In case you haven’t heard, the United Way of Monongalia and Preston Counties surpassed its fundraising goal this year, bringing in a grand total of $1,236,801. We’d like say congratulations to the United Way, but more importantly, we’d like to give an emphatic thank you to the community. In a year that hit everyone hard, people really stepped up to help each other.
So — thank you, from the bottom of our hearts, to everyone who donated to the United Way or to any other charity or service organization in the last year. You have helped restore our faith in humanity — in our ability to help and support one another in times of uncertainty and strife. (And thank you for giving us something positive to write about. It’s a nice change of pace.)
When we donate money, we rarely get to see in person the good our contribution has done. Because of that, we’d like to give you an idea what mini-miracles you paid for:
- Addressing food insecurity. United Way funds food assistance programs through a variety of organizations, including backpack feeding programs and food pantries at Food for Preston and Scott’s Run Settlement House.
- Providing fun, educational opportunities for children. United Way partners with Mountaineer Area Robotics (affectionately known as MARS), local Boy Scouts, Spark! Imagination and Science Center and The Shack Neighborhood House. Your donations are also contributing to CASA for Kids’ and Mon County Child Advocacy Center’s child advocacy programs. Investing in our community’s youth is always a worthwhile endeavor.
- Job training for veterans and people with disabilities. Some of that glorious $1.2 million raised will go to Operation Welcome Home’s veteran job readiness initiative as well as to PACE Enterprises’ job creation and retention and evaluation and training programs.
- Giving people a hand up when they need help. United Way also funds much needed social services like Milan Puskar Health Right, Legal of Aid of West Virginia’s domestic violence assistance, the Rape and Domestic Violence Information Center, Visiting Homemakers’ home health aide program, Christian Help’s career closets and emergency financial assistance and so much more.
The above is only a selection of organizations and programs to which the United Way of Mon and Preston Counties contributes. For more, see The Dominion Post’s coverage from Jan. 7 and Jan. 12, or visit https://www.unitedwaympc.org/partners.
It is amazing — and humbling and inspiring and a bunch of other adjectives — to see the tangible evidence of how much people care. It’s so easy to see the worst in people, especially at a time when we are so divided — socially, politically and physically — to be reminded that, at our core, our community is filled with kind and generous people.
Congratulations to the United Way of Monongalia and Preston Counties for surpassing your fundraising goals, and thank you to everyone who made it possible.
