On February 19th, United Way of Orange County hosted its 2026 Annual Meeting and Banquet, welcoming a record crowd of approximately 150 donors, volunteers, nonprofit partners, elected officials, and community leaders. The evening was especially meaningful as the organization celebrated 100 years of service to Orange County while reflecting on the impact and momentum of 2025.
Originally chartered in 1926 as the Orange Community Chest, United Way has evolved through generations—becoming the Orange County United Fund in 1964 and officially United Way of Orange County in 1989—to meet the changing needs of the community. This year’s Annual Meeting marked the official kickoff of its centennial celebration, honoring a century of neighbors helping neighbors through wars, hurricanes, economic shifts, and seasons of growth.
The program highlighted key accomplishments from 2025, including the launch of the SETXVolunteers.org portal to strengthen regional collaboration, record participation in Day of Caring, continued investment in Impact Grants advancing health, youth opportunity, financial security, and community resiliency, and successful fundraising events such as GOLF UNITED, Dueling Pianos, and the Dean Granger Memorial 5K. Volunteer initiatives including Feed the Funnel and Project Angel Tree demonstrated the power of collective action to meet immediate needs while building long-term solutions.
The centennial celebration included several distinguished recognitions. United Way of Orange County received a 100-Year Historical Certificate from the Historical Preservation Commission, recognizing its longstanding contribution to the community. The organization was also presented with a Key to the City of Orange by Larry Spears Jr.. In addition, a Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition was awarded on behalf of Randy Weber, along with a commemorative challenge coin honoring the organization’s century of impact.
The evening also included the induction of new board members and the installation of the 2026–2027 slate of officers, ensuring strong leadership as United Way enters its second century of service.
Rather than limiting the milestone to a single event, United Way of Orange County will celebrate its 100th year throughout 2026—collecting stories, honoring those who built the foundation, and inviting a new generation to help shape the next 100 years of service and impact.
We thank Old Orange Cafe for catering this special centennial celebration.
