United Way of Bucks County hosted its annual breakfast on Friday, May 3 at the Sheraton in Langhorne. Attending the sold-out “Game Changers” themed event were government, community, business, and nonprofit leaders.
The high-energy breakfast was a rallying cry to “change the game” and build a better Bucks County. Representative Brian Fitzpatrick opened with an invocation, reminding the crowd of the many opportunities to serve others and reminded attendees to “stay focused on what unites us, not what divides us.”
Special guest US Senator Bob Casey of Pennsylvania commended the local United Way on its work in early childhood education and helping low- and moderate-income families manage the costs.
He stressed that communities have a responsibility to ensure that all children can achieve their full potential. “Each child is born with a light inside of them. We must do all that we can to make sure that the light inside every child continues to burn,” said Casey.
Community Impact Award winners recognized at the event included:
- United for Education: BB&T Bank
- United for Financial Stability: Jannsen Pharmaceuticals
- United for Health: Eileen Swank, Community Advocate
- United for Impact: Suez Water Technologies & Solutions
Campaign Award winners included:
- Campaign of the Year: Suez Water Technologies & Solutions
- Live United Award: Penn Community Bank & Wegmans (tie)
- Outstanding Multi-location Campaign: Giant Food Stores, Nationwide Insurance Enterprise, QNB Bank, and Penn Community Bank
- Best Regional Campaign: Johnson & Johnson
Also acknowledged for their commitment to the organization and the broader Bucks County community were several individuals. Francis J. Sullivan, a partner at the law firm Hill Wallack, won the Sauerbry Award. Brian Papsun, a senior tax accountant at Grant Thornton, won the Kelton Award. Retired Central Bucks School District physics teacher David Gondak won the Founder’s Award. Chris Stanley from Neshaminy School District was named the Campaign Volunteer of the Year.
In addition to awards and a highly interactive program, there were two announcements of note. United Way of Bucks County’s President & CEO Marissa Christie announced that the organization will continue to increase its investments in early education in the coming year.
“In just two years, we have increased our support for families with young children by $1 million. And I believe we will do even more by the end of 2019,” said Christie.
Danielle Bush, an impact director at United Way, explained that the organization is funding the launch of a local health and human service information and referral system called 2-1-1.
“Beginning this June, you will see lots of promotion of 2-1-1. This free service will be available to Bucks County residents 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Bucks County residents will be able to access free, confidential information and referrals to local services, organizations, and programs so they know where to go for help,” said Bush.