And joining me today on Weekend Focus is my special guest, Jessica Ryan with the United Way. Jessica, how are you? I'm great, thanks for having me. Hey, it's great.
You got in touch with us and I should say you're the associate director. I want to get that title right. September to remember Reverse Raffled Dinner coming up. You got in touch with me to talk about that.
We're going to highlight that but talk about some of the other good things going on at the United Way because it's a busy time right now. It's a giant month for us. We're kicking off our campaign. So September is packed full of events for us.
We have Day of Caring coming up, which is our big volunteer day. We have hundreds of volunteers going to not only United Way agencies but other agencies across the Ohio Valley and within our five counties. Okay. That's quite a coverage area.
It really is. Belmont County and Ohio and then we are Ohio broke, Marshall and Wetzel County. So a lot of places that need some help and some TLC. So people come out.
Day of Caring essentially. A business will be contacted and they can send employees to one of the locations for that day. And the community around here is very generous. So a lot of the biggest companies in this area send employees and a lot of the small companies in this area send their employees all to help that day.
So that's a great day and that's the official launch of our campaign. Great. What's the goal this year? We actually have had financial goals in the past and I've only been there since January but I've been able to go to Ohio meetings and West Virginia meetings and even a nationwide meeting for the United Way.
And the more we talk about making a goal, I think we talked about it in our committee meeting but we thought that it should be the community. Okay. The goal is the community and better in the community. Of course we have a financial goal.
Sure. Sure. And we'll say we always want to be last year's numbers but for the community instead of putting a dollar sign out there, we want the community to know that the focus is them. The focus is building a better community through health education and financial stability and that is the goal.
This is an interesting take. I like that. There's a new take on that. Since I mean yours I've been to news that's the first time I like that.
Right. So we're trying to raise money but we're trying to raise awareness and we're trying to fix the problem. So sure the money is how we fix the problem. That's how we fund different programs and agencies but the goal is.
It's your goal but it's not the main community. Right. Which is great. And what are some of the different agencies you guys assist at the United Way, Jessica?
So previously through the United Way backtracking we tend to look at as a hub of agencies and we raise money and we give it to agencies. Wow that's true. We're focusing now on programs with inside those agencies. So instead of just supporting the 31 agencies we support, we're focusing more on what we're supporting and it's programs that focus on the three pillars I mentioned.
Of health, education, and financial stability. So instead of just saying something like we support Harmony House, that's one of the agencies that we fund. Our money funds a program in their agency that is preventative. So when they go into schools and they talk to kids about inappropriate touch and how to report and that they're safe by talking to ex-people.
That's the program that we fund. So Harmony House has lots of entities. Just like youth services. It's another one that we fund.
We fund their after school program. So the after school program is a little bit camouflaged by education because they're also giving those kids a meal that day. They're giving them mentorship through that program. So the after school program is more than just giving kids a little bit of extra help.
And then we fund their mentor program. So it's the Big Brothers Big Sisters program that they adopted when Big Brothers Big Sisters locally shut down. So those are the type of programs. So we don't just fund organizations.
We fund the programs within them. So we also help fund some of the emergency food and shelter type of stuff through information help line, the local Salvation Army. We have three of them in three separate counties. We also work very closely with the YWCA.
They have this great program called the Wind Program where women who were incarcerated. They get out of jail and they have no one at that point. I heard the story of a woman who actually spoke at one of our allocations meetings who she had complete normal life, healthy relationship with her husband. They were pregnant.
She had this beautiful baby. And the painkillers, once the prescription ran out after that, she just reached out for more and then eventually started selling and eventually ended up in prison. So by the time she gets out, not only is her baby grown, but the family's not there for her. But she served her time.
She learned her lesson. Where does she go? So there's a program at the YWCA who took her in. First of all, getting an ID after being incarcerated for so long is very difficult.
But now she's working. She has a job. She has a car. She has housing off her own.
She's starting to form a relationship with her daughter. It's a phenomenal story. Just picturing all of that. You're walking along with you.
I had no idea. Without programs like that, what happens to people who go into jail for drugs? They come out of jail. They don't have anybody.
They do drugs again and they end up back in jail. So it's just that vicious cycle would continue. Wow. So I had no idea.
