United Way

United Way has been a leader in our community for the past 100 years. Each day in our region we see the impact of their work as they help people learn, grow, aspire, and live their best lives. Brighton Center is proud to have been an agency partner with United Way for the past 46 years. We partner and collaborate with them as they advance the common good for all in our community in the areas of education, income, and health. 

In the early days of Brighton Center’s history, Bob Brewster, former Executive Director of Brighton Center, did the only thing he could think of to keep things going financially. He walked into American National Bank, where the Center had its’ checking account, and asked the man sitting at the front desk if he could help. Bob Borchers was the bank Vice President and he agreed to help. Within a very few days several strategies were put into place.

In order to fund programs based on the Community Assessment, Bob Borchers, contacted Community Chest (now known as United Way) to plead the Center’s case. In January 1970 Community Chest agreed to fund Brighton Street Center for a three year developmental grant. Funding for the first year was $5000.  At the end of the three year developmental funding the Center was admitted as a member agency. 

As we celebrate our legacy of 50 years of transforming lives, we thank United Way for their leadership and belief in our mission. Our impact would not be possible without their partnership and collaboration. The staff of Brighton Center also recognizes the significance of United Way’s support as we remain one of the top agency partners in their annual campaign. In the last ten years, our employees have Lived United by giving $400,714 to United Way.

Thoughts From United Way:

Brighton Center joined as a United Way partner in 1970 and we have worked together ever since. Last year we were happy to award Brighton Center with total funding of $1,678,173 for 10 different services and programs that cover the Education, Income, and Health focus areas of United Way’s Bold Goals.

Brighton Center consistently delivers very strong results and outcomes for the services they provide in the community and is one of the agencies we at United Way can point to for implementing Continuous Quality Improvement by always looking at their data, outcomes, processes, and ways they can improve services. 

Brighton Center’s Financial Opportunity Center embodies United Ways bold play strategy of “integrated service delivery (ISD)”.  This is a model of providing bundled services to individuals and families to help them achieve and succeed financially. These models were implemented six years ago through the leadership of Brighton Center and others in the community.

Brighton lives United and has always had strong employee participation in the United Way campaign and has lead as a Pacesetter agency among the region’s non-profits for the past several years.

We can always count on Brighton Center staff being well represented and/or taking a leading role in most of the large community- wide initiatives in both Northern Kentucky and Greater Cincinnati. This includes workforce, early care and education, youth achieve, and health initiatives/partnerships. 

Brighton Center does a great job of involving families in the work that they do by using the approach that “families become our partners in creating change by sharing their hopes and dreams” then setting goals to accomplish them, which is admirable. 

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