Chatham County honored United Way of the Coastal Empire by declaring October 5, 2023, “United Way Day” in a special proclamation made during the Chatham County Commissioners Meeting on September 22. The proclamation highlights the organization’s 85 years of service to the community and the strong partnership between United Way and Chatham County.

“We are grateful for our partnership with Chatham County and honored the Chatham County Commission recognized United Way with this special proclamation,” said Brynn Grant, president & CEO of United Way of the Coastal Empire. “Team Chatham is one of the strongest and most dedicated United Way partners, consistently on our list of the “Top 10” most generous organizations in the entire region.”

During the proclamation presentation, Chatham County Commission Chairman Chester A. Ellis addressed United Way leadership, saying, “Thank you so much for the work United Way does and the job you do in this community. You all are what I call those unsung heroes that live and do in our community. Chatham County employees have done a great job of contributing to United Way, and I applaud them for doing that. I want to make sure we set the pace and win the race.”

October 5^th is a special day in the history of United Way of the Coastal Empire, as it is the birthday of one of the organization’s founding members, Herschel V. Jenkins. A former publisher of the Savannah Morning News and the Savannah Evening Press, Jenkins was a community-building pioneer who believed in the importance of working together to achieve great things.

Jenkins is remembered not just for what he did in his lifetime but for the lasting impact he made in the Coastal Empire through his philanthropic generosity. In 1955, Jenkins set aside a trust which, combined with other income, covers most of United Way’s administrative and fundraising expenses. This means more of United Way’s donor dollars are used where they’re most needed in service to the community.