United Way of Southwest Virginia 2020 Annual Report

2020 Annual Report

Table of Contents

1 Why and How?

2

Why is the work we do important for Southwest Virginia? How do we accomplish it all?

CEO Letter

See what President and CEO Travis Staton had to say about 2020

3 COVID-19 Impact

Look at how our region came together during crisis

4 COVID-19 Stories

She was a single mom and suddenly without a job.

Read how your support got her back on her feet

7 Childhood Success

Childcare had to learn about the virtual space. Look how we supported them.

13 Youth Success

With your support, we brought an in-person event into the virtual world for local students

17

Financial Data Even during crisis, we ran a lean operation

19 Looking Ahead

Come along with us to the post-pandemic work ahead.

2020 Annual Report

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WHY DO WE DO IT: THE ALICE POPULATION ALICE® is an acronym coined by United Way that stands for Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed. The ALICE population represents those of us (men, women, and families) who work hard and earn more than the official Federal Poverty Level, but less than the basic cost of living.

The future success of Southwest Virginia is directly tied to the financial stability of our ALICE households.

“Until now, ALICE has been a hidden population. ALICE works, but struggles to afford the basic necessities, including housing, food, child care, health care, and transportation. The issue is that ALICE households often don’t qualify for governmental aid or social service programs, and they are virtually invisible to the system. A lot of times, their struggles are unseen and unknown.”

The ALICE® population often carries the weight of burdens like not having access to proper healthcare, having to choose between paying bills or for other necessities, and dealing with problems that come along with living in a rural area like lack of internet accessibility and job opportunities with a living-wage.

HOW WE DO IT: OUR CRADLE-TO-CAREER APPROACH Through an initiative-based cradle-to-career approach, United Way of Southwest Virginia is creating sustainable solutions to address the challenges facing tomorrow’s workforce. United Way convenes crosssector partners to make an impact on the most complex problems in our region. Through collaboration with government, business, nonprofit and individuals, United Way innovates for positive, lasting social change.

OUR CRADLE-TO-CAREER APPROACH

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United Way of Southwest Virginia

A LETTER FROM OUR CEO By working through and overcoming the challenges and successes of 2020, resilience was stitched through the fabric of our organization. Organizations who are strong yet nimble were able to adapt, create new patterns, and sew together innovative squares of figurative community quilts that were beautiful, strong, and long-lasting. Because of your support, we not only pieced together innovative program delivery models, but stitched together new partnerships that provided expansion and growth, building new capacity to serve our region.

Our plans in 2020 changed, but our focus did not. Across the cradle-to-career continuum, we continued the fight for health, education, and financial stability of every person in Southwest Virginia. In addition to bringing program delivery in Childhood Success and Youth Success into the virtual space, we mobilized quickly to form the COVID-19 Relief Fund to support resilience and social innovation during the crisis.

Our strength of bringing together people across sectors to develop solutions was a vital skill during 2020 when many nonprofit organizations shuttered. With your support, we are committed to becoming even stronger as we build capacity to address issues that are not even affecting us yet. We will continue to learn and use recent challenges as an opportunity to become even stronger.

Thank you for being part of our story.

Travis Staton President and CEO United Way of Southwest Virginia

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TOTAL INVESTMENT OF:

$1,528,100 4,071 people helped

More than

30

masks to childcare centers, schools, and local non-profits

teachers received online training to promote resiliency and social emotional learning with their students

16

childcare centers received cleaning supplies

600

$43,096

gallons of hand sanitizer for childcare centers and nonprofits

grant funds repurposed for childcare centers to operate during

Ignite internships completed in Summer of 2020

30,733 1,160

students had access to MajorClarity for online career planning and exploration

40

no touch thermometers

hours of direct technical assistance to 223 childcare centers

teachers at 45 programs trained in best practices for virtual interactions with young children

