United Way Of The Mid-South

THE MISSION OF UNITED WAY IS TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR MID- SOUTHERNERS BY MOBILIZING AND ALIGNING COMMUNITY RESOURCES TO ADDRESS PRIORITY ISSUES. FOR NEARLY 100 YEARS, UNITED WAY OF THE MID-SOUTH HAS BROUGHT THE TIME, TALENTS, AND TREASURES OF OUR CITIZENS TOGETHER SO INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES IN NEED CAN ENJOY A BETTER QUALITY OF LIFE, MAKING THE MID-SOUTH AN EVEN BETTER PLACE FOR ALL. WE DO THIS BY BEING THE LEADING CATALYST IN STIMULATING SUPPORT AND SERVICES FOR INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES AS THEY PROGRESS FROM POVERTY TO PROSPERITY. WE STRIVE TO ADVANCE PEOPLE FROM WHERE THEY ARE TO WHERE THEY DREAM TO BE BY ADDRESSING THE BUILDING BLOCKS FOR SUCCESS--EDUCATION, FINANCIAL STABILITY AND HEALTH. UNITED WAY OFFERS PARTNERS, DONORS AND VOLUNTEERS THE ABILITY TO FULFILL THEIR DREAMS OF HOW THEY CAN SUPPORT THEIR COMMUNITY THROUGH THEIR FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTIONS AND THEIR COMMITMENT OF TIME AND TALENT.

THE ORGANIZATION PROVIDES FUNDING TO OVER 500 NON-PROFIT AGENCIES THROUGHOUT THE UNITED STATES THROUGH DONOR DESIGNATED FUNDS. IN ADDITION UNITED WAY PROVIDES GRANT FUNDING TO APPROXIMATELY 80 AGENCIES WITHIN THE 8 COUNTY SERVICE AREA. GRANTS ARE TARGETED TO PROGRAMS THAT IMPROVE EDUCATION, FINANCIAL STABILITY, AND HEALTH AND WORK COLLABORATIVELY TO REDUCE MID-SOUTH POVERTY.

UNITED WAY COORDINATES THE WORK OF MULTIPLE AGENCIES TO IMPLEMENT THE FREE TAX PREP/VOLUNTEER INCOME TAX ASSISTANCE IN CRITTENDEN, DESOTO, FAYETTE, LAUDERDALE, SHELBY, TATE, TIPTON, AND TUNICA COUNTIES. THIS PARTNERSHIP PROVIDES FREE TAX PREPARATION TO MAXIMIZE THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF ELIGIBLE TAX CREDITS FOR LOW TO MODERATE TAX FILERS. THE FREE TAX PREP/VITA PROGRAM WAS FUNDED THROUGH MULTIPLE SOURCES: INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE, TN DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES, TRIUMPH, WELLS FARGO, PROSPERITY NOW, ENTERGY, AND UNITED WAY OF THE MID-SOUTH INVESTMENTS. METHODIST LEBONHEUR SERVES AS THE LEAD AGENT FOR A PASS-THROUGH GRANT FROM THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, OFFICE OF MINORITY HEALTH TO DEPLOY A PROJECT IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE UWMS FREE TAX PREP PROGRAM TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF HOUSEHOLDS RECEIVING FREE TAX PREPARATION SERVICES AND BENEFITING FROM THE EITC (EARNED INCOME TAX CREDIT). FUNDS WERE USED TO SUPPORT THE OPERATION OF SUPER VITA SITES, MOBILE TAX PREPARATION, A 2-1-1 INFORMATION SYSTEM, A MARKETING CAMPAIGN, AND VOLUNTEER RECOGNITION. IN THE FISCAL YEAR ENDED 6/30/22, OVER 9,000 TAX RETURNS WERE PREPARED, RETURNING OVER 15 MILLION TO MID-SOUTH FAMILIES.

AS THE FOCUS OF ITS PROACTIVE COMMUNITY IMPACT AGENDA, UNITED WAY OF THE MID-SOUTH'S DRIVING THE DREAM (DTD), IS A RESILIENT HUMAN SERVICES ECOSYSTEM THAT ALIGNS AND INTEGRATES THE LOCAL SERVICE DELIVERY SYSTEM TO SUPPORT FAMILIES LIVING IN POVERTY. DTD IS A SYSTEM OF CARE, COMPRISED OF A NETWORK OF AGENCIES THAT HELPS INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES NAVIGATE THE SYSTEM OF NEEDED SERVICES, AND CREATE A CLEAR PATH TOWARDS ECONOMIC SECURITY. DTD IS BASED UPON AN EMERGING NATIONAL STANDARD OF CARE, INFORMED BY RESEARCH- BASED PRACTICE, DESIGNED TO ADDRESS AND ALLEVIATE CONDITIONS OF POVERTY. THIS MODEL PRIORITIZES A MULTI-GENERATIONAL APPROACH TO ADVANCING HOLISTIC WELLBEING. DTD BOOSTS THE POWER OF OUR EDUCATION AND EMPLOYMENT SYSTEMS, WORKING CLOSELY WITH COMMUNITIES WHOSE CONNECTIONS TO THESE RESOURCES HAVE BECOME FRAYED OVER TIME. OUR COLLECTIVE GOAL IS TO HELP FAMILIES MOVE TOWARDS A FUTURE OF THEIR CHOOSING.