McGuireWoods has been with United Way from the Beginning

Without McGuireWoods, United Way of Central Carolinas would not exist today.

 

The names were different back then. In the depths of the Great Depression, Charlotte’s United Way was launched in 1931 as the United Welfare Federation and later the Community Chest. And the man who started it all was Fred Helms of Helms Mulliss & Wicker, which merged with McGuireWoods in 2008.

 

Helms recognized the challenge of local entities such as American Red Cross, Salvation Army, and others running multiple fundraising campaigns throughout the year, competing with one another. After contacting the Association of Community Chests in New York and then drafting a constitution for the United Welfare Federation, he was chosen by Charlotte’s mayor to serve as our first president in 1932 and again in 1933.

 

So it’s no surprise McGuireWoods is United Way of Central Carolinas’ largest supporter among law firms, or that Charlotte managing partner Scott Vaughn serves on United Way’s board of directors. Such community support is a tradition that extends back more than 85 years.

 

“There is no better steward of our donations than United Way, which serves as our eyes and ears in this community, as well as our boots on the ground,” said Vaughn. “We’re too busy to understand the Charlotte region’s deepest needs, so trusting United Way to invest our dollars is far more effective than trying to figure it out on our own.”

 

The firm’s impact is not limited to United Way – several partners serve on the boards of United Way agencies and provide pro bono counsel, particularly at Legal Aid of North Carolina, Legal Services of Southern Piedmont, and Council for Children’s Rights. All of the firm’s employees are encouraged to follow their own passion and volunteer, with 15 paid hours for community service annually, and many others volunteering on their own time.

 

“We don’t do it for the recognition,” said Vaughn. “It’s part of our culture, it’s what we were trained to do by those before us. We’re all very blessed, so we’re committed to giving back.”

 

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