By Mary Fuller.

After participating in both holiday parades in Bryan County in the last two weekends, it appears everyone is getting into the holiday spirit. We at United Way and our friends at Bryan County Family Connections are feeling it too as we are in the middle of collecting, sorting and distributing donations for hundreds of Bryan County children through their Children’s Fund Program. With Thanksgiving behind us and the holidays quickly approaching, I am really grateful for all the compassion and generosity in our community.

Thank you to all the individuals and businesses that contributed to our annual campaign. We appreciate our loyal donors who support us every year and are excited about the new donors who felt it was their time to give back. We exceeded the amount we raised last year for our Community Fund and look forward to continuing and expanding our work in the community during the upcoming year. This year was the first time in many years we opened the Community Investment application process for new agencies to apply for United Way funding targeting programs and services that continue to be a safety net for those in crisis and to help individuals and families achieve the upward mobility needed to become self-sustainable.

We look towards the new year with high aspirations for our work and the community. We appreciate all the support we received over this last year through donations, volunteers and partnerships. I look forward to working with you all into next year!

Happy Holidays.

Mary Fuller is head of the Bryan County office of the United Way of the Coastal Empire.