Professional Development hours centered on Social Emotional Support, Health and Safety, and TeacherChild Interactions We mobilized local resources formed to meet the needs of our vulnerable populations, including children, families, and the ALICE population

to provide food, shelter, transportation, utility assistance, and prescription medications

families received tuition support for licensed childcare for school age children

156,000 99

hotspots have been installed across Southwest Virginia

66

$185,000

319

hours spent working with 99 Ignite Coordinators at 100 different schools providing virtual technical

students attended the Virtual Careers Expo for Youth

121

teachers experienced virtual educators in industry tours

COVID-19 RELIEF AND COLLABORATION Mobilizing resources to meet the needs of our community The COVID-19 pandemic has undoubtedly touched every corner of Southwest Virginia. People faced challenges in 2020 that no one was prepared for. To respond to the needs of the region, United Way of Southwest Virginia established the COVID-19 Relief Fund, a resilience and social innovation initiative that responded to the communities’ needs experiencing detrimental economic effects related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Mike Quillen, Co-Chair of the COVID Advisory Council, stated, “The COVID-19 pandemic has and will continue to affect the citizens in Southwest Virginia both economically and financially.

Together, we will continue to overcome these adversities and challenges because Southwest Virginia is a resilient and strong region.”

United Way of Southwest Virginia, along with many other partners and volunteers, wanted to respond to the crisis and do everything possible to respond to the needs of the Southwest Virginia region. To ensure the COVID-19 response needs of our region were met, a regional advisory council comprised of donors to the fund, business and nonprofit organizations, and health and human service agencies was formed to develop the response strategy for Southwest Virginia.

“This pandemic was the biggest challenge of our lifetime,” said Tommy Casteel, Co-Chair of the COVID Advisory Council,

“We wanted to mobilize local resources as quickly as possible.”

United Way of Southwest Virginia’s COVID-19 Relief Fund efforts focused on vulnerable populations, including children, families, and the ALICE population in Southwest Virginia. ALICE, an acronym coined by United Way that stands for Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed, represents men, women, and families who work hard and earn more than the official Federal Poverty Level, but less than the basic cost of living.

The COVID-19 Relief Fund is the response to assist our local community members affected by the COVID-19 Pandemic.

“Southwest Virginia is both resilient and socially innovative. Our region has always come together to solve challenges to improve our communities and our future.

The year 2020 was unprecedented, but, together, we supported strategies leading to resilience,” said Travis Staton, President and CEO of United Way of Southwest Virginia.

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COVID RELIEF FUNDING FOR EVERY LOCALITY Problems across the region affect ALICE

When the COVID-19 pandemic began in 2020, many families faced financial challenges they never experienced before. Many Southwest Virginia residents found themselves without the financial resources to afford basic necessities during the pandemic. United Way of Southwest Virginia partnered with the every local Department of Social Services in Southwest Virginia to provide funding for the individuals and families that needed it most.

This relief funding was made available to everyone within the United Way of Southwest Virginia footprint to provide assistance that was not met with existing government resources. The DSS Fund significantly helped the ALICE Population with their emergency needs, which included food insecurity, cleaning supplies, hygiene products, diapers and wipes, baby formula, medical needs, rent or mortgage, and utilities. ALICE, an acronym coined by United Way that stands for Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed, represents men, women, and families who work hard and earn more than the official Federal Poverty Level, but less than the basic cost of living.

The funds received by individuals and families were a lifeline to provide for those who found themselves struggling due to loss of jobs or reduced work hours.

A Social Services case manager said,

“One of the families we helped consists of a young, single mother and her 19-month-old son. This woman works in the healthcare field as a personal care aide. As a result of COVID-19, her hours were greatly reduced, which resulted in some financial struggles for her. We were so happy to be able to provide her with relief funds so she could get back on her feet and get caught up with her finances.”

According to Travis Staton, President and CEO of United Way of Southwest Virginia, “We know that this crisis put thousands of individuals in our region in an economic and financial strain. Through this partnership with the Virginia Department of Social Services, we were able to assist the most vulnerable citizens in our region and provide both immediate and long-term relief.”

