UNITED WAY EXCEEDS $2M GOAL
Baytown, TX — September 11, 2026
By Carol Skewes
United Way of Greater Baytown Area and Chambers County has met the 2025-2026 campaign goal. Contributions from the 2025-2026 campaign year total $2,052,400, Resource Development Manager Kaylynn Clapper announced at the Champions luncheon Thursday. The goal was $2,046,000. As the new campaign year kicks off, this was very good information to report from the past campaign.
United Way is launching its “80 More Years” initiative with the 2026-2027 campaign year, challenging the community to continue to give back as it has since 1946.
“Our champions are more than just supporters. You’re partners, advocates, volunteers, donors, business leaders and community members,” United Way GBACC Board President Kendall David said. “You understand that when we come together, we can accomplish far more than one could alone.”
“Employees give through their paychecks, champions give through their companies and volunteers give of their time,” Clapper said. “Community leaders continue to believe in what we achieved together and that’s how we got to 80 years. We achieved 100% of our campaign goal over the last year, and I really want us to take the moment to just celebrate all of us in the room. This is the first time since COVID-19, that our United Way has achieved 100% of the campaign goal.
“When I was talking to my dad the other day, he said, ‘Sometimes you have to make a blind investment. You might never see the face, or know the name, of the person who is receiving your help, but you know that the dollar is going to get there,’” Clapper said. “This gives me so much hope for what is coming next, not only to our campaign, but to our community.”
Awards were presented to the following:
Summit Award – Covestro
Campaign Event of the Year – ONEOK
Nonprofit Campaign of the Year – Hearts & Hands of Baytown
Small Campaign of the Year – Zeon Chemical
Medium Campaign of the Year – Houston Methodist Baytown Hospital
Large Campaign of the Year – ExxonMobil
Rookie of the Year – Laura Clinton
Outstanding Employee Campaign Coordinator – Sagan Greenville of Chevron Phillips
United Way GBACC CEO Kaci Peña Agosto highlighted a few of the accomplishments of the last year, including $1.2 million going back into the community via 21 local programs which are “addressing some of the most critical needs in our community.” Investments and partners have met with 21,000 people in the past year and helped so many through over 200,000 meaningful touchpoints, such as “a family who needed food, a student who needed clothing, someone who needed access to healthcare.”
“That’s what these numbers mean to me,” Agosto said. “The same generosity helped us expand our little free library program from 22 libraries to 29 across our community, which resulted in thousands of books getting into the hands of readers everywhere. Through ‘Clothing for Kids,’ more than 500 students received new clothing and hygiene items across 37 campuses last year.”
Agosto said there is still work to do.
“I don’t want this to be the best that we ever do. I want us to keep asking the hard questions about what our community needs,” she said. “I want more children and families to have access to opportunity. I want our nonprofit partners to be stronger with resources to do their best work. And when business leaders see United Way, I want them to see not just the place where we run a campaign every year, but a place you can call when you want to know what’s going on in our community, and how you can help.”
A few of the upcoming United Way GBACC events include:
Oct. 1 - Day of Caring
Oct. 3 - Day of Caring
Jan. 18 - MLK Day of Service
March 4 - Read Across America Day
May 10 - Stamp out Hunger Food Drive
Visit www.unitedwaygbacc.org/ to volunteer, give back and learn about United Way of Greater Baytown Area and Chambers County.
About United Way
For more than 80 years, United Way of Greater Baytown Area & Chambers County has served the community, which covers Baytown, Highlands and Chambers County. From strengthening local resilience to advancing health, youth opportunity and financial security, we’re working towards a future where every person in every community can reach their full potential. For more information, visit https://www.unitedwaygbacc.org/ or call 281-424-5922.