United Way of Marshall County Provides Help to Those In Need
Writer & Photographer / Ashley Miller
United Way of Marshall County has one mission — to continuously move their community forward by benefiting everyone.
They work hard to receive grants and to listen to not just problems but solutions from everyone, including those who are not often heard.
For United Way, all aspects of life affect each individual community member. This means everything from receiving free to affordable childcare and schooling to obtaining new convenient travel routes to work. Linda Yoder, the executive director has a specific goal for her team and community.
“Building educational programs means benefiting the workforce,” she says.
Their reach extended farther when, in 2018, Marshall County was hit with historic flooding. United Way immediately launched successful initiatives to help those families affected to regroup, recover and rebuild.
“The need was so critical, this great organization learned quickly from last year and is putting plans into place to benefit and reach even more community members in the case natural disaster should strike again,” Yoder says.
The program helped 113 families rebuild 250 homes in about 13 months. United Way gave $1M back to the community just in relief funds, achieving a faster recovery rate than expected.
The last five years have brought tremendous success. A staggering total of $42.4M has been brought to Marshall County by United Way. There is a great collaborating team here between businesses, United Way and charitable donor foundations who strive for excellence in community care. Their sole focus is to achieve maximum opportunities for not just their county but for the region as well. The energy they have gained is incredible.
Yoder heads up the county’s office and the Marshall County Philanthropy Center, which serves as an addition to the United Way office. The center provides office meeting spaces and training sessions to host teachers and many other great affiliates.
Other avenues United Way is taking to reach out to the needs of their community is by offering programs where hunters can donate a portion of the meat to local food banks. In turn, their processing fees are waived. Not only does this reduce the cost for hunters, which ultimately means more income in their pockets for their families, but it means high-quality meat for our local residents. The program titled ALICE continues to reach out to 40% of the Marshall County population who are in need of assistance in any area of life. Critical needs and gaps are being reduced, and United Way is at the helm of the operation.
If you are interested in ways to benefit your community, consider consulting your employer about donating a dollar per paycheck to United Way. Every little bit adds up and everyone can have a helping hand in moving this great community forward.
United Way not only cares but benefits any community member. Their programs are specifically designed to achieve a more efficient and affordable quality of life.
United Way of Marshall County is located at 2680 Miller Dr. Suite 120 PO Box 716 in Plymouth. For more information, visit them online at marshallcountyuw.org or give them a call at 574-936-3366.
