United Way of Central Alabama (UWCA) and St. Clair County community partners recently kicked off the county’s 2026 United Way Campaign and recognized 16 local agencies, programs and projects that were awarded UWCA Community Project Grants. In collaboration with St. Clair County Campaign and Advisory Board Chair Zachary Gentile, Senior Vice President at the Ford Meter Box Company, 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 115,000 individual services to St. Clair County residents in 2025 alone.
“United Way is coming to life in St. Clair County and doing what it is intended to do: help people in need and improve our community,” said Langloh.
Meeting Needs Through Targeted Funding
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 St. Clair County. These grants empower community organizations to expand their reach, increase their impact and help more families thrive.
The 2026 Community Project Grant winners:
- Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Alabama
- The Children’s Place
- Epilepsy Foundation Alabama
- Lakeside Hospice, Inc.
- Literacy Council of Central Alabama St. Clair County Chapter
- Museum of Pell City
- Pell City Gateway Community Garden
- Pell City Historical Society
- Pell City Library Guild
- St. Clair Eyes
- St. Clair Community Health Clinic
- St. Clair County Day Program, Inc.
- St. Clair County Department of Human Resources
- Stella’s Landing
- The Hyperemesis Gravidarum Relief Project
- WellHouse
Empowerment Through Education
Lexi Eckman, Prevention Coordinator at The Children’s Place, spoke about the impact of United Way grants on their abuse-prevention programs.
“We educate kids on how to recognize signs of abuse and where to report it,” said Eckman. “When kids are able to find their voices and speak up about something that’s not right, I know we are doing something very important in this community.”
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 such as The Children’s Place and volunteers, community partners and generous donors, United Way continues to improve lives, address community needs and expand resources across St. Clair County. To learn more about UWCA’s impact in St. Clair County, click here.