EAST LIVERPOOL — The United Way of Southern Columbiana County is struggling.

Director Candy Faloon stressed that while fewer donations are coming in the agency’s electric and water bills and rent along with other expenses have increased.

“The needs of the community and the agency are more, and the money that is coming in is less,” Faloon said. “I understand that businesses and individuals cannot afford to give like they did.”

The annual mailing for a fundraising drive is not until September or October, Faloon said. So, they are turning to the community for help. The fiscal year started July 1 with a goal of $90,000 — the same goal as 2024. The agency raised $69,000 in 2024 and it stands at $4,000 right now for 2025 — some $2,500 from what was collected at this point last year . In the past the agency was reaching into the $80,000s. But that number has not been reached for several years.

United Way is holding a drawing for a Yeti cooler, a tabletop grill and accessories, and a Giant Eagle Gift card. Tickets are $5 and can be purchased at the United Way Officer at 527 Market St., East Liverpool Ohio or by calling 330-385-2082.

The agency is trying to put together additional fundraisers as well.

Anyone interested in making a donation can mail a check to United Way of Southern Columbiana County P.O. Box 646 East Liverpool, OH 43920.

Faloon is seeing more and more people walking into the agency for assistance –including elderly residents on fixed incomes seeking help because they can’t afford rent, utilities or food.

United Way of Southern Columbiana County board members Shannon Giambroni indicated there has even been an increase in requests for clothing assistance.

“Every non-profit is struggling right now, even churches are seeing a downtick in tithes and offerings. It’s just where we are at today, because everyone is so concerned about the economy,” Daniel Winston, board president, said.

Winston wants local residents to know that money raised by the United Way stays local.

While the organization carries the United Way name, it is not an affiliated with United Way Worldwide.United Way of Southern Columbiana County is an incorporated non-profit organization which is a separate and locally-governed agency which maintains complete control of the local agency operates, Faloon said. The United Way of Southern Columbiana County is only a member of United Way and pays annual dues of $800 to United Way Worldwide to use the name for branding and marketing materials.

The United Way of Southern Columbiana County supports eight local community organizations in Calcutta, East Liverpool, Lisbon and Wellsville in Ohio and Chester and Newell in West Virginia. The organizations they support are Camp Fire Taynaoka, Catholic Charities Senior Center, Catholic Charities Christina House, Valley Parish Nurse Ministry, The Salvation Army Northeast Ohio, Wellsville First Christain Church Youth Ministry, Family and Community Services of Columbiana County Inc., and Community Resource Center (CRC) of East Liverpool.

They organizations offer a wide variety of services including but not limited to community action, camping and outdoor programs, assistance to victims of domestic violence, home-delivered meals along with hygiene and cleaning products for seniors, emergency assistance, for food, rent, and utility bills, nurses for health screenings and CPR training, counseling, holiday gift health, youth mentorship, covering prescription costs, self-help programs for low-to-middle income families and more.

The agency needs money to support feeding adults, help the victims of domestic violence, churches who feed and mentor kids, Winston said. Without additional money some services may need to be stopped, or they may have to offer less in an economy where they need to do more.

The Community Resource Center (CRC) is currently feeding 600 to 700 children daily and anticipates seeing an increase. Last year it was about 200 to 300 kids fed daily.

Also, more elderly are seeking help for items such as incontinence products, because they have food stamps, but they don’t have money for Depends.

Giambroni noted that many of the area’s elderly are on fixed incomes or pensions and have seen their water bills double and rent increased and the money to pay for the increases has to come from other expenses such as their food budgets, clothing allowances or their emergency funds.

Board member Brock Ford said that it’s much more important now for them to be able to keep roofs over their heads and water to drink and bathe with, but to make sure they can keep a roof over their heads they have to take money from somewhere else. He noted that it’s becoming harder and harder for people on fixed incomes to afford the increasing rent costs and could result in them losing their homes and ending up on the streets

“Our money is going to local places, and we need people to be able to see that and also be able to give to this endeavor to ensure that we can feed these kids,” Winston said. “We are trying to do the best we can to keep on making sure our agencies can continue to meet the needs of the people in this area.”

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Winston noted the CRC –which distributes FEMA food boxes, has felt the impact with the number of people coming in for them doubling. The boxes used to be given out twice a month, but they had to reduce that to once a month because they don’t have the money to supply the food.

Thomes Rose, youth Pastor, Wellsville First Christain Church, said that one of the big things he has noticed is that 70% to 80% of the children in their youth groups are coming from single-parent households who are having problems making ends meet and that many of the youth are saying the meal they get there with the youth group is their only meal of the day.

Winston noted that the Senior Center is seeing increases in need for food and other assistance.

Faloon said the United Way has already had to cut the amount of money given to the eight agencies each month by at least half if not more just to keep going and the situation is heartbreaking right now as the agency has continued to do what they have always done but are now taken in a lot less money.

Giambroni said that it is getting harder to raise money and they need to raise that money now more than they have ever needed to.

Joe Mckarns, of Family and Community Services in Lisbon said they are getting many referrals for assistance for food baskets and assistance for rent and utility bills, and they are having difficulty paying the full amounts needed to prevent utility shut offs. He said they have not had to turn anybody away yet, but they have had to limit the help they can give.

“Every agency has talked about having to do more and having less money while understanding their need is to do,” Winston said. “We live in an impoverished area right now with businesses closing down, people having to drive further to get a job to feed their families. So in an area where it’s hard to find work, our homeless population has skyrocketed in the last three years. So, the need is as great as it’s ever been and our intake is as small as it’s ever been.”

Winston said donations are down, the need is up and the agency can’t meet the need and really needs the community to do what they do, which is be a community that takes care of itself; they need the community to do what the community does best, which is take care of themselves again.

“No one is coming to save this little tri-state area and this tri-state area needs to take care of itself and that is done by coming together and meeting the needs of the least of us so we can meet their needs and lift ourselves from where we are at to where we are going,” Winston said. “That’s what we have to do at this time and that is what this United Way is all about.”

Winston said that the United Way board is asking the community to invest in the agency so the agency can continue to invest in the community.

“You’re not giving to the United Way; you are giving to our children, our next generation and our elderly next generation,” Winston said.

Faloon said if the agency can’t raise money to continue helping the agencies it supports it could be taken over by another United Way in a larger city or bigger, more populous county which would end up getting more of the funds.

kgarabrandt@mojonews.com