SUBMITTED NEWS RELEASE
At the request of United Way Worldwide in January of this year, United Way of Northern Nevada and the Sierra’s (UWNNS) Board of Directors voted to accept responsibility for serving the Nevada counties that previously had been served by United Way of the Great Basin which include Elko, Eureka, White Pine, Lander and Humboldt. On September 30, the shift was made permanent with the dissolution of the United Way of the Great Basin.
“We appreciate all that the United Way of the Great Basin Board of Directors has accomplished in the region on behalf of the United Way since its inception in 1997,” said Karen Barsell, chief executive officer and president of UWNNS. “Prior to the creation of United Way of the Great Basin, UWNNS served this area. We look forward to re-energizing our relationships with nonprofits and businesses in the region.”
With the absorption of the additional counties, UWNNS now serves in 13 Nevada counties and portions of California. The UWNNS service area now represents more than 800,000 people.
“Since assuming responsibility for the Great Basin area, UWNNS has met with a majority of the top level companies such as UPS, Wells Fargo Bank and Walmart to make them aware of the changes and that we are stepping back into the annual workplace fundraising roll in this region,” Barsell stated. “In preparation for delivering services to the region, we have worked with the IRS to identify areas of need for our Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program, as well as added AmeriCorps VISTAs to expand our Born Learning program outreach. Over the next year, we plan to highlight other programs including Nevada 2-1-1 and FamilyWize. Nevada 2-1-1 provides free information and access to essential services. FamilyWize provides discounts on prescriptions to those without insurance”.
In addition to the initiatives regarding partnership with local companies and nonprofits, the UWNNS Board of Directors has begun the recruiting process to find diverse geographic representation in the Great Basin area.
“Living United is a way of life at UWNNS, which means that we are committed to the communities we serve,” Barsell said. ”We are looking forward to serving these new communities in the areas of education, financial stability and health which are the building blocks to leading a healthy and productive life.”
About United Way of Northern Nevada and the Sierra
The foundation that nurtures and supports healthy lives is made up of three, interconnected ‘building blocks’ – education, financial stability and health. United Way is ideally suited to create positive, lasting change by addressing all three areas as one – through proper expertise, capacity and relationships. Join us! Bring your passion, knowledge and resources to get things done all across our community. We all win when a child succeeds in school, when a neighborhood turns around and when workers have solid jobs. For more information, call 775-322-8668 or visit www.uwnns.org.
