Our Story

The United Way of Lackawanna, Wayne & Pike Counties fights for the education, financial stability and health of every person in our community.

UNITED WE FIGHT. UNITED WE WIN.

The United Way of Lackawanna, Wayne & Pike Counties fights for the education, financial stability and health of every person in our community.

But, we need your help!

Together, we fight for a quality education that leads to graduation, stable employment and steady, sufficient income to support a family’s financial stability while enjoying good physical and mental health, all with a solid safety net in times of crisis.

Where gaps exist in educational opportunities, financial stability or health services, we distribute funds to programs helping to address these issues or create innovative initiatives and develop collaborative partnerships that do.

Join the fight today!

Our Mission

To improve the quality of life for the people of Lackawanna, Wayne and Pike Counties and surrounding communities by serving as a catalyst for community problem solving and by conducting an efficient, encompassing volunteer fundraising effort to positively impact the community’s most compelling social problems.

United Way of Lackawanna, Wayne and Pike Counties’ Equity Statement

For over 100 years equity has been the foundation of our work at the United Way of Lackawanna, Wayne and Pike Counties. From our engagement with donors to our investment of community resources to our interactions with the public, we strive to create an equal playing field for ALL residents. We describe equity as the presence of justice and fairness within the framework of our organization and our community – our procedures, processes and distribution of resources by institutions or systems – and vehemently oppose discrimination in all forms. We commit to equity as a core value and practice to advance our mission of connecting people, resources and organizations to create a thriving community for everyone. Our mission compels us to prioritize historically marginalized and systematically excluded people. It is necessary to focus on race, ethnicity and socioeconomic status, as well as other intersectional identities, to end the historical, social and systemic inequities that persist in our region and nation. 

We acknowledge that we can only be successful if we recognize, raise up and support leaders from underrepresented neighborhoods. United Way is committed to engaging these leaders as partners, donors and volunteers. Further, we commit to intentionally creating pathways for them to be included in decision-making and leadership roles within our own and other organizations. We can only eliminate inequity when all individuals reach their fullest human potential. We maintain that building and sustaining equity in our county requires an ongoing commitment to diversity and inclusion that is fully expressed in our organizational culture, values, norms, behaviors and those of our partners.