History Page
The 20’s:
- Organized as the Jamestown Community Chest in 1920, your United Way has evolved to become a leader in human service program
development.
- The Jamestown Rotary Club was instrumental in forming the organization and gathering a committee of 100 to oversee the movement. The first campaign ran for just eight days and raised $92,186 to help fund 12 human service organizations.
The 40’s:
- By the end of the 1940’s “Red Feather” workers were raising over $140,000, helping to support a variety of organizations including: Boys Scouts, Girl Scouts, Family Service, the Salvation Army, YMCA and YWCA, which are still United Way partner agencies today.
The 50’s:
- In the mid-1950’s, the Red Cross was folded into the campaign, and contributors were giving over $300,000 annually to support human service programs in the Jamestown area.
The 60s:
- In 1965 the Jamestown Community Chest became the United Fund and Council of Southern Chautauqua County, branching out to serve more of the population than ever before.
The 70’s:
- In 1976, the United Fund became the United Way, as it’s known today.
