When you really get down to it, we have two jobs at the United Way of Eddy County:
- Help out the citizens of Eddy County with issues related to health and human services; and
- Raise funds to allow us to do a better job helping the citizens of Eddy County.
The most important role we play is that we help people. What do we do?
- We have monthly food distributions in Loving, Artesia, and Carlsbad thanks to a partnership with Roadrunner Food Bank. Volunteers make this possible.
- We offer a 211 service, which is an information directory for nonprofits. If you call us anywhere in Eddy County, we will work to help get you in contact with the right resources.
- Through our 211-hardship service, we help pay utility bills for Eddy County residents in need. We have kept the power on for more than 80 Eddy County families through this program. We also continue to assist families with water and gas bills, and we have recently added a program to assist families in the event of a structure fire or other emergency.
- The Stuff the Bus event over the summer raised more than $30,000 in school supplies that went directly to local schools and students.
- The United Way’s Day of Caring returned for the first time since 2019 and provided assistance to local nonprofits with helpful projects, such as cleaning, painting, and repairs.
- We help facilitate numerous events throughout the year, such as toy drives, Valentines for seniors, scholarships, and mini golf tournaments.
- Of course, our grant process remains one of our most important roles. This year, we received applications from 18 worthwhile Eddy County nonprofit agencies. We are currently in the process of reviewing those applications to decide upon award recipients. Through this process, thousands of dollars are awarded to these critical nonprofits.
Many years ago, the annual grant process was the only service offered by the United Way. While it remains an important part of our efforts in the community, we are very proud of our other processes such as food distribution and utility bill assistance. We also have a rigorous process to ensure that we are giving a “hand up” to individuals truly in need.
All of these wonderful programs are not possible without support from the community. We are extremely fortunate that a number of key corporations and businesses hold workforce campaigns. Other individuals across the community continue to offer their support, as they have for many years.
However, in order to bring the organization to where we would like it to be, we are attempting to think outside of the box a little bit and add a few new fundraisers. We have held two successful “virtual golf” fundraisers at the Golf Society in Carlsbad and a mini golf tournament. This is on top of our historically successful “Cinco De Mayo” golf tournament.
This year, we have decided to take on something even bigger. On April 18, the United Way of Eddy County will host the inaugural “Dancing with the Eddy County Stars” fundraiser at the Walter Gerrells Performing Arts Center. In fact, Focus Magazine’s very own Allyson Joy will be one of our competitors! Eight local VIP dancers will be scored by the audience, by a panel of judges, and through ticket sales. Tickets and sponsorships are available at onecau.se/dwtes. You can buy a ticket and give Allyson the credit! It is going to be a fantastic evening, and we hope it will help us raise funds to better serve the citizens of Eddy County.
I served on the United Way’s board a decade ago and was honored then, as I am now, to be a part of a fantastic organization. This is a group effort in every sense of the word, and we always welcome suggestions and feedback.
Article written by Kyle Marksteiner and originally published in Focus on Artesia 2025 Spring edition.
Kyle Marksteiner
Kyle Marksteiner is the executive director of the United Way of Eddy County. He is also the editorial director of The Carlsbad Local. Marksteiner previously served as the Public Information Officer for the City of Carlsbad. He has more than 25 years of experience in media and communications. He may be reached at director@uweddyco.org.
