Organization’s total community impact is about $3 million
MORGANTOWN – The United Way of Monongalia and Preston Counties officially announced Wednesday, March 13, that it had raised $1,148,706 during its 2024 Campaign. The announcement was made at the campaign wrap-up, which was held Wednesday morning at Steptoe & Johnson in Morgantown.
“Thank you so much to our generous donors and those who have advocated for our United Way, not only through our campaign season, but all year round,” said Brandi Helms, CEO for the local United Way. “We can’t do any of this work without their support, and thanks to them, we will be able to inject about $3 million worth of funds, goods and services into these two counties.”
She shared that number with those who attended the wrap-up event Wednesday, explaining that United Way works not only to raise money for programs in our community, but also obtains grants to run its own programs and more than $1 million in in-kind goods and services that can help those in need. For example, United Way has received several truckloads of hygiene items, cleaning products, food, and more to its Helpful Harvest location in the past year. Those goods are then distributed to people in need in this community.
Helms then introduced Jenna Russell, director of business development at the United Way, to talk about the campaign.
“Thanks to the workplace campaigns, the corporate gifts and our individual givers, I’m so excited to say we raised well over $1.1 million for our community,” Russell said. “And that money stays locally, helping to fund programs at area charities in Mon and Preston counties. People you know are receiving help right now because of the results of this campaign. Thank you for allowing us to continue to offer that assistance with your generous gifts.”
Russell introduced the 2024 Campaign Chair, Monica Haddad, who also received the Timothy P. Saab Community Leader Award for her leadership in the campaign and being a United Way advocate. Other awards given out during the event included the Best of the Best, which went to Clear Mountain Bank for its outstanding workplace campaign, and Employee Coordinator of the Year, which went to Pam Bolyard of Clear Mountain Bank.
This year’s campaign theme was “We Can Make the Difference.” The campaign, which kicked off in August 2023, raises money to help fund 34 programs at 27 agencies in the two-county region, as well as internal United Way programming, such as the Helpful Harvest Food Program, Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, WV211 call service and the Monongalia County Family Resource Network.
For more information about the United Way, call 304-291-7525 or visit unitedwaympc.org.