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United Way of Southwest Virginia

ACCESSIBILITY ACROSS THE REGION Internet: life changing access for rural Virginia

The COVID-19 pandemic affected our region in many ways; businesses and schools closed their doors, and many people were forced to adapt to remote work in order to ensure the safety of workers and children.

This new working environment presented many new challenges, including WiFi connectivity issues for many in the rural areas of the region. United Way of Southwest Virginia responded to the needs of our community by making funds available to install WiFi hotspots in public spaces throughout Southwest Virginia. These HotSpots allowed access to remote learning, telemedicine, workforce development, economic development, and other online opportunities.

More than 30 hotspots have been installed, helping communities and families in Southwest Virginia access the internet. These connectivity points were established in Bland County, Buchanan County, Carroll County, Dickenson County, Giles County, Grayson County, Russell County, Scott County, Tazewell County, and Wise County.

not have to drive out of their way to connect to the services they need,” said a Point Broadband worker who was installing a hotspot location.

Point Broadband installs a hotspot in the town of Dante, Virginia in the Summer of 2020 to allow rural residents to get internet access to remote learning, telemedicine, workforce development, economic development and other online opportunities.

“Historically, we have always struggled with connectivity in parts of our region. Once workers and students were sent home to work due to COVID-19, the connectivity problem increased exponentially because people could not access the internet to do remote learning or work. United Way of Southwest Virginia, with the support from AEP Foundation, made an investment available for communities to come together and make a public access point to WiFi in their community,” said Mary Anne Holbrook, Senior Director of Development and Outreach, United Way of Southwest Virginia.

The Town of Big Stone Gap, in partnership with the LENOWISCO Planning District Commission, installed a WiFi Hotspot Learning Area located in the center of the town at the Town’s Miners Park. The town also installed several tables near the hotspot to provide students with a learning area to sit and complete their schoolwork instead of remaining in their vehicle or sitting on the ground at the park. “Setting up these WiFi hotspots in areas that are convenient for families and workers will really benefit this community, these hotspots mean that people who need internet will

WiFi Hotspot Learning Area installed at Miners Park in the Town of Big Stone Gap, featuring seating areas for students and workers to utilize the internet services.

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CHILDHOOD SUCCESS We help give kids an equal chance at success by working with community partners, schools, childcare centers, and other stakeholders to give Southwest Virginia’s youngest citizens quality care and education.

FAMILIES The foundation in a child’s life starts at home. We give resources to families to ensure Virginia’s youngest citizens are well fed, prepared to enter kindergarten and school, and given the best chance for success in school.

Childhood Success makes up the earliest parts of our Cradle-to-Career Continuum

EDUCATORS

PARTNERS

We offer professional development and a support system for childcare providers and educators so they can give the kids in their care the best and safest opportunities for success now and later on.

Our partners and stakeholders provide support to us that we can then give to families, educators and providers.

Proper resources, supplies, and funding help the foundation of our community be ready for school and ready for life.

CHILDHOOD SUCCESS AND ALICE In order to solve the problems the ALICE population faces, we have to solve the issues before they happen. Making sure children have the support for success as the grow older, means they have a better chance of being productive, working members of society later on in life. Giving them what they need now helps to prepare them to enter school, find job or go to college, and earn a livable wage or salary will decrease the ALICE population over time.

PEACE OF MIND FOR CHILDCARE United Way of Southwest Virginia provided technical assistance and supplies to keep childcare centers across the region operable during uncertain times.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, approximately 60% of childcare centers in the region were closed. This resulted in essential workers not having access to safe childcare in order to go to work on the front lines of COVID-19 relief and healthcare. The United Way of Southwest Virginia team worked with childcare centers to provide financial resources, tuition support, cleaning supplies, personal protective equipment, to help these centers stay open and operate within COVID-19 regulations.

