JOHNSTOWN — United Way of the Southern Alleghenies allocated more than $750,000 to projects and programs in Blair, Cambria and Somerset counties this year, according to community relationship and marketing manager Rick Kazmer.

At its allocations awards and annual meeting Wednesday in the Central Park Complex’s community room along Franklin Street, the organization’s president and chief executive officer, Karen Struble Myers, said it raised nearly $977,000 in this year’s campaign through the generosity of donors.

Through the organization’s 28 partner agencies and direct programming, United Way helped more than 92,000 people last year, she said.

“This is about collaboration. These funds would not be available without many people coming together to make a difference,” Struble Myers said to a room full of representatives from United Way’s partner agencies. “Thank you for being such an important part of our mission as we work to move the community forward.”

At the meeting, Denise Adams, the Family Resource Center of Blair County’s director, spoke of the center’s many programs — Parents as Teachers, Stuff the Bus, Toasty Toddler, Be Strong Families Parent Cafes and Families in Recovery.

All of these programs make an impact in Blair County, Adams said.

Healthy Blair County Coalition Director Billie Kochara said the coalition received 239 responses from 3,000 random household surveys that were mailed out this year for its needs assessment. The coalition also received over 300 responses from community agencies for the assessment, she said.

From the assessment, the coalition was able to identify that drugs and alcohol are “still a big issue in Blair County,” Kochara said, noting other priorities identified in the assessment include mental health issues, distracted driving and obesity.

Kochara said the county doesn’t have enough child therapists and psychologists to serve the growing demand for mental health services among children in need of them.

“We just do not have enough people in the area to fulfill those needs. We’re having to send a lot of those kids out of the county, out of the state,” Kochara said. “That is a huge deal.”

For adults, the biggest challenge surrounding mental health is “reducing the stigma,” she said.

“We still have a lot of work to do around reducing the stigma on mental health in saying, ‘It is OK to ask for help. Nobody does it alone,'” Kochara said.

United Way of the Southern Alleghenies board Chairman Jerry Zahorchak recognized outgoing board members during the meeting: Blair County Commissioner Laura Burke, Blair County Drug and Alcohol Program chief financial officer Donna Carter, Daily American general manager Becky Flyte, Sheetz employee relocation coordinator Lindsay Garman, Blair County District Attorney’s Office victim/witness director Sue Griep and UPMC Somerset Hospital President Andy Rush.

Projects allocated Wednesday to 23 agencies totaled $523,285.

Mirror Staff Writer Matt Churella is at 814-946-7520.

Programs, projects to get funds

Home Nursing Agency — $1,000 for the healing patch program

American Red Cross — $5,000 for disaster cycle services

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Blair County — $5,500 for mentoring programs

Blair Regional YMCA — $8,000 for the heroic journey program

Gloria Gates Memorial Foundation — $9,000 for its afterschool program

Greater Johnstown YMCA — $10,000 for its safe places program

Home Nursing Agency — $14,000 for its nurse family partnership program

Peer Empowerment Network — $15,000 for its drop-in center

Flood City Youth Academy — $20,000 for its youth mentoring/tutoring program

Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown — $23,375 for emergency financial assistance

Women’s Help Center — $25,000 for its homeless prevention program

Small Town Hope — $32,500 for its preschool programHighland Health — $32,500 for its free medical clinic

The Learning Lamp — $40,000 for its early childhood behavioral intervention and preschool scholarships

Family Services Incorporated — $49,500 for victim services and family and teen shelters

Victim Services Incorporated — $55,000 for direct services and its grief program

Beginnings Incorporated — $55,000 for its parents as teachers program