The GUC United Way Committee has kicked off this year’s fundraising initiative with a strategy to enhance awareness and involvement throughout the year in order to reach its 2025 fundraising goal of $40,000. 

Currently, one quarter of our GUC workforce is contributing to the United Way of Pitt County (UWPC), and the Committee is looking to increase that participation through consistent messages and reminders throughout the year instead of only during the campaign period each fall. 

Bolstering awareness about UWPC will include an informational video to highlight its community impact. The UW Committee intends to send out regular updates via email in a newsletter format, continue to utilize Spotlight for articles and updates, and offer brief presentations in departmental meetings. The Committee also aims to offer new hires more detailed information about the impact of UWPC and why it’s important to participate.  

In 2024, the GUC UW Committee raised an impressive $37,413, and its ambitious strategic outreach initiative is set to put them on the right course to achieving the 2025 goal.  

UWPC Community Impact
The money GUC employees contribute directly impacts the community in which we serve and live. GUC Secretary to the General Manager and UWPC Chair Lou Norris said that community support is imperative to ensure that local residents are afforded basic needs and essentials.  

United Way has been a pillar of support for those in need in Pitt County since 1958. This highly regarded organization leads the charge to strengthen education and access to essentials. 

Lou said when COVID struck in 2020, the needs of the community changed, and as such, United Way shifted gears and began to look at providing essential services to those who need it.  

United Way’s focus on essentials is geared around supporting local programs that provide resources to meet people’s basic needs. That includes access to food, safe housing, and crisis management and development of crisis management skills. 

“We can only give funds to the organizations with what the community has raised,” Lou said. UWPC supports organizations like the Pitt County Council on Aging’s Meals on Wheels program that provides not only a hot meal, but also welfare check-ins and companionship to seniors who may be isolated from community and family.  

Lou said there are people on the waitlist to enroll in the Meal on Wheels program, which is why fundraising support and volunteer involvement goes a long way to improving the lives of the people that UW serves.  

United Way programming around education is designed to support struggling, non-proficient young learners. The Early Grades Student Success Academy, a program of UWPC, provides supplemental services to youth to boost academic achievement, mental health, life skills, and critical thinking, empowering them for future success. This program serves approximately 320 K-3 students, identified by Pitt County Schools teachers in 13 schools across the district.  

“We are so appreciative for all the community support, and especially GUC,” Lou said. “United Way is so thankful for the employees who support the campaign and the GUC Committee. We know they work very hard to help support UWPC. It does not go unnoticed.” 

Over the last decade, GUC employees have contributed $363,098 to UWPC.  

The 2025 United Way committee members are Chair Branson Rogers (Gas); Co-Chair Jessica Hardy (Finance); Treasurer Emily Smith (Customer Relations); Secretary Andy Anderson (IT); Karin Fullington (Pub Info); Kristen Jarman (WWTP); Lauri Evans (WTP); Paige Wallace (General Manager’s Office); Brandon Jones (Meter); Lena Previll (HR); and Amanda Wall (Finance).