Scroll down to find stories, segmented by market, illustrating local United Way impact in our four focus areas (spelled out below). Of course, many stories cross issue areas, reflecting the complexity of both the problems and the solutions.
Childhood Success
Children need strong foundations, so United Way provides parents with tools to support their child’s development and education, works to improve learning environments, and helps children and families overcome non-academic barriers to success.
Youth success
All youth deserve pathways of opportunity, so United Way provides academic support outside school, prepares youth for transition into the workforce, and connects families to resources and services.
Economic Mobility
Everyone should be able to improve their socio-economic status, so United Way works to create pathways to in-demand jobs with potential for advancement, and helps individuals build a solid foundation for success.
Access to Health
All people should live healthy lives, so United Way connects individuals to quality, affordable health care and mental health care, and increases access to healthy foods and physical activity.
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Atlanta: Keeping Students Engaged All Summer
During the summer months, students often lose academic gains and start the school year playing catch up. That’s worsened with COVID-19, widening an already concerning achievement gap.
With the help of United Way of Greater Atlanta, the Future Foundation supports underserved youth in one of the worst regions in Atlanta for child wellbeing. Future Foundation works in low-performing schools where
students come from low-wage families. The focus is on students who are at greater risk for dropping out, including those who’ve repeated grades, are performing below grade level in language arts and math scores, and have discipline issues or attendance problems. United Way and the Future Foundation are helping prevent summer slide with academic and enrichment support (virtual and in-person) and connecting food-insecure students to healthy meals, providing 550+ hours of academic, social and emotional support each summer to 200+ students.
Ms. White’s 13-year-old son has been a part of the program for about a year. “(It’s) given him a routine, and helped him with his homework,” she said. “His grades have drastically changed.” Plus, Ms. White notes, the program manager at her son’s middle school made sure he could borrow a laptop and joined the literacy program. “Knowing that you have a resource – someone who really sincerely cares – is awesome!”
Whether creating, leading or funding programs, United Way is actively engaged across the world in providing children with support to succeed in school.
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Charlotte: Advancing Racial Equity
Originally launched in response to the civic unrest that erupted in Charlotte in the fall of 2016, United Way of Central Carolinas' initiative, Unite Charlotte, provides funding and capacity-building to local grassroots organizations advancing racial equity and addressing economic mobility.
Last year, Unite Charlotte awarded $2.2 million to dozens of organizations. In addition, leaders of these agencies receive, tuition-free, an opportunity to earn Duke University’s Certificate in Nonprofit Management, helping bolster their sustainability and community impact. After the first year of funding, organizations can apply to receive larger grants and executive leadership training in subsequent years, building a diverse, inclusive leadership pipeline for the Charlotte area’s nonprofit sector.
Alesha Brown, a civil rights attorney in town, is one of those grantees. She's the founder of For The Struggle, Inc (FTS), which focuses on racial and social justice. One FTS program is the Elder Response Initiative, which provides free services to seniors in historically predominantly Black neighborhoods who are at risk of displacement due to the rapid gentrification in the area. The services include critical home repairs, future planning and property tax relief. The initiative also includes a Senior Feeding Program, where they provide seniors with free, healthy groceries and warm, cooked meals from Black-owned restaurants in the area. “To see the impact that we’ve been able to have in almost three years is really incredible,” Brown said. “It’s a blessing to be a blessing.”
The United Way network, operating in 95 percent of the U.S. and 37 countries, is committed to making its communities more equitable places.
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Chicago: Raising Wages Through Workforce Training
Two years ago, Senait, a young woman from Ethiopia, picked up her life and moved to the United States. At first, she held down two jobs, working as a cashier for both Dunkin Donuts and 7-Eleven, while learning English at her local community college. But employers only offered her late-night, part-time hours – underemployment meant she wasn’t earning enough to provide for herself or plan for the future.
To secure a good, well-paying job, Senait sought help from the Chinese Mutual Aid Association (CMAA), a United Way of Metro Chicago partner offering services to low-income immigrants and refugees. Like many United Way partners, CMAA takes a “whole person” approach, providing education, employment, immigration and other services to address individuals’ and families’ varying and interconnected needs. When families are supported and their basic needs are met, they can support their households and contribute to their community and local economy.
