United Way of Youngstown receives $1.5 million for volunteer center

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio - The United Way of Youngstown and the Mahoning Valley was awarded $1,500,000 from a federal funding package signed into law last month by President Joe Biden courtesy of a funding request made by Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH).
The funds will go toward a volunteer resource center.
"Youngstown has a strong legacy of hard work and community. That's why I was proud to support this federal investment in United Way's resource center. The funding will help those in the Mahoning Valley build on the region's proud legacy and ensure Ohioans stay connected and get critical services they need," Senator Brown said.
The United Way announced its plans for the new resource center at its annual meeting at the Lake Club in Poland on Thursday.
United Way of Youngstown and the Mahoning Valley President, Bob Hannon says he's honored to know that Senator Brown saw value in this project.
"When the pandemic hit, our United Way saw how people wanted to roll up their sleeves and give back during these unprecedented times. And we realized there was a need for an organized volunteer front here in the Mahoning Valley to efficiently connect people to agencies who needed help," Hannon said.
The funding will allow the United Way to to renovate or build a state-of-the-art community response and volunteer center filling critical gaps in services in the region.
It will also allow community partners to quickly respond to ongoing needs such as food and emergency needs, as well as financial services.
The center will be located in the Boardman area. Hannon says the office will remain in downtown Youngstown and serve the city, but he wants United Way to have a presence in the rest of the county as well.