2025 Impact Report

Making a difference in our community with your help

In 2025, YOU helped United Way of East TN Highlands support 50 local nonprofit partners who served over 25,000 individuals and families. We share a common goal: to break the cycle of poverty in Northeast TN through programs supporting healthy communities, youth opportunities, financial security, and community resilience. Throughout 2025, we directly coordinated 411 volunteers who shared 850 hours of their time, equivalent to $29,500 in measurable community impact. In addition, our office connected over 1,300 families with the resources needed to meet their most pressing needs.

50

Nonprofit Partners

We support the health, education and financial stability of our community by partnering with programs that work to improve lives.

Non Profits we Support

25,000

Community Served

Individuals and families served throughout the region by programs and organizations we support.

411

Volunteers

The number of volunteers coordinated directly through Week of Caring, Celebrity Bagging, and other community events.

850

Hours Volunteered

The amount of hours our volunteers contributed to local needs.

$29,500

Volunteer Impact

The financial impact our volunteers had on local organizations. Because of their help, this amount of work was accomplished.

1,300

Provided Resources

Families connected to the resources they need most for their pressing needs.

We continued our support of the local nonprofit community by hosting quarterly partner meetings. Guest speakers featured educational topics such as technology, financial stability, and grant readiness. Attendees benefited from these sessions while maintaining regional communication channels for sharing opportunities, resources, and collaborative initiatives. Learn more about the nonprofits we support at unitedwayetnh.org/nonprofits

Disaster Relief

Investing in and building a resilient community

Recovery from the devastating effects of Hurricane Helene remains an ongoing focus. Our Director of Disaster Recovery, a grant-funded position, has been actively working since January 2025 to support long-term recovery efforts in Carter, Cocke, Greene, Johnson, Unicoi, and Washington counties. A major priority of this role has been working with individual counties to develop recovery plans that account for unique community needs while connecting them to regional recovery efforts and resources.

Creating a tangible Impact

6

Counties Served

We work to support long-term recovery in Carter, Cocke, Greene, Johnson, Unicoi, and Washington counties.

Long-Term Recovery Groups

$18M

Funds Leveraged

The total amount of funding we have leveraged for home rebuilds and debris removal projects.

$3.5M

Donations to Nonprofits

Direct funding made available to nonprofits working in the disaster recovery space throughout the region.

Through this leadership, we leveraged $18 million in grants for home rebuilds and debris removal, alongside $3.5 million in donations to nonprofits working directly with flood survivors across the region. An additional $507,000 in direct funding addressed staffing and immediate unmet needs.

Beyond financial aid, we distributed essential in-kind supplies including office technology for recovery groups, as well as beds and Ariat winter clothing for survivors to ensure long-term resilience.

United Way of East TN Highlands doesn’t just distribute dollars; we foster connections and collaboration. We connect people to purpose, nonprofits to resources, and communities to solutions. Together, we are transforming short-term relief into long-term resilience, helping our region move from surviving to thriving.