The United Way of the Pennyrile has set a fundraising goal of $715,000 for its 2025-26 campaign, the organization’s leaders announced Thursday morning during a kick-off breakfast at the Christian County Senior Citizens Center.
The campaign’s Barbie-inspired theme is “Give Unlimited Possibilities,” and many supporters at the breakfast came attired in the fashion doll’s signature color — pink.
Campaign co-chairs Bri Smith and Abigail Landrum emphasized the Barbie theme and told supporters “anything is possible” through their efforts to meet or exceed the goal. Smith is a real estate agent with Town and Country Realty. Landrum is a financial advisor with Baird.
The kick-off included a fashion show with several men and women who work for local agencies, including the Christian County Chamber of Commerce, Visit Hopkinsville and the Pennyroyal Arts Council. They chose outfits from Sanctuary Inc.’s Empowering Survivors program, which offers professional clothing to domestic violence and sexual abuse survivors. Sanctuary’s executive director, Heather Lancaster, introduced the models and described their outfits as each one stepped into a large Barbie box and then walked around the breakfast tables.
Last year’s goal was $700,000. The amount United Way officials announced that they had raised at the end of the effort in February was $704,291.
As of Thursday morning, approximately $235,000 — or roughly one-third of this year’s goal — had been raised.
For the next few months, volunteers will solicit donations from individuals, businesses and employees in seven divisions — commercial, education, government, industrial, professional, residential and the Latham Society. The Latham Society, for larger donations, is named for Hopkinsville benefactor John C. Latham.
The partner impact agencies that United Way supports were highlighted in a video presentation that Dan Stahl, owner of CCPRO Video, produced. The agencies are:
- American Red Cross
- Aaron McNeil House
- Armed Services YMCA
- Hopkinsville-Christian County YMCA
- Boys & Girls Club of Hopkinsville-Christian County
- Christian County Rescue Team
- Christian County Literacy Council
- Youth Services Advisory Board
- Dyslexia Association of the Pennyrile
- Kentucky Legal Aid
- Pennyrile Allied Community Services (Home Delivered Meals and RSVP)
- Trace Industries
- The Salvation Army Hopkinsville Corps
- Sanctuary Inc.
- Pennyrile Children’s Advocacy Center
Melanie Noffsinger, executive director, stressed that the agencies serve individuals in the community.
Donations to the campaign can be made online or by mail to United Way, P.O. Box 587, Hopkinsville, KY 42241.
Jennifer P. Brown is co-founder, publisher and editor of Hoptown Chronicle. You can reach her at editor@hoptownchronicle.org. Brown was a reporter and editor at the Kentucky New Era, where she worked for 30 years. She is a co-chair of the national advisory board to the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues, governing board past president for the Kentucky Historical Society, and co-founder of the Kentucky Open Government Coalition. She serves on the Hopkinsville History Foundation's board.
