Introducing the Newly Merged Five-County Susquehanna Valley United Way
The Official Merger of Greater Susquehanna Valley and Columbia-Montour United Ways.
Bloomsburg and Sunbury, PA, September 16, 2022 – The Greater Susquehanna Valley and Columbia-Montour United Ways are now Susquehanna Valley United Way. The name was released at United Way’s merger celebration and campaign kick-off on Thursday night. It was also announced that the newly merged organization will award $464,869.83 in grants to 57 local Funded Partners for 2022 and currently has $3,634,409.55 in active and pending grants.
“During our hybrid year, as a combined organization, we have already seen an increase in grant funding due to our expanded footprint,” said Adrienne Mael, President and CEO of Susquehanna Valley United Way. “Our two organizations have been collaborating and sharing programs, such as United in Recovery and the Revolving Car Loan, for over five years. This merger allows us to be more competitive in going after grant dollars that will benefit our community.”
The boards of directors for both organizations voted unanimously on June 22, 2022, to join forces. The merger, which was official as of September 1, follows a thorough and thoughtful process that begin in June of last year.
“The entire mission of the United Way is to better the lives of those we serve, and as a board of directors, we felt that by coming together we could greater serve our region,” said Liz Masich, Board President of Susquehanna Valley United Way. “As of today, we are now five-counties, working and Living United.”
Susquehanna Valley United Way serves over 260,000 residents across Columbia, Montour, Northumberland, Snyder, and Union counties. The merged United Way will continue to champion the unique identities of each community. At the same time, a consolidated organization will have a great ability to address community needs that are common across the region, such as transportation, youth mental health, and substance use disorder prevention, intervention, and community building.
“The opioid epidemic has really hit our region hard over the past 20 years and overdose deaths are on the rise,” said Olivia Oden, Stigma Reduction and Education Coordinator for United in Recovery. “This merger truly solidifies us in the five-county footprint and allows us access to more resources. We are now able to go into communities we may not have had a strong presence in and provide education and resources.”
Leaders from both Greater Susquehanna Valley and Columbia-Montour United Ways will serve on the new board and operating committees ensuring local stakeholders and community involvement from businesses, organizations, and individuals from both regions. Staff will continue to work from existing regional offices in Bloomsburg and Sunbury.
United Way’s mission remains the same - to mobilize the caring power of communities to advance the common good. Through community listening and data collection, United Way works to understand the needs of the local community. Then, brings partners and experts together to collaborate on solutions with the goal of ensuring all residents have access to the basic building blocks of a good life. As a consolidated organization, United Way will be able to increase efficiencies, reduce duplications, build on collective strengths, and is expected to mobilize human and financial resources more effectively across the region.
"The issues faced by our communities in the areas of Health, Education, and Financial Stability do not end at county lines,” Mael said. “Together, we can fundraise more effectively and access grants more competitively making us a stronger organization better equipped to address the needs of our local communities throughout the region.”
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About Susquehanna Valley United Way:
The United Way improves lives by mobilizing the caring power of communities to advance the common good. We fight for the Health, Education, and Financial stability of every person in our community and are located at 228 Arch Street, Sunbury, PA, and 36 East Main Street, Bloomsburg, PA. To learn more, please visit www.svuw.org.