Reuben and D’Anne Shelton, 2014 co-chairs of the United Way’s Charmaine Chapman Leadership Society, celebrated the end of a “rewarding” campaign year with a gala Tuesday, December 9 at the Monsanto Company. This year, The Society met a fundraising goal of $2.25 million – money Reuben Shelton said will benefit those who need it most.
“And just when we thought it couldn’t get any better, it got better.” Shelton told gala guests. “It was announced that the Steward family was contributing more than any African American had given in the past.”
He was referring to David and Thelma Steward, who pledged to make an annual gift of $1 million to the United Way – becoming the first African-American philanthropists in St. Louis to do so.
David Steward is founder and chairman of World Wide Technology, Inc. His company raised $1 million – and approximately half of David and Thelma Steward’s $1 million gift was counted into the Chapman Society numbers, according to the United Way.
World Wide Technology ranked first among 10 companies raising the highest dollar amounts from African-American donors. The company was joined on that list by Edward Jones and Monsanto.
“Let’s take a bow,” said Reuben Shelton, who works as senior counsel-litigation at Monsanto.
Monsanto also had the third highest total number of African-American donors.
This year marked 20 years since Donald M. Suggs, publisher and executive editor of The St. Louis American, founded The Society in 1994. It was re-named in 2001 after Charmaine Chapman – the first African American and first woman to lead the United Way.
The Society is comprised of African Americans who pledge an annual gift of $1,000 or more to the United Way and remains a national leader in leadership and philanthropy. The initiative has raised nearly $29 million since its inception, according to the United Way.
“We’re doing this because people need our help,” Reuben Shelton added. “And that’s what the United Way does.”
United Way of Greater St. Louis supports more than 170 local nonprofit agencies that assist with basic needs, financial stability, education and health. The United Way has been actively involved in meeting the needs of families and individuals in Ferguson and neighboring communities in coordination with a variety of agencies, said former co-chair of the Charmaine Chapman Society Johnny Furr Jr.
“In the wake of recent events in our community,” Furr said, “we have been asking what we can do to make a difference, particularly with our young people.”
Matching a young person with a caring adult mentor can make a big difference, he said, referring to his nonprofit, St. Louis Cares.
“There are over a 100,000 children in the St. Louis region waiting to be matched with a mentor,” he said. “Eighty percent of these young people are between the ages of 12-17, and most of these children are boys.”
Children matched with a mentor for one or more years are more likely to attend college, receive a four-year college degree, have higher household incomes, and higher self-esteem, He said. He challenged members to consider taking part in the next level of leadership service and civic engagement by becoming mentors.
“Whatever level of success we’ve had is because some adult supported us along our journey to success,” Furr said. “This is one of those moments where we’re going to be asked to wrap our arms around a young person and make a difference.”
Overall, the United Way exceeded its 2014 fundraising goal of $72.5 million by raising a little more than $73 million.
“We witnessed an outpouring of generosity from everyone in our region – on both sides of the river, from our labor unions, from companies big and small, and households in 16 counties – to make this campaign successful,” said 2014 United Way campaign chair Scott Schnuck.
Money raised in this year’s campaign will help one out of every three people in this region, Schnuck said.
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