Throughout this school year, 27 local high school juniors and seniors from seven area schools have joined together each month as part of Student United Way.
With a shared mission to enhance youth mental health and tackle issues such as substance misuse, hunger, and personal hygiene, this student-led committee recently awarded $25,000 in Youth Allocations grants to six local organizations.
The 2025 grant recipients selected by Student United Way are:
• Bellefontaine High School – Chieftain Pride Lab Program, $3,500 for food for an after-school program for at-risk students.
• Greater Riverside Area Community Encouragers – $2,000 for a weekly summer food program in DeGraff.
• Indian Lake High School SADD – $1,000 for a speaker at an all-school assembly to kick off their annual Red Ribbon (anti-drugs) week.
• Logan County Board of Developmental Disabilities – $6,500 for a program that focuses on healthy relationships, community engagement, employment skills and overall life skills youth will need in adulthood.
• Midwest Regional ESC – $9,000 to conduct the Summer Autism Academy.
• West Liberty-Salem Elementary – $3,000 for their all-school Literacy Night/Week.
These funds will directly benefit students in their schools over the summer and into the next academic year.
As part of their journey, the Student United Way members gained first-hand insight into the community’s human service needs. They developed their own funding criteria, reviewed grant applications, and listened to live presentations. This mirrors the process used by United Way’s Allocations Committee.
United Way of Logan County extends its gratitude to advisers Derek Robb, Chad Wilkinson, Bethany Watts, Ben Stahler, and Lexi Roby for their guidance and support throughout the program.
“It was amazing to be in the background and make a difference — to see the individuals in our community who put in the work every day to improve the lives of so many,” Calvary Christian High School senior Nora Thornton said.
The students’ decision-making process was shaped by a year of hands-on learning and discussions within United Way’s leadership development program. Their experience began with a poverty simulation, providing a deeper understanding of the challenges faced by low-income individuals.
“The most eye-opening experience for me was helping with the Thanksgiving Second Harvest Food Bank distribution at the Logan County Fairgrounds. I will never forget seeing the need for food right around us and realizing that food insecurity is such a big issue in Logan County,” said West Liberty-Salem High School senior Craig Stanford.
A visit to the Logan County History Center also offered perspective on the county’s past and future.
Additionally, Richwood Bank hosted a Corporate Giving panel discussion featuring representatives from Honda, WPKO, Marker, Richwood Bank and the Logan County Chamber of Commerce.
Through these experiences, Student United Way participants not only made a tangible impact on their community but also developed leadership skills that will serve them well into the future.
“It was amazing and interesting to see how a small community like ours rallies around each other for different things,” Bellefontaine High School senior Ava Campbell said.
In addition to Nora, Craig and Ava, fellow Student United Way members for the 2024-25 school year are: BHS senior Nolan Core and juniors Maci Flesher and Jaslene Maier; Benjamin Logan seniors Carter Lyden and Kate Gulick and juniors Ashton Whitt and Hadley Boysel; Calvary Christian juniors Allena Miller and Lincoln Roell and senior Ezekiel Wylie; Indian Lake seniors
Ava Faler and Daniel Wahl and juniors Cooper Hall and Lilly Wickline; Ohio Hi-Point senior Laila Lynch and juniors Paige McComas and Lilian Weese; Riverside seniors Brice Kauffman and Avery Perk and juniors Grady Jenkins and Zoey Ransbottom; and West Liberty-Salem juniors Kaylee Blair and Dylan King and senior Akira Whitman.