SEPTEMBER NEWSLETTER | 2026

As we prepare to launch another United Way campaign season, I am filled with excitement and optimism for what we can accomplish together. This year's campaign theme, Invest. Empower. Elevate., is more than a slogan. It is a call to action for our community to come together and support our ALICE families.

ALICE, an acronym for Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed, represents hardworking individuals and families who are doing everything right, yet still struggle to afford basic necessities such as housing, childcare, transportation, food, and healthcare. They are our friends, neighbors, coworkers, and family members. Through this year's campaign, we will invest in solutions, empower families to achieve stability, and elevate opportunities that create lasting change.

Through an impactful partnership between the Fairfield County Foundation (opens in a new tab) and United Way of Fairfield County, local nonprofits, board members, and community members are coming together to learn, connect, and explore new ways to strengthen our organizations and increase our collective impact.

Our most recent nonprofit convening provided an opportunity for nonprofit leaders and community members to gain practical tools and insights to help their organizations thrive.

We were honored to welcome Alex Fike of United Way Worldwide, who led an engaging conversation focused on the essential responsibilities of nonprofit boards. Alex shared practical approaches to effective board recruitment and emphasized the important role boards play in advancing revenue growth, diversification, and long-term organizational strategy.

The conversation reinforced an important truth: strong boards help build strong nonprofits. When board members are equipped, engaged, and aligned around their organization's mission and future, they can play a powerful role in creating sustainable impact in our community.

We are grateful to everyone who joined us and contributed to the conversation. These convenings are made possible through partnerships like this one, which create space for our local nonprofit community to learn from one another, build relationships, and work together toward a stronger Fairfield County.

We would also like to extend our sincere thanks to Sitterly Law (opens in a new tab) for sponsoring the light breakfast for this convening. Your support helped create a welcoming environment where nonprofit leaders and community members could gather, connect, and learn together.

We are grateful for businesses and community partners who recognize the value of investing in our local nonprofit sector.

We are already looking ahead to our next gathering on November 4th, and we invite local businesses and community partners to join us as sponsors.

Sponsoring a nonprofit convening is a meaningful way to support the organizations working every day to make a difference throughout Fairfield County. Your partnership helps us create opportunities for nonprofit leaders, board members, volunteers, and community members to access valuable resources, strengthen their networks, and build the capacity needed to create lasting impact.

Interested in sponsoring our November convening? We would love to connect with you!

For more information on how to become a sponsor, please reach out to sstrite@uwayfairfieldco.org (opens in a new tab) 

Our next convening will focus on one of the most valuable resources any nonprofit has: people.

Join us on November 4th as we explore The Power of People: Growing Your Volunteer Base and learn practical strategies for attracting, engaging, and retaining volunteers who can help advance your organization's mission.

Registration is now open!

We hope you will join us for another opportunity to learn, connect, and grow together.

Let's continue building a stronger nonprofit community—and a stronger Fairfield County—together

Our annual Campaign Kickoff & Community Care Day is almost here, and we’re making one final call to our community: we need you!

On Thursday, September 10th, volunteers from across Fairfield County will come together for a day of service, connection, and community impact. Whether you are a longtime volunteer or looking for a new way to give back, this is a great opportunity to roll up your sleeves and make a tangible difference right here in our community.

We’ll kick off the day with breakfast at Crossroads Event Center (opens in a new tab), beginning at 7:45 AM. After breakfast, volunteers will head to their designated volunteer sites to work alongside fellow community members on a variety of service projects.

The day will continue until approximately 3:30 PM.

If you haven’t signed up yet, there is still time to join us. We strongly encourage individuals, families, coworkers, businesses, and community groups to participate. Every helping hand makes a difference, and together, we can accomplish so much more for our community.

Don’t miss your chance to be part of this special day of service!

A few important reminders as we get ready for Campaign Kickoff & Community Care Day:

Pick up your event shirt when you arrive!

​Your event shirt will be waiting for you at the registration table as you enter Crossroads Event Center on Thursday morning. Be sure to stop by registration when you arrive to pick up your shirt before breakfast.

Have you paid for your shirt yet?

