What a year it's been...
As we begin a new year, we want to reflect on all that was accomplished in 2019. At United Way of the Eastern Panhandle, we know we couldn’t achieve our mission without support from our partners, donors, and volunteers – thank you for all of your contributions and hard work over the past year. We can’t wait to see what we achieve together in 2020 – cheers to creating opportunities for health, education and financial stability for every person in our community.
January
In January, we announced the 2019-2020 grant cycle. This year, United Way of the Eastern Panhandle distributed grants to 32 area non-profits to fund 39 programs addressing homelessness, hunger, education, health, literacy, and financial stability thanks to the generosity of our donors.
February
In February, we kicked off our Warming Hands and Hearts campaign to encourage donations to assist families in paying their heating bills during the winter. The Initiative is sponsored by Roach Energy and ROCS Convenience Stores.  Applications for heating assistance through Warming Hands and Hearts are screened by the Department of Health and Human Resources (DHHR) and the Regional Resource Connection (RRC).
March
In March, First United Bank & Trust United Way of the Eastern Panhandle , and the Eastern WV Community Foundation hosted a Lunch and Learn Panel Discussion to support the public relations efforts of our nonprofit community. Panelists included experts from The Journal, Spirit of Jefferson Herald-Mail Media Around the Panhandle Magazine , West Virginia Radio, and  WDVM
April
United Way of the Eastern Panhandle hosted its 3rd Annual Little Black Dress Event on Thursday, April 25 at the Holiday Inn Martinsburg. The event raised $17,000 to benefit United Way's Born Learning Initiative focusing on Youth Literacy & Early Childhood Development. 265 books were donated by those in attendance.
May
United Way of the Eastern Panhandle officially closed the 2018 Campaign Year with the Annual Celebration, held Wednesday, May 29 at the Holiday Inn Martinsburg. Eighty-one community members, partner agencies, and board members were present as we celebrated our campaign achievements and recognized individuals and businesses for their outstanding service to United Way. 
June
In June, we were delighted to honor Director of Finance and Administration Kathy Crothers on 25 years of service to our organization. Since beginning her career at United Way in 1994, Kathy has contributed outstanding and impeccable work developing and transforming campaign and financial management systems to support the organization’s budget growth.
July
In July, we held our first Coffee & Conversation session. Jan Augusta Nieves, Substance Use Recovery Coordinator at WVU Medicine, led a collaborative discussion on addressing the stigma of addiction in our community. 
August
In our second Coffee & Conversation session, Keith Busby, Human Resources Leader at Procter & Gamble Tabler Station Site, led a community discussion on increasing employee engagement through corporate philanthropy. Busby discussed the advantages of incorporating a corporate giving program and shared examples of how Procter & Gamble engages its employees in community volunteerism.
September
In September, we held the 25th Annual Day of Caring. Over 1000 volunteers spent the day completing tasks at over 50 projects across three counties providing thousands of dollars’ worth of labor to local nonprofits.
This year, we launched our first Unity Campaign. During the 12 Days of Giving from September 11 - 22, donors gave to any of the 28 participating agencies and 100% of their contribution went directly to the designated nonprofit. In addition, a portion of all gifts were matched by the Incentive Match Sponsor.
The 2019-2020 Campaign kicked off on September 30 with a Homecoming and Kickoff event at 1902 on Queen in Martinsburg. The event included a presentation of $250,000 to six local organizations that provide resources to families in need of shelter. The distributions were made possible by the sale of property donated by Randy Smith.
October
Dr. Bondy Shay Gibson, Superintendent of Jefferson County Schools, led our third Coffee & Conversation session on United Way's Mobile Learning Lab Initiative and its impact on children in our community. The Mobile Learning Lab is a collaborative partnership between United Way of the Eastern Panhandle, Jefferson County Schools, and James James Rumsey Technical Institute.
November
The 14th Annual Christmas Cash for Kids kicked off in November. Through this program, gifts are personally selected and purchased for children in need across Berkeley, Jefferson and Morgan counties. Christmas Cash for Kids is an Initiative of United Way of the Eastern Panhandle, City National Bank, DHHR and Today's 97.5, WEPM, & WCST.
In November, we celebrated Marie Keegin for being recognized by the Association of Fundraising Professionals VA, Tri-State Chapter  as a Distinguished Volunteer of the Year. Marie has helped to develop partnerships with United Way agencies, raises awareness about the complexities of homelessness, and most recently, became one of the top fundraisers for our first Unity Campaign.
December
On December 3rd, WDVM and Weis Markets came together for a Day of Giving Telethon to benefit seven neighboring United Ways.

On #GivingTuesday, MVB Bank, City National Bank, First United Bank & Trust, United Bank, Jefferson Security Bank, and CNB Bank participated in our 2nd Battle of the Banks.

In our fourth session of our Coffee & Conversation series, Ellie Johnson, West Virginia Coalition to End Homelessness, led a discussion on the 2020 Point-in-Time Count and the needs of people experiencing homelessness in our area.
THANK YOU!
Whether you are a community partner or an individual donor, we can’t thank you enough for the impact you have made on the lives of thousands of people in our community.