“Childcare is such an important part of our economy,” said Susan Patrick, Ph.D., Director of Childhood Success, United Way of Southwest Virginia, “we must provide the necessary support to the childcare providers in our region so they can best serve the children in their care.”

Pathways Early Learning Center Director, Farida Mohamed, stands with materials for her center.

“We are so thankful to have received the help we did from United Way of Southwest Virginia. These supplies help us make sure we can keep kids safe, and give their parents peace of mind while being in our care.”

-Center Director

A center director gives a socially distanced ‘Thank You’ in their window for cleaning supplies provided by United Way of Southwest Virginia to help keep their center clean, safe, and open to parents during uncertain times.

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4,878

201

Sessions offered

300

Total PD hours offered

6,194

Total participants

TUITION SUPPORT FOR SCHOOL-AGE CHILDREN Supporting families by ensuring affordable childcare For many families, the COVID-19 pandemic meant that their children had to adapt to remote learning formats and stay in a childcare center during the day instead of being in their usual classroom setting. This new obstacle proved to be an added expense for families that many could not afford.

United Way of Southwest Virginia partnered with Washington County and Tazewell County to provide tuition assistance at childcare centers called CARES Act funding. In each locality, The Board of Supervisors dedicated a specific amount of CARES Act funding to be used to support tuition for schoolage children who were going to a licensed childcare center. This funding allowed families to be able to work even though their children were completing remote learning due to COVID-19.

One parent whose children were at a licensed childcare center in Abingdon, VA, struggled to make ends meet and considered making the tough decision to remove her children from childcare.

She was income constrained and struggling to afford tuition for both of her kids at the childcare center. “This funding has been such a blessing to us during these trying times. I don’t know what I would have done without the tuition assistance for my kids,” said the parent. The CARES Act funding allowed people like her to keep their children in childcare and stay in the workforce, which results in continuing economic stability in the region.

The strategy around the CARES Act helps our region have longer-term economic resilience.

For the region to bounce back after a crisis successfully, it is crucial to retain as much business and economic normalcy as possible.

“Being able to provide help to families during the COVID-19 pandemic was important to us,” said Eric Young, County Administrator of Tazewell County, “this funding allowed many parents to stay in the workforce while making sure their children were taken care of.”

Childcare is a crucial piece of getting parents back to work to provide for their families. Through tuition assistance opportunities, parent could have peace of mind knowing their kids would be safe, and they wouldn’t have to choose between childcare and paying bills or putting food on the table.

“The CARES Act funding made a significant impact on the region,” said Jason Berry, County Administrator of Washington County, “We were happy to provide this support to families, and we are grateful to United Way for making this possible.”

Tazewell County: 135 students served & $233,400 grant funds utilized Washington County: 155 students served & $200,200 grant funds utilized

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FOOD INSECURITY 10,000+ is defined as the state of being without reliable access to a sufficient quantity of affordable, nutritious food.

children in Southwest Virginia struggle with food insecurity

IN 2020

1,164

35

Schools participated in Backpacks Unite

11

Counties served by the Backpacks Unite program

students were served through Backpacks Unite in 2020

meals provided to students in participating counties in Southwest Virginia in 2020

Students struggling to pay attention in class decreased by:

61%

Students struggling to pay attention in class on Mondays after being home all weekend decreased by:

87%

Percentages based on survey results from teachers with participating students through 2020 school year in participating schools

LOCAL YOUTH LEADS THE WAY When the future of your community comes first

In partnership with Food City, United Way of Southwest Virginia’s Backpacks Unite program fights for a healthier Southwest Virginia by providing nutritious weekend meals to at-risk students throughout the region, ensuring they come to school Monday ready to learn and prepared to succeed. The Backpacks Unite program continued to serve the at-risk students in the region despite obstacles and challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic.

By providing food vouchers to students, Backpacks Unite volunteers and students were kept safe while ensuring students still received the necessary resources. This initiative works with hundreds of volunteers around the Southwest Virginia region who are passionate about the success and impact of Backpacks Unite.

