news

Spartanburg, S.C. (October 3, 2024) – With severe impact from Hurricane Helene in Cherokee, Spartanburg, and Union counties, United Way of the Piedmont launched the United for All Fund earlier this week to respond. This fund provides immediate relief to families most affected by the hurricane, leveraging individual and foundation gifts to rapidly meet needs. Thanks in part to three significant gifts from the BlackRock Foundation, Duke Energy Foundation, and the Mary Black Foundation, the United for All Fund is poised to make a significant difference in the lives of local families. These foundation gifts ensure that we can offer essential services such as shelter, food, and financial assistance during this urgent time. The BlackRock Foundation, Duke Energy Foundation, and Mary Black Foundation have each contributed $25,000, creating a $75,000 matching gift for the United for All Fund. This means every dollar donated will be doubled to help families affected by Hurricane Helene. Claire Chamberlain, President of the BlackRock Foundation, said, “Our hearts go out to all who have been impacted by the devastation of Hurricane Helene. The BlackRock Foundation is committed to joining efforts with the United Way of Piedmont and the United for All fund to support residents of Spartanburg and surrounding communities in this time of immense need.” United for All support is making these efforts possible: Safe Places: Helping families, like a local couple whose home was damaged, secure temporary housing through Airbnb. Access to Resources: Responding to requests for assistance Clearing Debris: Coordinating chainsaw crews to clear private properties, making them safe for families to begin repairs. Providing Essentials: Launching drives to get food, water, and other essential supplies into the hands of those who need them. For information on how to donate to or find hurricane relief resources, visit www.uwpiedmont.org/unitedforall .

Spartanburg, S.C. (October 1, 2024) – In the wake of Hurricane Helene’s devastating impact on Cherokee, Spartanburg, and Union counties, United Way of the Piedmont has activated the United for All Fund to provide immediate relief to affected families. With early donations totaling over $86,000 thanks to individual and organizational gifts, the fund will support local families in need of shelter, food, and financial assistance during this critical time. The United for All Fund will address the most urgent needs facing our community in the aftermath of the hurricane by: Giving immediate aid where it is needed most Supporting local partners in disaster relief efforts Ensuring families have the resources to rebuild their lives United Way of the Piedmont will coordinate with local partners and their Community Resource Coordinators (CRCs) to identify families most in need and allocate funds effectively, ensuring relief efforts are both targeted and impactful. How To Help Donate: Every dollar donated to the United for All Fund will go directly toward providing shelter, food, and financial assistance to families in need. Donations can be made at www.uwpiedmont.org/unitedforall Spread the Word: Share information about the United for All Fund and available resources to ensure those in need receive support. Get Help For non-emergency assistance, call 864-860-1644 or text "HELP" or "AYUDA" to 211-211. Cherokee, Spartanburg, and Union County households that meet income requirements can request United for All assistance at www.uwpiedmont.org/unitedforall “We are committed to helping our community recover from this disaster,” said Paige Stephenson, President & CEO of United Way of the Piedmont. “Families who were already struggling before the storm now face even more uncertainty, and the United for All Fund will provide the resources needed to help them rebuild.”

Spartanburg, S.C. (September 5, 2024) – On Friday, August 9, UWP celebrated the graduation of 13 AmeriCorps Volunteers in Service to America (VISTA) members. The 2023-2024 VISTA cohort had an economic impact of $2,070,622.81 and served a total of 34,156 individuals. AmeriCorps VISTA is a national service program dedicated to fighting poverty in local communities and organizations. VISTA members commit to a year of service with local non-profits, collaborating closely with these agencies to mobilize resources, enhance their capabilities, and promote long-term sustainability. United Way is honored to sponsor and support two AmeriCorps programs in our community: AmeriCorps direct service and AmeriCorps VISTA. During the August 9th program, graduating VISTAs shared about their impact, and program leadership awarded VISTA Supervisor of the Year to Jerry Rice at Benjamin E. Mays Family Resource Center. This year’s VISTA of the Year Sam Reinhardt was recognized at United Way’s Annual Awards Luncheon in June. Becca Waldorf, a former VISTA and the new AmeriCorps Program Coordinator for United Way of the Piedmont, shared, “This cohort made a tremendous impact in our service footprint with many of them moving on to pursue further educational opportunities or permanent employment. They have all shown a huge level of commitment to service and to their own personal and professional growth.” United Way is also excited to announce the following VISTAs for the 2024-2025 cohort and their respective service sites: Chelsea Cash, Corporate Volunteerism VISTA, United Way of the Piedmont Dora Rice**, Community Impact VISTA, United Way of the Piedmont Jaylin Madison, Marketing & Events VISTA, United Way of the Piedmont Sarah Blakely, Resource Development VISTA, United Way of the Piedmont Demecia Martin**, Community Development Associate VISTA, Benjamin E. Mays Family Resource Center Desirae Chitishvili, Community Engagement VISTA, PAL Horace McCollin, Community Engagement VISTA, University of South Carolina Upstate Jordan Fortune, Internal Strategy & Program Developer VISTA, The Bethlehem Center Julia Anhalt, Marketing Coordinator VISTA, ReGenesis Health Care Marlen Ramirez-Alvarado, Development Associate VISTA, St. Luke’s Free Medical Clinic Matt Hagen, Community Impact Data Coordinator VISTA, University of South Carolina Upstate Nicole Collins, Community Development Associate VISTA, The Bridge At Green Street Rachel Davidson, Community Engagement & Volunteer Coordinator VISTA, The BridgeWay Village Rebecca Nelson, Resource Development & Engagement VISTA, Greer Relief Sam Prescott**, Community Engagement VISTA, Converse College Samm White, Community Engagement VISTA, Converse University Tenille Black, Community Impact Coordinator VISTA, Strategic Spartanburg Tiraney Powe, Community Engagement VISTA, Spartanburg Academic Movement Tra Mills, Mission Advancement VISTA, KNOW(2) **Returning VISTA Check out more information about both United Way’s AmeriCorps programs at www.uwpiedmont.org/yearofservice .

School is back in session, and over 2,000 students across Cherokee, Spartanburg, and Union counties were able to get the supplies they need to succeed this year thanks to company and community donations to our Stuff the Bus school supply drive. Each county stepped up to increase their impact from last year’s school supply drive, helping us equip an even bigger number of local students and schools. Thank you to the many local companies and community members for rallying together to collect supplies, donate, and volunteer! In Cherokee County, we partnered with the Sheriff’s Office and received over $9,000 in supply donations to support 240 students. In Spartanburg, donations totaled over $59,000 worth of supplies, which served over 1,690 students and their classrooms. Union County collected $6,133 in supplies to serve 160 students and their classrooms. This year's drive was made possible by our generous sponsors at Owens Corning and Duke Energy .