United Way moves downtown

February 28, 2007|By DAN DEARTH

HAGERSTOWN

The United Way of Washington County moved to a larger building Monday, and will be able to assist more people in need of assistance, said LaRhonda Eslick, the United Way's administrative coordinator.

At 3,980 square feet, the United Way's new office at 33 W. Franklin St., is at least twice the size of its former home of five years on Crestwood Drive, she said.

"We were growing out of our space," Eslick said. "(The old building) was lovely, but it wasn't fitting our needs."

The United Way serves about 50,000 people a year by referring them to agencies that provide, among other things, food and utility payment assistance, she said.

Eslick said the larger office downtown will help accommodate a larger staff.

The United Way paid for the move, in part, by using grants and funding that already was allotted in the budget for relocation expenses, she said.

Eslick said the United Way has saved money already by not having to pay fuel costs to drive to the bank and post office, because those buildings are downtown.

Other agencies that the United Way works with, such as the Community Action Council, an organization that helps the needy pay utility bills, have offices in the same neighborhood, she said. The close proximity makes getting help easier, she said.

"We're very excited about the United Way," she said. "(We're) really moving forward."

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