You've made us special for 75 years!
When Bing Crosby and Dinah Shore had the top songs on the radio and Charleston was welcoming back troops from World War II, the folks who became known as our “Greatest Generation” had the willingness to care about their fellow neighbors.
During that dramatic time, Trident United Way was born. The name may have changed a couple of times since 1944’s “Charleston Community and War Chest,” but your commitment to serve the public good in the best way possible continues.
This is an exciting year to celebrate your efforts as we look back at how we’ve come so far together. It’s also a time to ponder what our legacies will be 75 years from now.
We’d love to hear and share your stories of volunteerism, philanthropy and success! Email us at
[email protected]
and we’ll share these stories throughout our year-long 75
th
anniversary celebration.
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Free tax filing assistance is coming
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Trident United Way partners with SC Thrive to offer free tax filing assistance throughout Berkeley, Charleston and Dorchester Counties.
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Last year,
volunteers
like Bonnie Dill (right) AmeriCorps members and TUW staff assisted in preparing 3,500 tax returns which brought in nearly $5 million in tax refunds and saved nearly a half a million dollars in tax preparation fees!
The program is open to people with an adjusted gross income of $65,000 or less per year or $95,000 for married couples filing jointly. Go to
tuw.org/freetaxes
for a list of assistance dates, locations and what items you'll need to bring.
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Trident United Way is proud to lead a new effort to support early childhood educators.
As part of the
Kindergarten Readiness Network
, The Tri-County Child Care Community of Practice starts its first training session later this month. The program brings together providers to focus on professional growth.
It's estimated one out of five childcare providers leave the profession within 12 months. Thanks to a
PNC Bank
grant, the 10-month program includes monthly learning sessions and attendance at a statewide conference.
“The earlier children are exposed to an environment that emphasizes learning, the more prepared they will be for kindergarten,” said Kim Foxworth, Trident United Way director of education. “By giving early childhood educators the space to connect, collaborate and reflect about their practice, we hope providers will remain in the field or early childhood education and children will have a strong foundation prior to starting Kindergarten.”
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Keeping the Tri-County healthy
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Trident United Way brings together groups across the Tri-County to promote health and well-being.
Our recent Tri-County Health Landscape - 2019 Community Health Needs Assessment was the largest survey ever done in South Carolina.
Healthy Tri-County
gives the tools providers and health agencies need to focus on populations in need and bring down barriers that prevent access to quality care. We’ll give periodic updates on this valuable partnership as new achievements happen.
Another way Trident United Way improves the health of our community is by funding grants for awareness events and programs.
“I was more than 100 pounds overweight when I determined to get my health back and began a health program at the YMCA. I learned the importance of counting fats and not to depend on food for emotional support. I learned to substitute foods with higher fat for those less fat. I started to lose weight again and I was determined to meet my goals. At my next doctor's visit that my A1C was below the range of pre-diabetes for the first time since February. Finally, I met my own personal goal of losing 60 pounds. I am very happy that I joined the YMCA diabetes prevention program.”
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The new year is always a time for resolutions and looking forward. It’s a very exciting time here as we begin our 75
th
year of community service and partnership.
It is an amazing and humbling challenge as we move forward to find new ways to make the biggest impact in our focus areas of health, education and financial stability. The generosity of our friends and neighbors never ceases to amaze.
From those early efforts when Word War II was still going on, to times of pain and change in Charleston, progress has happened because of those who weren’t afraid to take on a challenge. The list of contributors to our success is far too lengthy for this forum. Yet, it is important to look back and give a special thanks to three leaders we recently lost as we go into this special year.
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John Bachmann’s
relationship with United Way began in St. Louis, where his career at Edward Jones went from intern to eventually Managing Partner. Mr. Bachmann became involved with Trident United Way when Hurricane Matthew devastated our region. His support for a variety of causes across both St. Louis and South Carolina will always be
remembered
.
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Frank Hanckel, Jr
. was a U.S. Army veteran, three-time letter-winner at Clemson in swimming and served with Coburg Dairy from 1955 to 1998, retiring as CEO. He served in community leadership roles across our region, including our Trident United Way board. His legacy will always be with us, including noting Trident United Way as a place to make a
memorial
in his honor.
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Tommy Thornhill
was a World War II veteran who later held leadership positions with the Charleston Oil Company and Clement, Crawford and Thornhill, Inc. He is a former Trident United way board member who worked with numerous local causes and earned the Order of the Palmetto: South Carolina’s highest civilian honor given by the Governor. He also left his
mark
on the community in a unique way, with something you
sit on!
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These three men have a legacy with the Trident United Way that will never be forgotten. As we look to a new year, consider your current role in our community and ask yourself, what will your legacy be? Working together, we can overcome any challenges to better our community in the spirit of John, Frank, Tommy and so many others who have made our 75 years special.
- Chloe Knight Tonney is the president and CEO of Trident United Way.
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Click the links below to see the latest news stories about Trident United Way.
- Trident United Way awards $25,000 in Community Engagement Grants - News Release
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