News

August 5, 2026:

United Way of the Southern Tier invites the community to help meet the basic needs of local children by donating items to the 2026 Back-to-School Toiletries Drive.

Nearly 20% of children in Chemung and Steuben counties live in poverty. Families that receive government benefits such as SNAP or WIC cannot use that assistance to purchase essential hygiene items such as toothpaste, toothbrushes, soap, deodorant, and more.

You can help children in our area by donating the following through Friday, September 12:
• Toothbrushes
• Toothpaste
• Shampoo & conditioner
• Bar soap
• Deodorant
• Feminine hygiene products
• Dental floss
• Lip balm
• Hand cream
• Combs/brushes/picks
• Small packets of tissues
• Small bottles of hand sanitizer 

Items can be purchased locally and dropped off at locations across the community, or you can use this Amazon wish list to purchase items that will be shipped directly to United Way.

Donations may be dropped off at any of the following locations starting Thursday, August 6:
• Corning Credit Union Main Office, 1 Credit Union Plaza, Corning.
• Steele Memorial Library, 101 E. Church St., Elmira.
• Simmons-Rockwell Chevy GMC Showroom, 7327 State Route 54, Bath.
• Bath YMCA, 208 Liberty St., Suite 215, Bath.
• Southeast Steuben Library, 300 Nasser Civic Center Plaza, Corning.
• Hornell YMCA, 18 Center St., Hornell.
• United Way of the Southern Tier, 1 W. Market St., Suite. 202 (2nd floor), Corning.

United Way of the Southern Tier will distribute the items to local schools and youth centers where there is an identified need. The drive ends on Friday, September 12.

For more information, or to arrange a donation pick-up, please call United Way at 607-936-3753 or email info@uwst.org.

For more information, please contact United Way Coordinator of Community Engagement Hope Howell by email or at 607-377-5836.