Local Southwest Virginia student, Virginia Pillion, Raised more than $50,000 during July for a virtual fundraising event that benefited United Way of Southwest Virginia’s Backpacks Unite Program, more than double the amount of her original goal.

“I was amazed by the amount of support I got from the community, from family and friends and my fellow students; so many people participated and helped us make an impact in our community,” said Pillion. She saw a need in her school community and decided to help make a difference for her fellow students.

One out of every 6 students is food insecure,

Local Southwest Virginia student Virginia Pillion raised more than $50,000 during July for a virtual fundraising event to benefit United Way of Southwest Virginia’s Backpacks Unite Program, more than double the amount of her original goal.

Backpacks Unite partners with more than 20 sponsors to serve over 1,000 students in over 30 schools across the Southwest Virginia region who are at risk of going hungry. “This program is really something that helps the students of our region,” said Travis Staton, President, and Chief Executive Officer, United Way of Southwest Virginia, “It sets them up for success in the classroom, which will, in turn, set them up for success in their futures.”

and when asked about her motivation for starting the virtual fundraising campaign, Pillion said, “I was committed to raising this money because everyone should have access to the basic necessity of food and never have to worry about going hungry.”

“I have been in Washington County Schools throughout my life, and I have seen firsthand how the Backpacks Unite program helps students; I am happy that this fundraising money could support an increased food budget to provide more protein-rich food to the kids,” said Pillion.

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YOUTH SUCCESS Middle and high school students receive support and opportunities for career exploration, hands-on work experience, and preparation to find a future career they will love. These components help students grow up to be productive members of their community.

STUDENTS Middle and high school students begin career exploration and preparation for entering the workforce or moving on to higher education.

Youth Success makes up the midway point of our cradle-to-career continuum.

SCHOOLS

PARTNERS

Local school systems and school administration collaborate with us to develop the best plan to prepare these students for a career they really enjoy.

Southwest Virginia businesses and employers partner with us to provide internship opportunities and hands-on work experience activities for students.

YOUTH SUCCESS AND ALICE

We work with local businesses and Southwest Virginia employers to create hands-on work experience opportunities through our Ignite Careers Expo for Youth for 7th grade middle school students and Ignite Internships for high school Juniors and Seniors. Helping students be prepared to enter the workforce with a career they enjoy, or giving them the preparation to enter higher education helps students return to job opportunities in Southwest Virginia and reducing the ALICE population.

OPPORTUNITY FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS Continuing to bridge the gap between learning and work United Way of Southwest Virginia’s Ignite Program provides our region’s high school students with a four-week summer internship component designed to teach critical workplace skills and prepare students for the workplace through hands-on work experience.

Internships bridge the gap between the worlds of learning and work by connecting students and schools with employers who are ready to help mentor the next generation of the region’s workforce.

Even though COVID-19 presented many obstacles during 2020, the interns completed the 2020 summer internships and gained many unique skills. “The COVID-19 pandemic has forced a lot of us to adapt to remote work,” said Melinda Leland, Director of Youth Success, United Way of Southwest Virginia. “The Ignite Interns rose to this occasion, showed resilience, and gained the ability to adapt to a new remote working environment, which will help them in their futures.”

“Even though the pandemic was a temporary crisis and derailed a lot in the region, continuing the internships during the pandemic speaks to how committed United Way of Southwest Virginia is to creating these hands-on learning experiences for students. Also, it speaks to how committed the participating employers were to the vitality and resilience of Southwest Virginia,” said Megan Hamilton, Youth Success Coordinator, United Way of Southwest Virginia.

“Mentorship is a vital part of what it means to be a business owner, especially if you’re investing in your community and future young professionals,” said an Ignite Internship Employer, “if we want our communities to have a future that holds excellence, then we need to find ways to keep highly trained people in the region, and I believe that the Ignite Internships are the first step to reaching that goal.”