During her time in the employment program, Senait learned valuable interview and job skills, used the agency’s computer lab to apply for jobs, and got job coaching support during the process. Today, Senait’s working full-time at a luxury hotel, where she’s increased her hourly wages by 72 percent. With this additional income, she’s been able to finish another ESL class, which will put her in a position to keep advancing her career.
Around the world, United Way is working to help refugees rebuild their lives.
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Colombia: Innovating to Boost Learning
Across the world, communities that had already been struggling have been overwhelmed by challenges in the wake of COVID. That’s certainly the case in many parts of South America. In Colombia, only 44% of children were graduating grade school before the pandemic. Given concerns about children’ learning with virtual learning, United Way Colombia extended psychological and socio-emotional support to 3,350 teachers and 114,000 students and their families.
This support included tools for kids, tips for parents and teachers, and virtual teacher training on creativity. United Way also created the “Virtual Maker Lab” to boost teachers’ effectiveness in distance learning, using platforms like WhatsApp, Facebook, and mass media. To help parents, United Way developed videos and images to spark children’s creativity while also offering mental health benefits like meditation, music and reading. These efforts stemmed the slide many children across the world experienced during the pandemic’s virtual learning – and fortified education innovations that are continuing to pay dividends.
Early childhood education is the No. 1 issue focus for the global United Way network.
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Dallas: Fighting Child Abuse Epidemic
As family stressors have mounted in recent years, hospitals and other healthcare providers have noticed a surge of physical and sexual child-abuse cases nationwide. Sadly, it's not unexpected: during the 2008 recession, deaths and trauma-related injuries among infants and children rose significantly—and that trajectory continued until the economy strengthened.
The statistics in Texas are grim. Last year, advocates say more than 127,000 children were abused in Dallas County; 199 died due to child abuse and neglect.
Of course, financial stress isn’t going away. That’s why United Way of Metropolitan Dallas is adapted two key programs that serve families in need:
- Healthy Outcomes Through Prevention and Early Support, or H.O.P.E.S., which helps local parents create home environments in which young children can thrive; and
- Texas Home Visiting, which provides direct support from a trained professional for soon-to-be-parents and those with children under the age of five.
Beyond services and resources for families, United Way is also showing community members how to become advocates and help kids who may be at risk. These tips include virtual check-ins with parents of young children, dropping off basic items like groceries to ease parents’ stress, and where to turn when something is wrong.
Every United Way around the world is working to ensure that children have what they need to thrive.
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Des Moines: American at HeART
Myat, a Karen refugee from Myanmar, continues to embrace his culture while growing and evolving as an American through the power of art and education.
Music fills the air, colorful cultural clothes delight the stage, families attentively watch for their children from the crowd, and the enticing aroma of traditional cuisine floats through the auditorium. The IOWA Don Dance brings Karen (pronounced Kuh-REN) youth together from across the Midwest to celebrate the Karen New Year. On the stage, Myat* proudly stands – with a big smile – ready to perform.
He’s come a long way since he first came to America as a refugee. In 2014, at the age of 13, his parents’ American dream materialized in the form of a small apartment in a neighborhood of Des Moines’ north-west side with no shortage of crime. Two years later, Myat learned about ArtForce Iowa, an organization aiming to end the cycle of trauma and transform youth-in-need through art. All ArtForce Iowa programs, which are funded in-part by United Way of Central Iowa’s Education Leadership Initiative, are based on a three-force model – ArtForce, WorkForce, and LifeForce – incorporating creative self-expression, work skills development, and advocacy in a safe supportive community.
Myat soon enrolled, and quickly felt a connection with ArtForce Iowa staff. He established himself as a consistent presence in the organization’s DSM Heroes, a supportive arts-based community program for immigrant, refugee, and first-generation American youth who have experienced violence and trauma.
Experts say refugee children are five times more likely to be out of school than non-refugee children; only 50 percent have access to primary education.
“Our DSM Heroes, like Myat, undoubtedly face barriers in the world of education,” said Emma Parker, program director of DSM Heroes: “We recognize career paths in the United States require understanding of the English language, but also recognize fluency can only be achieved by a mind uninhibited with fear. Our heroes are struggling with the trauma of fleeing their home country for their lives and now living in unstable environments and/or experiencing terrifying journeys. ArtForce Iowa meets them where they are, as they wrestle with the heartache and frustration of being a teenager displaced in a new country.”
