Helping Children and Youth Succeed

Vision:

All children and youth reach their fullest potential in a safe and nurturing environment

Goals:

• Increase the capacity of children to enter school healthy and ready to learn
• Improve opportunities for youth to stay in school and to become work-ready
• Increase the ability of parents to be more involved in their children's lives as their child's first teacher and most important support system

Funding Strategies:

• Support high-quality, evidenced-based early care and educational programs
• Support more academic/tutoring and mentoring programs for children and youth
• Educate parents to be advocates for and to participate in their child's education

Advocacy Strategies:

• Make the public aware of the economic impact of early care and education
• Increase access to affordable medical and dental care for children and families

United Way Funded Collaboration in Action

A collaboration of 3 agencies, offers one-stop shopping for child care, parent training, counseling, summer day-camp, and emergency assistance.

Maria was a young single-mother of four who turned to this collaboration for child care, emergency food, counseling, and case management. With her children safely in care, she was able to return to school, graduate, get a job, and obtain affordable housing for her family. Today, one child is a domestic violence counselor and another is a mortgage finance counselor. Without us, Maria and her children would not be where they are today ... helping others to become healthy, safe, and stable.

 

Fostering Self-Sufficiency

Vision:

Increased economic opportunity, stability, and self-sufficiency for indigent and low-income families and individuals

Goals:

• Increase the availability of permanent, affordable housing, shelter, and food for families and individuals who are most in need
• Increase the capacity of families and individuals to care for themselves

Funding Strategies:

• Develop permanent supportive housing to reduce homelessness
• Support adequate shelter and food pantries
• Increase financial literacy among low-income and non-English-speaking families
• Support adequate mental health and substance abuse services

Advocacy Strategies:

• Explore how to address the lack of affordable housing in the county
• Work to expand affordable public transportation throughout the county

United Way Funded Collaboration in Action

A partnership among 6 agencies, is a coordinated system of care for families that offers a 24-hour hotline, specialized counseling, emergency food and shelter, court advocacy, violence prevention, and financial literacy services.

Sarah is a 32-year-old unemployed woman who was abused by her boyfriend and lost her child to foster care. Through the one-stop services of this partnership, Sarah was able to receive safe housing, food, counseling, and advocacy to turn her life around and get her child back safely. With the partnership, she has hope to rebuild her life with her family and become economically stable and self-sufficient.

 

Caring for Seniors and People with Disabilities

Vision:

All seniors and people with disabilities are able to live and age in-place with dignity

Goals:

• Increase mobility, access to services, and socialization for seniors and people with disabilities
• Reduce isolation, depression, anxiety, substance abuse, and suicide

Funding Strategies:

• Increase accessible, affordable public transportation
• Support the availability of in-home services
• Expand case management, mental health, and substance abuse services to seniors and people with disabilities who are most in need

Advocacy Strategies:

• Increase availability of legal services for seniors and people with disabilities
• Improve access to medical, nutritional, and dental care
• Develop more recreational activities/programs

United Way Funded Collaboration in Action

A partnership among 8 agencies, offers coordinated home health care, meals, transportation, counseling, and case management to keep people in their homes and prevent more costly institutionalization.

Mrs. B. is an elderly blind woman who lives alone, is afraid to go out, and is totally dependent on strangers for care. Through this partnership, she receives in-home nursing, meals, counseling, case management, and transportation that allows her independence and socialization. Without the partnership, she would have most likely ended up in a nursing home or languished sadly alone in her own home.