united way

 The mission of the untied way is to improve lives in communities by advocating the caring power of people for one another to advance the common good. Their support is possible because of fundraising, grant writing, and convening partnerships.  The United Way tries to ensure that a network of services is available throughout the region (there are 32 located with the cable county area), as well as strategies that create long-term solutions for some of the most relentless problems within a community.

            The United way has a few areas where it tries to spend its focus. “Learning and Earning”, to try to build communities with high rates of employment that are safe and strong. To focus on finding skilled individuals that can find work and receive higher wages to be able to support their families. “Families and Children”, The United way believes that families are the foundation of a strong community and that all people living within that community benefit from a safe and supportive environment. ”Health and Wellness”, improving and sustaining the wellness of individuals will result in a healthy community. “Basic Needs/Unforeseen Hardship”, a community is able to help its most vulnerable, by helping them meet the basic needs and hardships. That with help from one another it will enhance your community as a whole.

            In 2008 (national) The Untied way put in a 10 year goal plan to improved education by the year 2018, by cutting the number of high school drop outs in half, helping families to achieve final stability, and to get 1.9 million working families on the road to economic independence, and to promote a healthy lifestyle, and increase the number of youth and adults who are healthy and who will avoid unsafe behaviors.

Laura Gilliam

Laura graduated from the University of North Carolina in 1985.She moved to West Virginia in 1990, and became executive director of Faith in Action for the River Cities in 1996 until May of 2005. Her husband frank is a faculty member here at Marshall University, they have been marries for 23, and have two children. She is active with community service at a local level and within her church. She enjoys music, movies, watching Carolina basketball and children’s extracurricular activities.

Cassey Bowden

Cassey was born and raised in Beckley West Virginia, she then moved to Huntington to attend college where she pursued a BA in Marketing and Economics from MU , and even with employment offers she and her husband decided to stay in the area. Her husband Wes is a firefighter for the city of Huntington, and they had their first child together in May 2007. She is also active in community service, she is a member of the Rotary Club of Huntington, a former PR and Programs Chairperson, and she is a member of Huntington regional Chamber of Commerce. She enjoys cooking golfing, running, watching movies, sailing, snow skiing , and spending time with her family and friends. She began her work with untied way in April of 2004 as director of Resource Development and Marketing. Her focus is to develop year round fund raising ideas. The current campaign goal is to raise $1.4 million by workplace campaigns, special events and grants by December 2009