United Way Of Coastal And Western Connecticut Inc

OUR MISSION IS TO IMPROVE THE LIVES OF HARDWORKING, STRUGGLING HOUSEHOLDS BY MOBILIZING THE RESOURCES OF LOCAL COMMUNITIES TO CREATE LASTING CHANGE. UNITED WAY OF WESTERN CONNECTICUT IS THE CHAMPION FOR FAMILIES LIVING PAYCHECK TO PAYCHECK IN OUR 15-TOWN REGION ACROSS NORTHERN FAIRFIELD COUNTY, SOUTHERN LITCHFIELD COUNTY, AND THE CITY OF STAMFORD. WE FOCUS ON THREE KEY AREAS: EDUCATION, FINANCIAL STABILITY, AND HEALTH. OUR VISION IS THAT EVERY FAMILY IS HEALHTY AND STRONG, EVERY HOUSEHOLD IS FINANCIALLY STABLE, AND EVERY CHILD ENTERS SCHOOL READY TO LEARN AND GRADUATES READY TO SUCCEED. WE ARE FOCUSED ON A POPULATION THAT UNITED WAY CALLS ALICE (ASSET LIMITED, INCOME CONSTRAINED, EMPLOYED). ALICE HOUSEHOLDS ARE EMPLOYED, OFTEN IN MORE THAN ONE JOB, YET OFTEN CANNOT AFFORD BASIC NECESSITIES LIKE FOOD, HOUSING, TRANSPORTATION, CHILD CARE, AND HEALTHCARE. A UNITED WAY REPORT PUBLISHED IN SEPTEMBER 2023 REVEALED THAT 39% OF HOUSEHOLDS THROUGHOUT CONNECTICUT ARE ALICE OR LIVE IN POVERTY.

UNITED WAY SUPPORTS PROGRAMS THAT MAKE A CLEAR DIFFERENCE IN PEOPLE'S LIVES IN THE AREAS OF EDUCATION, FINANCIAL STABILITY, AND HEALTH. WE LEVERAGE BOTH DOLLARS AND VOLUNTEER EFFORTS, AND WE INVEST IN PROGRAMS THAT PROMOTE STRONG OUTCOMES, COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS, LONG-TERM CHANGE. BOARD MEMBERS, COMMUNITY COUNCILS, AND VOLUNTEERS MAKE FUNDING DECISIONS ON A LOCAL LEVEL IN THREE COMMUNITIES THAT REPRESENT THE WESTERN CONNECTICUT REGION. WE MAKE GRANTS TO NONPROFITS ACROSS OUR REGION TO HELP SUPPORT RESIDENTS WHO FALL AT OR BELOW THE ALICE INCOME THRESHOLD. IN ADDITION TO PROVIDING DIRECT SERVICES AND FUNDING PROGRAMS, UNITED WAY RAISES FUNDS FOR OTHER 501C3 ORGANIZATIONS: NEARLY HALF OF ALL CONTRIBUTIONS RAISED IN OUR CAMPAIGNS FLOW TO OTHER NONPROFITS.

