United Way of Wyoming Valley

For over 100 years, United Way of Wyoming Valley has been committed to strengthening our community and improving the lives of those who are most vulnerable. While the challenges have changed over time, our mission remains the same.

Today, our primary focus is addressing the complex issue of childhood poverty and helping at-risk children and families succeed. Through our Poverty to Possibility framework, we invest in proven programs, partner with schools, and support a strong social service safety net to improve children’s education and health, strengthen family financial stability, and meet basic needs.

In the past year alone, we supported 12 signature initiatives across 10 school districts and 27 programs through 18 partner agencies—reaching 18,049 children. This work wouldn’t be possible without the generosity of our community. Together, we are making a lasting difference.

Our special initiatives include:

Loads of Love - provides onsite laundry facilities in schools to ensure students living in poverty have access to clean clothes, helping reduce absenteeism and bullying.

The Nurse's Pantry - gives children and families access to material goods (lice kits, hygiene products, proper attire, footwear, etc.) that might otherwise keep kids out of the classroom.

See to Succeed - provides school-based vision screenings, eye exams, and eyeglasses to students in need, helping to improve their academic performance by ensuring they can see clearly.

School-Based Community Navigator - places dedicated staff in schools to support students and families, addresses barriers to attendance, and connects them with community resources to reduce chronic absenteeism.

Literacy Kits – encourages young children and their parents/caregivers to read together and get ready for kindergarten.

Dolly Parton Imagination Library - provides new, age-appropriate books each month to children birth to age five - FREE of charge and delivered to their homes.

Virtual Reading Buddies - a virtual volunteer program that pairs mentors with first-grade students needing extra literacy support, providing one-on-one reading time and free books to help build early reading skills and foster a love of learning.

Million Minute Challenge - a month-long, community-wide reading initiative held every March to promote literacy by encouraging people of all ages to collectively read one million minutes.

Attendance Matters - promotes the importance of regular school attendance by engaging K–3 students and their families in a creative poster campaign to raise awareness and help combat chronic absenteeism.

TAG IN - encourages summer reading by educating parents on its importance and providing elementary students with free books through a school-based book fair, helping prevent learning loss over the summer.

Who We Are

United Way brings people together from all across the community: government, businesses, faith groups, non-profits, the labor movement, and ordinary citizens – to tackle issues mattering most to all of us – producing positive and meaningful results.

United Way operates on a system based on the principle that UNITED; we are stronger than we can ever be alone. Our goal is to create long-lasting changes that improve lives, which can only be done by working together.

Thanks to the efforts of countless volunteers, our partner agencies, and the work of our special initiatives: the Poverty to Possibility movement, aimed at reducing the soaring level of chldhood poverty in the Wyoming Valley, Success by 6® Program, the Labor Participation Council, and the Regional HIV/AIDS Contractor - together, we are improving the quality of life for individuals and families in the Wyoming Valley.

United Way is the most proactive way to create opportunities for a better tomorrow. That's how we LIVE UNITED in the Wyoming Valley.