Celebrating 85 Years

85 Years Impacting Lives

85 Years impacting lives

 

United Way of Frederick County celebrates 85 years of impacting lives in our community!

 

United Way of Frederick County is honored to have been a part of the Frederick community for nearly nine decades. Starting as the Frederick Community Chest in 1938, United Way of Frederick County has always centered on uniting the community in support of those struggling most. From the economic fallout of the Great Depression to a struggling economy post-pandemic, the needs of our struggling neighbors have only grown and United Way continues to play an integral role in supporting them.

Through free budget coaching, tax preparation, and credit counseling, matched savings to purchase a home or vehicle, free or discounted rides to access areas of critical need including food, employment, education, and more, United Way of Frederick County works diligently each day to improve the lives of the nearly 40% of our community known as ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed).

None of this would be possible without the generous support of our community. Because of you, United Way of Frederick County continues to provide local ALICE families with Pathways to Financial Stability! 

United Way of Frederick County has fought for 85 years for the health, education, and financial stability of every person in our community. We hope you will join us in supporting your community for the next 85 years!

Community Chest logo

In the years following the stock market crash of 1929, the effects of the Great Depression loomed large over our community. Many people had lost their savings, while others found themselves unemployed, struggling to find new employment opportunities. Because of this, many charitable appeals were being made to support the various charities in the area and individuals and businesses alike were overwhelmed by the amount of asks. 

In February of 1938, serious discussions around the concept of a Community Chest in Frederick began. The concept provided the ability to consolidate the many charity campaigns into a single fundraising campaign with organizations sharing the funds raised proportionately. The Community Chest idea gained traction and was formerly presented at a community meeting shortly thereafter. The group voted without dissent to move forward with the concept, with each of the charitable organizations polled in favor. The charitable organizations agreed this would allow them to focus more providing their services and ultimately secure more funding.

On April 11, 1938, the Frederick Community Chest came to fruition after years of hard work championing the idea from many community partners, with much credit to the Frederick County Chamber of Commerce.

For more information on the history of United Way of Frederick County's founding, click here.

Original Ad from Community Chest

Save the Date for events this year as we celebrate our 85th anniversary!

June 17, 2023 - BRAVO! Awards at Nymeo Field at Harry Grove Stadium

June - August, 2023 - Stuff the Bus

October 6, 2023 - Day of Action

*Stay tuned as more events will be added throughout the year!

United Way of Frederick County is proud to partner with JustServe to provide a one-stop resource for volunteer opportunities in the Frederick area. 

To honor our 85th anniversary of impacting lives in Frederick County, we are committed to increasing our volunteer engagement in the community, this year and beyond. Please visit our Volunteer Center with JustServe here to find the perfect volunteer opportunity for you!

Also, keep an eye out for volunteer opportunities for our annual Stuff the Bus drive and Day of Action, opening in the coming months.

If you're interested in a corporate volunteer opportunity for your team, please contact Erin Lawson at elawson@uwfrederick.org.