So that's called the Wind Program. So we have, again, we fund 31 agencies, all over five counties. Those are some of the big programs with the big stories. We're actually working on narrowing down within some of our other agencies, what programs we are funding.
So this is all a work in progress of really narrowing down from an unrestricted standpoint to a restricted standpoint. So we know exactly what her to tell our donors that their dollars are going. And we want to be able to measure how they're impacting the community. Sure.
And Jessica, while we're talking with you today, if anybody would like to donate, they would like to help out because I didn't realize I know how important the United Way is in the community. But when you really discuss the individual programs and who's being helped, it actually kind of puts a face and gives you just more of a personal, I guess, view of what you're doing. If anybody wants to help, how can they do that? We have a website that they can donate through there.
It's UnitedWayUOV for UpperOhioValley.org. Or they can call in. We can give anybody any information that they want. Our number is 334-232-4625.
We have a Facebook page. You can follow us on Facebook. We put our donation link there from a on occasion. And then if you want to donate through sponsorship, we have events coming up.
If you want to buy tickets to our events, that's what I originally reached out to for is Reverse Raffle. That's September 19th. So Wealing Island in the showroom. Wealing Island Hotel Casino Race Track has always been a great partner of ours.
They give us an incredible break on having our event there. We have some sponsors lined up for that as well, but we still have sponsorships available. And that's all available through calling it through the station or getting a hold of us. My email address is jrinerine.org at UnitedWayUOV.org.
Perfect. And as you said, this September, remember Reverse Raffle dinner Tuesday, September 19th, doors open at 6.30 in the evening for that. It's Wealing Island Hotel Casino Race Track. So that's going to be a big evening.
Yes. I'm really excited about it this year. We're adding a silent auction just to give a little bit more fun to the evening. And I'm very responsible for picking this menu and it's going to be delicious.
See that? We would get along just fine. I'm all about that in life. So if you've got a good menu, it's definitely new.
You said that number 304-232-2425. If anybody wants to get tickets for that event or has any questions about UnitedWay, he wants to know how they can sponsor, donate, all kinds of ways to get in touch with you guys at UnitedWay. And if they want to volunteer, volunteering is a great way to learn more about our organization. We're still taking volunteers for Day of Caring.
And you probably can use volunteers to put in the work anywhere. Maybe they're a good in one area, not so good. You can pretty much find a fit for them, right? Right.
And with Day of Caring, we're launching a site, a portion of our site called Get Connected. It's our volunteer portion of our site. There, we will have agencies, not just UnitedWay agencies, but all agencies, be able to go and post what volunteer work that they have available. And people can go there from community service standpoint.
A lot of schools have to do certain number of community service hours. That's going to be a great tool for them. So we're really kicking that off and trying to blow that up with the kickoff of Day of Caring. And I apologize, you said, when is Day of Caring?
Because you mentioned it earlier in the segment and let us know when that is again. So it's September 13th and it's all day long. So we have a kickoff breakfast early in the morning. It's at 752 specifically.
And Rachel Derkers from WTRF is going to be our MC. And it's a great day. It really gives you a renewed sense of faith of community around here. And renewed sense of faith in humanity in general when you see all of these people gather together.
We always need that. Yes, we do. I recall. Now, this has been several years.
It was up and we were at another station I worked for. We took part in the Day of Caring. And my project, I believe it was the Salvation Army up there. We repainted their building that was there.
And it was a big building. We worked all day. I really never thought myself as a painter, but it got me involved. I got to meet other people in the community.
And really when you realize those few hours that you do, you work hard, but the long way it goes. And I mean, in the relationships that you form and the friendships that you form and the know that you're doing something good in the community. When I would pass by that later on, it just kind of put a smile on my face to know that I was part of helping to improve an area and help out that agency. Absolutely.
And you mentioned team building. That's very true. That's why it's easy for companies to say yes. To send their employees out together to complete a project.
It's a great team building source. And they are helping a good cause. I love how you mentioned that you drove that. You realize that you do.
It's like it's in your community. It's in your own area. And it's just nice to be able to see the effort to go by it every day. So if anybody, companies out there, they can just call you guys if they want to send people participate in the United Ways Day of Caring.
Correct? Yes, absolutely. Give that number again. It's 304-232-4625.
And you can with United Way almost. It'll be a while. You're in January. Yes.
