On November 15, 1936, neighbors across Spartanburg filled the Converse College Auditorium for what organizers called “The Great Civic Mass Meeting.” Eight local organizations stood together that night. They invited the whole community into a new idea: one shared campaign to raise funds and fill gaps in services for the good of all. Some called it the “Drive to End Drives.” Out of that meeting, the United Campaign in Spartanburg was born. The idea caught on fast. The campaign soon became our community’s central fundraising engine. Each year, companies and neighborhoods came together to raise money for local agencies. A large volunteer force powered every step. As we grew, our name changed. We became the Welfare Federation, then the Community Chest, then the United Fund. In 1973, we became United Way of Spartanburg County. With that name came a bigger purpose: to lead the work of finding community needs and the best ways to meet them. In 1985, we became United Way of the Piedmont. In the years that followed, we grew into a convener and problem solver. We strengthened volunteerism and brought programs like Early Head Start and Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) to our region. To be more strategic, we moved to funding specific programs based on results and partnered on more community-wide initiatives. Our reach grew, too. Union County United Way joined us in 2002, and United Way of Cherokee County joined in 2007. Today, we serve Cherokee, Spartanburg, and Union counties as one organization. Over the last two decades, we found new ways to serve and work together. We built stronger partnerships with local companies and organizations. We focused on basic needs and long-term household stability through AmeriCorps and our Community Resource Coordinators. We helped launch shared efforts in health, housing, education, and financial security. When crises came, both daily and extraordinary, our 211 helpline and United for All Fund were there. Through it all, we have held to one belief: United is the Way. This November 15, we celebrate our 90th Founders Day. We thank the neighbors, volunteers, donors, and partners who shaped this organization. Your generosity and collaboration keep our mission moving. The next 90 years are ours to build together. Be part of what comes next. Join us →

Union, S.C. (November 9, 2026) – Union Uplifted announced the Mrs. Barbara H. Rippy Family Success Academy on Thursday, November 5, at Main Street Junction. Mrs. Rippy made a $100,000 inaugural gift to launch the Academy, which will bring kindergarten-readiness support directly into neighborhoods across Union County. Parents and caregivers will gain the skills, demonstrations and tools they need to help their children start school ready to learn. Mrs. Rippy’s gift reflects decades of generosity and service to Union County. Her investment gives the Academy the start it needs to reach families in every corner of the county. The Academy responds to a pressing need. In 2025, only 25 percent of Union County students were ready to begin kindergarten. Research shows that 90 percent of a child's brain develops by age five, making the years before school a critical window for building the foundation of lifelong learning. “When three out of four of our children arrive at kindergarten not yet ready, that is not a challenge any one school, agency or family can solve alone,” said Joey Haney, Executive Director of Union Uplifted. “It takes a whole-community approach, and that is exactly what this Academy represents.” The Family Success Academy is the newest initiative under BEACON (Bringing Early Access, Care and Outreach to Neighborhoods). BEACON grew out of Union Uplifted’s community planning process, and Union Uplifted’s Early Care and Learning Collaborative Action Network led the work that shaped BEACON and its focus on meeting families where they are.  Rather than asking families to come to a central location, the Academy will travel to them. Sessions will be held in familiar community spaces, including churches, town halls, fire departments and other gathering places across the communities of Buffalo, Carlisle, Jonesville, Lockhart and Union. “Today we have the honor of celebrating a new strategy to support our communities and our kids across the county,” Haney said. “Every time we open a session of the Mrs. Barbara H. Rippy Family Success Academy, we will be highlighting a legacy of service. Thank you, Mrs. Rippy, for loving our community and for supporting Union Uplifted.”