Myat, the self-identified musician, was quiet and reserved. Before workshops, however, he would seem to open up with his guitar in hand, often playing chords and proudly singing songs from his home country. He shared with an ArtForce Iowa staff member that one of the reasons he enjoys his time there is because of the opportunity it provides to share his religion and culture with others.
From music to visual art, he often stretches the limits of the mediums he is working in using non-traditional methods, always resulting in unique pieces. His work has evolved. He has evolved.
After proudly graduating from Hoover High School last year – ArtForce Iowa’s DSM Heroes program reports a 100 percent graduation rate – Myat enrolled in a 12-week financial literacy program geared toward helping new graduates address adult responsibilities. “While they are enrolled in our programs, we assist them in any way possible to ensure they have the best chance at succeeding in life,” said Emma. “We can break the cycle of poverty through education.”
Myat earned his financial literacy certificate. He’s currently attending English classes and pursuing a career in criminal justice at a local community college. Though there is no shortage of obstacles standing in his way, he continues to move along the path toward employment and citizenship.
*Myat’s name has been changed.
All over the world, United Way is fueling strategies proven to help middle school students from all walks of life transition into high school—and ultimately graduate.
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Detroit: Tackling Hunger With Mobile Food Pantries
For more than 30 years, United Way for Southeastern Michigan’s partner, Forgotten Harvest, has helped fight hunger in metro Detroit by rescuing surplus food from restaurants, grocery stores, caterers and more and delivering it free of charge to local pantries and food banks. Since the pandemic, the organization has struggled with surges in demand, fewer volunteers and food shortages that required staff to revamp their overall operating model in a matter of days.
To help, United Way awarded grant funding to Forgotten Harvest, targeting the city of Detroit, where low-wage Black communities have been disproportionately impacted by COVID-19. The grant funding allowed Forgotten Harvest the flexibility and funds to open 17 On-the-Go Mobile Pantries across Metro Detroit, where individuals and families are supplied with 45 to 65 pounds of food each week. The mobile pantries operate using a truck-to-trunk distribution model that allows for safe social distancing.
Omar lost his job during pandemic and struggled to provide his family with basic needs, including food. “Because of the help … from Forgotten Harvest, I’ve been able to take care of myself and family,” Omar said.
Across our global network, United Way is fueling efforts to connect people with healthy food.
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France: Coaching Youth to Success
In France, United Way is laser-focused on youth education, especially for youth from lower-income families. Called Alliance Pour l'Education (Alliance for Education)-United Way, the organization is building a coalition of employers, educators, government, NGOs and philanthropists to serve young people in working-class neighborhoods. Its Défi Jeunesse program is one example, targeting students from 6th through 12th grade. United Way helps students get excited about and map out their job path, then helps them walk the path with education, tutoring, coaching, job preparation workshops, and more. And United Way connects youth to services and supports, and gives them a bird’s-eye view of the kind of jobs available in their communities.
Omaya, a student at Stendahl College in Toulouse, was coached by two local employees of a local corporate partner. Her exit exam grades were critical to her job-hunting success, so the coaches focused on her oral exam. “The coaches gave me ideas that I will add to my presentation,” she said. “I was very stressed, and it helped me a lot.”
Around the world, United Way is fueling strategies to help young people, especially those from under-resourced neighborhoods, get job training, job coaches and ultimately, good jobs with a path to economic mobility. -
Houston: 211 Helping Veterans
211 is the go-to resource in 95% of the U.S. and Canada that connects people with locally available resources. But it’s also real people answering phones or email, helping their neighbors solve urgent problems. At United Way of Greater Houston’s 21, the focus is on veterans helping veterans. Callers are connected with a highly-trained specialist (often a veteran) who can navigate the complex system, prescreen for possible program and benefit eligibility, and connect the caller to the best military or veterans resources and information based on your unique situation.
At his wife’s urging, Don finally called 211. He had been in pain for a long time and his wife couldn’t watch him deteriorate any longer. A veteran, Don was connected with a 211 Texas/United Way HELPLINE veterans specialist and the MISSION UNITED network of services for veterans, military personnel, and their families.
