United Way Of Dane County Inc

UNITED WAY OF DANE COUNTY UNITES THE COMMUNITY TO CREATE MEASURABLE RESULTS THAT CHANGE LIVES. WE ARE COMMITTED TO THE VISION OF A DANE COUNTY WHERE EVERYONE CAN SUCCEED IN SCHOOL, WORK AND LIFE. TO FACILITATE THIS, WE MOBILIZE OUR COMMUNITY'S CARING POWER AND ADVANCE OUR COMMUNITY'S AGENDA FOR CHANGE, SIX GOALS FOCUSED ON THREE PRIORITY AREAS OF EDUCATION, INCOME AND HEALTH - THE BUILDING BLOCKS OF A STABLE LIFE AND THRIVING COMMUNITY. BY TARGETING SPECIFIC GOALS AND FORGING PARTNERSHIPS, UNITED WAY IS TACKLING THE ROOT CAUSES OF CRITICAL LOCAL ISSUES AND ACHIEVING REAL, MEASURABLE RESULTS IN EDUCATION, FINANCIAL STABILITY, HOUSING, HEALTH AND MORE. THROUGH STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS AND COLLABORATIVE WORK, WE BRING THE MANY VOICES OF DANE COUNTY TOGETHER TO FIND COMMON GROUND AND MAKE MEASURABLE PROGRESS, WHILE PROVIDING ORGANIZATIONS AND INDIVIDUALS THE OPPORTUNITY TO GIVE, ADVOCATE AND VOLUNTEER TO CHANGE LIVES IN DANE COUNTY.

HEALTH GOAL: A DANE COUNTY ABSENT OF RACIAL HEALTH DISPARITIES. IN 2022 OUR SIGNATURE SCHOOL-BASED BEHAVIORAL HEALTH PROGRAM, CBITS, SCREENED OVER 6,000 STUDENTS FOR SYMPTOMS OF TRAUMATIC STRESS AND DELIVERED REMOTE SERVICES THAT HELPED OVER 200 STUDENTS CONNECT WITH SERVICES FOR A VARIETY OF BEHAVIORAL HEALTH ISSUES THAT MOST REPORTED IMPROVED THEIR HEALTH OUTCOMES. UPDATED STRATEGIES WERE DEVELOPED TO ADDRESS THE RACIAL AND SOCIOECONOMIC HEALTH DISPARITIES THAT HAVE LED TO POORER HEALTH OUTCOMES FOR OUR COUNTY'S BIPOC (BLACK, INDIGENOUS AND PEOPLE OF COLOR) POPULATION. SIGNIFICANT TIME AND RESOURCES WERE FOCUSED ON COLLABORATING WITH DANE COUNTY HEALTH COUNCIL PARTNERS TO DEVELOP A CARE COORDINATION SYSTEM THAT BRINGS HEALTH AND COMMUNITY RESOURCES TOGETHER TO ADDRESS THE SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH IMPACTING BIRTH OUTCOMES FOR AFRICAN AMERICAN PREGNANT MOMS. AT UNITED WAY OF DANE COUNTY, WE BELIEVE COST SHOULD NOT PREVENT ONE FROM GETTING THE HEALTH CARE ONE NEEDS. THAT'S WHY WE'RE HELPING LOWER INCOME INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES WHO MAKE TOO MUCH TO QUALIFY FOR BADGERCARE PURCHASE INSURANCE THROUGH HEALTHCARE.GOV VIA OUR HEALTHCONNECT PREMIUM ASSISTANCE PROGRAM. HEALTH CONNECT OFFERED PREMIUM RATE COVERAGE THROUGH 20 DIFFERENT LOCAL PLANS FOR QUALIFIED INDIVIDUALS WHO REGISTERED DURING THE 2022 ENROLLMENT PERIOD. IN 2022, $1.05 MILLION WAS INVESTED INTO THE HEALTHCONNECT PROGRAM BY UNITED WAY OF DANE COUNTY AND OUR PARTNERS UW HEALTH AND QUARTZ - ALLOWING US TO PAY INSURANCE PREMIUMS FOR 583 PEOPLE THROUGH 504 PLANS. 18% OF PARTICIPANTS HAD NO PREVIOUS HEALTH COVERAGE, 31% OF HEALTHCONNECT ENROLLEES IDENTIFIED AS BIPOC.