I can't even explain how overwhelmingly rewarding it is to have this position. And everybody has been. I have a great board. You hear that a lot from directors.
I understand that. I really do. I have a great board. I know you really mean it.
I can tell. I do. Yes, you do. And they're so, they have so many ideas.
They're so supportive of my ideas. I'm learning from probably the nicest man that's ever existed. George Smolters, our executive director. And he is an incredible man with a giant background in social services.
And he's impossible not to love. He's fantastic. So I get to learn underneath him. He's been super inspiring to me.
But all in all, I want to change. I came from marketing background. I worked at WTRF for 10 years. And I worked, I was on our marketing committee actually for the United Way for quite a while.
And being able to be in the driver's seat now, I feel like finally I can really help make some change with how people think about the United Way. I mean those stories are there. The stories I told you. Those are out there.
And we just need to spread those a little bit more and let people know what we're doing here. We're trying to better the entire community. We have people come in for emergency services like emergency food and shelter. This essentially means that their electricity is about to get turned off.
It's the debt of winter. They can't afford this bill. What do they do? So they call us and refer them to information helpline who is the agency with us that spreads all of the knowledge that they have.
So if you call and say I need X number of dollars, somebody on that line, if they can help you, they will call the different agencies to try to make it so you and your family can have sleep in a warm home that night. So we have this population here of this traditional poverty. So one of the things I would love to be able to do that we have these people now, they're coming in and they're receiving our services. Whether it's health, healing, health, right, or looking for that emergency food and shelter, or being in an unfortunate situation where you have out of use or you have secrets.
And we have these people now. So how can we help fix their problem now, which the agencies are doing a great job of? But then how can we educate them on the other things in their lives that maybe aren't going in the direction that they want them to go in? And so Jessica, again, you know, you know, I did way big month of September.
Your campaign kicks off. As we talked about September to remember, reverse raffle dinner. We got the day of caring. A lot of things going on.
Anything else going on? I mean, if that's not enough. Yes. We have one more.
I worked with Center Market and the people from Market Vines who were fantastic for the Market Street Food Fest. And we were the charity recipient of a couple of different things where we placed volunteers. And it was fantastic. It was an all day thing, but we had a great time.
Our volunteers loved it. The community loves that. Anytime you can pour out into the streets with food and beer. Everyone in the entire valley shows up.
So we are going to do a version of that. We're going to do an October Fest in Center Market. So Center Market and United Way are pairing up for that. It's going to be September 30th.
We jokingly called it the almost October Fest. And then we were educated on that. It actually is October Fest season. So September 30th does fall into that season, even though it's not October.
So we are having that. We're working on getting a lot of vendors, mostly local, of course. We always try to keep it local and support local businesses. And it's going to be from noon to 11.
We have music lined up, some traditional polka, along with a lot of names that you would know from the area, Tim Allom, Joseph Sisters. So it's going to be a great day. It's going to be so much fun. I look forward to these all the time.
And being a part of it just makes me a little bit more. Absolutely. And again, you said that's coming up on September 30th. It's Center Market, correct?
Yes. Perfect. And how can anybody want to get involved with that and just give you guys a call, correct? Are you still any local vendors, any local talent you mentioned, Joseph Sisters?
We lined up the music through John Banco. So he would be the guy. He would participate musically. But I think he has a lineup pretty set right now.
We did have somebody drop out and he replaced them, I think, I believe. But I think that lineup is pretty set. But as far as vendors go, food vendors locally is what we're looking for now. Perfect.
Jessica, anything else? I mean, thank you so much for having me on here. You're welcome. And I've kind of known of you before.
You came through the door. I just have to say I'm very proud of you. In the United Way is very lucky. I can't stress that.
Nothing. I mean that to have you. Because when you came through the door here, we sat here and talked a lot about the United Way before we went on. And the passion, they couldn't pick a better person to join them on board and continue to carry on the wonderful things that they're doing.
And I can't wait to see the great things you come up with. And I better see you back in the studio more. I would even mind monthly if we want to do segments on here. But I want you back in here more and to be on the show with me and just continue to success to you.
Great. Thank you so much. You're very sweet. And I feel blessed to be a part of the United Way.
Absolutely. Well, Jessica Ryan, the Associate Director for the United Way. I appreciate you so much for taking time to be with me today. Alright.
Thanks, Paul.