COMMUNITY IMPACT INITIATIVES: WHERE GAPS IN CRITICAL SERVICES EXIST, UNITED WAY DEVELOPS DIRECT PROGRAMS TO MEET THE NEEDS OF ALICE HOUSEHOLDS. THIS INCLUDES SEVERAL INITIATIVES THAT FOCUS ON EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION, YOUTH ENRICHMENT, ACCESS TO HEALTHY FOOD, AND FINANCIAL STABILITY. UNITED WAY IS THE LEAD FISCAL AGENT FOR STAMFORD CRADLE TO CAREER, A COLLECTIVE IMPACT INITIATIVE THAT STRIVES FOR EQUITY IN EDUCATION FOR EVERY STAMFORD CHILD, FROM CRADLE TO CAREER. IT IS A COMMUNITY-WIDE PARTNERSHIP WITH MORE THAN 60 ACTIVE MEMBERS, INCLUDING NONPROFITS, BUSINESSES, AND THE STAMFORD PUBLIC SCHOOLS.EDUCATION: UNITED WAY OF WESTERN CONNECTICUT PROVIDES FUNDING TO CHILD CARE CENTERS AND AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMS TO MAKE QUALITY CARE MORE AFFORDABLE FOR LOW-TO-MODERATE INCOME FAMILIES. LAST YEAR, MORE THAN 1,800 CHILDREN BENEFITTED FROM THAT FUNDING . OUR ALICE ENRICHMENT FUND COVERS THE COST OF OUT-OF-SCHOOL ENRICHMENT ACTIVITIES, SUCH AS MUSIC LESSONS, SWIM LESSONS, AND SPORTS, FOR LOW-INCOME FAMILIES, PROVIDING UP TO $300 PER CHILD PER YEAR AND $900 PER FAMILY. NEARLY 1,400 CHILDREN HAVE RECEIVED FUNDING THROUGH THIS PROGRAM SINCE ITS LAUNCH IN 2017. OUR CORA'S KIDS INITIATIVE SUPPORTS THE HEALTHY DEVELOPMENT OF CHILDREN BY INCREASING THE NUMBER OF HIGH QUALITY, AFFORABLE, ACCESSIBLE CHILD CARE SLOTS IN GREATER DANBURY AND GREATER NEW MILFORD. TO DATE, THE PROGRAM HAS SUPPORTED 62 NEW PROVIDERS TO GET LICENSED AND TRAINED, CREATING OVER 372 NEW QUALITY CHILD CARE SPACES. THE CURRENT PROVIDER CARE NETWORK HAS GROWN ITS MEMBERSHIP TO 105 PROVIDERS. HEALTH: UNITED WAY TAKES A MULTI-PRONGED APPROACH TO ASSIST ALICE INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES WHO ARE FOOD INSECURE. FOR EXAMPLE, OUR ADVOCACY FOR FREE SCHOOL MEALS RESULTED IN $16M FUNDING FOR FREE SCHOOL BREAKFASTS IN SCHOOL YEAR 2023-24 AND ELIMINATED THE COST OF REDUCED-PRICE MEALS FOR ELIGIBLE CHILDREN. OUR HEALTHY SAVINGS PROGRAM ALLOWS ALICE INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES TO RECEIVE $10 OF FREE, FRESH PRODUCE EACH WEEK, AS WELL AS SAVINGS OF $50 OR MORE ON OTHER HEALTHY FOOD DISCOUNTS. SINCE ITS INCEPTION, MORE THAN 2,200 FAMILIES HAVE ENROLLED IN THE PROGRAM, RECEIVING MORE THAN $495,000 IN FREE, FRESH PRODUCE. IN ADDITION, UNITED WAY SERVES AS THE CONVENING ENTITY FOR BOTH THE STAMFORD FOOD COLLABORATIVE AND THE DANBURY FOOD COLLABORATIVE. EACH COLLABORATIVE HAS A MEMBERSHIP OF ROUGHLY TWO DOZEN REPRESENTATIVES INCLUDING FOOD PANTRIES, FOOD BANKS, SHELTERS, GROCERY STORES, HOSPITALS, AND OTHER AGENCIES THAT WORK TOGETHER WITH COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO STRATEGICALLY ADDRESS FOOD INSECURITY. THE COLLABORATIVES HAVE CREATED FOOD RESOURCE GUIDES FOR DANBURY AND STAMFORD, ORGANIZED FOOD RESCUE EFFORTS WITH LOCAL GROCERY RETAILERS, AND JOINTLY SOUGHT GRANTS TO BUILD PANTRY CAPACITY AND MODERNIZE DATA TRACKING. ALSO, WE PARTNERED WITH LOCAL