COVID-19 COMMUNITY RESPONSE

Mahoning Valley

Our Work

A message from our Success After 6 Staff and a SA6 Parent.

TEXT COVID19 to 313131 to donate to the COVID-19 Response Fund

Thank you to our COVID 19 Response Fund Champions, especially the Jane F. Lamb Foundation and William M. Neckerman, Jr. Foundation who started our Response Fund with very generous donations totaling $75,000. They have since been joined by other local foundations and donors, all committing significant dollars to allow us to respond to this health crisis by supporting our partner agencies as well as children and families in need. Click here to see our full list of our Covid 19 Response Fund Champions.

As the coronavirus, COVID-19, presents us with uncharted territory, the United Way of Youngstown and the Mahoning Valley is currently working hard to fill the needs of our residents during this national pandemic.

We are currently working closely with our funded partner agencies, non-profits, government agencies, school districts, and the business community to come up with solutions to the problems our students, families, and individuals will face in the coming weeks.

If you are an agency looking for more information on our COVID-19 Response Fund , click here.

For a list of the Covid 19 Distributions, click here.

We are updating our HOW WE ARE HELPING section of this page daily. Check back to learn how your United Way is helping.

Our United Way is collaborating with key partners to make sure we make the right decisions and that the solutions are efficient, responsible, and timely. We are ensuring the right infrastructure is in place to meet the needs of people in the Valley during this time.

If you would like to donate to our COVID-19 Response Fund, please click the donate button or text the word:

COVID19 to 313131.

Any questions, please call the United Way of Youngstown and the Mahoning Valley at 330-746-8494

All money raised will stay here in the Mahoning Valley and there will be NO fees administered by United Way. All money raised will be invested back into the community.

HOW WE ARE HELPING

Your United Way created a COVID-19 Response Fund. You can donate by texting COVID 19 to 313131. All the funds will stay here to help those in need. No administration fees.

Roxann Sebest, Director of Marketing and Communications
"Thank you for the food distribution package. The volunteers were very uplifting and brought a ray of sunshine during a time of uncertainty, but let us know we are all in this together. God Bless you!"

Joyce, Satur-Day of Caring Recipient
"I was on a walk last Saturday, and I figured there was a huge gap of those who needed help and needed food that needed communication that couldn't be out and shouldn't be out. We weren't getting food to the people that were supposed to stay home. My first call was to Bob Hannon. We partner our family with United Way on a lot of things. I knew he had the resources to help me and my family get the food, coordinate fundraising efforts and volunteer efforts. It's been overwhelming, a great success, and we'll continue to for as long as we have to."
The Muransky Family and your United Way teamed up to start the Satur-Day of Caring. Each Saturday we will deliver food to more than 100 families, seniors, and shut-ins who should not and cannot be out during the coronavirus pandemic.

Ed Muransky, The Muransky Family
"A shout out to all the agencies of the Mahoning Valley that participate with the United Way. Thank you so much for what you do, being on the front lines, taking care of our patients and clients. We hope this donation of hand sanitizer would be of good use to you. Thanks to all the doctors, nurses, first responders, pharmacists, pharmacy techs that serve our Valley. Be safe. Be strong. We'll get through this together."
Garry Mrozek and The Hometown Pharmacy donated 500 bottles of hand sanitizer that we distributed to our partner agencies.

Garry Mrozek, The Hometown Pharmacy
Your United Way distributed nearly $75,000 of grocery store gift cards to all 19 school districts in Mahoning County including Girard, Liberty, and Hubbard. We made sure to reach out to all the schools we partner with whether it's through Success By 6 or Success After 6.
"Thanks to all of you at the United Way for what you do each and every day!" Staff and Administration at South Range Local Schools.

Roxann Sebest, Director of Marketing and Communications
"Thank you to everyone helping. I am self employed and lost over 90% of my income, still waiting on the pandemic assistance for people like me. These meals have helped my family a lot!" Karen appreciates the Youngstown City School District passing out meals every Monday. Together with the City of Youngstown and the school district, we have distributed nearlly 100,000 meals to students. With school being cancelled for the rest of this school year, we will be helping for the next six weeks. Our team helps out at the Williamson Elementary site with an amazing group of YCSD employees, Youngstown Police, and United Way staff and volunteers.

Karen Considine, Youngstown Parent
Over the past few weeks, there have been countless acts of kindness expressed to the Youngstown Professional Fire Fighters; frankly, it's been overwhelming. We want to thank all those generous individuals who are taking the time to think of us.
Tonight, Belleria Pizza in Struthers and The United Way of Youngstown and the Mahoning Valley provided each firehouse across the city with an amazing dinner. Be assured, hungry fire fighters across the city will be putting a dent in this incredible spread.

Youngstown Professional Fire Fighters Local 312
We could not thank the Covelli Center enough for helping us store the food we are giving out to our students and families, but with the facility being turned into a secondary hospital we needed to find a new spot. Thank you to the YMCA for offering their downtown location. We partner with the YMCA throughout the year, but during this health crisis we are finding new ways to come together to serve the community. We are grateful to work with our partner agencies as well as the City of Youngstown. We have served more than 300 families with this food and 200 seniors and shut ins.

Roxann Sebest, Director of Marketing and Communications
"We are so grateful for your thoughtfulness to our families in this time of need. On behalf of our families and the Beatitude House we would like to express our appreciation for all your generosity. Thank you and God Bless."
Your United Way provided gift cards and meals for 35 families served through our partner agency the Beatitude House.

