The City Welfare Mission in Ironton is one of 20 health and human service organizations that have received funding from the United Way for the 2011-2012 fiscal year, the United Way has announced.

The mission will receive $38,000 in United Way funding. Of that $38,000, $20,000 will go toward rent, utilities, medication and fuel and the other 18,000 will be for the mission’s food and emergency food baskets program.

Jeff Cremeans, executive director of the City Welfare Mission, said the United Way has funded the mission since the 1940s.

“Their help is much needed,” Cremeans said. He added that the United Way is not the only source of income — the community also contributes.

“It’s not the only source of income but it is a very important part and is much needed,” Cremeans said.

Besides the health and human service organizations, the United Way will fund four initiatives. Those initiatives include Success by 6, which aims to help children be prepared to start kindergarten. The Financial Stability Partnership, helps people file their income tax for free and also instructs people on how to make wise decisions with their income tax returns.

The Big Cover Up helps high school students to raise money to buy coats and other cold weather items for people in the region, and the Cabell County Substance Abuse Prevention Partnership.

This year marks a change in the way the United Way funds, said Cassey Bowden, the organization’s director of resource development and marketing.

This year the application process was open to all health and human services organizations in the United Way of the River Cities’ five-county service area. In the past, agencies had to be a member of the United Way to apply, she said.

While the City Welfare Mission was the only organization located in Lawrence County to receive funding from United Way, it is not the only one that provides services to residents of the county.

Big Brothers, Big Sisters of the Tri-State, Ebenezer Medical Outreach in Huntington and the Financial Stability initiatives all provide services in Lawrence County, Bowden said.