Mission & History

Mission

Hopkins County United Way is a leadership and support organization for local nonprofit organizations based in Hopkins County, TX. All funding decisions are made with the input of local leaders and community stakeholders.

History

In the early fall of 1955, a group of businessmen including the newspaper publisher, two bankers, several retailers, a judge, the school superintendent, and a grocer discussed how beneficial it would be to have one main group to do the fundraising for all the different organizations in Hopkins County. At that time, these men were going to the same businesses over and over to raise funds for groups such as Community Chest, Salvation Army, and Red Cross.

This group of businessmen met at the Chuck Wagon Café. The popular restaurant is no longer there, but it sat north of the courthouse and across from Alliance Bank. Many business deals and some “news” were all discussed there. It was during one of these chat sessions that one of the men suggested the idea of the Hopkins County United Fund. As it evolved through the years, it is now called Hopkins County United Way.

For their first campaign, the goal was set at $29,500. This first group of Hopkins County citizens who decided to unite and raise money kicked off their campaign on October 3, 1955. The group scheduled their victory dinner for October 13, 1955 because they were confident they would reach their goal in ten days. They did not actually make it to the goal before the celebration dinner, but they only fell short by $2,561.60. They raised that shortfall and exceeded the goal by $131 on October 31. Since this original campaign, Hopkins County has continued to have its united fundraising effort every October. Ironically, the goal sounds a little higher now, but in reality, $29,500 in 1955 would be the equivalent of $299,130 today.

From the beginning, the United Way campaign was open to all non-profit groups to request funding. That is still the case today. The organizations have certain requirements they must meet in order to qualify for funding. The campaign is still run by volunteers, and these people give their own time and effort to get the packets delivered and returned. The campaign runs throughout the month of October.