CINCINNATI — For more than 49 years, employees and volunteers alike have helped fulfill the mission of Cincinnati-based People Working Cooperatively, or PWC.
“We've really figured something out here that works,” said Jock Pitts, president of PWC.
He started with the organization back in 1987 when it was just 12 years old. Now, it's approaching 50 years with more than 110 licensed and professionally trained staff and office team members, according to their website, carrying out the mission every day in the Greater Cincinnati area.
Through the years, miles of pipe and electrical wire to subflooring, roofing material and drywall have been installed. In addition, numerous hot water tanks, HVAC units and full roofs all help people with minimal means stay in their homes.
“We call them the invisible poor because you just don't know, they're living on $14,000 a year and that's not enough,” Pitts said. “Housing repairs are completely neglected. It's just not something that happens. So, if some of the folks are at an age or with a disability that they can't do it at all. They just can't. They need a PWC to help them.”
Last year, the Farmer Family Foundation surprised PWC with the largest donation in its history.
“$2.5 million that went you know, towards the homes of people in Butler, more in Clermont, and Hamilton counties and what a difference it made, you know, that was unexpected,” Pitts said.
Pitts said the donation was a game changer and allowed the nonprofit to focus on a number of more comprehensive things they couldn’t do in the past.
It’s not just home repairs PWC is focused on. Home modifications and their Whole Home approach have been recognized by the state for allowing people to live and remain in their homes safely.
“The state of Ohio has invested in PWC and said they would like us to go beyond our current geography, and they want us to serve all of Ohio someday,” Pitts said. “We're exploring ways that we can, might be able to do that I think this is a service that everyone would benefit from.”
Pitts explained in the world of nonprofits they’re always searching for grant dollars to support their mission on top of the annual donations that come from clients and supporters through their annual giving campaign.
That said, they typically don’t expect such a large donor like the Farmer Family Foundation to return with another substantial donation the year after the large donation in PWC’s history.
“It’s fantastic,” Pitts said. “They kind of said we want to keep this going and they said we'll match up to $1 million if you can raise a million more matches. So, that's incentive, that's the way it should work with what we're trying to do we're out there trying to just get the word out. If people find out about that, they're going to want to do it because every dollar they give it doubles.”
Since the announcement of the match came to light their donations have tripled over the same time period in 2023, according to Randi Kamp, PWC Marketing & Special Events Manager.
Anyone wishing to give and have their donation doubled with the Farmer Family Foundation match head over to the PWC website.
