Sep 19, 2019 5 min read

In September 1979, United Way started its first chapter in Greene County alongside the Allegheny and Washington County United Way entities. The goal was to make a difference in the area. That objective hasn’t changed in the 40 years since.

Since then, the nonprofit organization has worked with partner agencies to address the needs of the community.

“What we do is we bring together people to solve issues that our community is facing,” Executive Director MaChal Forbes said. “We bring in different agencies, as well as our board, which has several prominent members of the community, and we discuss the things that are happening in the community and how we can make it better for the people that live here.”

A look into United Way’s associates shows the range of their work: 17 agencies in Greene County, including the Corner Cupboard Food Bank, Greene Arc, Blueprints and Salvation Army.

For Forbes, the breadth of the nonprofit organization’s partnerships is “a great way to help several different community members, not just one group.”

Volunteer Sally Johnson said getting involved with the United Way in 2018 helped her better understand the hardships of a community she had been a part of for 24 years.

“I think, overall, we don’t realize the needs. It’s when you get involved in organizations like United Way that you realize there is a great need in our community for individuals to know where they can go to get access to critical healthcare services and helping to reduce substance abuse, child abuse, domestic violence,” she said. “Everything they do is so beneficial…so well organized and people know that the United Way is there if they need it.”

Board of Directors treasurer Joshuah Dains, who also got involved with United Way in 2018, looks at the work as a way to help people he knows, whether they are family, friends or acquaintances.

“It’s a place I’m already familiar with,” he said. “I already understand the community and how things work, which probably means that I’ll be mostly effective volunteering in this area.”

Forbes agrees that there is something special about supporting your own.

“These are our people, this is where I grew up, these are the places that I have known pretty much my whole life and I would love to see our community thrive,” she said. “But I also want them to know that when they do encounter a hardship, whether it’s something they’ve been dealing with for a long time or something new, there’s always a place to go because not everything is perfect all the time.”

During the first quarter of 2019, United Way’s Allocation Committee gave $50,000 in grants to local organizations. According to its website, the programs it supports help over 40,000 people in Greene County. Aside from the donations, the nonprofit also promotes these agencies, making people in need aware of helpful programs.

“I think that’s truly where our legacy is: the United Way is really supporting Greene County programs that are helping Greene County people on a daily basis,” Forbes said. “Our support and partnership with these organizations is really helping touch almost every person in our community, and I think that is a wonderful legacy to have.”

During its 40th year, the organization also started its monthly coffee corner, an event to highlight local businesses and give the community opportunities to learn more about United Way. Plus, the 17th annual Stuff the Bus took place Aug. 14.

“We were busy, I was busy,” Forbes said. “We’ve been giving out backpacks filled with supplies for students in Greene County for the last 17 years and I think that is amazing. Our numbers, they’ve gone up, they’ve gone down… it’s always great when they go down because that means less people are in need of those supplies, but we’re always ready if there are more.”

All these numbers and achievements are something to celebrate, so United Way is throwing a party.

The 40th anniversary will take place Saturday, Sept. 28, from 4 to 8 p.m. at Thistlethwaite’s Vineyard. While some talks and presentations will be part of the program, Forbes said the main goal is for it to be an evening of fun, with a pig roast, live entertainment, games and more.

Tickets cost $25 per person and can be purchased by calling the United Way at 724-852-1009.

After the party, it is back to work for Forbes and the rest of Greene County United Way’s crew. She said the organization is looking for more ways to get their “hands dirty” and work closely within the county, as well as diversify the businesses they work with.

“We have some really solid agencies that we work with and support,” Dains said. “I would really like to continue to move towards, and I think we’ve done a good job of this, continuing to be a hub for the agencies, fostering communication between everyone, letting everybody know what’s going on and of being a one-stop shop if there’s a person that’s in need.”

For more information on Greene County United Way, visit www.greenecountyunitedway.org.