Tygart Valley United Way is preparing for its next chapter with the purchase of a new headquarters in downtown Fairmont, a move that will do more than give the organization a new home. It will also create new opportunities for collaboration, expand space for a vital community partner and strategically realign community resources to better serve the region.
Tygart Valley United Way has purchased the recognizable curved building at 104 Adams Street, previously the home of 
Bond Insurance.
As part of the realignment, Friendship Fairmont will relocate to United Way’s current location, providing the organization with expanded space to continue and grow its services for individuals and families in the community.
“This is about much more than moving from one building to another,” said Brett White, Chief Executive Officer of Tygart Valley United Way. “It is about making sure that the spaces and resources we have in our community are being used in the best possible way. This move gives United Way room to grow, gives Friendship Fairmont an opportunity to expand its work and creates a place where organizations and people can come together to solve problems and serve our community.”
The new United Way facility will be designed as more than traditional office space. In addition to housing United Way staff and programs, the building will include a new community hub, providing flexible meeting, training and collaborative space for nonprofits, businesses, community groups and partners working throughout the region.
WVU Medicine is making a significant investment in the project and will serve as the naming partner for the new community hub space.
“WVU Medicine is proud to invest in the future of the Tygart Valley region by supporting the Tygart Valley United Way and the important work it’s team does every day across our communities,” commented Aaron Yanuzo, Chief Operating Officer, WVU Medicine Fairmont Medical Center. “This investment is about much more than a new facility. It is an investment in people, in collaboration, and in the programs and organizations that make a meaningful difference in the lives of our neighbors. We are honored to serve as the naming partner for the new community hub and look forward to seeing this space become a place where community leaders, organizations and partners can come together, share ideas and build solutions that strengthen the communities we all call home.”
“Some of the most important work in our community happens when people get into the same room, share ideas and work toward a common goal,” White said. “With WVU Medicine’s investment, this new space will give our community a place specifically designed to make those connections happen.”
The purchase and redevelopment of the building are made possible through an innovative financing structure provided by WesBanco Bank Community Development Corporation’s New Markets Loan Program under the federal New Markets Tax Credit Program.
Designed to support investment in underserved communities, the New Markets Tax Credit Program helps finance projects that generate meaningful economic and community impact. In partnership with WesBanco, United Way developed a financing approach that supports this long-term investment while preserving resources for the organization's ongoing work to meet critical community needs.
“At WesBanco, we are committed to helping organizations secure financing solutions that advance their missions and strengthen the communities they serve,” said LaReta Lowther, Executive Vice President and Senior Director, Community Development. “This partnership with Tygart Valley United Way reflects that commitment, creating a path forward for a significant long-term investment while protecting resources that can continue to address critical community needs.”
“WesBanco has been an incredible partner in helping us think creatively about how we could make this project work,” White said. “Their team understood that we weren't simply financing a building. We were investing in infrastructure that will support community impact for decades to come. The New Markets Tax Credit financing created an opportunity that simply would not have been possible through a traditional approach.”
The project was also made possible through the generosity of M&K Real Estate, the current owner of the property. As part of the transaction, M&K is making a major charitable contribution to Tygart Valley United Way, significantly reducing the cost of the property and demonstrating the company's continued commitment to the community.
“We are incredibly grateful to M&K for seeing the vision behind this project and choosing to invest in it,” White said. “Their generosity helped turn an idea into something achievable. This is an extraordinary example of a local business using its resources to create a lasting benefit for the community it calls home.”
United Way's relocation will also open the door for a significant expansion opportunity for Friendship Fairmont, which will move into Tygart Valley United Way's current facility at 221 Washington Street.
The transition will provide Friendship Fairmont with additional space and infrastructure to support its work while keeping the building dedicated to serving the community.
“We are thrilled about Tygart Valley United Way’s move to a new home and equally excited about what this transition means for Friendship Fairmont,” said Laura Jones, Executive Director of Milan Puskar Health Right. “Our new, larger space will give us even more opportunities to grow, collaborate, and serve the community together. We are grateful to Tygart Valley United Way for making this opportunity possible and look forward to this exciting new chapter for Friendship Fairmont.”
“Realignment was the key word throughout this process,” White said. “We didn't want our move to simply leave an empty building behind. We wanted to look at the bigger picture and ask how these spaces could work harder for our community. Being able to create a new home for United Way while opening our current location to Friendship Fairmont makes this a win for multiple organizations and, most importantly, for the people we serve.”
The move comes as Tygart Valley United Way begins implementing its new Thriving Community Plan and Bold Goals, which establish a long term vision for improving Community Resiliency, Youth Opportunity, Financial Security and Healthy Community across its five-county service area.
The new headquarters will provide additional capacity for United Way's growing portfolio of programs, community initiatives, volunteer engagement and collaborative work while creating a central gathering place for organizations addressing the region's most pressing challenges.
“This building represents where United Way is headed,” White added. “Our role is increasingly about bringing people together, building partnerships and creating the infrastructure that allows our entire community to succeed. We want this to be a building that belongs to the community, where ideas become partnerships and partnerships become action.”
Additional information about the relocation, community hub and plans for the new facility will be announced in the coming months.