Don had been discouraged by past interactions with veterans groups and was reluctant to reach out for help. As soon as he talked with a 211 veterans specialist, that trepidation melted away. Don says the 211 veterans specialist “treated me with respect and dignity and explained to me that help was available.” He got help with medical care, counseling, and financial assistance.
“I have always been a man of few words,” Don says. “I just wanted someone to know that the right personnel in the right place produces quality results.”
Last year, 211 -- supported by United Way -- made 23.3 million connections to help. That's almost double the volume from before COVID-19.
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India: Local Leaders Tackling Local Problems
Working in communities across India – with local United Ways in Bangalore, Baroda, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai, and Ahmedabad – United Way India brings people together to build stronger communities where everyone can thrive. Here are a few examples:
In Hyderabad, United Way stepped up to help people combat COVID’s multiple waves. Government and private hospitals were overwhelmed. That’s why United Way supported the Ashray project, a new initiative to provide free medical care. Watch this video to learn more.
- In Dehli, United Way Dehli has stepped up during the ongoing pandemic to offer family assistance programs (with corporate support) to support virtual learning, pay rent and support mental health
- And in Benglaru, United Way Benglaru engaged partners to improve schools and infrastructure in 25 rural villages, impacting 7,000 women and children. United Way has also facilitated environmental volunteer opportunities for corporate partners, organizing opportunities to clean storm water drains, gathered trash, planted 300 trees and cleaned up Bannerghatta Biological Park and making and distributing paper bags to street vendors to reduce use of plastic bags in the community.
United Way's global reach and hyper-local impact means local solutions are led by local leaders to address local problems.
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Anderson, Indiana: Helping People THRIVE
What would it look like for families and adults to thrive? That was the question Heart of Indiana United Way (serving Madison, Delaware, Henry, Randolph, and Fayette Counties) put to its board, partners, stakeholders and the community. Especially in the wake of COVID and now as in the grip of inflation, people are struggling.
Hardworking individuals may have their basic needs met, but they also need to get better jobs earning enough money to support themselves and their families,be able to increase their ability to save money, build assets and have access to healthcare. Ultimately, breaking the cycle of generational poverty and realizing long-term stability is what a thriving population looks like.
United Way helped create the THRIVE Network, helping those that are working, yet living paycheck to paycheck – on the edge of poverty and without savings in case of emergency. The THRIVE Network provides one-on-one coaching and support to help families to increase income, build savings and acquire assets.
United Way is also funding safety net & crisis supports, providing integrated support for safety net services including utility assistance; and covering kids and families, with partner outreach providing free help to families to enroll in and understand their health insurance options to ensure every family has access to healthcare which is vital to their long-term financial stability.
United Ways all over the world are creating similar integrated efforts to support individuals and families.
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London: Boosting Childhood Literacy
United Way of the UK, based in London, is working to give every child the opportunity to succeed. But some 800,000 children in the UK don’t have books of their own at home, and 20 percent of primary schools don’t have libraries.
That’s why United Way started its Reading Oasis program, to address early childhood literacy challenges and give more children the opportunity to develop a love for reading. This positively affects children's ability and potential throughout school and beyond.
The program focuses on children from disadvantaged backgrounds as they face the highest risk of being caught in a poverty cycle. Those with poor literacy levels have a higher likelihood of experiencing financial instability and unemployment later in life.
The United Way Reading Oasis places books into the hands of disadvantaged children through donating an entire library to schools that lack reading resources, where 30% or more of pupils are eligible for free school meals. Designed in collaboration with teachers, educational experts and children, every Reading Oasis includes:
- A safe, inviting space within the school where children can enjoy reading. The library has specially designed furniture to encourage children to pick up a book, sit down, and read.
- Hundreds of new books from United Way’s partner, Scholastic.
- A book for every child to take home and keep.
- A book a month for a year, for every child at the school nursery.
- Resources for parents, child care providers and teachers with tips on reading with their children.
The Reading Oasis program has already installed more than 20 school libraries, donated more than 20,000 books and impacted more than 4,500 children across the UK.
Childhood literacy and early-grade reading has been a priority for a majority of United Ways for many years.
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Los Angeles: Supporting Small Business Owners
Marcia never planned for a pandemic to shatter her small business. “This came out of nowhere,” she said.
A single mom, Marcia owns an HR business that places workers, such as nannies and caregivers, in people’s homes. For the past few summers, she’s supplemented her income by working in television production. But as the pandemic spread, Marcia couldn’t find clients or supplemental work.
