HAGERSTOWN — As United Way looks deeper at community problems, its traditional service continues.

Two living examples spoke Thursday at the United Way of Washington County’s annual “Report to the Community” dinner at Leiters’ Downtown in Hagerstown.

Anastasia Broadus, who graduated from Washington County Technical High School this year, said Girl Scouts has been a mainstay in her life, teaching courage, confidence and character.

Without Girl Scouts, she said, she might have ended up pregnant instead of heading to Trinity Washington University in Washington, D.C.

Speaking on her 47th birthday, Celeste Deuel said she has rid her life of addiction and pain and filled it with joy and laughter.

Two years ago, she went to The W House in Hagerstown for treatment.

At 2 p.m. today, she will graduate as part of the first class of the Community Culinary School, a free vocational program at The Landing Restaurant and Pub in Hagerstown.

“The one thing you’ve given back this broken person,” Deuel said as she started to cry, “is hope.”

People in the audience cried along with her.

Then, it was Executive Director Leah Gayman’s turn to get emotional, despite promising she wouldn’t.

She broke down as she listed the attributes of Rod Shoop, this year’s winner of the Jesse L. Kagle Award for Distinguished Service. She described Shoop as steady, giving and supportive.

The award is named after Jesse L. Kagle Jr., who was the chapter’s executive director for about 24 years. He died of a heart attack in 1987, a week after he left the job.

The Kagle award is supposed to be a surprise, but Gayman gave a clue when she said the recipient told her how he made decisions as a fighter pilot.

When the chapter was without an executive director, Shoop — newly retired from his job as Washington County administrator — took over for about five months until a new one was hired.

He has been president of the chapter’s board and chaired a fundraising campaign.

United Way is known for the money it raises and distributes to local charities.

In recent years, the nonprofit organization has tried to more clearly brand itself and set goals.

Peter Hahn, vice president of national engagement for United Way Worldwide, said at Thursday’s dinner that education, income and health are the bottom line.

“If you’re going to advance the common good, these are the things that really matter,” he said.

The organization has set out to cut the high school dropout rate and the number of financially struggling families in half. It wants to increase by one-third the number of people who are healthy and avoiding risky behavior, he said.

Gayman said the local chapter and the Community Foundation of Washington County are working together on a Strategic Community Impact Plan.

About 200 volunteers have been looking at issues and establishing specific, measurable goals.

Chapter leaders said thank you to the board’s outgoing president, John Latimer IV.

The new president, Meg Harsh, said Latimer’s family has more than 50 years of service to the organization.

Harsh said the difficult economy might present hurdles for fundraising, but it’s up to the chapter to move from dialogue to action.

By accepting the status quo, the chapter will be at best ineffective and at worst irrelevant, she said.

Source: Herald-Mail