Our Campaign theme this year is "Hear Our Stories, your gift changes their stories." We can not wait to share some incredible stories that we have collected from our program participants and partner agency clients with all of you. You will be inspired, moved, and proud of being a part of the United Way movement here in Knox County.

Our Campaign Kick-off Week will take place September 10th through the 14th. The schedule of events is pictured and link is provided below. We will also be releasing client stories, volunteer features, and program overviews online and in the news throughout our kickoff week. 

The  2019 Investment Agenda  includes $409,384 supporting the 13 Health programs administered by 8 partner agencies, United Way will also fund 6 Education Programs, supported by 5 agencies, who will receive $113,500 and 7 agencies will receive $220,500 for 7 Financial Stability Programs in 2019. United Way of Knox County is also unique as it also runs several programs directly. These include Crunch Out, Poverty Simulations, and Dolly Parton's Imagination Library amongst many others. 

Use  this link to make an online Donation to the 2018 campaign.

Click here to open the full schedule!

Welcome Campaign Chair Steve Oster

United Way welcomes Steve Oster, Superintendent for the Knox and Coshocton County Boards of Developmental Disabilities, to serve as the Campaign Chair for 2018. Oster is thrilled to take part and focus on the health initiatives that United Way supports. "A healthy community is also a strong and vital community, able to sustain its vitality and accomplish even greater things in the future. That strength is built on the health of all of its citizens, from the newborn baby to the oldest and wisest among us and everyone in between. It is important that we continue to invest in, maintain and improve the health of Knox County so that we can continue to be the amazing place we are." In 2019, United Way plans to raise $1,150,000.00 and invest $743,384 in 17 partner agencies, who will run 26 programs.

A natural leader, Steve served as past president to the United Way of Knox County and many other groups in Knox and Coshocton Counties. Steve grow up in Ontario, Ohio and earned his undergraduate degree in Psychology and Public Communications and his Master's Degree in Public Policy and Management under the John Glenn College of Public Affairs.  Steve has a wide variety of work experiences working in Mental Health, Aging, running a county home and also currently the Executive Director of the non-profit PAR - Professionals, Advocates, Resources, all which lead to his passion of developmental disabilities.

"We are thrilled to have Steve carry the torch. He is a true advocate of our work at United Way and knows directly how important United Way is to supporting agency programming in Knox County." Remarked United Way of Knox County Ohio, Inc. Executive Director, Kelly Brenneman.

Oster will be traveling around the county and educating the communities on the importance of United Way in Knox County beginning in September and serving through the year until the Annual Meeting in March. To donate to United Way, visit  www.uwayknox.org or phone 740.397.5721 or text UWay2018 to 41444.

On August 2, members of Women United, an affinity group of the United Way of Knox County, met for lunch in Foster Hall, on the campus of Mount Vernon Nazarene University. There they celebrated past accomplishments, reviewed the proposed budget allocations and recipients, and ended the meeting by stuffing bookbags with school supplies and taking them to the Salvation Army in Mount Vernon for distribution to children in need in Knox County.

The meeting highlights include

Programs funded in 2018-19 are: Chris-Fit Program, Mount Vernon Municipal Court, $3,000; Girls on the Run, Participating Elementary Schools, $1,000; Mount Vernon Farmer's Market Senior Food Vouchers, OSU Extension, $500; Sew Special Network, $2,500; Santa' Workshop, Knox County Career Center, $1,000; Business Luncheon Experience, Knox County Career Center, $500; Personal Safety and Awareness, Central Ohio Safety Solutions, $800; Refrigerator and Supplies for the Escape Zone, $3,796; Family and Community Water Station for Foundation Park, $3,915; Career Intelligence, Knox County Career Center, $5,000; New Directions Shelter Aesthetic, $2,500; Inclusion Playground at Memorial Park, $5,000; Tactical Communications for First Responders, $2,500; Be the Nice Kid, all elementary schools in Knox County, $1,000 and the Freedom Center Recovery Atmosphere Welcome Area and Children's Space, $1,750. Women United will also fund 6 internal programs which are Ruling our Experiences, Stuff the Bookbags, Bags of Love Diaper Bags and Women in Recovery Breakfasts.