Beatitude House Staff
Our Success After 6 staff is busy making sure our students have everything they need during the "stay at home" order. They spent the beginning of this week delivering food to families who are unable to get out of their homes. They are practicing safe social distancing and dropping the bags on the porches, but we are trying our best to serve the children and families who are part of our larger United Way family.

Roxann Sebest, Director of Marketing and Communications
"I miss you very much very much. How have you been? I am writing to you because I have not stopped thinking about you and your classmates. Please make sure you are listening and being kind to your siblings and families. I cannot wait to hear about how you are doing and what you have been working on at home!"
Our Success After 6 Champions are making sure to keep in contact with their afterschool students. They will be getting letters in the mail very soon!

Miss Emily, Success After 6 Champion
Liberty Schools distributed their Giant Eagle gift cards to their families in need.
"It was so humbling what took place at our school. United Way is a huge part of us helping people. Your gift cards and your United Way and donors, you don't know what that did for people - our students and families in Liberty. We truly appreciate how many lives you've helped and how many lives United Way has changed in this crisis"

Joe Nohra, Liberty Schools Superintendent
Last week, we distributed 500 $50 gift cards to several local school districts. This week, we will distribute 500 more. The schools are then deciding who needs help. And it is working:

Hi United Way,
Just wanted to extend a heartfelt thank you for United Way's generosity supporting the needy families of our Girard City Schools. The Giant Eagle Gift cards brought relief and tears of joy to many!
Kind Regards,
Bryan and Girard Board of Education

Girard City Schools Administration and Board of Education
Our Success After 6 staff is helping out at schools who are packing food for their students.
"Special thanks to our United Way. They have really stepped up in our time of need. We couldn’t ask for a better partner in education to serve our Campbell community and entire Mahoning Valley - Campbell City Schools"

Campbell City School Administration
As school districts across the Valley are working to feed their children, whether its by delivering breakfast and lunches to their students by bus or setting up pick up sites, we had a generous donor - The Jane F. Lamb Charitable Foundation - pledge $50,000 to get immediate assistance to students and families. We purchased grocery store gift cards to get into the hands of 1,000 families across 6 local districts at the moment. Thank you to Jim Sisek of the Lamb Foundation, Bob Graff of Giant Eagle, Nemenz IGA in Struthers, and Lincoln Knolls Save A Lot for helping us get this done!

Roxann Sebest, Director of Marketing and Communications
Your United Way is not only supporting students and families with gift cards to local grocery stores, we are also assisting our partner agencies. We have distributed thousands of dollars to agencies who serve clients of all ages. Thank you to the local Save A Lots and Giant Eagles, especially Churchill Commons, for helping us purchase these gift cards for those in need.

Roxann Sebest, Director of Marketing and Communications
Your United Way is keeping lines of communication open with our 35 funded partner agencies. We hosted a phone conference the week of March 16 to assess the needs of our community. This week we continue to call the agencies to see where they stand as the needs and situation remains fluid. We continue to work on our three tier response approach - immediate needs, short term needs (2-6 weeks out), and long term needs. Your United Way continues to talk to key partners on how we can support - whether its financially or any other options - to get the services to the people who need them most. We are collaborating in various ways to make sure we are working together and not in silos.

Roxann Sebest, Director of Marketing and Communications
Your United Way is in daily contact with the City of Youngstown through the Mayor's Office. We hold daily conference calls with the Mayor and his team to see how best we can assist the City to reach the vulnerable populations within the city.

Roxann Sebest, Director of Marketing and Communications
Your United Way is in daily contact with several school districts including Youngstown City Schools District, Youngstown Community School, Campbell City Schools, Girard City Schools, Liberty Schools, and Struthers Schools to assess their needs. We hope to broaden our reach as best we can moving forward.

Roxann Sebest, Director of Marketing and Communications
Rather than respond to the COVID-19 crisis in isolation, our local foundations and United Ways are working collectively to support Mahoning Valley nonprofits and residents.
Six local funders—The Community Foundation of the Mahoning Valley, Mercy Health Foundation of Mahoning Valley, The Raymond John Wean Foundation, United Way of Trumbull County, United Way of Youngstown and the Mahoning Valley, The Youngstown Foundation—pledge to leverage resources, informational and monetary, to strengthen investments made to address COVID-19 and its impact on Valley residents.

Valley Foundations and United Ways

VISIT OHIO DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH FOR STATE INFORMATION ON THE CORONAVIRUS
VISIT MAHONING COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH FOR LOCAL INFORMATION ON THE CORONAVIRUS
VISIT CDC'S PAGE FOR NATIONAL INFORMATION ON THE CORONAVIRUS

YOUR LOCAL 211 CAN HELP YOU FIND THE RESOURCES YOU NEED DURING THIS NATIONAL PANDEMIC
YOU CAN FIND A LISTING OF LOCAL FOOD BANKS HERE
GET HELP WITH UNEMPLOYMENT CAUSED BY THE CORONAVIRUS
YOU CAN FIND A LISTING OF ALL SCHOOL FOOD DISTRIBUTION SITES AND TIMES
OHIO MEANS JOBS

GIVE BLOOD. MANY BLOOD DRIVES HAVE BEEN CANCELLED, BUT IT IS STILL SAFE TO GIVE AND THE NEED IS GREAT. CLICK HERE TO FIND A DRIVE NEAR YOU.