Tygart Valley United Way is starting summer 2021 off right. Today’s Day of Action saw the largest group of volunteers in the project’s history, hosting over 200 volunteers at 28 projects across the organization’s five county region. The special day of service is sponsored by WVU Medicine.
“We are thrilled with the turn out of this year’s event!” said Emily Swain, Director of Community Impact. “Each year, United Ways across the United States celebrate the first day of summer with a nationwide day of volunteer service, and we are so proud of our volunteers for being part of that big day. Non-profit agencies haven’t stopped providing much needed service throughout the pandemic, so this is our way of giving back to them and thanking them for their hard work.”
“This last year has certainly been one for the record books,” said Chief Executive Officer, Brett White. “We have seen our community come together like never before and rally together in order to help others through the pandemic. And, with our expansion, we have the opportunity to be change agents across our entire region.”
In response to that need for connectivity and support, Tygart Valley United Way is partnering with Unite Us to build and grow Unite West Virginia, a coordinated care network of health and social care providers, to better address people’s social needs and improve health across communities through strengthened collaboration and streamlined referrals. White says, “We know now, more than ever, what needs exist in our community and understand what a difference coordinated care can make to folks who are experiencing hardships.”
We are absolutely thrilled to expand our Unite West Virginia network into the Tygart Valley and surrounding counties, says Devon Lopez, Community Engagement Manager for Unite West Virginia. “As a West Virginia native, I am excited to collaborate with Tygart Valley United Way to build a robust network in our community through the Unite Us Platform. The Tygart Valley United Way has been instrumental in informing this network expansion, and we could not have done this work without their partnership!”
Brittny Drennen, Regional Engagement Director, is appreciative of folks in the region who support their communities. “As we can see with the turn out for Day of Action, our citizens truly care about their communities. This is especially important for the United Way, as we also launch United for Kids today, our annual collection drive for school pantries in our five counties.”
The hygiene and other personal care items that are collected between now and August 6th, will be distributed to all 50 schools in Marion, Randolph, Taylor, Barbour and Tucker counties. Drop off locations are located throughout all five counties and individuals can also shop online using the Amazon Wishlist that has been setup for the program. More information about drop off locations can be found at http://www.tvunitedway.org/unitedforkids.
“We as so thankful to WVU Medicine for sponsoring this day of service. Our volunteers, partners, and donors are the lifeblood of United Way, and we could not be any more grateful to them for the work that’s being done in our region,” added White. “They are truly Living United!”
