Linda Fleming remembers the invitation from Carolyn Rich to become the Bluffton-Beaverdam-Richland Township United Way executive secretary.

It was 1983. Both women worked at Bluffton University.

As Fleming recalls, Rich walked across the hall from one Riley Court office to the one where Fleming worked. The invitation was to be part of a community service organization, which Fleming might keep for a couple years.

Fleming took the volunteer post, but not for a couple years – instead, for 30 years. This month she’s retiring.

“It kept me busy all 12 months of the year for 30 United Way campaigns,” she told The Icon in an interview last week. “It’s time for someone new in the position.”

Her replacement is Stacy Stumbaugh, a co-employee with Fleming at First National Bank’s Bluffton office.

Executive secretary's role

As a year-around position, here are some of the things that, as executive secretary, have involved Fleming over the past 30 years:

January’s assignment calls the school and senior citizens center to make arrangements for the annual meeting, which takes place the third Tuesday of February. Then, there’s the annual meeting to plan.

In April the United Way holds its budget hearings. There each agency requesting funding makes a 10-minute presentation to the local board. Then, the board votes on its budget.

In June door-to-door forms and NFL schedule cards are ordered. Donors use the forms. The NFL cards are giving to donors. August includes a work night. There, volunteers prepare United Way solicitations for mailing for rural routes, post office boxes and Beaverdam postal patrons.

In September door-to-door solicitation in Bluffton takes place on the third Tuesday of the month.

“Each agency receiving funding is asked to provide one volunteer per $100 of requested funds for the door-to-door solicitation,” said Fleming. That means that there could be up to 250 volunteers knocking on doors, since Bluffton’s United Way goal in recent years is close to $25,000.

As donations come in, which are year around, each agency receives its funding in quarterly payments.

Throughout the year Fleming stays in close contact with Neil Reichenbach, United Way treasurer, and Duane Bollenbacher, United Way president, to make certain everything runs as planned.

“The executive secretary needs to set up meetings, set the agenda, stay in touch with agencies and to encourage those agencies to get volunteers for door-to-door solicitation,” she said.

Bluffton’s United Way is a unique one. It’s the only United Way in Ohio that has remained tied to its own community instead of to the county where it resides. Without a Bluffton United Way it is very possible that funding for  “Bluffton” agencies would disappear completely, for example, if Bluffton became part of the Allen County or Hancock County United Way.

Bluffton’s United Way operates its year from Sept. 1 through Aug. 31. The current goal of $24,500 supports the following local agencies:
• Boy Scouts
• Bluffton Hospital Auxiliary
• Bluffton Community Preschool
• Bluffton Child Development Center
• Bluffton Community Assistance Program
• Girl Scouts of Appleseed Ridge
• Allen County Chapter of American Red Cross
• Bluffton Senior Citizens
• Bluffton Family Recreation
• Bluffton Weekday Christian Education

Year-end giving still possible
Persons interested in providing a year-end United Way donation may do so by sending a check to Citizens National Bank in care of the Bluffton-Beaverdam-Richland Township United Way.

To access the 2013-14 United Way pledge form, click here.