High school students across the region still get the chance to get resume building hands-on work experience. They explore careers that interest them, learn soft skills, and earn a paycheck close to home.

“This Ignite Internship was my first job experience. Very few people my age are given the opportunity to fill out a job application, have a real interview, and getting the ‘real world’ experiences before we graduate high school. I’m grateful for this internship and everything I learned, and I think more opportunities like this should be available to students,” said an Ignite Intern.

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IGNITE Ignite Internships

is a program that consists of components to prepare middle and high school students to find and prepare for a career they can really enjoy.

Ignite Careers Expo for Youth

educators attended Virtual Educators in Industry tours to learn more about jobs in our region and what it takes to prepare their students for those jobs after graduation

30,310 Students served by the Ignite program in 2020

93

schools participated in Ignite programs in 2020

Ignite Educators in Industry Tours

Ignite Speakers Bureau

4,471

students attended the Virtual Careers Expo for Youth in 2020 to begin career exploration early to find a career they love later on

employers participated in Ignite programs in 2020

VIRTUAL CAREER EXPLORATION

Switching an in-person event to virtual for the safety and continuous progress of students The Ignite Careers Expo for Youth is typically a two-day in-person event, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this event transitioned to a week-long event available on a virtual platform to ensure the safety of everyone involved. “We still wanted to provide this career exploration opportunity for the children amid the unfamiliar and uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic.” said Crystal Breeding, Youth Success Coordinator, United Way of Southwest Virginia.

“Bridging the gap between education and the workforce is always beneficial, even during the challenging obstacles of 2020. Students were able to participate in the Virtual Ignite Careers Expo for Youth no matter what their class schedule looked like; whether they were attending school on a hybrid schedule, or learning virtually at home,” stated Travis Staton, President, and CEO of United Way of Southwest Virginia,

“The virtual aspect of the expo made it accessible during a time when we couldn’t provide those resources in person.”

To create the virtual expo, approximately 20 local industry professionals created and led interactive videos that provided students with information focused on 18 different career clusters. The employers that participated in the virtual expo are invested in the region and ensuring that tomorrow’s workforce has the tools and knowledge to make the region prosper for years to come.

The Ignite Virtual Careers Expo for Youth had a significant impact on the region. Sixty-six schools participated and more than 5,500 students engaged in online career exploration. “Because of the virtual aspect of the expo this year, more schools were able to participate,” said Crystal Breeding, Youth Success Coordinator, United Way of Southwest Virginia, “Having this virtual platform made the resources and information more accessible to schools who would not have been able to participate in person due to distance constraints.”

Wytheville Community College and AEP talked about classes and well paying job opportunities for students in Southwest Virginia. Businesses across the region came together to help make a virtual Careers Expo for youth happen in the midst of a global pandemic.

“We are thankful and appreciative of all the work United Way of Southwest Virginia put in to make the virtual expo happen, our students enjoyed the informational videos and experiences while learning about the many different career options available to them in our area,” said an Ignite coordinator, “The virtual expo provided a sense of normalcy and gave students something to look forward to during the uncertainty of the pandemic.”

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2020 FINANCIAL DATA SOURCES OF FUNDING Total $4,648,872

Covid 19 Relief Fund $911,763

Grants

$2,151,122

Individuals $532,893

Corporate Gifts $487,827

Special Events $317,566

Other United Ways $108,079

Other Income $139,622

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United Way of Southwest Virginia

INVESTMENTS IN OUR COMMUNITY Total $4,137,480

Youth Success $494,630 Childhood Success $1,922,571

Health Programs $213,067

Fundrasing & Program Support Services $430,482

Donor Specified Gifts Paid Out To Other Organizations (Net) $96,893

Financial Stability $17,587

Disaster Assistance (Covid 19 Relief) $962,251

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LOOKING AHEAD We cannot control the future; we can control how well we prepare for it “Our anxiety does not come from thinking about the future, but from wanting to control it.”