​If you selected invoice as your payment method, invoices will be sent out soon. Please keep an eye on your inbox for your invoice and payment instructions.

If you selected credit card as your payment method and have not yet completed your payment, you can do so here:

Pay for your event shirt by credit card (opens in a new tab)

Thank you for helping us make sure everything is ready for a successful event!

The impact doesn’t stop on Thursday!

We will be continuing Community Care Day on Saturday, September 12th, as we come alongside a neighbor in need. This project will require additional hands, and we are hopeful that our community will come together to help us make this project a reality.

If you are looking for another opportunity to serve—or if you simply can’t get enough of Community Care Day—we would love to have you join us!

Interested in volunteering on Saturday?

Please reach out to Sydney Strite at sstrite@uwayfairfieldco.org to learn more and find out how you can help.

We also want to recognize two local businesses who are generously donating their time, equipment, and expertise to help make our Saturday Community Care project a reality.

Rock Steady Site Services (opens in a new tab)
Rock Steady Site Services is generously donating their excavator and skilled expertise to help us complete this important project.

League Dumpster Rentals (opens in a new tab)
League Dumpster Rentals is donating dumpsters to collect debris and support the cleanup necessary to complete the project.

We are incredibly grateful for their willingness to step up and use their resources to help a neighbor in need. This is what community looks like.

There is still time to get involved!

Thursday, September 10th | Campaign Kickoff & Community Care Day
7:45 AM | Breakfast at Crossroads Event Center
Service Projects | Approximately 8:30 AM–3:30 PM

Saturday, September 12th | Community Care Day

Whether you volunteer for one day or both, your time and talents can make a meaningful difference.

Sign up today. Bring a friend. Bring your team. Bring your willingness to serve.

Together, we can show what happens when a community chooses to care.

As students across Fairfield County head back to school, United Way of Fairfield County is celebrating an incredible milestone: the Full Plate Club is continuing into a new school year—and we could not have done it without our community.

When we first shared our vision for the Full Plate Club and said, “We need help,” our community answered.

In just two short months, volunteers, organizations, schools, businesses, and community members came together to help us get this program off the ground. The response was bigger than we could have imagined, and that support has continued to carry us forward.

Most recently, two local businesses stepped up to help us transport bulk food orders -Thank you Party Plus (opens in a new tab)and Fairfield Insulation and Drywall (opens in a new tab)☺️. To our new storage facility at Stanbery Schools, providing the equipment, time, and helping hands needed to keep the program moving.

These may seem like small moments on their own, but together, they represent something much bigger: a community that saw a need and decided to do something about it.

Because of you, the Full Plate Club is here to welcome a new school year.

As we look toward the future of the Full Plate Club, we are excited to welcome Crystal, our newest AmeriCorps VISTA (opens in a new tab) (Volunteers in Service to America).

Crystal joined United Way in August and will spend the next year working alongside our team to help coordinate the daily operations of the Full Plate Club and build upon everything our community has already accomplished.

And she has wasted no time getting started!

In just a few short weeks, Crystal has already recruited volunteers and school adoptions, researched funding opportunities, connected with potential partners, and begun developing strategies to help turn the Full Plate Club into a sustainable, community-wide initiative.

We want to be transparent about where the Full Plate Club is today: it is still growing, learning, and evolving.

But it is important to recognize that we aren't starting from scratch.

You have already built so much.

Every volunteer who showed up, every organization that offered support, every business that donated resources, every school that opened its doors, and every person who simply said, “How can I help?” has played a part in getting us here.

Crystal's role is to help us take all of that incredible momentum and build the structure needed to sustain and grow the program for years to come.

Our mission remains simple: to help local children have a full plate to take home.

And we are incredibly grateful that so many of you have already helped us take that mission from an idea to something real.

As the Full Plate Club continues to grow, we know there will be many more opportunities for our community to get involved.

If you would like to volunteer, support the program, help us connect with additional resources, or simply be part of the next chapter, we want to hear from you.

Thank you, Fairfield County, for showing us what can happen when a community comes together and says, “We'll help.”

We are excited to continue this journey with you, with Crystal, with our local schools and partners, and with every person who believes that our children deserve the support of a community that cares.

The Full Plate Club is here because of you. Now, let's see where we can take it together.

