Impact By County
United Way remains committed to keeping donor dollars close to home and working to uplift the lives of our neighbors so that they can fulfill their potential on a daily basis and overcome challenges and crises that may stand in their way. The guidance of local community leaders, and staff and community partners based in each county we serve ensures that United Way can make the greatest impact.
We use two data sets to track how people are faring: ALICE — which stands for Asset Limited, Income Constrained and Employed — a dataset that monitors the cost of living in each county. More than 316,000 households — roughly 36% — in our region cannot afford housing, child care, food, transportation, health care and basic technology. Our PA 211 Southwest Contact Center connects people to human services and provides real-time data about needs in each county, ZIP code and legislative district.
Last updated October 2, 2026.
Overview
Top 211 Requests in Allegheny County
(July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2026)
ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed)
In Allegheny County, 37% of households to do not earn enough, despite working, sometimes two or more jobs, to make ends meet. The cost of essential items is more than three times the federal poverty level.
Additional Community Impact
- Free Tax Prep: Led by the United Way of Southwestern Pennsylvania, the Free Tax Prep Coalition provides free tax preparation services at more than 20 Volunteer Income Tax Assistance sites and ensures that as many people as possible are keep what they earn through programs such as the Earned Income Tax Credit and Child Tax Credits. Scheduling is run through the PA 211 Southwest call center and connects taxpayers to other relevant resources and services. Free Tax Prep creates real financial benefit for families in our region working hard for low wages. Since 2009, our 3,896 Free Tax Prep volunteers and our self-serve MyFreeTaxes.org website have completed 129,709 tax returns at no cost to taxpayers. From 2009 to 2025, Free Tax Prep has generated approximately in $211.8 million in refunds and saving $29.4 million in tax prep fees regionally.
- Community Food Solutions: Community Food Solutions was launched in 2023 to help ensure that all residents have equitable access to nutritious, culturally relevant food through a sustainable food system. Through a community-led mini-grant program, a Steering Committee of local food security experts awards grants and provides technical assistance to grassroots organizations addressing food availability, access, utilization and system stability. Since its launch, Community Food Solutions has awarded 73 grants totaling more than $363,000 to support projects such as community gardens, food pantries, meal programs and urban agriculture initiatives.
Our Agency Partners in Allegheny County
We make three-year investments so that partner agencies have budgetary stability and know they can continue to count on United Way for funding. These dollars are awarded through a competitive request for proposal process to agencies that align with our investment priorities of:
Many agencies engage in work that addresses two or more of these areas and serve people across the spectrum of age, race and ability. A complete list of agencies funded in through our multi-year grant process is available here.
Overview
Top 211 Requests in Armstrong County
(July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2026)
ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed)
In Armstrong County, 39% of households don’t earn enough, despite working, sometimes two or more jobs, to make ends meet. The cost of surviving is nearly three times the federal poverty level.
Additional Community Impact
- Distributed 1,200 free books to school districts, libraries, community groups and early childhood education providers throughout Armstrong County to help build a love for reading and encourage access to early literacy for more children.
- Provided one-time emergency financial assistance to families participating in Head Start and Pre-K Counts programs through Early Learning Connections. This support was in the form of rental assistance, utility payments and car repairs to ensure that parents and children are able to consistently work and attend programming.
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Helped keep neighbors fed by distributing 590 snack bags and meal kits to children and families across the region. Providing food for children to take home during school breaks and meal kits that could feed a family of four for an entire weekend, these resources helped address immediate nutrition needs and reduce food insecurity. By building on the strengths of families and communities and ensuring access to nutritious meals, this support helped families focus on learning, work and other opportunities that contribute to long-term well-being.
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Supported Armstrong Center for Community Learning in expanding digital access and workforce development opportunities for rural communities. By extending vocational certification and licensure testing hours to evenings and weekends at its Ford City location, the center made career advancement opportunities more accessible for residents with daytime work commitments while helping connect individuals to workforce resources and training opportunities. By creating more flexible access to these services, the project helped residents build skills, increase earning potential and contribute to long-term economic growth in Armstrong County and the surrounding region.
Current Impact Partners in Armstrong County
We make three-year investments so that partner agencies have budgetary stability and know they can continue to count on United Way for funding. These dollars are awarded through a competitive request for proposal process to agencies that align with our investment priorities of:
Many agencies engage in work that addresses two or more of these areas and serve people across the spectrum of age, race and ability. A complete list of agencies funded in through our multi-year grant process is available here.
Overview
Top 211 Requests in Butler County
(July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2026)
ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed)
In Butler County, 30% of households don’t earn enough, despite working, sometimes two or more jobs, to make ends meet. The cost of surviving is nearly three times the federal poverty level.
Additional Community Impact
- Distributed 5,264 free books to school districts, libraries, community groups and early childhood education providers throughout Butler County to help build a love for reading and encourage access to early literacy for more children.
- Provided one-time emergency financial assistance to families participating in Head Start and Pre-K Counts programs through Early Learning Connections. This support was in the form of rental assistance, utility payments and car repairs, ensuring parents and children are able to consistently work and attend programming.
