United in Purpose… A Word of Thanks from our CEO.
Every year, we here at Susquehanna Valley United Way like to say THANK YOU to our community of donors, volunteers, and those who work hard every day to keep our community safe and strong.
As many of you know, this past year was particularly hard for many non-profits, and United Way was one of them. I am proud to say our staff and board members worked diligently to keep the organization’s morale strong so we could continue to do what we do best — listen to the needs of the community and continue to work with our partners to make our Valley a great place for everyone to live.
We used this past year as an opportunity to dig deep as an organization and remember what it means to LIVE UNITED. I am still astounded by the outpouring of positive responses we received from our Funded Partners and the local community. Those who recognized the value United Way brings to our community and reached out to lend their support.
We have much to be thankful for here at Susquehanna Valley United Way. We welcomed our Director of Behavioral and Mental Health, Sarah Dobeck Troutman, in May. In this newly created role, she offers community wellness training and workshops, trauma education, program consultations, and implementation support. Sarah can also aid in navigating the local and state behavioral and mental health systems and provide local resources and provider information. We were able to allocate $271,765 through FEMA’s Emergency Food and Shelter Program in addition to our yearly allocations to our 57 local Funded Partners. Our Volunteer Tax Program grew by 25%, and we continue to strengthen families through our Parents as Teachers, Positive and Active Parenting Programs.
There are so many ways to connect with us here at United Way, and this year, more than ever, I truly feel we are United in Purpose with our vast network of supporters. I am grateful to everyone for your generosity and for sharing your time and talents with us. I am also thankful for our dedicated staff, Board of Directors, Funded Partners, and the community at large. I cannot wait to see what this next year holds.
