United Planning Organization

UNITED PLANNING ORGANIZATION'S MISSION IS UNITING PEOPLE WITH OPPOTUNITIES.

COMMUNITY SERVICES - BY PARTNERING WITH OTHER COMMUNITY BASED ORGANIZATIONS, LOCAL BUSINESSES, GOVERNMENT AGENCIES AND VOLUNTEERS IN 2023, UPO PLANNED AND IMPLEMENTED SELFSUFFICIENCY INTERVENTIONS THAT SERVED A TOTAL OF 52,852 LOW-INCOME RESIDENTS (MEN, WOMEN AND CHILDREN) IN ALL FOUR QUADRANTS AND EIGHT WARDS OF WASHINGTON, DC. AS WE CONTINUE TO WORK POST COVID19, UPO REMAINS RESOLVED TO HELPING DC RESIDENTS MAINTAIN OR ACHIEVE ECOMONIC SECURITY. UPO CONSISTENTLY REACHES OUT WITHIN COMMUNITIES IN THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA THAT EXPERIENCE HIGH LEVELS OF POVERTY AND ECONOMIC INSECURITY. SERVICES ARE PROVIDED AT: ---FIVE (5) UPO COMMUNITY SERVICE CENTERS---EIGHTEEN DIRECTLY OPERATED HEAD START SITES---TWO PARTNER FUNDED SITES, AND ---THROUGH CONTRACTUAL RELATIONSHIPS WITH EIGHT COMMUNITY BASED ORGANIZATIONS (CBOS) WORKING AS CSBG SERVICE PROVIDERS. DIRECT SERVICES PROVIDED BY UPO INCLUDE EMPLOYMENT ASSISTANCE; EARLY EDUCATION; YOUTH SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT; YOUTH ACADEMIC ENRICHMENT; ADULT EDUCATION; VOCATIONAL SKILLS TRAINING AND CERTIFICATION; HOUSING SUPPORT AND ASSISTANCE; BUDGET AND INCOME MANAGEMENT COUNSELING; FINANCIAL LITERACY TRAINING; EMERGENCY SUPPORT SERVICES; NUTRITION EDUCATION; COMPREHENSIVE CASE MANAGEMENT; HEALTH RELATED SERVICES AND LINKAGES TO PRIVATE AND GOVERNMENT SUPPORT SERVICE PROGRAMS. SINCE 2020, ALL OF UPO'S COMMUNITY SERVICES PROGRAMS CONTINUE TO OPERATE WITH THE GOAL OF ENSURING THAT 1) INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES WITH LOW-INCOME ARE STABLE AND ACHIEVE ECONOMIC SECURITY; 2) COMMUNITIES WHERE PEOPLE WITH LOW-INCOMES LIVE ARE HEALTHY AND OFFER ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY; AND 3) PEOPLE WITH LOW-INCOMES ARE ENGAGED AND ACTIVE IN BUILDING OPPORTUNITIES IN THEIR OWN COMMUNITIES. AS A RESULT OF THE SERVICES PROVIDED THROUGH UPO'S COMMUNITY SERVICES NETWORK THIS YEAR: ---479 INDIVIDUALS WITH LOW-INCOMES SECURED EMPLOYMENT. THESE EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES HAVE PLACED THEM IN A BETTER POSITION TO ATTAIN SELFSUFFICIENCY. OVER ---260 INDIVIDUALS WITH LOW-INCOMES COMPLETED EXTENSIVE VOCATIONAL SKILLS TRAINING AND RECEIVED NATIONAL CERTIFICATIONS THAT PLACED THEM IN A BETTER POSITION TO SECURE GAINFUL EMPLOYMENT ---1,365 PERSONS RECEIVED FREE TAX PREPARATION, COMPLEMENTED WITH MUCH NEEDED INCOME MANAGEMENT COUNSELING ---177 YOUTH RECEIVED ACADEMIC ENRICHMENT SERVICES ---109 FAMILIES RECEIVED ECONOMIC SECURITY-FOCUSED COMPREHENSIVE CASE MANAGEMENT; AND ---OVER 600 RECEIVED CHILDCARE SERVICES WITH OTHER SUPPORT SERVICES DESIGNED TO ENABLE THEM TO COMPETE FOR, SECURE AND MAINTAIN EMPLOYMENT. UPO ALSO COORDINATES COMMUNITY HEALTH INITIATIVES, COMMUNITY REINVESTMENT STRATEGIES, HOMEOWNERSHIP EDUCATION, ADVOCACY EFFORTS AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT STRATEGIES. COMMUNITY SERVICES BLOCK GRANT (CSBG) FUNDS ARE ALSO USED TO SUPPORT HEAD START SERVICE DELIVERY; TRANSPORTATION FOR HOMELESS CUSTOMERS; COMPREHENSIVE TREATMENT ALONG WITH OTHER SERVICES AND PROGRAMS AIMED AT PROMOTING SELFSUFFICIENCY.

LINE 4BHEAD START AND EARLY HEAD START - UNITED PLANNING ORGANIZATION'S (UPO) HEAD START PROGRAM WAS INITIATED IN 1964 AND WAS ONE OF THE FIRST PILOT PROGRAMS IN THE UNITED STATES. IN 2012, THE UPO OFFICE OF EARLY LEARNING (UPO-OEL) WAS AWARDED A BIRTH-TO-FIVE GRANT THAT PROVIDES SEAMLESS SERVICES FOR 1,200 CHILDREN AGES 6 WEEKS TO 3 YEARS OLD INCLUDING EXPECTING FAMILIES. UPO-OEL DIRECTLY OPERATES 17 EARLY LEARNING CENTERS AND PARTNERS WITH FIVE (5) NONPROFIT CHILDCARE AGENCIES THAT HAVE CONTRACTS. UPO IS THE LARGEST PROVIDER OF EARLY HEAD START (EHS) SERVICES IN WASHINGTON, DC. UPO-OEL IS ALSO A HUB FOR THE OFFICE OF THE STATE SUPERINTENDENT (0SSE) QUALITY IMPROVEMENT NETWORK (QIN) EARLY HEAD START CHILDCARE PARTNERSHIP INITIATIVE. THE INITIATIVE PROVIDES TRAINING AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO 12 CHILDCARE PARTNERS IN DC TO SUPPORT THEM IN IMPLEMENTING HIGHQUALITY SERVICES FOR OVER 566 CHILDREN. THE QIN-HUB IS A HIGH-PROFILE INITIATIVE THAT IS PART OF DC'S QUALITY RATING SYSTEM. HEAD START AND EARLY HEAD START ARE EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS THAT PROVIDES COMPREHENSIVE SERVICES FOR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES. UPOOEL PROVIDES PARENT ENGAGEMENT, DEVELOPMENTAL SCREENINGS, MENTAL WELLNESS, HEALTH MONITORING, NUTRITIONAL ASSESSMENTS, AND SCHOOL READINESS. TEN PERCENT (10%) OF THE CHILDREN TO WHOM UPO-OEL PROVIDES SERVICE HAVE AT LEAST ONE DIAGNOSED DISABILITY.

HOMELESS - UPO ACTIVELY STANDS ON THE FRONTLINES OF HOMELESSNESS CARE AND PREVENTION. THE AGENCY CURRENTLY OPERATES A FLEET OF SHELTER TRANSPORT VEHICLES THAT ARE SPECIFICALLY EQUIPPED TO PROVIDE DIRECT, MANAGED SUPPORT TO UNHOUSED INDIVIDUALS. THIS FLEET IS AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE CITY'S CONTINUUM OF CARE FOR THE HOMELESS.