St. Clair County business and community leaders on Wednesday kicked off their 2024 United Way of Central Alabama (UWCA) campaign alongside United Way staff who also announced this year’s recipients of grants to various nonprofits in St. Clair County.
Zachary Gentile, Chair of United Way’s St. Clair County Advisory Board (CAB) and longtime supporter of United Way, said his work with the organization has “transformed” his life and given him deeper insight to the problems many in his community face. “I alone can’t touch enough lives to make an improvement,” said Gentile, also Senior Vice President at the Ford Meter Box Company. “But United Way can channel all the individual efforts — all the individual dollars — and make the most efficient use of those dollars.”
The event was hosted at the Venue on 20th in Pell City, where 14 agencies were also announced as recipients of $25,000 through UWCA’s Community Project Grant program. While funded by United Way, each of the agencies was selected by St. Clair County residents who serve on the CAB.
The funding will go specifically toward community-based programs aimed at improving people’s lives in St. Clair County. These include mental health programs in local schools, as well as parenting and financial literacy classes, just to name a few. The nonprofit agencies that were awarded grants are listed below.
- Alabama Books to Prisons
- Another Chance Family Center
- Backpack Buddies
- Big Canoe Creek Preserve Partners
- Hope Squad at Duran Junior High School
- Museum of Pell City
- Pell City Center for Education and Performing Arts
- Pell City Gateway Community Garden
- Pell City Historical Society
- St. Clair Community Health Clinic
- St. Clair County Day Program
- St. Clair County Department of Human Resources
- The WellHouse
- Williams Intermediate School
The grants must be used to fund direct costs related to the execution of programs meeting community needs or for one-time expenses that will positively impact the residents of that county.
Drew Langloh, CEO of UWCA, said it’s important that people take ownership of their United Way. “The point of United Way is all of us saying, ‘We’re going to put our shoulders together, raise money together and we, as a community, are going to make sure it goes to the right places, to help people that need it the most,’” Langloh said.
The theme of this year’s United Way campaign ‑‑ “Be Somebody” ‑‑ calls on anyone and everyone to be that person ‑‑ that Somebody — who’s willing to step up and help others in need. This year’s fundraising goal for UWCA’s six-county service area, including St. Clair County, is $37.5 million.
For more information about this year’s campaign, click here.