BUSINESSES, NONPROFITS, AND SCHOOLS TO DISTRIBUTE HOLIDAY MEALS TO NEEDY FAMILIES. LAST YEAR, WE SECURED CONGRESSIONALLY-DIRECTED SPENDING OF $1,050,000 TO LAUNCH A FOOD-AS-MEDICINE INITIATIVE TO INCREASE ACCESS TO HEALTHY FOOD FOR DANBURY PATIENTS WHO ARE FOOD INSECURE AND SUFFERING WITH HYPERTENSION. IN PARTNERSHIP WITH NUVANCE HEALTH AND CONNECTICUT INSTITUTE FOR COMMUNITIES, THE PROGRAM WILL PROVIDE A LOCAL MARKET, NUTRITION COUNSELING, HEALTHY COOKING INSTRUCTION, SOCIAL SEVICE SUPPORTS AND $100 MONTHLY SHOPPING CARDS FOR FRESH FRUITS AND VEGETABLES AT LOCAL STORES. WE WILL LAUNCH THE INITIATIVE IN THE FALL OF 2023.FINANCIAL STABILITY: AS PART OF OUR FINANCIAL STABILITY EFFORTS, WE FUND AGENCIES TO PROVIDE FINANCIAL LITERACY SUPPORT TO MORE THAN 2,300 INDIVDUALS, HELPING THEM DEVELOP HOUSEHOLD BUDGETS, IMPROVE THEIR CREDIT SCORES, AND SET SAVINGS GOALS. IN ADDITION, WE RUN THE ALICE SAVES PROGRAM, WHICH INCENTIVIZES ALICE INDIVIDUALS TO SAVE MONEY WHILE ALSO PROVIDING THEM WITH FREE ONLINE BUDGET COACHING THROUGH TRUSTPLUS. LAST YEAR, THE ALICE CLIENTS SAVED AN AVERAGE OF $1300 AND INCREASED THEIR CREDIT SCORES BY 30 POINTS. WE ALSO SUPPORT FAMILES WITH SAVINGS ON PRESCRIPTION DRUGS AND INCOME TAX PREPARATION. LAST YEAR, WE HELPED OVER 3,700 FAMILIES SAVE $442,000 ON THEIR PRESCRIPTIONS; WE SAVED 900 TAX FILERS OVER $271,00 IN TAX PREP FEES AND SECURED OVER $590,00 IN EARNED TAX REFUNDS.RECENTLY, WE WERE CHOSEN BY THE STATE'S SOCIAL EQUITY COUNCIL AS A GRANTMAKER TO INVEST $900,000 IN STATE TAX REVENUE ON LEGAL CANNIBIS SALES INTO STAMFORD-A CITY HIT DISPROPORTIANGTELY HARD BY THE WAR ON DRUGS. THE FUNDS WILL BE INVESTED IN PROGRAMS SERVING YOUTH AND THE RE-ENTRY POPULATION DURING THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR.VOLUNTEERISM: UNITED WAY WORKS WITH COMPANIES AND NONPROFIT PARTNERS TO COORDINATE VOLUNTEER ACTIVITIES ACROSS OUR REGION. IN DANBURY, UNITED WAY OPERATES THE SAVE PROGRAM (SENIORS ADD VALUABLE EXPERIENCE), WHICH PROVIDES INCOME-ELIGIBLE DANBURY RESIDENTS OVER THE AGE OF 65 OPPORTUNITIES TO VOLUNTEER 100 HOURS PER YEAR IN LOCAL NONPROFITS AND CITY AGENCIES AND IN RETURN, RECEIVE A PROPERTY TAX CREDIT. IN 2021-23, 22 SENIORS VOLUNTEERED, PROVIDING 4,951 VOLUNTEER HOURS TO 13 DANBURY AGENCIES, RESULTING IN TAX SAVINGS OF $15,400 FOR DANBURY SENIORS. VOLUNTEER COMMITTEES IN STAMFORD, DANBURY, AND NEW MILFORD BRING TOGETHER CORPORATE AND COMMUNITY VOLUNTEERS TO ADDRESS COMMUNITY NEEDS AND ASSIST WITH PROJECTS AROUND EDUCATION, FINANCIAL STABILITY, AND HEALTH. THIS INCLUDES PROJECTS LIKE BACK-TO-SCHOOL SUPPLY DRIVES, HOLIDAY MEAL DRIVES, GRANT REVIEW COMMITTEES, AND OUR ANNUAL DAY OF ACTION. IN 2022-2023, UNITED WAY HELD ITS DAY OF ACTION IN STAMFORD, GREATER DANBURY, AND GREATER NEW MILFORD. OVER 250 VOLUNTEERS FROM 16 COMPANIES COMPLETED PROJECTS FOR 17 NONPROFITS-IN A SINGLE DAY. ALL TOGETHER, UNITED WAY COORDINATED 373 VOLUNTEERS, WHO PERFORMED A TOTAL OF 8,930+ HOURS OF SERVICE IN 2021-2022.