While Community Care Day is how we celebrate the beginning of our annual campaign, the real impact of our campaign happens throughout these next few months.

Across Fairfield County, donors, businesses, community leaders, and individuals come together to invest in our neighbors and help create a stronger community for everyone. Every contribution to our annual campaign helps United Way of Fairfield County support the organizations, programs, and initiatives that are making a difference every day.

This year, our goal is to raise $1.288 million.

Reaching this goal means we can continue investing in vital programs and services provided by our nonprofit partner agencies throughout Fairfield County. These organizations are on the front lines, helping our neighbors navigate challenges, access essential resources, and build brighter futures.

Your support helps make services such as:

• Medical transportation
• Accessible childcare
• Information and referral services
• Housing and homeownership support
• And many other essential community services

possible for our neighbors.

But the impact of your United Way investment doesn’t stop there.

Through the support of our annual campaign, United Way of Fairfield County is also able to provide programs designed to directly support our ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) neighbors—people who are working but continue to struggle to afford the basics.

Programs such as VITA/TCE free tax preparation services help eligible individuals and families access important tax credits and keep more of their hard-earned money.

Through Dolly Parton's Imagination Library, children across our community receive free, high-quality books each month, helping foster early literacy and a lifelong love of reading.

And this year, we are excited to introduce our newest program, the Full Plate Club, expanding our efforts to help ensure that our school kids have access to the food they need.

These are just a few examples of what your investment makes possible.

You don't have to make an investment in just one way. There are many opportunities to be part of our annual campaign:

Participate in a United Way event.
Join us for Community Care Day and other opportunities throughout the year to put your investment into action.

Get involved through your workplace.
Workplace campaigns are a powerful way for employees and employers to come together and make a collective impact in Fairfield County.

Start or grow a workplace campaign.
If your business isn't currently participating—or if you're interested in getting more involved—we would love to help you get started.

Become a United 365 Giving monthly subscriber.
Coming soon, we’ll be sharing more details about United 365 Giving, our new monthly giving opportunity. Keep an eye out for more information about how you can make a consistent, year-round investment in our community.

Want your team to better understand the needs facing our community and the difference your workplace can make?

We would love to come to you!

A United Way of Fairfield County staff member can visit your workplace to share more about the work happening throughout Fairfield County, the needs facing our ALICE neighbors, and how your employees can help create lasting impact.

Whether you're interested in starting a workplace campaign, expanding your current campaign, or simply learning more about how your team can get involved, reach out to us today.

Our annual campaign is more than a fundraising effort. It is an opportunity for all of us to invest in the place we call home.

When we invest in our community, we empower individuals and families with the resources and opportunities they need to thrive.

And when we empower our neighbors, we elevate the entire community.

Our goal of $1.288 million is ambitious—but we know what is possible when Fairfield County comes together.

We cannot do it without you.

Whether you give, volunteer, participate through your workplace, attend an event, or simply help spread the word, you have a role to play in creating lasting impact throughout Fairfield County.

Join us. Invest in our community. Empower our neighbors. Elevate Fairfield County.

We are proud to announce our upcoming conference, The Missing Middle: Hidden in Plain Sight, taking place on October 23rd at the Levacy Center, beginning at 9:00 AM.

This conference will bring together community members, nonprofit professionals, social workers, and other community leaders to take a closer look at the financial challenges facing households who may be working, earning an income, and still struggling to make ends meet.

These families are often hidden in plain sight—and understanding their experiences is essential to creating more effective programs, services, and solutions.

We are excited to announce that our CEO, Melissa “Missy” Dever, has received approval through the Social Work Board to provide Continuing Education Units (CEUs) for this event for professionals whose licensing requirements include annual CEUs.

This provides a valuable professional development opportunity for social workers and other eligible professionals while bringing together individuals from across our community to learn more about the realities facing financially vulnerable households.

But this conference is not just for those seeking CEUs!

We want to emphasize that everyone is welcome. You do not need to require CEUs to attend. If you are a community member, nonprofit professional, employer, community leader, or simply someone who wants to better understand the challenges facing working families, we encourage you to join us.