Marcia wasn’t alone. More than 34 percent of small businesses had to shut down during the pandemic; many are still shuttered. This drop in active business ownership was unprecedented, with losses experienced across nearly every industry. The shutdown was especially tough on people of color, with Black-owned businesses seeing a 41% drop in activity, Hispanic business activity falling by 32%, and Asian business activity declining by 26%.
Marcia’s utility bills began to stack up and she struggled to pay her mortgage. “I had a modest amount of savings, but not enough to get through many months of this.” United Way of Greater Los Angeles helped her with bills and a month of her mortgage while she was getting back on her feet.
“I’m really grateful this fund was available for people like me who are struggling,” Marcia said. “There aren’t many assistance programs available for homeowners. This is a godsend...It gave me time to research and develop a plan.”
Financial stability and economic mobility are a central focus for United Ways across the world.
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Memphis: Breaking the Cycle of Poverty
In Memphis, United Way of the Mid-South has developed a strategy to break the cycle of poverty in underserved neighborhoods, called Driving The Dream. The goal is to tackle the underlying issues affecting generational poverty by mobilizing and aligning community resources to create equitable access to education, financial stability and mobility and health supports for families in poverty. It’s a complex challenge, with no quick and easy solutions.
For example, Deangelo was in crisis – no housing, no job, irregular meals and lacking life skills to move himself out of poverty. He’d grown up in similar circumstances, and couldn’t see a way out. But one of the six nonprofit agencies partnering with United Way referred Driving The Dream, where a care coordinator sat down with him to help identify his challenges, as well as short- and long-term community solutions. His primary goal was to find a safe place to sleep, but he needed a job to get stable housing. After completing a six-month, intensive job training and placement program, he was able to find a job that paid a livable wage. He’s now paying rent in an apartment, and is on his way to realizing his dreams.
Tackling the underlying issues causing society’s – and individuals’ – most pressing problems is a priority for every United Way across the globe.
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Mexico: Investing in Its Youngest Citizens
The first few years are critical ones for children to development a foundation for success in school, work and life. United Way of Mexico is fueling United Way's Born Learning program across Mexico, a United Way initiative that helps parents, caregivers and early childhood education professionals give children the resources and support they need to start school ready to succeed.
United Way supports more than 188 child care centers, building capacity and offering training to the teachers and staff (and aligning with local primary schools). So far, more than 28,000 children and adults have been impacted in this long-term strategy.
But United Way also helps the families of Mexico with strategies to lift themselves out of poverty – focusing on job training, literacy classes, and connecting people to services. Technical training for the unemployed and opportunities with allied institutions has created a path of financial opportunity for more than 2,617 people so far.
Early childhood learning is a priority for more than 90 percent of United Ways in our global network.
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Miami: A Pioneer in Early Learning
United Way Miami put a stake in the ground some 15 years ago, articulating a vision that all children would have access to the highest quality early care and education so they could have the best possible start in school and in life.
With that north star, United Way Miami creatd the United Way Center for Excellence in Early Education in 2007, dedicated to elevatimg the quality of early childhood education in Miami-Dade and beyond. Together with more than 100 early education and child care partners, United Way has since:
Improved the skills of 36,077 professionals, who have influenced thousands of children
Directly impacted 56,422 young children
Provided quality enhancement services to 3,005 early education programs
Invested more than $122 million in early childhood programsTo keep children healthy during the pandemic, the Center’s Demonstration School transformed its main stage and training room into preschool classrooms to limit classes to 10 children per room. It also changed drop-off and pickup, and implemented mask-wearing for everyone over the age of 2. The Center's staff also helped assemble and deliver more than 2,300 infant and toddler care packages to 580 Early Head Start families, and distribvutd food and helped families.
Hundreds of United Ways across the world advocate for, fund and lead quality early learning programs for children and families in their communities.
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Minneapolis-St. Paul: Creating Career Academies for Youth
Greater Twin Cities United Way envisions a united community where all people realize their full potential. Through targeted investments in household stability, educational success and economic opportunity, it seeks to foster a region where every person can thrive, regardless of income, race or place.
