The following message was sent by our CEO, Dan Leroy, to our staff and board members.
I hope this email finds you all well, finding sources of peace, hope, rejuvenation and strength during these challenging times. I am reaching out to celebrate an inspirational milestone for our United Way family.
June 26 marked the 100th day since Governor Cooper activated NC 211 as the official COVID response information and referral resource and recently marked 50,000 calls statewide
During that time our small but mighty team of community resource specialists within our own call center grew from 12 to 29 people and answered over 20,000 calls. TWENTY-THOUSAND! To put this in context, during a "normal" month, the team would typically answer roughly 2,000 calls.
Even more impressive, however, is the fact that every single one of those calls is a story of a person, or a family struggling to stay healthy, safe, and financially whole amidst incredible hardship, fear and uncertainty.
Twenty-thousand stories of people reaching out for help, and finding a caring, compassionate and knowledgeable person on the other end of the line.
I had the privilege of joining the 211 team on their monthly Zoom call as they marked this milestone. While maintaining confidentiality, members of the 211 team shared some of these stories, and I witnessed firsthand how much energy, passion and commitment it takes to be fully present with our neighbors in need.
I was also inspired to watch the way the team leaned on one another in solidarity, sharing strategies to recharge, renew and carry on. I told them how honored I am to call myself one of their colleagues, and how proud they have made us all feel to be affiliated with this United Way.
Congratulations, team, for reaching this incredible milestone. We're with you 100% as your heroic response to this unfolding crisis continues.
Onward United,
Dan Leroy
Find The Help You or A Loved One Needs
- Dial 2-1-1 24/7 to find the health and human resources you need. Learn more here.
- Searching for COVID-19 Resources within Buncombe County? We've partnered with Buncombe County Government to create this special resource page. But don't forget - we can help you think through touch situations in a way that a list of resources can't.
