When Beth Pickel sees a need she steps right in, bridging the gap between problem and solution. She has been volunteering with United Way of Sumner County for a year, but in that short time, Beth has established herself as a problem solver on many levels. She is currently serving as a United Way Board Member, entering her second year on the board, and also has served on the UWSC Gala Committee and Allocations Committee.
Last December, when a tornado ripped through Sumner County destroying homes and businesses, Beth was at the command center established by United Way of Sumner County and the Hendersonville Chamber of Commerce helping coordinate food deliveries and food trucks serving the area’s storm victims. As a member of the Hendersonville Area Chamber of Commerce and board member for United Way of Sumner County, Beth was uniquely positioned to help the two organizations partner together to meet the vast needs of the community in the days following the storm.
From large disasters to small, Beth strives to improve conditions for everyone.
In May, when temperatures soared into the high 90s and the air conditioning at the old United Way office struggled to keep pace, she brought a personal air conditioning unit to our office to help staff and volunteers alike work through the unseasonably high heat.
During that same time, she also took on the arduous task of serving on an Allocations Committee for UWSC. These panels determine how much funding non-profits serving Sumner County receive from United Way. It is an extremely difficult and demanding job.
Earlier in the year, during the Gala, Beth worked to secure auction items and table guests for UWSC’s signature fundraiser. After the evening ended, she helped pack, load and deliver items and supplies back to the UWSC office despite the late hour. She’s already working on next year’s Gala.
At UWSC’s recent Community Impact Breakfast, she showed up bright and early to help work the registration table and greet donors, advocates and volunteers as they arrived for the awards ceremony. She then joined the program and represented United Way by presenting the award for Highest Employee Participation among our workplace campaigns
When she’s not volunteering for United Way, Beth stays busy serving others in our community. She has served at NorthField Church, Leadership Sumner (Alumni, Co-Director and now on the board), HolidayFest Board Member, Hendersonville Chamber of Commerce Board Member, and as a Sumner County Women in Business Facilitator.
“I love the fact that by supporting the United Way of Sumner County I can impact so many charities in the community,” Beth says. “I saw firsthand during the tornado the importance of having an organization like United Way to pool resources, offer guidance and bring organizations together.”
Thank you, Beth, for all you do!