ALENA ANDERSON

Our communities can only thrive if they are financially stable. Alena Anderson joined United Way in July 2019 as Program Manager and in May 2022 she was promoted to Director of Moving Toward Financial Stability. In this role, she provides leadership and direction to work that helps hardworking low to moderate-income individuals and families achieve long-term financial stability. This includes supporting partner agencies, collaborating with organizations that specialize in financial education, and engaging stakeholders in advocacy efforts in order to develop inclusive strategies that help all members of the community.

There is no typical workday for Alena, on any given day she could be communicating with partners, collaborating with colleagues in different departments, participating in advocacy events, and writing reports on the impact of the Moving Toward Financial Stability department’s work. The variety is one thing Alena likes about her job at United Way. She also is proud of the impact of United Way’s work because she has witnessed, firsthand, the life-changing results of their efforts as a former agency partner working directly with families and now as a supporter of the agencies offering the service. 

In her three years at United Way, Alena’s biggest accomplishment has been the implementation of the Guaranteed Income Pilot. Through this program, women, particularly single women with children, have the ability to reach financial stability and improve their lives. Due to its many moving parts, Alena is proud to see something so impactful come together and help people in Southwestern PA.

When she’s not at work, you can find Alena spending time with her two daughters and two cats at their house in Pittsburgh’s Bellevue neighborhood. She’s often attending her daughters’ volleyball games and other extracurricular activities. During quiet moments, Alena likes to take some “me time” by reading, writing, or doing yoga.

Thank you Alena for being a valuable part of our United Way team!