OGDEN, Utah – On Wednesday, June 1, United Way of Northern Utah (UWNU) awarded individuals and partners who made extraordinary contributions to building a healthy, stable, and well-educated community at their annual BRAVO Night award ceremony. Each year, UWNU staff nominate individuals and companies that embody the belief, To live better, we must LIVE UNITED.
This year, six awardees were celebrated. Among them were Corporate Partner of the Year- Bechtel, Community Partner of the Year- Ogden-Weber Community Action Partnership (OWCAP), School Partner of the Year- Ogden High School, Partner for Success- UServeUtah, Volunteer of the Year- Nadine Haun (posthumously), and Community Leader of the Year- Janis Vause. See event program here.
Corporate Partner of the Year, Bechtel, was awarded for their community involvement. “Our partners at Bechtel truly have ‘yes’ in their hearts,” stated UWNU Corporate Engagement Director Mandi Schill. “Their employees are always the first to sign up to give, advocate, and volunteer in our community. Since 2015, Bechtel, its employees, and its affiliated projects, have donated nearly $40 million and countless volunteer hours to programs supporting education, economic development, and charitable causes across the US.”
Community Partner of the Year, OWCAP, was recognized for their program and fund distributions. It was reported that OWCAP gave $8.4 million in rent and utility assistance to 2,577 households impacted by COVID-19. Also, their Circles Chapter (family mentoring program) is the first Spanish-speaking cohort in the nation.
Partner for Success, UServeUtah, was honored for their ability to support our local nonprofit volunteer efforts. UWNU CEO Tim Jackson said, “We are only able to have an impact on the scale we do because of the support of our community volunteers. UServeUtah has helped build our capacity to connect and inspire community members to get involved.”
Volunteer of the Year awardee, Nadine Haun, was awarded for her service to the UWNU Welcome Baby Program. Haun was known for her ability to craft unique and special baby blankets. During her time, she was able to produce hundreds of baby blankets for new parents. These parents, so grateful, were touched. For many of them, this was the only thing they had received. Even after her passing, Haun’s daughter, Jennifer, was able to deliver Nadine’s last batch of blankets.
Community Leader of the Year, Janis Vause, was awarded for her contributions to leadership and education.“Janis found the ‘fun’ in fundraising,” stated Jackson. “She pulled together 25 years of wildly popular events that fund the enhancement of children’s education.” Among her other achievements, Vause was also able to establish a $1 million educational endowment.
School Partner of the Year, Ogden High School, was honored for their dedication to the AmeriCorps Student Success Program. One such effort was a Community Family Night where over 800 people attended and had the opportunity to learn about free resources in the community from 75 community partners.
“When I think about our relationships with these community leaders,” shared Jackson, “A quote comes to mind. ‘You have two hands, one for helping yourself, the other for helping others’. With the volume of these individuals’ good work, you’d think they had more than two hands.”
UWNU wishes to thank their event host Northrop Grumman as well as their Year of Action Sponsors: America First Credit Union, Bechtel, Comcast, Intermountain Healthcare, Great Western Insurance Company, Northrop Grumman, and the Standard Examiner. They also wish to give a special thanks to Crown Trophy who donated the awards.
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United Way of Northern Utah is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization located in Ogden, Utah. Its mission is to unite people and organizations to build a healthy, stable, and well-educated community where individuals, families, and neighborhoods thrive.
