The 2025-2026 Marshalltown Area United Way (MAUW) fundraising campaign is nearing its conclusion, and Executive Director Kendra Sorensen and Events and Marketing Manager Rachel Norton recapped an eventful year during a celebration ceremony at the Marshalltown Arts and Civic Center (MACC) on Tuesday evening.

“As I reflect on this past year, one quote really truly resonates with me and ties beautifully into today’s presentation. No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted,” she said, quoting Aesop. “At Marshalltown Area United Way, we believe deeply in the work that we do and that united is the way. By listening, learning and growing together, we strengthen our ability to support our neighbors and create lasting, meaningful change. Togetherness is in the heart of everything that we do.”

This year, the United Way topped a list of America’s favorite charities and placed fourth on a Forbes list of top 100 charities. In conjunction with a total of 25 partner agencies and 30 programs, the impact areas the MAUW focused on this year were healthy community, youth opportunity, financial security and community resiliency.

In addition to the MAUW staff of Sorensen, Norton and Haley Carlon, the 2025-2026 campaign was led by co-chairs Maria Gonzalez-Alvarez and Robert Maharry, who helped to hand out various awards and recognitions throughout the night. After recognizing the campaign cabinet, Sorensen handed off the microphone to Scott DeVries and Tania Fonseca of Emerson, the company with the most successful workplace campaign raising nearly $40,000.

DeVries and Fonseca detailed the wide variety of competitions and activities the Emerson committee utilized to promote the United Way campaign, from video games to a chili cookoff to an online auction.

Certificates of recognition were also presented to JBS, the Marshalltown Community School District (MCSD), McFarland Clinic, MARSHALLTOWN Company and the Kiwanis Club of Marshalltown, the newest leadership circle member. United Bank and Trust received a certificate for 100 percent employee participation, and the Times-Republican, KFJB, KDAO and MCC Student Productions were all recognized as media partners through their in-kind publicity contributions. Several local banks — First Interstate, MEMBERS1ST Credit Union, Pinnacle, Alerus, Farmers Savings Bank, Lennox Employees Credit Union, United Bank and Trust, GNB Bank and Citizens Savings Bank — were recognized for their sponsorships as well.

Cassie Campbell, Conny Schutte, Dee Norton, Heidi Draisey, Montana Morgan and Tom Farley were all recognized for their volunteer efforts before Norton provided a rundown of the various special fundraising events the MAUW holds throughout the year, including a new one in 2025, the traveling toilets. Deb Wollam was honored as the top jail and bail fundraiser.

As they prepared to pass the torch to next year’s co-chairs, Sadie Weekley and Emma Michels, Gonzalez-Alvarez and Maharry each took time to share their thoughts on what the campaign meant to them and what they learned through the experience, thanking the community for its ongoing support and stressing the needs the United Way helps to address through the programs and agencies to which it provides critical funding — as Sorensen put it, those dollars can help people who are escaping abusive situations, receiving end of life care, battling food insecurity and support and education for families.

“The point of the matter is the list goes on and on, and this is merely capturing just a portion of what all the contributions go toward directly here in our community,” she said.

With a lofty fundraising goal of $900,000, Sorensen reported that the current total is $813,132 (90 percent) with the opportunity to raise the remaining $86,868 in the next three weeks. As the event came to a close, she capped off the night with another quote.

“Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success” — Henry Ford.

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Contact Robert Maharry at 641-753-6611 ext. 255 or

rmaharry@timesrepublican.com.