Henderson County United Way Inc

IMPROVE THE LIVES OF HENDERSON COUNTY RESIDENTS.

UNITED WAY OF HENDERSON COUNTY (UWHC) IS IN THE EIGHTH YEAR OF HENDERSON COUNTY 2025, A TEN YEAR PLAN TO 1) INCREASE KINDERGARTEN READINESS AND SUPPORT SCHOOL SUCCESS FOR UNDERSERVED CHILDREN; 2) IMPROVE ECONOMIC SELF- SUFFICIENCY AND INCREASE ACCESS TO AFFORDABLE HOUSING; 3) IMPROVE PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND NUTRITION AMONG RESIDENTS, AND ENCOURAGE HEALTHY YOUTH BEHAVIORS. THE GOAL IS TO MAKE STEADY ADVANCES BY CREATING SOLUTIONS THAT LEAD TO LASTING CHANGE. UWHC'S CASH INVESTMENT TO ASSIST THE COMMUNITY DURING THE 2021-22 FISCAL YEAR IS OVER 1.2 MILLION. IT NOT ONLY INCLUDES ALLOCATIONS TO 20 LOCAL PARTNER AGENCIES, BUT ALSO DIRECT-PAY DESIGNATIONS FROM DONORS TO COMMUNITY AGENCIES, STRATEGIC INITIATIVES, VOLUNTEER INITIATIVES, UNITED WAY COMMUNITY IMPACT WORK AND SPONSORED PROGRAMS SUCH AS 2-1-1, WOMEN UNITED, SMALL BUSINESS LEAGUE AND RISING LEADERS. HOWEVER, UNITED WAY ALSO LEVERAGES ADDITIONAL COMMUNITY SUPPORT IN THE FORM OF OTHER COMMUNITY ASSISTANCE AND SAVINGS (PEOPLE RECEIVING ASSISTANCE FROM THE EMERGENCY FOOD PROGRAM, PRESCRIPTION SAVINGS THROUGH SINGLECARE (FORMERLY FAMILYWIZE), AND THE VALUE OF VOLUNTEER HOURS IN STRATEGIC INITIATIVES, ETC.) ADDING THE VALUE OF THIS ADDITIONAL COMMUNITY SUPPORT PUTS UNITED WAY'S TOTAL COMMUNITY IMPACT AT APPROXIMATELY 1.7 MILLION. SEE DETAILS IN THE PARAGRAPHS BELOW. AS MENTIONED ABOVE, UWHC ALSO PROVIDED HIGH-IMPACT SERVICES AND SAVINGS TO PEOPLE IN HENDERSON COUNTY. SINGLECARE PRESCRIPTION DISCOUNT CARDS HELPED 1239 LOCAL RESIDENTS SAVE A TOTAL OF 172,573 IN PRESCRIPTION COSTS. NC 2 -1-1, UNITED WAY'S INFORMATION AND REFERRAL HELPLINE, WAS A CRITICALLY IMPORTANT RESOURCE AS THE PANDEMIC CONTINUED, AND MADE 2,476 REFERRALS TO HENDERSON COUNTY RESIDENTS, DIRECTING THEM TO RESOURCES WHERE THEY COULD FIND FOOD, SHELTER, HEALTH CARE OR HELP PAYING MORTGAGE, RENT OR UTILITY BILLS. VOLUNTEERS ARE ALSO A TREMENDOUS NON-CASH ASSET. UWHC HAD THE HELP OF ALMOST 800 VOLUNTEERS DURING 2021-22 , WHO PROVIDED OVER 5,000 HOURS OR OVER 150,000 WORTH OF VOLUNTEER HOUR VALUE TO IMPROVE THE COMMUNITY. UWHC HOSTED TWO COMMUNITY-WIDE VOLUNTEER EVENTS, DAYS OF ACTION IN NOVEMBER 2021, AND DAYS OF CARING DURING THE SPRING OF 2022. DAYS OF ACTION 2021 ENGAGED 46 GROUPS AND INDIVIDUALS WHO PERSONALIZED, STUFFED, AND LABELED THANK YOU CARDS FOR 2,000 HENDERSON COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS EMPLOYEES AND LOCAL EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATORS. DAYS OF CARING 2022 BROUGHT NEARLY 400 VOLUNTEERS OUT TO COMPLETE 33 PROJECTS AT 20 DIFFERENT NONPROFIT AGENCIES, INCLUDING ASSISTING WITH THE NALC LETTER CARRIERS FOOD DRIVE, WHICH COLLECTED ALMOST 30,000 POUNDS OF FOOD FOR LOCAL FOOD PANTRIES. WOMEN UNITED, A LEADERSHIP GIVING AFFINITY GROUP, HAD A BUSY SIXTH YEAR. DURING THE 2021-22 YEAR, THERE WERE 80 MEMBERS. THESE WOMEN CONTINUED TO SUPPORT GIRLS EMPOWERED (GEM), AN AFTER-SCHOOL OPPORTUNITY THAT SERVED 40 AT-RISK FIFTH GRADE GIRLS AT UPWARD AND HILLANDALE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS AND 8TH GRADE GIRLS AT HENDERSONVILLE MIDDLE SCHOOL. IN SPITE OF THE PANDEMIC, THE GEM PROGRAM PROVIDED THE PARTICIPATING GIRLS WITH SESSIONS ON CAREER DEVELOPMENT AND SELF-ESTEEM. WU MEMBERS WERE SERVED AS GUEST SPEAKERS, VOLUNTEERS, MENTORS, AND EVEN PEN PALS. THE GEM GIRLS RECEIVED EDUCATIONAL