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United Way Representatives Speak to McKenzie Rotary Club

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McKENZIE (June 7) — United Way of West Tennessee was the guest program for the June 7 meeting of the Rotary Club of McKenzie.

Matthew Marshall and Megan Houston represented the agency that serves 14 counties in west Tennessee, 56 nonprofit agencies and has 73 programs. Based in Jackson, the agency provides a portion of the funding for these Carroll County-based agencies: Carroll County Books from Birth; Office on Aging; and McKenzie-Carroll County United Neighbors.

The United Way has many programs, but some of the most innovative is the Jackson Financial Empowerment Center to provide free financial advise, the 211 Hub - that serves as a clearinghouse for resources, and Read Team - in which volunteers donate one hour of their time each week to help second graders to read. Marshall said young children through grade 3 are learning to read and after that, they read to learn.

West Tennesseans, on average, earn less than those in middle and east Tennessee. Ford’s Blue Oval City will change the entire dynamics of west Tennessee, said Marshall. West Tennessee is preparing for the influx of jobs, said Marshall.