Correspondent photos / Sean Barron Rob and Rebecca Komara, United Way of Youngstown and the Mahoning Valley’s 2024 campaign co-chairs, stand next to a monitor indicating how much the agency’s campaign raised last year. It was slightly more than the agency’s 2023 campaign. The couple spoke at a news conference Wednesday at UW’s Centofanti Volunteer Resource Center in Boardman.

BOARDMAN — Bob Hannon is grateful that the United Way of Youngstown and the Mahoning Valley has exceeded last year’s funding amount, but his gratitude extends beyond dollar figures.

“I’m focused not as much on the numbers, but on our work,” Hannon, UW’s president, said.

Nevertheless, the 106-year-old agency raised $3,751,520 last year, which slightly exceeds its fundraising result from 2023, Hannon announced during a news conference Wednesday afternoon at the UW’s new Centofanti Volunteer Resource Center, 8133 Market St.

As a result, UW has brought in more than $3.7 million for two consecutive years.

The campaign included workplace giving, corporate gifts, grants and foundation monies. In addition, the agency secured another $1 million in federal 21st Century grant funding, money that will be used for after-school efforts and wrap-around services for its early-education programs.

The positive fundraising numbers also are courtesy of working and collaborating with numerous nonprofit partners — including after the May 28 natural gas explosion in downtown Youngstown that destroyed the 13-floor Realty Tower and displaced about 170 residents who lived in the International Towers building next door, Hannon noted. The blast also killed Akil Drake, 27, who worked at the Chase Bank branch on the Realty Tower’s ground floor.

UW partnered with up to 40 such agencies to help the International Towers residents deal with a situation that some thought would take two weeks but took nearly two months, Hannon added.

He also touted the 12,000-square-foot volunteer center that opened in August and contains 8,800 square feet of warehouse space for the agency’s growing Care Closet initiative, which features pantries that offer food, school supplies, hygiene kits, clothing and other essential student needs.

In addition, the new volunteer facility allows UW to expand its programs, and has welcomed more than 1,000 volunteers to assist with a variety of projects, Hannon noted, adding that he’s especially pleased to see the large influx of young volunteers.

One of those is Anna Morgione, a Youngstown State University junior and Ursuline High School graduate who’s majoring in nursing.

“I want to be a pediatric nurse, with a strong passion for working with children,” Morgione, who is in YSU’s Sokolov Honors College, said.

Her initial foray into volunteering for UW was having been part of its SaturDay of Caring in which volunteers meet the third Saturday of each month to unload, pack and deliver food to families in need, those unable to leave their homes and senior citizens. Earlier this month, several members of the YSU Penguins football team joined the effort.

“I fell in love with the work United Way does; I fell in love due to the projects they do within the community I grew up in,” Morgione said.

The longtime agency remains highly dedicated to helping those who are underserved, along with the community at large, Rob and Rebecca Komara said in their remarks Wednesday. The Komaras were the 2024 campaign co-chairs.

Hannon also noted that under UW’s Success After 6 initiative, Care Closets were launched in 2022 in four locations and today they are in 20 schools. Success By 6 and the Success After 6 initiatives provide pre-kindergarten readiness programs as well as wrap-around services for all 19 Mahoning County school districts, along with those in Girard, Hubbard and Liberty in Trumbull County.

“The Mahoning Valley is truly a special place; we are a giving and caring community that is always there for our United Way,” Hannon said in a statement. “I believe we have had success with our annual campaign as we have connected those who can help to those who need our help.”