United Way launches Holmes County fund for workers' job expenses

United Way of Wayne and Holmes Counties has launched a Holmes County Employment Resource Fund that can cover up to $500 in work-related costs for employed residents trying to keep or improve their jobs. The money can go toward work boots, clothing, tuition, required fees or supplies, certifications, licenses, job-search supplies, emergency transportation and car repairs.

The fund is aimed at people who already have work or training underway but need help with an expense that could keep them from showing up, finishing a certification or moving into a better job. The application says applicants must be 18 or older, have financial need and be in good standing in their employment or training program. Requests above $500 must be pre-approved, and the process can take 8 to 10 weeks, which makes the fund a tool for planned barriers rather than instant crisis relief.

United Way describes its broader role as connecting people to counseling, rent and utility help, support services, health care, mental health care and substance-abuse treatment. It also says people need skills, training, equipment, reliable transportation and child care to advance their careers. The Employment Resource Fund, formerly called the HOPE Fund, fits that model by focusing on the kinds of modest expenses that can derail steady work in a county where a car repair or a required fee can quickly become a major setback.

The fund is part of a larger workforce effort in the region. In 2024, United Way said it would invest $80,000 in advancing career prospects and workforce capacity, working with Goodwill Industries of Wayne and Holmes Counties, Nick Amster Workshop and the Wayne County Schools Career Center. In 2025, United Way Wayne and Holmes Counties distributed nearly $1.1 million in grant awards and donor designations to programs and organizations serving residents of Holmes and Wayne counties.

For Holmes County workers, the fund is built around a simple problem: having a job is not always the same as being able to keep one. One set of tires, one certification fee or one pair of work boots can be the difference between a steady paycheck and a missed shift.