ACADEMIC SUCCESS GOAL: "STUDENTS SUCCEED ACADEMICALLY AND GRADUATE HIGH SCHOOL, PREPARED FOR HIGHER EDUCATION, CAREER, AND COMMUNITY." OUR MAJOR INITIATIVES IN THIS AREA ARE TUTORING AND ACADEMIC SUPPORT PROGRAMS AT THE ELEMENTARY, MIDDLE, AND HIGH SCHOOL LEVELS TO HELP INCREASE THE GRADUATION RATE IN DANE COUNTY TO 95% BY 2024. OVER 350 ELEMENTARY STUDENTS WERE TUTORED BY 11 AMERICORPS MEMBERS IN THE 2021-2022 SCHOOL URBAN LEAGUE OF GREATER MADISON IS THE LEAD AGENCY PARTNER ON MIDDLE SCHOOL LITERACY AND MATH TUTORING. DANE COUNTY IS AT A 93% SIX-YEAR GRADUATION RATE. IN ADDITION, WE PARTNER WITH NEIGHBORHOOD, COMMUNITY, AND SCHOOL-BASED PROGRAMS TO PROMOTE ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT, FAMILY ENGAGEMENT, AND SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL SKILL-BUILDING SUCCESS IN AND OUT OF SCHOOL, INCLUDING 100 BLACK MEN OF MADISON, BIG BROTHERS BIG SISTERS, BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB, BRIARPATCH YOUTH SERVICES, CENTRO HISPANO, CITY OF MIDDLETON YOUTH CENTER, DEAR DIARY, FAMILIES AND SCHOOLS TOGETHER (FAST, GOODMAN COMMUNITY CENTER, LITERACY NETWORK, LUSSIER COMMUNITY EDUCATION CENTER, MOUNT ZION BAPTIST CHURCH, OPERATION FRESH START, SIMPSON STREET FREE PRESS, THE HMONG INSTITUTE INC., URBAN LEAGUE OF GREATER MADISON AND VERA COURT NEIGHBORHOOD CENTER.

INCOME HOUSING GOAL: "THERE IS A DECREASE IN FAMILY HOMELESSNESS." OUR GOALS HERE ARE 1) # OF WHO MAINTAIN HOUSING/AVOID EVICTIONS, 2) # WHO MOVE INTO STABLE HOUSING 3) # WHO INCREASED THEIR INCOME, AND 4) # WHO RECEIVE QUALITY CASE MANAGEMENT RESULTS FOR 2022 WERE - 1,720 FAMILIES MAINTAINED THEIR HOUSING AND AVOIDED EVICTIONS. 1065 FAMILIES MOVED INTO STABLE HOUSING. 39 FAMILIES INCREASED THEIR INCOME AND 460 FAMILIES WORKED WITH CASE MANAGERS ON THEIR HOUSING GOALS. BUILDING ECONOMIC STABILITY GOAL : "MOVE MORE PEOPLE ON PATHWAYS OUT OF POVERTY." WE HAVE TWO INITIATIVES IN THIS AREA" (1) THE HIRE INITIATIVE AND (2) THE JOURNEY HOME INITIATIVE. THE HIRE INITIATIVE IS DESIGNED TO PLACE PEOPLE EXPERIENCING POVERTY INTO FAMILY-SUSTAINING WAGE JOBS BY HELPING THEM COMPLETE A HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA (IF NEEDED), AND/OR IMPROVING THEIR EMPLOYMENT AND LIFE SKILLS, AND SECURE NEW OR IMPROVED EMPLOYMENT. IN 2022, WITH 334 WERE HIRED INTO A JOB GETTING A JOB EARNING $15 AN HOUR OR MORE. THE HIRE PARTNERS PREPARED 245 INDIVIDUALS ACHIEVED A KNOWLEDGE GOAL TOWARDS EARNING A DIPLOMA. 169 COMPLETED THE PREPARATION TO RECEIVE THEIR HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA OR EQUIVALENT WITH 32 ACTUALLY EARNING THEIR HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA/GED/505 OR 509 DIPLOMA. THE JOURNEY HOME INITIATIVE LINKS EX-OFFENDERS WHO ARE RETURNING TO THE COMMUNITY TO FOUR RESEARCH-BASED STRATEGIES: RESIDENCY, EMPLOYMENT, SUPPORT, EDUCATION, AND TREATMENT (RESET) SO THEY CAN SUCCESSFULLY REINTEGRATE BACK INTO THE COMMUNITY. 200 OUT OF 217 PEOPLE WHO RECEIVED SERVICES FOLLOWING THEIR RELEASE FROM INCARCERATION DID NOT RETURN TO PRISON WITHIN TWO YEARS. SINCE THE JOURNEY HOME PROGRAM WAS LAUNCHED TO SERVE ALL RETURNING PRISONERS TO DANE COUNTY, THE RETURN-TO PRISON RATE FOR DANE COUNTY HAS DECREASED FROM 66% (IN 2006) TO 39% (IN 2019). PARTNERS IN OUR INCOME INITIATIVES INCLUDE: CATHOLIC CHARITIES-DIOCESE OF MADISON, CENTRO HISPANO, COMMUNITY ACTION COALITION FOR SOUTH CENTRAL WISCONSIN, CULTURAL PRACTICES THAT ARE RELEVANT PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATION, HABITAT FOR HUMANITY OF DANE COUNTY, JUSTDANE, LATINO ACADEMY OF WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, LITERACY NETWORK, WAY FORWARD, PORCHLIGHT, SANKOFA BEHAVIORAL & COMMUNITY HEALTH, SECOND HARVEST FOODBANK OF SOUTHERN WISCONSIN, STOUGHTON AREA RESOURCE TEAM, SUN PRAIRIE EMERGENCY FOOD PANTRY, THE ROAD HOME DANE COUNTY, THE SALVATION ARMY OF DANE COUNTY, URBAN LEAGUE OF GREATER MADISON AND YWCA MADISON THE UNITED WAY AFFORDABLE HOUSING FUND COMMITTEE RECOMMENDED THE FUND'S FIFTH AND SIXTH LOANS TO CREATE MORE AFFORDABLE UNITS IN DANE COUNTY. THESE LOANS OF $275,000 WILL ADD 120 LOW COST HOUSING UNITS IN DANE COUNTY.