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Business & Tech

United Way Donates Over $150K to Loudoun Nonprofits

A special presentation was held in Leesburg this afternoon, where 15 Loudoun County charities receive much-needed funds.

 

A special donation was made in front of the Loudoun County Courthouse Friday afternoon where 18 grants totaling $157,860 were donated to 15 non-profit organizations within Loudoun County.

Presenting the donations was United Way of the National Capital Area (United Way NCA), which provides the support once a year.

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United Way NCA President and CEO Bill Hanbury said the program has been in play from a regional basis for over ten years. It’s part of a larger effort around the region, he said, where United Way is working in eight different municipalities.

“We’re really happy about [the donation] particularly in a very tough economy when fundraising around the country has been in decline,” Hanbury said. “We’ve been able to hold our own over the last year or two to continue to invest in Loudoun County and we’re excited about that.”

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According to Hanbury, a quarter of this year’s grant was generated from the Annual Loudoun County Golf Classic, sponsored by the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority and other local businesses. The remaining funds came through designations to the Loudoun County Community Impact Fund in United Way NCA’s annual workplace giving campaign.

Each of the 18 grants which were awarded to the nonprofits that are sorely in need of money, Hanbury said, much of which is related to basic needs.

“Those needs are higher than they’ve ever been before,” Hanbury said. “I think it’s really important that people continue to invest in their community either through the United Way or directly through agencies that are providing these basic needs.”

Among Friday’s recipients was CEO Bill Haney from Every Citizen Has Opportunities (ECHOworks), a 501(c)(3) organization, which was established to offer comprehensive, individualized employment, vocational training and community integration opportunities for persons with disabilities. 

“We have been fortunate in receiving United Way funds in one level or another since 1981 so this is 30 years that we’ve been a United Way agency,” Haney said.

The United Way funds help ECHOworks to provide services for people that do not get county or state or Medicaid funding. Haney said it’s “very positive” to know that the community in general, who gives donations to United Way, feels the agency and its services are important enough to fund.

Other Loudoun County grantees include: Ayuda, Good Shepherd Alliance, Help for Others, Just Neighbors Ministry, Lions Club of Sterling Charities, Legal Services of Northern Virginia, Loudoun Abused Women’s Shelter (LAWS), Loudoun Interfaith Relief, Loudoun Literacy Council, Loudoun Volunteer Caregivers, Northern Virginia AIDS Ministry, Northern Virginia Dental Clinic, Northern Virginia Family Service, and Volunteers of America Chesapeake.

Hanbury pointed out that the donation process is quite rigorous and recipients are determined based on the decisions of volunteers and community stakeholders. Unfortunately not everyone can be chosen, he said, which means there is more work to be done and more needs to be met.

“These decisions are not being made in downtown Washington, D.C. They’re being made by Loudoun County citizens who really have the best feel and their finger on the pulse of what are the highest needs in the county,” Hanbury said. “I think each of them, the people who play that role for us, are pretty astute citizens and understand these compelling needs.”

Visit www.unitedwaynca.org to learn more about its programs and grant criteria information.

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