Those whose mission is making the Ohio Valley a better place were honored Thursday morning by the United Way of the Upper Ohio Valley at its annual Building a Better Community Breakfast. The breakfast celebrates individuals and organizations that go the extra mile in helping their neighbors however they can.

This year’s Building A Better Community Award went to Mary Beth Panepucci. On top of her work as executive director and client navigator at Jarvis Law Office in Ohio, Panepucci serves with a number of community organizations.

She co-chairs the Upper Ohio Valley Walk to End Alzheimer’s, serves on the United Way of Jefferson County Board of Directors, and is president of the board of directors for the St. Clairsville Chamber of Commerce.

The 2025 G. Ogden Nutting Community Service Award went to Catholic Charities West Virginia, an organization that helps those in need in the Ohio Valley in numerous ways. The Neighborhood Center in Wheeling assists others with hot meals, laundry services, showers and diapers for babies, as well as helping with SNAP enrollment, utility assistance and available cleaning products. The United Way also honored other outstanding volunteers – Derek Lantz and The Health Plan.

This year, the United Way of the Upper Ohio Valley introduced a new honor, the Heroes of Hope Award. The inaugural award went to the first responders and case managers who rose to the challenge during and after the deadly flash floods in Ohio County.

Those floods – which hit the communities of Valley Grove and Triadelphia as well as parts of Wheeling – killed nine people and destroyed dozens of homes. The area’s first responders sprung into action as floodwaters raged, rescuing those stranded and transporting them to safety.

They continued their help in the aftermath and were joined by the caseworkers who sat with flood survivors and led them through the process to start making them whole again via state and federal assistance.