PRESENTATIONS FROM A VARIETY OF WOMEN PROFESSIONALS, ENJOYED TOURS OF DOWNTOWN WOMEN-OWNED BUSINESSES, AND RECEIVED SELF-CARE KITS AND BACKPACKS FILLED WITH SCHOOL SUPPLIES. WOMEN UNITED MEMBERS ALSO DONATED DIAPERS AND BABY SUPPLIES WORTH 2,732 TO CHILDREN AND FAMILY RESOURCE CENTER, EMERGENCY CLOTHING ITEMS VALUED AT 4,532 TO LOCAL SCHOOLS, AND COLLECTED BOOKS WORTH 760 FOR FOSTER CARE FAMILIES, AND TOYS AND CLOTHING FOR 50 CHILDREN DURING THE HOLIDAYS VALUED AT 6,375. AFTER SEVERAL YEARS OF ENJOYING DONATED OFFICE AND MEETING SPACE AT THE KIMBERLY-CLARK PLANT, UWHC MOVED BACK TO OUR FORMER OFFICES IN EARLY JUNE OF 2022. UNITED WAY HAS OWNED ONE-THIRD OF THE 722 FIFTH AVENUE WEST BUILDING SINCE IT WAS DONATED TO UWHC YEARS AGO. OUR PREVIOUS TENANTS, SMART START, AND BELIEVE CHILD ADVOCACY CENTER, MOVED TO NEW LOCATIONS THAT PROVIDED THEM WITH MORE SPACE. UWHC RECEIVED AND USED GIFTS IN-KIND VALUED AT OVER 43,000. THIS COVERED THINGS SUCH AS DONATED MASKS AND HAND SANITIZER, PRINTING, SUPPLIES AND VARIOUS MEDIA RESOURCES SUCH AS NEWSPAPER AND RADIO. ADDITIONALLY UWHC SECURED CORPORATE SPONSORSHIPS TOTALING OVER 54,000 WHICH HELP COVER THE COST OF CAMPAIGN, EVENTS AND OPERATIONAL ITEMS. THIS MEANS THAT MORE DOLLARS FROM DONORS GO DIRECTLY TO PROGRAMS AND SERVICES TO THOSE IN NEED. NOW IN ITS 12TH YEAR, THE RISING LEADERS INITIATIVE IS A UWHC PROGRAM DESIGNED TO DEVELOP THE NEXT GENERATION OF COMMUNITY LEADERS AND BOARD MEMBERS FOR HENDERSON COUNTY NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS. IN 2021-22, SIXTEEN RISING LEADERS COMPLETED THE PROGRAM WHICH WAS CONDUCTED VIRTUALLY, AND MANY HAVE BEEN RECRUITED TO SERVE ON LOCAL BOARDS. BORN LEARNING TRAIL IS AN EDUCATION ACTIVITY PROGRAM. IT PROMOTES LEARNING IN A FUN AND INTERACTIVE WAY WHILE BOOSTING LANGUAGE, READING, PROBLEM SOLVING AND CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS. IT OFFERS FAMILIES A PLACE TO BE ACTIVE, ELEVATE AWARENESS OF EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION AND BE A VISIBLE SYMBOL OF THE COMMUNITY'S COMMITMENT TO YOUNG CHILDREN. UWHC SUPPORTS TWO BORN LEARNING TRAILS, ONE ON THE OCHLAWAHA GREENWAY, A POPULAR WALKING AND BICYCLING TRAIL FOR LOCAL FAMILIES, AND OUR ORIGINAL BORN LEARNING TRAIL AT MILLS RIVER PARK. UWHC ALSO CONVENES COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONS ON IMPORTANT ISSUES. IN 2021-22, WE HOSTED OVER 100 LOCAL RESIDENTS FOR AN EQUITY TRAINING, AND PUT PLANS IN PLACE TO OFFER AN EXTENDED SERIES OF EQUITY TRAINING FOR LOCAL NONPROFIT LEADERS. UNITED WAY ALSO WORKS WITH PARTNERS AND AREA-WIDE COLLABORATIONS SUCH AS THE NONPROFIT FORUM, NONPROFIT CEO FORUM, HENDERSON COUNTY PARTNERSHIP FOR HEALTH, EMERGENCY FOOD AND SHELTER PROGRAM (EFSP) SECURING OVER 88,000 IN GRANTS, HENDERSON COUNTY HOMELESS COALITION, HENDERSON COUNTY RACIAL EQUITY COLLECTIVE, HENDERSONVILLE CONNECTION CENTER, HENDERSON COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT COMMUNITY HEALTH ASSESSMENT ACTION TEAMS (PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND NUTRITION, SUBSTANCE ABUSE, AFFORDABLE HOUSING) AND THE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SUMMIT. THESE ITEMS ARE AN OVERVIEW OF THE VARIOUS OUTREACH AND NON-TANGIBLE ITEMS THAT HENDERSON COUNTY UNITED WAY OFFERS TO THE COMMUNITY IN CONJUNCTION WITH, AND IN ADDITION TO FUNDS PROVIDED TO PROGRAMS, INITIATIVES AND AGENCIES TO IMPROVE THE LIVES OF HENDERSON COUNTY RESIDENTS.