The United Way of Seneca County (UWSC) has a long and proud history of being a supporter of service providers serving Seneca County. Although initially known as the United Fund, UWSC was founded in 1958 with its mission to raise funds for other not-for-profits. Subsequently, the agency transitioned to the United Way of Seneca County and updated its mission to support the provision of services to those in need.
In the late 1990s, UWSC began its evolution from being primarily a collector and distributor of funds to other not-for-profits to being a community change agent – truly making an impact in Seneca County communities. UWSC, in conjunction with countless partners including local and county governmental agencies, schools and law enforcement initiated or supported, and in some cases, funded local programs. The aforementioned programs included, but were not limited to county-wide after school programs, the rural transportation initiative, the Ovid Community Health Center, Seneca County Substance Abuse Coalition, Women’s Leadership Council, Seneca County Suicide Prevention Coalition and, most recently, problem gambling education and outreach efforts.
Today, UWSC continues to partner with and support local agencies and community initiatives through financial and other means to make Seneca County a better place to live and to work. As the demographics and economic base of Seneca County continue to change – and even more so since the initial days of COVID-19, so do the needs of its communities. UWSC is very aware of some of the challenges faced by rural communities in an often regionalized area and takes pride in being able to be a voice for Seneca County communities and the needs of their residents in both local and regional conversations.
While the annual campaign still enables UWSC to provide financial support to such partners as Safe Harbors of the Finger Lakes, CAP and the Seneca County House of Concern to meet their ever-increasing service demands specific to Seneca County residents, UWSC has worked hard to find new and innovative ways to support countless partners – both funded and non-funded – while maintaining a strong presence in a network of services working to improve Seneca County. Many of our communities’ issues cannot be solved by a single program or initiative alone – only together can one make an impact, see the change and improve the lives of all who live in Seneca County. UWSC is honored to be a part of this team as we are all UNITED for Seneca County.
