Year after year, local United Way of Central Alabama (UWCA) funded partners and programs work to provide vital health and human services to Blount County residents. They recently gathered to kick off the county’s 2026 United Way Campaign and recognize 10 local agencies, programs and projects that were awarded UWCA Community Project Grants. In collaboration with Blount County Advisory Board Co-Chairs Aleyda Villegas and Dana Clayton and Campaign volunteer Paige Myrick, UWCA brought together community leaders, partner agencies, volunteers and supporters to rally around this year’s theme THE POWER OF US. UWCA President and CEO Drew Langloh recognized the combined efforts of community partners in providing more than 77,000 individual services to Blount County residents in 2025 alone.
“When all of us come together to do our part, we create hope and help for people at scale across our community,” said Langloh.
Supporting Needs Close to Home
UWCA Community Project Grants are awarded each year to support short-term projects or one-time expenses that create a meaningful, positive impact for residents specifically in Blount County. These grants empower community organizations to expand their reach, increase their impact and help more families thrive.
The 2026 Community Project Grant winners:
- Blount County Education Foundation Inc
- Blount County Literacy Council
- Blount-Oneonta Chamber of Commerce
- Blountsville Senior Citizen Center
- Bridging the Gap in Blount County
- Girl Scouts of North Central Alabama
- Helping Families Initiative-Blount County
- Oneonta City Board of Education
- Susan Moore Elementary School
- The Refuge of Blount County
When Needs Met Become Dreams Achieved
Donna Southern, Director of the Blount County Department of Human Resources (DHR), spoke about the impact of United Way grants on family and child services.
“Thanks to the help of our community partners, we have been able to meet young people’s needs for things such as glasses, braces, attending senior proms, participating in sports and other after-school activities, and even attending college,” said Southern. “These experiences help kids feel like they belong, and some of these kids have never felt that before.”
In addition to the grant money itself, awarded organizations will be offered free training opportunities through UWCA’s LEARN United program on subjects including grant writing, financial management, crisis communications and more. A full list of topics can be found here.
Thanks to organizations and programs such as DHR and volunteers, community partners and generous donors, United Way continues to improve lives, address community needs and expand resources across Blount County. To learn more about UWCA’s impact in Blount County, click here.