the 2011 campaign has exceeded the $600,000 goal, with $648,728 raised to date,” adding, “That means our partner agency programs working in our communities of Orrville, Dalton and Marshallville will receive $78,475 more in 2012 than 2011.” 

He also thanked the event sponsors, noting that no United Way dollars were used to provide the meal:  the Orrville Pointe provided the meal, the Orrville Dairy Queen provided blizzard gift certificates for the ‘Penguin Trivia Game,’ The Bouquet Shop II donated flowers that graced the awards table, P. Graham Dunn donated the plaques for our two top awards, and Trinity United Methodist Church hosted the event for the fifth year in a row.

 Pat Carr, fiscal officer for Orrville Public Library and Kerry Pickett, Pickett and Pickett Tax & Investments were elected to their second 3-year terms on the United Way board.  Elected to serve their first terms were Deb Bukovitz, and Orrville Elementary School teacher, Robin McFarren, retired from Dalton and Ashland schools, and Monica Summers, Expert T’s Orrville. 2012 officers elected were Pat Carr, president, Kerry Pickett, vice president, Heather Howley, secretary Amberly Wolf, First National Bank, treasurer. 

        Retiring directors honored for their years of service were Karen Shultz past treasurer and J. Mark Zook, who chaired the 2008 campaign.

        In his review of the United Way’s 2011accomplishments, Kowaleski said, “The Orrville Area United Way is not just a fundraising organization. In its fourth year, our United Way’s Volunteer Income Tax Assistance site, housed in the Orrville Public Library, put more than $162,000 back into the community through income tax refunds and rebates by assisting lower income workers apply for the Earned Income Tax Credit.”

He also announced the VITA site would again be coordinated by Kerry and David Pickett of Pickett and Pickett Tax and Investment Services in Dalton.

“We partnered with the Orrville Rotary Club to bring Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library to families in Orrville, Dalton, Marshallville, Kidron and North Lawrence.  As of December 31st, 7,818 books have been distributed, with more than 300 children enrolled,” he said, “Each child in the program receives a book a month from birth to age 5.”

 He also shared that local residents and agencies are savings thousands of dollars on the costs of their medications through our Wayne Rx network.  A satellite office opened in Dunlap Community Hospital, now Aultman Orrville Hospital, in 2009.

“Our new program launched in November, called Happy Feet For Kids, provides shoes, winter boots and socks for children from low-income families,” he added, “And the program is funded through our annual campaign and generous donations from individuals, churches, companies and service organizations.”

        “And while we continue to help those in crisis within our community, we will also focus on the root causes of those crises, the goal of our mission statement:  to improve lives by uniting people and resources,” he noted.

        Kowaleski introduced Dr. Jack Kristofco, Dean of Wayne College, who is in his eighth year as chairman of the Citizen Review Committee.  Dr. Kristofco thanked his volunteers, honoring the time and effort that culminated in December, when 2012 program grants were determined.  “Volunteers look for specific outcomes, changes, benefits produced by a program,” he said, adding “collectively, United Way funded programs create impact on the community at large through our individual programs and the outcomes they produce,” adding, “We are always looking for dedicated volunteers to help with the process.  If you live or work in Orrville, Dalton or Marshallville, and think you might be interested in being a Citizen Review volunteers, contact the United Way office to learn more.”