United Way kicks off annual campaign with $1 million goal

Published 8:10 pm Wednesday, August 5, 2026

QUINCY — It might be the friendly grocery store worker greeting customers with a smile, the grandparents cheering on a grandson at a baseball game or the young family playing in the park.

Nearly one-quarter of Adams County residents are ALICE — asset limited, income constrained and employed — and working hard but just one disaster away from losing it all.

United Way of Adams County kicked off its 89th annual campaign on Wednesday night with a goal of raising $1 million to help ALICE and benefit the larger community.

“There are 500-some nonprofit organizations in Adams County. Very few of them are helping ALICE. Some might say we can’t help you because you’re working,” United Way President and Chief Executive Officer Jenna Hull said. “We can’t have that. That’s why United Way is really trying to step into that and lift ALICE out of that situation and help them to feel some hope in the midst of them doing everything right.”

The campaign theme, “Built by Community, Powered by You,” highlights how meaningful change happens when an entire community comes together with a shared purpose, and community support from Adams County individuals and companies, not state or federal grants, powers the effort.

Donations already totaling $135,000 toward the goal help fill the United Way’s “battery” to power its work.

“Every gift, every volunteer hour, every workplace campaign, every conversation, every act of generosity adds another charge to the battery and brings us one step closer to change,” Hull said.

“For nearly nine decades, this community has shown what is possible when we work together,” she said. “This campaign is built by all of us, and it is powered by the people who choose to invest in their neighbors and in the future of Adams County.”

It’s critically important, United Way believes, to support ALICE in the community.

“If these families do better, our whole community becomes stronger, healthier and more resilient,” said Anna Lee Bentley, United Way’s administrative coordinator and data specialist. “That’s why we’re committed to investing your donations where they can make the greatest impact — helping families and individuals meet today’s challenges while creating opportunities for long-term stability.”

Vignettes featuring short presentations with Adams County voices helped introduce ALICE to the crowd gathered for the kickoff event at the Quincy Boat Club and encouraged them to help.

“When hardworking people who make up the workforce in Adams County are struggling, we are called to help,” said Andrew Boudreau, owner with his brother Matt of corporate campaign sponsor Wine on Broadway.

“United Way of Adams County is uniting people and resources to create a brighter future for all,” he said. “With everyone’s support and help, we can all make 2026 a year to remember, one where we come together, live united and do what’s best for our community.”