A Century-Long Partnership That Strengthens Communities

Roman Dreussi knows continuous improvement. As a manager of process design and development at Timken, it’s a mindset he applies to his work — and to his volunteer efforts as a former corporate headquarters campaign chair and current board member for United Way of Greater Stark County (UWGSC).

“United Way’s superpower is this ability to identify high‑quality local agencies and help cultivate them — measuring outcomes along the way, so programs keep improving,” he says. 

It’s a nonprofit strategy tailor-made for a Timken engineer. 

Timken’s partnership with United Way began in 1922, when Henry H. Timken, who led the company in its formative years, helped form the organization that became the UWGSC chapter in Timken’s corporate headquarters community. H.H., as he was known, held a strong belief that the company should invest back in the communities where employees lived and worked.

That commitment to improving access to basic needs remains foundational and has expanded across Timken’s global footprint — but as giving preferences have evolved, United Way chapters and agencies are navigating a changing philanthropic landscape. Timken leaders like Dreussi make a difference by offering unique insights and problem-solving abilities, as well as financial and volunteer support.

A stronger focus on local issues and impact

To help increase engagement among younger generations, who are most motivated to support issues they care about, United Way chapters are zeroing in on projects that impact their communities most profoundly. 

UWGSC is a great example. A few years ago, the chapter narrowed its focus to serving children, ages 0-8, and their caregivers. “The earlier you invest in a child, the more likely they are to succeed,” says Angela Peresic, president & CEO of UWGSC. Their Strong Neighborhoods, Strong Families initiative places community health workers and mentors inside schools, and makes flexible funding available for things like transportation, rent and utilities, and food distribution programs. 

“By targeting our resources in this way, we make a more significant impact on our communities,” says Perisic. “We are helping to interrupt the cycle for families living in generational poverty.”

UWGSC’s shift in focus happened about the same time that Dreussi got involved, leading the 2024 United Way campaign for Timken corporate headquarters. “To strengthen engagement and bring focus to the issue of childhood poverty, we’ve been intentional about creating more meaningful touchpoints between Timken employees and United Way partners,” he says. 

As part of United Way of Greater Stark County’s Strong Neighborhoods, Strong Families initiative, Timken is partnering with Massillon East Elementary in 2026. One student there, Adelina, recently visited Timken as part of United Way’s Career Explorers project.

“Timken has so much to offer these students. Most of them have no idea what engineering is. Experiences like that open their imaginations to what’s possible.“

Angela Perisic
President & CEO of United Way of Greater Stark County

Leads from United Way partner organizations attend campaign kickoff breakfasts, ice cream socials and other employee events to describe their work and the impact it makes. “I’ll never forget meeting Betty Smith, who leads arts and leadership programs for underserved kids at an organization called EN-RICH-MENT,” says Dreussi. “She’s in her 80s and full of energy. People at these agencies are as passionate about their work as Timken employees are, which makes it easy to support them.”

A foundational commitment to strengthening communities

As a board member now for the Greater Stark County chapter, Dreussi has expanded his involvement with United Way agency partners, visiting them regularly to understand the work they do. 

“In lean manufacturing we say, ‘Go to Gemba,’ which means, ‘Go to the problem,’” he says. “Get out of your office and go investigate the places where value is being created. I’m inspired by solving problems and creating meaningful impact — whether that’s in our manufacturing processes at Timken or in the community where I grew up. Working with United Way matters to me because it helps people in my own backyard.”

At the end of the day, it’s the kids who benefit. “I’m so grateful for Timken’s partnership in this effort,” says Perisic. “By investing early, we build brighter futures — for the kids and for everyone they’ll touch in their lives.”

“Timken has a longstanding commitment to strengthening the communities where we live and work, and United Way has been an essential part of that work for more than a century,” says Dreussi. “While our products and technologies evolve, our belief in supporting communities — and our partners in that effort — hasn’t changed.”

Timken’s investment in local communities extends worldwide. Learn more about the company’s foundational commitment to the places where it operates.