The United Way of Selma and Dallas County held its annual banquet Thursday night at the George Evans Reception Hall. The banquet was a chance for the United Way to thank everyone that has contributed to the nonprofit over the last year.

The organization is everything that is right with our community because it’s constantly finding a way to give back. The United Way partners with the American Red Cross, YMCA, SABRA Sanctuary, the Salvation Army, BOSCO Nutrition Center, West Alabama Easter Seal, Selma AIR, the Selma Area Food Bank and many others.

United Way director Jeff Cothran thanked everyone he could Friday because without support from the community, the United Way wouldn’t be able to give back.

“I would like to be able to sit down at everybody’s house tonight, right in front of them and thank them with my heart and soul,” Cothran said.

Cothran also shared some big news Friday. The United Way was awarded one of 200 grants for its Doc in a Bus Program, which was created in 2008 as a partnership to provide free healthcare to those uninsured within Dallas County.

The Doc in the Bus Program is just another example of the good the United Way of Selma and Dallas County is doing in our community.

There are many worthy charities here locally and many of them partner with the United Way.

We thank the organization for everything it has done and continues to do in Selma and Dallas County and encourage anyone with the means to do so to consider donating to the United Way. There are plenty of people and organizations that could use the assistance United Way provides.

The United Way is located at 115 Vaughan Memorial Drive. It can be reached at 874-8383.