Pardee Hospital Named Campaign Pacestter

Pardee Hospital Again Sets Pace for United Way of Henderson County Campaign

United Way of Henderson County announced that Pardee Hospital is its official Campaign pacesetter for the second year running. Pardee is currently conducting its internal Pardee Choice Campaign, a joint fundraising effort for both the United Way of Henderson County and Pardee Hospital Foundation. Last year, Pardee’s campaign raised more than $147,000 for Henderson County through employee pledges, one-time donations, special events, sponsorships and corporate giving.

“As Pacesetter, Pardee Hospital is again setting a wonderful example for the community this year,” said United Way of Henderson County Executive Director Ruth Birge. “We hope that other local businesses will follow this lead by striving for double-digit increases over previous years.”

Pardee Hospital is proud to serve as Pacesetter, said Pardee CEO Jay Kirby.

“We are honored that United Way asked us to help jump-start the community-wide giving campaign again this year,” said Kirby. “We are embracing this opportunity to spotlight Pardee’s giving culture and are encouraging as many Pardee employees as possible to support this campaign.”

Since 1996, Pardee associates have given more than $1.3 million through the Pardee Choice campaign. Pardee Hospital has been recognized the past four years by United Way as having the highest employee giving. In addition, Pardee has had the largest number of employees participating as volunteers in United Way’s annual Day of Caring for the past several years.

Pardee is taking a new approach for this year’s mega-fundraising effort.

“We decided to make the Pardee Choice 2011-2012 Campaign more personal this year,” said Elizabeth Willson Moss, Pardee Choice Co-Chair. “Our Pardee Choice Committee took a Giving Cart full of treats and information about the Campaign to each of the hospital’s departments during the last two weeks of August. Our goal was to personally meet and thank as many of our more than 1,200 employees as possible for giving back to the community and our hospital. The response has been phenomenal. We are well on the way to reaching our Pacesetter goal.”

Pardee Hospital representatives will announce the results from their internal Pardee Choice campaign on Sept. 16 when United Way of Henderson County staff, volunteers and community officials will kick-off the 2011 fundraising campaign at 7:30 a.m. at the Technology Center at Blue Ridge Community College. The annual event, sponsored by Pardee Hospital, will include a celebration breakfast and rally, followed by the Day of Caring. The 2011 Campaign marks 58 years of caring and support to health and human service agencies in Henderson County from United Way.

Campaign Chair, Bryce Malsbary, retired human resources executive, will announce the 2011 Campaign goal. The public is invited to the free event.

“We are very grateful to Pardee Hospital for its ongoing support of United Way and our community,” said Malsbary. “As sponsor of the 2011 Kick-Off event and pacesetter for this year’s Campaign, Pardee is a true partner with United Way in our work of improving the lives of all Henderson County residents. It’s important to us to have companies step up as sponsors for events such as this, so that donations made to the campaign can go directly to helping people in need and making changes in the areas of education, income, health, and rebuilding lives.”

Following the Kick-Off rally, more than 200 volunteers will spend all or part of the day working on dozens of projects at a variety of local health and human services agencies as part of the annual Day of Caring. Day of Caring is an opportunity for community members to come together to better the lives of others. United Way coordinates volunteers from banks, manufacturers, hospitals, schools and government as they give their time to work on projects for area nonprofit agencies and their clients.

Pardee Hospital is a not-for-profit community hospital founded in 1953. The main hospital is licensed for 222 acute care beds and is the second largest employer in Henderson County. In addition to its main campus on North Justice Street in Hendersonville, Pardee offers several off-site locations including an adult day services center, a health education center in the Blue Ridge Mall, home care services, a rehab and wellness center, a midwifery program, various family and internal medicine practices and an urgent care facility. For more information or to find a physician, call 1-866-790-WELL (9355) or visit www.pardeehospital.org.

United Way is advancing the common good by creating opportunities for a better life in Henderson County. If you would like more information, have questions or comments about United Way, or would like to make a donation, contact United Way of Henderson County at P.O. Box 487, Hendersonville, NC 28793, call (828) 692-1636, visit on the Web at liveunitedhc.org, or become a fan of UWHC on Facebook.

Rising Leaders to Graduate

After eight months of education and community service, nineteen members of United Way of Henderson County’s Rising Leaders Program are ready to graduate and start making a difference as volunteers with Henderson County non-profits.

Launched last September, this was the pilot year of the Rising Leaders Program, sponsored by Friday Staffing. United Way of Henderson County (UWHC) created the free program as a direct response to a need that many Henderson County non-profit agencies had expressed - a need for access to the next generation of board members and key volunteers.

Rising Leaders participants, young professionals representing a wide variety of Henderson County businesses and organizations, received training in the essential knowledge and skills for board service: the demographics and needs of our community; the principles of governance and management of a non-profit; the rights and responsibilities of board members; best practices of financial and legal leadership; the basics of fundraising; and the power of advocacy. Participants also collectively completed over 400 hours of community service within Henderson County during the program, volunteering with American Red Cross, Mainstay, Salvation Army and 30 other local organizations.

On April 24, the Rising Leaders Program will hold a graduation celebration at the Southern Appalachian Brewery beginning at 5:00 pm. In addition to the graduates and United Way staff and volunteers, representatives from 18 Henderson County non-profits will be on hand, ready to meet these trained and eager volunteers. Graduates and Agency Directors will participate in a “speed-dating” activity to explore volunteer opportunities at the various non-profits. During fast-paced, two minute conversations, Rising Leaders will introduce themselves, sharing the interests and the skills that they will bring to non-profit service. Agency Directors will explain the work that their organizations do, and hopefully, some “matches” will be made!

The 2011-2012 Rising Leaders Program graduates are: Rachel Beal, Diversified Clinical Services; Ryan Cannon, First Citizens Bank; David Crist, Pardee Hospital; Adam Fisher, Henderson County Family YMCA; Pamela Herbst, Pardee Hospital; Jennifer Israel, Mission Hospital; Marcus Jones, Henderson County Government; James Kelly, Aging Projects, Inc.; Nitiki Kilgore, Agape Services; Randy Maples, Eaton Corporation; Jama Maples, Eaton Corporation; Chad Merrill; Blue Ridge Community College; Brandon Nudd, Park Ridge Health; Lisa Sargent, Friday Staffing Services; Brett Shaffer, Morrow Insurance Agency; Wesley Wells, Pardee Hospital; Melanie White, Department of Commerce, Division of Welfare Solutions; Jay Wilderman, First Citizens Bank; and Erica Woodall, Mills River United Methodist Church.

The Rising Leaders Program is a creation of United Way of Henderson County’s Rising Leaders Committee. Chaired by Graham Fields of Park Ridge Health, the committee members are: Christina DeStefano, Henderson County Government; Josh Hallingse, Partnership for Economic Development; April Killough, Blue Ridge Community College; Summer Stipe, Children and Family Resource Center; and Melissa Walden, Pardee Hospital.

UWHC will be accepting applications for the 2012/2013 Rising Leaders Program beginning on May 15. Application materials will be available at an informational event that evening at Never Blue (119 South Main Street) from 5:30 pm – 7:30 pm. Anyone is welcome to attend this free event; please call 692-1636 or email dspitzer@liveunitedhc.org to rsvp. After May 15, application materials will also be available on the UWHC website at liveunitedhc.org/rising-leaders. Please contact Sarah Kowalak at 692-1636 or skowalak@liveunitedhc.org for more information about the Rising Leaders Program.