To make the conference accessible to a broader audience, two separate pricing tiers will be available—one for professionals seeking CEUs and another for community members who do not require CEUs.

Throughout the conference, attendees will hear from experts and community leaders who will explore the data, experiences, and solutions surrounding financial stability.

Melanie Hill | United Way of Central Ohio

Melanie Hill from United Way of Central Ohio will share data-driven insights into financially vulnerable households across Ohio, helping us better understand who makes up the “missing middle” and the economic pressures these families face.

Melissa “Missy” Dever | United Way of Fairfield County

Our very own CEO, Missy Dever, will lead an interactive Cost of Poverty Experience designed to bring the realities of financial decision-making to life.

This immersive experience will give participants an opportunity to better understand the difficult choices and unexpected challenges that can arise when families are trying to navigate limited resources and financial instability.

Shiloh Todrov | Families Flourish

Shiloh Todrov from Families Flourish will explore innovative approaches to residential and financial stability for working families, highlighting strategies that can help families build greater security and move toward long-term stability.

Krista Humphries | Fairfield County JFS

Krista Humphries from Fairfield County Job and Family Services will discuss local programs that help families transition toward self-sufficiency while navigating the potential loss of benefits and other financial supports that can sometimes create sudden financial setbacks.

For many working families, earning more does not always mean becoming financially secure.

A small increase in income can sometimes result in the loss of critical assistance, creating a difficult gap between where a family is and where they need to be. Understanding these challenges allows our community to think differently about how we support families as they work toward stability and self-sufficiency.

The Missing Middle: Hidden in Plain Sight is an opportunity to move beyond assumptions, examine the data, experience the realities, and explore solutions that can help our community better support working families.

Date: September 10^th @ 7:45 AM

Location: Crossroads - 2095 W. Fair Ave

Details: Join us for our annual Community Care Day: Campaign Kickoff. Stay tuned for more details to come!

Date: September 12^th @ 7:45 AM

Location: Olivedale - 253 Boving Rd

Details: Dink For A Difference! Join your local Kiwanians for a fun morning of competition and community connection. Register your team to play!

Date: September 24^th @ 5:30 PM - 7:30 PM

Location: Downtown Lancaster Fountain

Details: Join us for an evening of relaxation with mental health and suicide prevention awareness resources. There will be activities and fun for the entire family!

Date: October 23^rd @ 8:45 AM

Location: Levacy Center

Details: Join the United Way of Fairfield County for The Missing Middle: Hidden in Plain Sight, an engaging conference designed for social service professionals committed to strengthening our communities. This event will shine a light on ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) households and individuals experiencing poverty—those whose daily challenges often remain unseen despite being hidden in plain sight.

Date: October 24^th @ 10:00 AM

Location: 624 W Fifth Ave

Details: Step into a world of fantasy, adventure, and magic for one day only. Adult and children's books, special items, and our favorite young wizard. Books may be priced according to condition.
Best dress wizard contest- win a BBN gift card

Date: Now Through October 29^th

Location: Virtual - Facebook

Details: Tune in for the BIG of YEAR, Phil Mackie Award, Community Champions, and to see if you win the $3000 cash grand prize. All proceeds benefit Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southeastern Ohio.

Date: Now Through October 30^th

Location: Virtual - Facebook

Details: Buy your ticket today! You'll have a chance to win half the pot while helping United Way of Fairfield County create opportunities and support for local ALICE families. Get All In for ALICE and be part of the solution.

Date: November 4^th @ 9:00 AM

Location: FMC - River Valley Campus

Details: Join United Way and Fairfield COunty Foundation for our final convening of 2026. Learn about the most vital part of most organizations, our volunteers. Learn how to invest, retain, and grow your volunteer network.

Date: November 14^th @ 9:00 AM

Location: Fairfield County Fairgrounds

Details: Join us for one of our biggest fundraisers of the year! Stay tuned for more information and details as we get closer to the date!

Date: December 5^th @ 7:00 AM - 1:00 PM

Location: Lancaster High School - 1312 Granville Pike, Lancaster

Details: Join Kiwanis for their biggest fundraiser of the year! Enjoy all-you-can-eat pancakes while supporting a beloved family tradition that brings the community together.