That's why United Way launched Career Academies in 2015, to better prepare Minnesota students for in-demand, high-wage careers. Career Academies partners with 16 school districts across the state (urban and rural) to build equity-centered grade 9-12 career pathways, ensuring students have access to college credits, rigorous and relevant curriculum, and meaningful and supportive work experiences. The initiative is centered on building pathways to zero college debt and $25-per-hour jobs.
To date, 10,000 students (half of whom are students of color) have participated in the program, preparing them for in-demand jobs through real-world career experiences while earning college credits and industry credentials.
Across the global United Way network, innovative initiatives are being created through listening, co-creating, testing and amplifying strategies that drive results.
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Memphis: Breaking the Cycle of Poverty
In Memphis, United Way of the Mid-South has developed a strategy to break the cycle of poverty in underserved neighborhoods, called Driving The Dream. The goal is to tackle the underlying issues affecting generational poverty by mobilizing and aligning community resources to create equitable access to education, financial stability and mobility and health supports for families in poverty. It’s a complex challenge, with no quick and easy solutions.
For example, Deangelo was in crisis – no housing, no job, irregular meals and lacking life skills to move himself out of poverty. He’d grown up in similar circumstances, and couldn’t see a way out. But one of the six nonprofit agencies partnering with United Way referred Driving The Dream, where a care coordinator sat down with him to help identify his challenges, as well as short- and long-term community solutions. His primary goal was to find a safe place to sleep, but he needed a job to get stable housing. After completing a six-month, intensive job training and placement program, he was able to find a job that paid a livable wage. He’s now paying rent in an apartment, and is on his way to realizing his dreams.
Tackling the underlying issues causing society’s – and individuals’ – most pressing problems is a priority for every United Way across the globe.
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Moline, IL/Quad Cities: Boosting Literacy to Boost Success
In Moline, IL, United Way of the Quad Cities has long focused on early learning, especially on equipping young students with pre-literacy and reading skills. They know that reading proficiently by the end of third grade is an indicator for future success.
Research shows that students who can’t read on grade level by fourth grade are four times more likely to drop out of high school. By then, students are reading to learn; weak reading skills makes it impossible to stay up in math, science and language arts. Poor readers often tune out by middle school (when children start to understand the link between school and work), and drop out later on.
One of the strategies United Way uses to help struggling readers is recruiting, training and deploying reading volunteers. These adults spend time in the classroom every week, working one-on-one with struggling readers. Read United, United Way of Quad Cities’ reading volunteer program, recently engaged 575 Quad City community members as volunteer readers, exceed the goal to match 500 students with an adult volunteer to read together every week.
Watch this inspiring video to learn more.
Many United Ways around the world are driving childhood literacy efforts in their communities, galvanizing funded and volunteers in the process.
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Montreal: Focusing on Homeless Youth
In Montreal, nearly one in four children grows up in poverty. That means they are more likely to drop out of high school, earn lower incomes, live in poorer conditions and continue the cycle of poverty. Centraide of Greater Montreal (United Way Montreal) is focused on shifting the odds.
United Way engages 175 community agencies, and invests more than $18M in a comprehensive strategy that includes boosting early childhood development, encouraging academic perseverance, supporting parents and families, and preventing homelessness. So far:
- 90,000 children and parents connected with United Way’s network of 30 family homes that offer aid and support across Greater Montreal.
- 90 percent of young dropouts returned to school after their stay at l’Ancre des Jeunes, an agency in Verdun that’s part of the United Way-supported network.
- 850 marginalized youth receive support from street workers from PACT de rue, another agency in the network, each year.
All over the world, United Way is working with local corporate, nonprofit and government partners to give children in underserved communities a stronger chance at success.
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New York City: Facilitating Food
United Way of New York City puts a spotlight on the 905,000 households who are overlooked and undercounted -- who struggle to afford the basics, but are above the Official Poverty Measure (and thereby ineligible for many services). Food insecurity - a lack of consistent access to enough food for every person in a household to live an active, healthy life -- is a major issue for this population. Alnmost 13 percent of all New Yorkers are food insecure,
That's why United Way created FeedNYC, to empowering providers and expand services. West Harlem Group Assistance Inc. (WHGA) is a community development organization on a mission to strengthen the economic vitality of Harlem. One of their programs, Communities for Healthy Food, has been providing Harlem residents with client-choice pantry service, nutrition education, on-site Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly known as food stamps) benefi ts enrollment, and has a goal to address issues of diet-related disease.
