Community residents are invited to join the United Way of East Mississippi Tuesday as it kicks off its 2024-2025 campaign digitally with live stream events at 9 a.m., 12 p.m. and 3 p.m. on Facebook Live.

This year’s campaign follows the theme, Have a Heart and Live United, and is designed to inspire and mobilize individuals, businesses and organizations to help make a difference in the community, said Madison Carr, resource development coordinator for the United Way.

“This year we are launching our campaign in a new digital format because we thought we would be able to reach a broader audience,” Carr said.

The Have a Heart, Live United campaign focuses on uniting individuals, businesses and organizations to address critical needs in the community, particularly in the areas of education, health and financial stability.

“The Have a Heart, Live United campaign is all about coming together as a community — both online and in person — to address the pressing needs of our neighbors,” United Way Executive Director Kym Parnell said in the release. “We believe that with the power of digital platforms, we can reach more people, share more stories, and ultimately make a bigger impact.”

Each of the three streaming sessions will take place at the United Way of East Mississippi office in north Meridian. Parnell, United Way board members and community leaders will be on hand to share the objectives of the campaign and how it makes a lasting impact on East Mississippi, Carr said. Individuals and representatives from some of United Way’s partner agencies will also explain what they do and how they have benefited from United Way funding.

“During the event, we will outline how our community can come together to make a lasting impact and demonstrate how United Way and our partners are working tirelessly to improve lives in East Mississippi,” Carr said.

Campaign organizers have set a goal of raising $3,000 during the Facebook live sessions. Carr said those watching will be able to text UWEM to 26989 to donate or or go on United Way of East Mississippi’s website at, uwem.org, and follow a link to make a contribution.

United Way of East Mississippi serves Lauderdale, Clarke, Kemper and Neshoba counties. Money raised in Lauderdale County will go to benefit organizations within the county, Carr said.

Pacesetter companies for this year’s campaign are BankPlus, Citizens National Bank, City of Meridian, EMBDC, First State Bank, Great Southern Bank, Lauderdale County School District, Meridian Coca-Cola, Meridian Community College, Meridian Public School District, Meyer & Rosenbaum, Mississippi Power Company, Mitchell Companies, Southern Cast Products, The Citizens Bank, Trustmark Bank, Wells Fargo and WTOK-TV.

For more information about Tuesday’s digital kickoff campaign, contact Carr at 601-693-2732 or mcarr@uwem.org.