United Way Campaign Chair Doug Coltharp Highlights Commitment to Health and Vibrancy of the Community
This week the Rotary Club of Birmingham welcomed Rotarian Doug Coltharp, Encompass Health Corporation EVP & CFO and United Way of Central Alabama (UWCA) 2021 Campaign Chair. Coltharp shared the Birmingham community’s important tradition of lifting up lives through the unparalleled support of civic and philanthropic organizations such as UWCA and the Rotary Club of Birmingham.
“UWCA is an asset owned by the community,” said Coltharp. “The businesses and individuals who contribute to UWCA are the shareholders of this asset. And the return on investment we receive is the improved health and vibrancy of this community resulting from UWCA’s direct services such as Meals on Wheels and Priority Veterans, the support of more than 80 partner agencies, and its participation in the Bold Goals Coalition.”
Coltharp acknowledged the efforts of many Rotarians who serve UWCA in volunteer leadership capacities, including Bruce Rogers, UWCA Tocqueville Society Chairman; Jeff Stone, UWCA Legacy Gifts Chairman; Dawn Sharff, head of the professional division as well as 59 Rotarians who have previously chaired the annual campaign.
Coltharp shared the pandemic’s disproportionate impact on the underprivileged in our community, which led to increased demand for existing UWCA services and the need for new programs. In 2020, UWCA raised over $36 million during a successful virtual campaign and received more than $70 million in grants, substantially boosted by special federal relief funds. As a result, UWCA put more than $100 million to work in our communities, helping bridge the gap in remote learning capabilities for students in underserved populations, substantially increasing the capacity of Meals on Wheels to feed senior shut-ins, and enabling partner agencies to shelter more victims of domestic violence.
“I am so proud of how our community, Rotary Club and UWCA have responded to this crisis. But our work is not done. The communities we serve were operating with a very thin margin of error pre-pandemic. That margin has been replaced with a deficit. And the path to recovery for these communities requires a multi-year investment strategy. The sense of urgency that spurred so many of our businesses and citizens to contribute greatly last year cannot dissipate as the needs of our community remain elevated.”
Rotary Club of Birmingham President Brenda Hackney announced that the Rotary Club of Birmingham Foundation has approved a $35,000 grant to support the work of United Way’s Success By 6 program in Birmingham City Schools.