Abingdon, VA (February 20, 2024) - After extensive consideration and in response to the tremendous growth of programs, the United Way of Southwest Virginia (UWSWVA) is expanding its ability to champion the health, education, and financial stability of every individual in Southwest Virginia.
As part of an expansion and reorganization, UWSWVA is establishing a new nonprofit to deliver on the cradle-to-career continuum and forge ahead with program delivery. The organization worked with consultants, subject matter experts, and community members for many months to create a name representing its programmatic work in the region. The new organization’s name is EO, an abbreviation for Endless Opportunity, representing the hope for the region. It is also Latin for go, which represents the organization’s bias for action to increase the quality of life within our community.
EO will manage a $10 million portfolio of grant-funded programs, including the Ignite Career Expo, Ready Regions, the Rural Summit, and the Regional Workforce and Child Development Hub.
United Way of Southwest Virginia is leveraging the transition to realign with its core strength of connecting resources to the causes communities care about the most. Through workplace giving and signature events like Impact Awards and Celebrity Bagging, UWSWVA will continue to grow local giving to solve local issues. The UWSWVA will continue serving as a fundraiser and convener for disaster response efforts and will begin identifying additional strategies to strengthen our region.
“The United Way has been a pillar in our community for more than 60 years,” explained Brendan McSheehy, Chairman of the Board of Directors and VP of Innovation & Intellectual Property at Universal Fiber Systems LLC. “During that time, hundreds of volunteers, board members, donors, and community partners have guided us to where we are today. We honor that long history with this vision for the future.”
UWSWVA expects the transition to take six months, and EO will share its new logo and brand in the coming weeks. During the transformation, both organizations' Boards of Directors, staff, and volunteers remain committed to serving the community without interruption to the programs and services they have come to rely on.
“This reorganization allows both organizations to focus on their respective strengths, ultimately benefiting the communities we serve and increasing our abilities to drive impact,” explained Travis Staton, CEO and President of United Way of Southwest Virginia. “Although the two organizations will be separate independent non-profits, they will work together to ensure that our region continues to thrive.”
