Press Releases / News

Every Day is Women’s Health Day

Monday, May 20, 2024

Photo Caption: (left) Unified’s VP of Accounting & Financial Reporting, Jody Krzywdik, is part of the Bellaire Salvation Army’s Sally’s Café women's group, which is dedicated to providing educational programming on women’s health needs. (right) WVU Medicine’s Women’s Health Physical Therapist & Women’s Health Clinical Specialist, Ashley Martinez, was the guest speaker at the Women’s Health Awareness Month meeting.

In the United States, we celebrate and observe Women’s Health Awareness Month every May and Women’s Health Week every year, beginning on Mother’s Day. However, the Bellaire Salvation Army and Unified Bank realize that every month, every week, and every day are essential to women’s health issues and concerns. Many women in our Ohio Valley do not possess the financial security necessary to provide some of the basic hygiene and feminine product needs for themselves or their female children.

Recognizing the pressing need, the Bellaire Salvation Army and Unified Bank joined forces in 2022 to make a difference. Led by Major Louis Patrick and his wife, Major Norma Patrick, the Salvation Army initiated the She Shed program. This initiative, housed in a modest structure in the Salvation Army's parking lot, has been a lifeline for many in our community. It provides essential women’s and feminine hygiene products to those who are unable to afford them, making a tangible impact on their daily lives.

Unified Bank is proud to support the Salvation Army in its efforts to provide much-needed assistance in times of emergency and on a daily basis. In addition to financial support, Unified supplies experience and wisdom through Unified’s VP of Accounting & Financial Reporting, Jody Krzywdik, who serves on a monthly women’s group at the Salvation Army called Sally’s Café. The name “Sally” is a popular moniker for the Salvation Army. Sally’s Café offers various educational programs geared toward women’s health. Each month, in addition to the educational programming, group attendees are offered a chance to select five products from the She Shed, lessening the financial burden for the much-needed products.

Jody Krzywdik, Unified's VP of Accounting & Financial Reporting, expressed her deep gratitude for the opportunity to serve the community through the Sally's Café project. She said, “I am truly honored and humbled to work alongside my fellow women in leadership and the community to provide much-needed moral, educational, and physical assistance to women in need. Unified's support has been instrumental in making this possible, and I am proud to be a part of it."

Ashley Martinez, WVU Medicine’s Women’s Health Physical Therapist & Women’s Health Clinical Specialist, was the guest speaker at the May meeting of Sally’s Café. Martinez said, “I believe women are entitled to hormonal health and to advocate for themselves in every state of life.”

Unified Bank is a full-service Member FDIC-insured, state-chartered commercial bank headquartered in Martins Ferry, OH and has eighteen locations that serve the Ohio counties of Athens, Belmont, Carroll, Fairfield, Harrison, Hocking, Jefferson and Tuscarawas and Marshall County in West Virginia. Unified Bank is the sole operating subsidiary of United Bancorp, Inc. (UBCP), a publicly-traded bank holding company, and has been serving the financial needs of the Ohio Valley since 1902 from its headquarters in Martins Ferry, Ohio.