- Supported South Butler Community Library in expanding access to early literacy opportunities for working families by offering programming outside traditional daytime hours. Through its Family Hour initiative, the library provided multi-age literacy activities, caregiver education, take-home learning resources and connections to Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. By creating more flexible and inclusive opportunities for participation, the program helped children strengthen early literacy and kindergarten readiness skills while equipping caregivers with tools to support learning at home and foster a lifelong love of reading.
- Brought together volunteers and community partners to assemble and distribute 200 bicycles, helmets and locks to local children through Butler Area School District, Butler County Family YMCA, Community Care Connection, Moniteau School District, Slippery Rock Elementary and other community partners. This initiative helped remove barriers to transportation while creating opportunities for children to build confidence, experience greater independence and engage more fully in school, recreation and community life. For many children, receiving a bike provides not only mobility, but also a sense of belonging, freedom and joy.
Current Impact Partners in Butler County
We make three-year investments so that partner agencies have budgetary stability and know they can continue to count on United Way for funding. These dollars are awarded through a competitive request for proposal process to agencies that align with our investment priorities of:
Many agencies engage in work that addresses two or more of these areas, and serve people across the spectrum of age, race and ability. A complete list of agencies funded through our funding process is available here.
Overview
Top 211 Requests in Fayette County
(July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2026)
ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed)
In Fayette County, 43% of households don’t earn enough, despite working, sometimes two or more jobs, to make ends meet. The cost of surviving is nearly three times the federal poverty level.
Additional Community Impact
- Distributed 900 high-quality learning kits to children receiving early intervention services through Intermediate Unit 1 and children enrolled in Head Start and community-based Pre-K programs. By expanding access to engaging educational materials, the initiative helped families support early learning at home, fostered school readiness and created opportunities for stronger family engagement during a child’s most critical developmental years.
- Provided one-time emergency financial assistance to families participating in Head Start and Pre-K Counts programs through Private Industry Council. This support was in the form of rental assistance, utility payments and car repairs, ensuring parents and children are able to consistently work and attend programming.
- Distributed 4,700 free books to school districts, libraries, community groups and early childhood education providers throughout Fayette County to help build a love for reading and encourage access to early literacy for more children.
- Brought together volunteers and community partners to assemble and distribute 94 bicycles, helmets and locks to local children through Fayette County Community Action, East End United Community Center and other community partners. This initiative helped remove barriers to transportation while creating opportunities for children to build confidence, experience greater independence and engage more fully in school, recreation and community life. For many children, receiving a bike provides not only mobility, but also a sense of belonging, freedom and joy.
Current Impact Partners in Fayette County
We make three-year investments so that partner agencies have budgetary stability and know they can continue to count on United Way for funding. These dollars are awarded through a competitive request for proposal process to agencies that align with our investment priorities of:
Many agencies engage in work that addresses two or more of these areas, and serve people across the spectrum of age, race and ability. A complete list of agencies funded through our funding process is available here.
Overview
Top 211 Requests in Westmoreland County
(July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2026)
ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed)
In Westmoreland County, 36% of households don’t earn enough, despite working, sometimes two or more jobs, to make ends meet. The cost of surviving is nearly three times the federal poverty level.
Additional Community Impact
- College Financial Assistance Coalition: Provided 31 emergency financial assistance grants totaling $11,411 to students at Westmoreland County Community College through the College Emergency Financial Assistance (CEFA) Fund. By helping students overcome unexpected financial barriers such as housing, utilities, child care and transportation costs, the program enabled more learners to remain enrolled and continue working toward their degrees. This support helped students stay on track for graduation, strengthen their long-term economic stability and pursue rewarding career opportunities that benefit both their families and the region’s workforce.
- Distributed 18,929 free books to school districts, libraries, community groups and early childhood education providers throughout Westmoreland County to help build a love for reading and encourage access to early literacy for more children.
- Provided one-time emergency financial assistance to families participating in Head Start and Pre-K Counts programs through Seton Hill Child Services and Westmoreland Community Action. This support was in the form of rental assistance, utility payments and car repairs to ensure that parents and children are able to consistently work and attend programming.
- Brought together volunteers and community partners to assemble and distribute 106 bicycles, helmets and locks to local children through Jeannette City School District, Kiski Area School District, Laurel Highlands School District, New Kensington-Arnold School District, Westmoreland Community Action, Yough School District and other community partners. This initiative helped remove barriers to transportation while creating opportunities for children to build confidence, experience greater independence and engage more fully in school, recreation and community life. For many children, receiving a bike provides not only mobility, but also a sense of belonging, freedom and joy..
Current Impact Partners in Westmoreland County
We make three-year investments so that partner agencies have budgetary stability and know they can continue to count on United Way for funding. These dollars are awarded through a competitive request for proposal process to agencies that align with our investment priorities of:
Many agencies engage in work that addresses two or more of these areas, and serve people across the spectrum of age, race and ability. A complete list of agencies funded through our funding process is available here.