As a recipient of United Way of New York City’s Hunger Prevention and Nutrition Assistance Program (HPNAP) Grant, WHGA was thrilled to be able to purchase fresh and frozen produce to provide balanced and nutritious food package to clients. Each month, WHGA serves more than 5,000 clients, but the limitation of their pantry size only allowed them to bring six people inside at a time—making it a slow process to meet the demand. Through their personal relationship with United Way’s HPNAP team and attending a HPNAP workshop, the pantry learned about the Plentiful App—a free, mobile reservation and communication tool for food pantries and clients. “With Plentiful, we can now service 20-30 people at once,” said Antaeus Turns-Ashcraft, Communities for Healthy Food advocate. “The line complaints have reduced tremendously, and people are able to move inside much more quickly. Through Plentiful we have all the client information and can easily search for clients and verify family sizes.”
Clients love Plentiful too! The messaging feature allows the pantry to communicate quickly with their clients, and can translate into nine different languages. With the funding WHGA receives from United Way, they can purchase fresh produce, and with Plentiful they can alert clients when fresh produce and other perishable items are available outside of the regular pantry operating time. “For someone who needs food, getting a message that there is extra food available outside of pantry times is like a surprise gift and something clients love,” said Turns-Ashcroft. The relationship with United Way of New York City was instrumental in growing the capacity of WHGA and allowed them to service up to fi ve times as many clients during a visit. “If we hadn’t partnered with United Way of New York City, perhaps we could have found a solution to our service problem, but it would have been much harder and taken much longer,” said Turns-Ashcroft. “Now our pantry runs smoothly and operates more effectively.”
Tackling hunger and food insecurity is a priority for every United Way.
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San Francisco: Making Housing More Accessible
As the most expensive city in the U.S. in which to live, San Francisco has long been a community of “haves” and “have-nots.” A minimum-wage worker would need to work more than three full-time jobs a week (161 hours) to afford a one-bedroom apartment, experts say. And with inflation driving up the cost of food, getting by is harder than ever.
United Way of the Bay Area was a pioneer in developing one-stop centers to help struggling families meet their basic needs, increase income and savings, build credit, and reduce debt. At United Way’s 23 SparkPoint Centers, financial coaches work one-on-one with clients to set goals, brainstorm strategies, and map out realistic action plans.
Services are free, including credit and debt counseling/repair, budgeting, financial planning, tax prep, job skills training, job search assistance, career development, education counseling. Centers also have a food pantry, benefits screening, rental assistance, connection to housing resources and homeownership assistance. Each SparkPoint Center is a collaborative of multiple nonprofit and government entities working together in a single location to make it easy for families to access services.
To date, SparkPoint Centers have:
- Served 29,152 low-income families in the Bay Area
- Helped 80 percent of them improve income, credit, savings and reduced debt after enrolling in SparkPoint
- Empowered 62 percent to achieve their own financial goals
Across the world, United Way is working to equip people to build financial stability, and lay a pathway towards economic mobility and financial prosperity.
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St. Louis: Giving Struggling Youth A Jump Start
Nicholas had a tough childhood. His single mom struggled to support her six kids. Food was scarce and for years, and they apartment-hopped to avoid eviction.
By the time he was 15, Nicholas had attended 15 schools. But ny his senior year, he was alone – and homeless. He spent the next year sleeping in his car, abandoned houses, and with various family friends, while working at a fast-food restaurant.
Through United Way of Greater St. Louis, Nicholas found a youth homeless shelter, the Covenant House, that provided not only the first home-cooked meal and warm bed in months – but changed his life.
Nicholas entered the Covenant House’s Transitional Living Program, which helps young people without housing transition to living on their own. Residents have access to therapy, education and employment support, a health clinic, transportation and medication assistance, and more. They also can develop life skills, like budgeting, conflict resolution, interpersonal and social skills. Guest speakers would come to share with the youth about their own career paths, and introduce them to a wide variety of professions.
Nicholas found a job working as a leasing agent for a low-income apartment complex in Ferguson. Relating to challenges facing residents, he saw an opportunity to give back. He started a tutoring program for children, among other initiatives.
Nicholas had a tough childhood. His single mom struggled to support her six kids. Food was scarce and for years, and they apartment-hopped to avoid eviction.