– Kahlil Gibran What is the best investment we can make in our communities? To influence – for the better – the things we can control that could lead us to a better future.

Of course, we cannot control everything. The pandemic has opened our eyes to our weaknesses and vulnerabilities like nothing before. Think about how frustrated we’ve all been over the better part of the last two years as our work schedules and daily lives have been buffeted like ships in a storm. My thoughts turn to those who have been most vulnerable to the economic turbulence that accompanied the health crisis. Hourly wage workers, who represent a significant portion of Southwest Virginia’s workforce (auto mechanics, restaurant workers, etc.), couldn’t work from home, even if they were lucky enough to stay employed.

I also think about the next generation, the youth interns in our Ignite program, whose positions with Southwest Virginia companies we were able to salvage during the pandemic. To paraphrase the words of the Annie E. Casey Foundation, in the end, work itself is the strongest program.

That holds true not just for youth, but for everyone. Having a job allows you to support yourself. It gives you a sense of pride and affirmation. But there’s more to it than that.

Just as work is important, so too is the amount of pay one receives for the job. It’s a simple idea that one works to be able to pay one’s bills, save for emergencies, and hopefully have a little left over for leisure time.

But in Southwest Virginia, many who have jobs still cannot afford life’s basic necessities.

This is why United Way of Southwest Virginia’s work is so important, now more than ever. The pandemic has exposed the rural inequities of livable wages in our region. We need more higher-paying jobs in Southwest Virginia in 2021/2022 as we continue to rebuild and focus on what we can control.

As Mike Quillen, co-chair of the United Way of Southwest Virginia COVID Advisory Council has often said, “It’s a marathon, not a sprint.” Our marathon is building one of the best workforces in America by doing what we call, “going upstream.” We’re deploying evidence-based practices that will allow more and more of our children to grow up in healthy, nurturing environments. That, in turn, will make them better prepared for whatever their tomorrows will bring.

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United Way of Southwest Virginia

We’re building one of the highest-quality early childcare systems in the country to ensure that all children from birth to age five enter kindergarten ready to succeed in school and life. Through Ignite, we’re continuing to develop opportunities for middle school and high school students to become aware not only of the higher-paying job opportunities in Southwest Virginia, but also what credentials and education qualifications those students will need to get those jobs. And, we’re working with schools and employers to give students internship opportunities so they can develop marketable job skills while still in school.

By doing this, in time, I believe we will be noticed around America, and employers outside the region will come to realize the people they want – and need – are right here in Southwest Virginia. As we begin winning these high-paying jobs, folks will have everincreasing opportunities to be self-sufficient, making our region one of the best places to live, work and raise a family in the country.

But, a marathon is a long race, and to win this marathon, we will continue to need a strong and steady flow of support and resources. We will need regional collaboration driven both from the top down and from the grassroots. In short, we can win, if we win United.

Thank you for being part of our story.

Travis Staton President and CEO United Way of Southwest Virginia

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United Way of Southwest Virginia fights for the health, education and financial stability of every person in Southwest Virginia because they are the building blocks for a good quality of life. Through an initiative-based cradle-to-career approach, United Way of Southwest Virginia is creating sustainable solutions to address the challenges facing tomorrow’s workforce. United Way convenes cross-sector partners to make an impact on the most complex problems in our region. Through collaboration with government, business, nonprofit and individuals, United Way innovates for positive, lasting social change. With a footprint that covers nearly 20% of the state of Virginia, United Way of Southwest Virginia programs and initiatives serve the counties of Bland, Buchanan, Carroll, Dickenson, Floyd, Giles, Grayson, Lee, Montgomery, Pulaski, Russell, Scott, Smyth, Tazewell, Washington, Wise, and Wythe, and the cities of Bristol, Galax, Norton, and Radford.

For more information about United Way of Southwest Virginia, visit www.UnitedWaySWVA.org.

Thank you to our Corporate Partners for helping us make an impact on the Southwest Virginia Region!

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United Way of Southwest Virginia