Giving Back: Highmark West Virginia Charitable Fund gives $102K to United Way groups
The following article first appeared in The Parkersburg News & Sentinel on October 31st, 2023.
A total of $102,000 in grant funding from the Highmark West Virginia Charitable Fund for Health was announced Monday in Parkersburg for distribution among 12 United Way agencies serving the 55 counties in the state.
The United Way Alliance of the Mid-Ohio Valley is one of three agencies receiving $25,000.
The Parkersburg area is joined by the Charleston area (United Way of Central West Virginia) and the Wheeling area (United Way of the Upper Ohio Valley). All represent Highmark employment centers.
The other nine United Way groups received $3,000 apiece, reflecting Highmark’s commitment to recognizing and addressing needs of residents statewide, according to Jim Fawcett, president of Highmark West Virginia.
Fawcett, who made the fund presentations Monday at the United Way headquarters in Parkersburg, said the money marked the third consecutive year of giving through the Highmark West Virginia Fund for Health. The money is donor-directed, leaving the United Way agencies to determine the needs in their own communities. The only requirement is that the money be spent on West Virginians, Fawcett said.
Since its launch in 2021, the fund has awarded nearly $5 million in grant funding for West Virginia-based non-profits. Oral health care, food insecurity and transportation needs are some of the issues that have been addressed. The charitable fund is separate from and in addition to Highmark money that comes through corporate contributions, employee pledges and enterprise-wide campaigns, according to a press release from the charitable fund.
Highmark’s relationship with West Virginia United Fund agencies continues to be a special one, Fawcett said Monday. “This is important to us, but we’re in the insurance business. We count on the United Way agencies to be the partners who not only know what the real needs continue to be in their communities, but also the ones who know what new crisis may be emerging.”
Stacy DeCicco, Executive Director of the United Way Alliance of the Mid-Ohio Valley, agreed with Fawcett that population aging and migration, as well as COVID challenges, have reduced the donor resource that was in place for United Way and other nonprofits as recently as 10 or 15 years ago. She referred to the significance of this year’s $25,000 from the Highmark West Virginia Charitable Fund for Health.
“Ten or 15 years ago, this would have pushed us forward. Now, gifts like this help us tread water, help us not to fail a community that is counting on us.”