CLEVELAND — The United Way of Greater Cleveland is kicking off 2023 with a significant donation.
On Wednesday, the United Way of Greater Cleveland announced that it has received a $1.25 million commitment from the Byrnes family and Oswald Companies. The donation will be used to aid United Way's programs and partnerships, including the August Napoli Fund for Anti-Poverty Innovation.
The donation from the Byrnes family was made in honor of the service of current Board Chair and Cleveland Guardians chairman Paul Dolan and former President and CEO Augie Napoli. Meanwhile, Oswald Companies is making its donation as its firm begins its 130th year in business and is experiencing significant growth after first launching in downtown Cleveland in 1893 with "a commitment to community that continues today."
"We are so grateful to Marc, Viki, their family and the Oswald Companies for this generous gift in support of United Way's work with our many partners to advance equity and justice for all Greater Clevelanders," Sharon Sobol Jordan, president, and CEO of United Way of Greater Cleveland, said in a statement. "The Byrnes' and Oswald Companies' gift will allow United Way to continue on our path forward to create inclusive prosperity in our region by effectively addressing both the symptoms and root causes of poverty."
The newly created Anti-Poverty Fund supports "early-stage or test initiatives with the potential to transform Greater Clevelanders' lives significantly." It was named in honor of Napoli, who retired from United Way last June after leading the organization as president and CEO since 2016.
In a statement, Marc and Viki Byrnes said: "The health of the Greater Cleveland community is our family’s and the Oswald Companies' top priority, with philanthropy and service at the heart of everything we do. We share United Way and its partners' passion for alleviating poverty's impact on our city so we all have an equal opportunity to live a better life. Truly none of us does this work alone."
"Clevelanders are strong-willed, diversified and have a commitment to collegiality guided by Midwestern values. There is a sincere, genuine dedication to caring for those less fortunate, and these needs are often first met by the incomparable United Way 211 team. United Way of Greater Cleveland's initiatives around race, diversity, equity and inclusion, and three community strategies focused on economic mobility, health pathways and housing stability are most impactful for improving community relations and the social and financial health of Greater Cleveland."
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