When disaster strikes, rural communities face unique challenges that compound the negative impacts. Complicated federal funding equations often leave rural communities behind and resources can be spread out and more time-consuming to access after a disaster.
United Way of Southwest Virginia, with help from donors, nonprofits, and other community partners, can help. Our established system for processing large volumes of online gifts and our network of volunteers and partners allow us to rapidly scale and resource the community in times of need.
PANDEMIC RELIEF
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, in addition to the health crisis, communities across America scrambled to secure PPE, get food on the table for suddenly unemployed families, and help parents get the skills and resources to home-school. Here's how United Way of Southwest Virginia helped.
Emergency PPE distribution
Vaccine Education
Pandemic Resource Guide
Trauma-informed Resource Guide
FLOODING
Southwest Virginia saw remarkably severe storms in July 2022, with flooding affecting communities in Buchanan, Dickenson, and Wise counties.
United Way of Southwest Virginia has set up separate, individual Disaster Relief Funds for each of those counties. We have also heard from individuals and organizations interested in donating to all three counties. In response to that demand, we are creating the 2022 Disaster Relief Fund.
Donations to this fund will be split evenly between the 2022 Disaster Relief Funds serving Buchanan, Dickenson, and Wise counties. The funds will then be overseen in each county as if they had been donated directly to that county's fund. This merely allows donors to give evenly to all three counties at once.
As always, every dollar donated goes to relief efforts. United Way of Southwest Virginia has no fees, administration, or any other collection from donated funds. 100 percent of donations go to the communities.
DONATIONS
United Way of Southwest Virginia has activated a Southwest Virginia 2022 Disaster Relief fund to assist those impacted by the flooding in Buchanan, Dickenson and Wise counties. All donations to the Southwest Virginia 2022 Disaster Relief will go directly to support those impacted by the 2022 flooding in those counties.
This fund feeds, in equal amounts, the Buchanan County 2022 Disaster Relief Fund, the Dickenson County 2022 Disaster Relief Fund and the Wise County 2022 Disaster Relief Fund, all of which were established in 2022 to assist flood victims those individual counties.
United Way of Southwest Virginia works with authorities and partners in the individual counties to distribute funds.
