Left to right, United Way of Calvert County’s Director of Community Impact Anjelica Eitel, President and CEO Kelly Chambers and Director of Operations Sherri Gedridge.
Prince Frederick, MD – Christmas is a time for surprises and with Santa Claus looking on Calvert County United Way President Kelly Chambers was the recipient of something special. During the local agency’s annual Christmas open house, local staff and members of the board of saluted Chambers for 25 years of service.
Chambers started with United Way of Calvert County (UWCC) in 1991, becoming president and CEO in 1998. The United Way in Calvert was started in 1980 by volunteers from Baltimore Gas and Electric. Those volunteers supported six umbrella agencies. Chambers has been with United Way of Calvert for almost 70 percent of its lifespan and has led it during its growing years.
In a proclamation presented to Chambers during the Dec. 14 Christmas open house, the Calvert County Commissioners noted that “during her tenure, UWCC evolved from a fundraising organization into a community building partner, focusing on three vital impact areas—education, income and health—and transitioned to a results-based accountability framework for awarding funds. Over the last five years more than half a million dollars has been invested in strategies designed to improve the lives of Calvert County citizens.”
The commissioners noted that the investment during the past five years has resulted in “145 low-income and minority students planning to be the first in their family to go to college, [the] county’s obesity rate dropped from 73 to 67 percent [and] over 5,200 people increased their basic financial skills through financial education programs.”
The commissioners’ proclamation also lauded Chambers for making the agency’s annual Day of Caring a major countywide event. Local businesses, government departments and divisions and the public schools are represented by workers and students, who roll up their sleeves and work to complete projects on behalf of United Ways many umbrella agencies. In 2016, over 200 volunteers completed 28 projects to aid 16 agencies.
Calvert County Sheriff Mike Evans presented Chambers with a few gifts and a “Sheriff’s Salute.” Staff and board of directors bestowed on Chambers a few gifts of their own, including a book containing a compilation of photographs and other memorabilia from the past 25 years. They also gave her travel and accommodations to anywhere she’d like to go. Chambers told TheBayNet.com she plans to use that present to visit her son in California.
To learn more about UWCC, visit their web site.
Contact Marty Madden at marty.madden@thebaynet.com
