OUR MISSION
"Our mission is to unite people and resources to build a stronger, healthier Grays Harbor."
National History of United Way
What follows is a history of United Way, with our personal milestones interweaved. Read on to learn more about the origins of our organization…
Local United Way organizations were born from necessity. They were created by local community leaders who banned together to address the waste and frustration that came from many completing appeals for charitable funds and the numerous and incessant demands for volunteer time and effort.
The first semblance of a local United Way dates back to Denver, Colorado, in 1887 when religious leaders formed the Charity Organizations Society. The group planned and coordinated local services and conduced a single fundraising campaign for 22 agencies in November 1888, raising $21,700. The Community Chest, also a forerunner of today’s organization, was first organized in Rochester, New York, In 1919 during Work War I. By 1929, there were 353 Community Chests of record around the country. Similar organized approaches to fundraising sprang up using the names “Torch Drive,” “Red Feather,” and “United Appeal”. Detroit became the first community to adopt the name “United Fund” in 1949.
Local History of United Way of Grays Harbor
The Community Chest of Grays Harbor County was organized in November of 1962 to fund and assist the Council of Nine Social Agencies. This early organization had a budget of $8,000.
In 1965 The Community Chest adopted a charter to change its name to the United Way of Grays Harbor County.
