Florence County Contributes $10,000 to Florence County Collective

Florence, S.C.
United Way of Florence County is proud to announce receipt of a $10,000 contribution from Florence County to support the Florence County Collective, a countywide initiative aligning the work of nonprofit organizations and government agencies in addressing issues with the greatest potential to improve quality of life for Florence County residents.
Spearheaded by United Way of Florence County and overseen by area nonprofit and community leaders, the Florence County Collective was established in 2024 to build on the work of the prior Florence County Coordinating Council, which ceased operation in 2020.
“We at the County recognize that a vibrant nonprofit community has tremendous potential to help us meet the needs of our residents,” said Kevin Yokim, County Administrator for Florence County. “By combining resources and joining forces more effectively, we can efficiently address issues that would otherwise fall on the County alone.”
Cameron Campbell, president of United Way of Florence County, said the contribution will help the Collective bring value to participants—and ultimately to the county itself.
“We are incredibly grateful for Florence County’s support of this initiative,” Campbell said. “Without this contribution, it would be impossible to offer the resources that our nonprofit leaders want and need.”
The Florence County Collective meets regularly at no cost to participants and offers three opportunities: networking, education and collaboration.
Time is set aside at the beginning and end of each meeting for participants to build relationships with each other. Subject matter experts are brought in to provide best practices and practical takeaways on relevant subjects. Collaboration across organizations is encouraged through working groups based on similar mission focuses. 
In addition, participants are actively engaged in developing communitywide action plans within each of the main community pillars: education, health and financial stability. 
The Florence County Collective is overseen by a steering committee of 11 leaders: Mindy Taylor (Duke Energy), Belle Zeigler (Eastern Carolina Community Foundation), Cameron Campbell (United Way of Florence County), Shannon Munoz (Florence County), Michelle Morgan (City of Florence), Regina Nesmith-Dimery (Department of Public Health), Don Strickland (Pee Dee Regional Transport Authority), Cecilia Meggs (Lighthouse Ministries), Wanda Vereen (House of Hope), Carin Spears (HopeHealth) and Nicole Echols (South Carolina Cancer Alliance). 
For more than 70 years, United Way of Florence County has been a cornerstone of the region’s social service network. Campbell said acting as the “backbone organization” for a community-focused coalition is in line with United Way’s mission. 
“Initiating the Florence County Collective was a natural step given our role in the community,” Campbell said. “We can accomplish so much more with so much less when we work together to solve issues, and I look forward to realizing our collective potential.”
To learn more about the Florence County Collective, visit www.uwflorence.org/resources-for-nonprofits.