By the time he was 15, Nicholas had attended 15 schools. But ny his senior year, he was alone – and homeless. He spent the next year sleeping in his car, abandoned houses, and with various family friends, while working at a fast-food restaurant.
Through United Way, Nicholas found a youth homeless shelter, the Covenant House, that provided not only the first home-cooked meal and warm bed in months – but changed his life.
Nicholas entered the Covenant House’s Transitional Living Program, which helps young people without housing transition to living on their own. Residents have access to therapy, education and employment support, a health clinic, transportation and medication assistance, and more. They also can develop life skills, like budgeting, conflict resolution, interpersonal and social skills. Guest speakers would come to share with the youth about their own career paths, and introduce them to a wide variety of professions.
Nicholas found a job working as a leasing agent for a low-income apartment complex in Ferguson. Relating to challenges facing residents, he saw an opportunity to give back. He started a tutoring program for children, among other initiatives.
He was recruited by several real estate agencies, eventually landing a job in luxury real estate. Today, Nicholas owns his own real estate agency, a dream come true
And he’s still giving back. He’s been back to Covenant House as a volunteer and a board. And this year, his company started a foundation arm focused on providing affordable housing across St. Louis, and scholarship and mentorship opportunities to local at-risk youth.
Life has come full circle. Nicholas says the impact of United Way and its safety net of partner agencies like Covenant House are immeasurable. “These organizations help improve our community and our youth so that our society will be better as a whole.”
And he’s still giving back. He’s been back to Covenant House as a volunteer and a board. And this year, his company started a foundation arm focused on providing affordable housing across St. Louis, and scholarship and mentorship opportunities to local at-risk youth.
Life has come full circle. Nicholas says the impact of United Way and its safety net of partner agencies like Covenant House are immeasurable. “These organizations help improve our community and our youth so that our society will be better as a whole.”
Across the global United Way network, lifting youth out of poverty and into possibility is a shared value.
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South Africa: Engaging Volunteers
United Way believes that everyone is entitled to a quality education, a family- sustaining income and good health. United Way South Africa works to make sure people get the support services they need right now, while addressing the root causes of key social problems – and engaging people and organizations in that effort.
That's certainly the case for Kas Kovilan and his friends. They recently joined United Way’s effort to combat one of their community’s most pressing need, hunger. The group prepared and distributed home-cooked meals, with fruits and juice, to children around Riverlea Cricket Club.
“We are going to continue supporting and assisting where we can,” Kas said. “It is a real blessing when you are out there, blessing others and doing a good deed.”
And Kas has continued to give back. He launched a school supply and uniform donation drive for children he knew who needed those items to attend school, and he provided them with lunches as well.
Across the world, United Way has engaged 1.5M people in meaningful volunteerism that’s making life better for people.
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Toronto: Tackling Homeslessness
The high cost of housing and rent, along with low vacancies, have contributed to an affordable housing shortage in the Toronto area. Combined with individual circumstances, systemic and structural factors, there are more than 10,000 people on any given night who are homeless in the greater Toronto area. Many of them are women, LGTBQ, youth or Indigenous.
United Way of Greater Toronto is focused on the shift from managing to ending homelessness. But that requires a regional approach, including the creation of more supportive housing, adoption of more preventative initiatives, and improved coordination in the delivery of homelessness services. So United Way is targeting funds to efforts reduce the occurrence and duration of homelessness, prevent homelessness through early intervention, and reduce risks for those who are experiencing homelessness. Last year, United Way:
- Gave support to 48,191 people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness; and
- Helped give emergency or respite housing to 5,581 people experiencing homelessness
Dave and his kids were among those numbers. They had to move into a hotel last summer. He’s a frontline worker at a grocery store, but the hotel quickly ate up his savings. His daughter mentioned to a teacher that she was doing her homework at a hotel. “I was on my last few dollars,” Dave recalls. The school connected him with Blue Door, a United Way-supported organization. Within a week, the agency had found them an apartment help with groceries and household supplies, and connected Dave’s daughter to a peer support group. “We would have definitely ended up on the streets if not for United Way,” he said. “This experience showed me it’s OK to reach out and ask for help.”
Across the United Way network, comprehensive efforts like this are underway to not only stem the tide of homelessness, but also to tackle the underlying issues that cause it.