Weirton United Way to Transition Local Fundraising to UWUOV

Officials with the Weirton United Way recently announced plans to formally dissolve local operations and transition local fundraising to the United Way of Upper Ohio Valley.
Don Gianni, Weirton United Way Board Chair announced, “The Weirton United Way has been a fixture in the community for decades but with the decline in population, increasing operational expenses and overall decline in charitable giving, our Board determined the best option to maintain services was to dissolve current operations. This decision came after months of thoughtful discussion and consideration. We realize the long history the United Way has had in this community, but our goal was to ensure a continued presence in the Weirton Community, serving those residents most in need. By working with the Ohio Valley United Way to assume fundraising efforts for the Weirton Community, there will be a long-term plan for the United Way in Weirton.”
The United Way of the Upper Ohio Valley, headquartered in Wheeling, is the primary agency covering Belmont County in Ohio along with West Virginia counties of Brooke, Ohio, Marshall, Tyler, and Wetzel. The agreement will add Hancock County to their primary service area.
Staci Stephen, Executive Director of the United Way of the Upper Ohio Valley added, “Our board is excited to be adding Hancock County to our service area. This expansion will allow us to partner with even more great agencies who are providing life-changing services in our community. To make sure services continue uninterrupted, we will be placing a permanent office with dedicated staff in the Weirton community. We look forward to continuing the great work of the United Way for Hancock residents.”
Gianni concluded, “We are in the process of notifying agencies of this dissolution which will be effective December 1, 2023. Part of the process was to designate specific funding so each current Weirton United Way agency will continue to receive their existing funding allocation for the next 24 months. This will allow agencies to plan accordingly and make application to the new allocation process by the United Way of the Upper Ohio Valley.”