PAT CROSSLEY/Sun-Gazette Award winners for the event included in the top photo center, Robert Glunk, the Douglas C. Dickey Humanitarian Award. He is joined, left to right, by Ron Frick, Lycoming County United Way CEO and president; Dr. John Piper; Drew Dickey, Jennifer Dickey, Denise Stryker and Diane Stein, a former winner of the award. In photos below, at left, Katrina Wilkins, second from right, winner of the Harriet Lenhart Memorial Women’s Leadership Award; and left, to right, Carolyn Hawk, Donna Bastian and Frick. The winner of the Douglas J. Shangraw Memorial Volunteer Award, the Rev. Bradley Walmer is joined by Frick and past winner Kevin Steinbacher.

When Nikki Dake-Montgomery shared the story of her life and how various “angels” had helped her move beyond a childhood filled with abuse, she was speaking to the people at the Lycoming County United Way’s (LCUW) annual dinner and awards celebration who through their support help many Nikki’s every day.

Dake-Montgomery told of coming home one night when she was 12 and finding her mother drunk. She began beating her children, so Dake-Montgomery took her brother and sister and went to a neighbor’s house and called 911, “demanding someone come and get us out of there.”

“I kept them with me in the bedroom of these people that I didn’t even know,” she said.

“Once they (the authorities) came I can clearly remember a sense of peace…finally we got away. She can no longer hurt us anymore,” she added.

Life after that was not always easy, but through it all, Dake-Montgomery said, there were people to help-her “earthly angels.”

“During the process of preparing to share this story, I relived a lot of this trauma all over again. So much so that I almost backed out of doing this. I was just exhausted living it all of this all over again,” she said.

“I fought my entire life, physically, mentally and emotionally and as I reflected on my life, it was so much ugly but I can’t help feeling such an overwhelming sense of I was still blessed,” she said.

She spoke of the work that CASA, (Court Appointed Special Advocate), a United Way community partner, does with children in situations similar to what she lived through.

Although CASA was not available when she was young, Dake-Montgomery said, “Let’s look forward to what we can do now and be blessed that CASA is available to many other families out there, partly due to United Way’s support,” she said.

In his opening remarks at the event this week, Ron Frick, CEO and president of LCUW, talked about the contributions of the organizations that work to benefit members of the community through the United Way which is in its 102nd year. He also spoke of the tough times that nonprofits have faced in recent years.

“Times have been tough for many nonprofit organizations, costs are up, donations are down. Volunteers are staying home and many charities are seeking new business models to become more sustainable. In the face of these mounting challenges, nonprofits are turning to new transformational leadership and forming partnerships with other organizations, corporations and government entities,” Frick said.

Quoting Angela Williams, president and CEO of United Way Worldwide, Frick said “no one can whistle a symphony, it takes an orchestra to play it.”

“She believes that the times call for investment in communities like never before and she speaks of the necessity of starting with a deep understanding of local needs, reflecting on the people that the United Way seeks to serve,” he said.

“But, we aren’t doing it alone. Nearly 2.6 million volunteers and over nine and a half million donors engage with us worldwide and invest in us to advance community-based and community-led solutions. Many of you have supported us with your time, with your talent and your treasure over many years. Together, we are united and together we are grateful,” he said.

Awards were also given to members of the community for their outstanding service. They were: the Harriet Lenhart Memorial Women’s Leadership Award, Katrina Wilkins, Sullivan County; the President’s Award, Michael Philbin; the Douglas J. Shangraw Memorial Volunteer Award, the Rev. Bradley Walmer; and the Douglas C. Dickey Humanitarian Award, Robert Glunk.