Area United Way branches out to help more communities
COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – United Way of Lowndes and Noxubee is branching out, adding Choctaw, Oktibbeha, Webster, and Winston Counties to its coverage area.
With the expanding territory, the organization needed a new identity to match that reach.
At its annual meeting, leaders unveiled United Way of the Golden Triangle Region.
Executive Director Renee Sanders said they want to be able to take the service they’ve provided in Lowndes and Noxubee Counties to more communities.
“United Way’s role is so unique. We don’t do a direct service but we support the agencies in those counties that do the direct service. So to have a United Way will allow us to reach more people by serving more agencies and we need those agencies to be in the counties we’ve expanded to,” Sanders said.
This expansion has been in the works for a while, and United Way has already begun partnering with local organizations in those counties.
“We have already taken on new agencies like Starkville Strong, Bully’s Pantry that’s on Mississippi State’s campus, the 4-H in Webster County, the 4-H in Oktibbeha County. We have already expanded and we now have those agencies under our umbrella. We have already been giving funding to those agencies so they can do their good work,” Sanders said.
The expanding outreach also has the organization extending its management.
United Way wants to bring in board members who are connected with its new communities.
“We do need more board members to help serve in those communities and so we will start gradually looking, one step at a time. It is just too much to take on all at one time but I just want the community to know that if there is a need they can call our office and just talk to us. If they want to be a part of the board let us know,” Sanders said.
Although this is a time of change for the organization, Sanders said their mission remains the same.
“We will stay and maintain our current presence like our actual location will stay and remain in Lowndes County. We are just going to look for more hands and feet in the other counties, but everything that we do will remain the same,” Sanders said.
United Way wants to welcome new volunteers, especially from their new counties as they begin to serve. You can learn more about volunteering at www.liveunitedms.org/volunteer
