United Way Of The Midlands

UNITED WAY CONNECTS PEOPLE AND RESOURCES TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE IN THE MIDLANDS. UNITED WAY INVESTS IN A BROAD RANGE OF COMMUNITY PROGRAMS THAT INCREASE ACCESS TO HEALTH CARE, IMPROVE STUDENT SUCCESS, ASSIST PEOPLE IN CRISIS TO ACHIEVE LONG TERM STABILITY.

HEALTH INITIATIVES- UWM PROMOTES ACCESS TO PRIMARY HEALTH CARE AS WELL AS DENTAL AND EYE CARE FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE UNDERINSURED OR LACK INSURANCE AT ALL. UNITED WAY PROGRAMS AND INVESTMENTS HELPED OVER 3,500 PEOPLE ACCESS HEALTH CARE, PROVIDED 3,456 ADULT AND CHILD PATIENT VISITS FOR DENTAL CARE, AND PROVIDED 1,344 ADULT PATIENT VISITS FOR EYE CARE.

UWM MANAGES EMERGENCY FOOD AND SHELTER PROGRAM (EFSP) FUNDS FOR FOUR OF OUR COUNTIES. EFSP FUNDS ARE FEDERAL DOLLARS THAT SUPPORT SHELTERING, FOOD, AND EMERGENCY FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS IN FOUR OF UWM'S COUNTIES. THIS YEAR WE RECEIVED THE FOLLOWING EFSP FUNDS: FOR FAIRFIELD $8,591, LEXINGTON $73,195, NEWBERRY $10,292, RICHLAND $130,568 AND THE NEWLY ADDED COUNTY OF CALHOUN RECEIVED $4,643. IN 2022, THROUGH THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN ACT (ARPA), UWM'S COUNTIES RECEIVED ADDITIONAL EFSP FUNDING AS FOLLOWS: FOR FAIRFIELD $26,553, LEXINGTON $226,228, NEWBERRY $31,809, RICHLAND $403,555, AND CALHOUN $14,351.UWM OPERATES THE INCLEMENT WEATHER CENTER (IWC) BETWEEN NOVEMBER AND MARCH ON NIGHTS WHEN THE TEMPERATURE IS EXPECTED TO BE 40 DEGREES OR BELOW (ACCORDING TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE), DURING HOLIDAYS, OR DURING SEVERE WEATHER. THE IWC HAS A NIGHTLY CAPACITY OF 240 PEOPLE AND PROVIDES ADULT WOMEN AND MEN WITH A BED, FOOD, SHOWER, CLOTHING, HYGIENE PRODUCTS, OUTREACH AND LINKS TO COMMUNITY RESOURCES. CLIENTS ARRIVE AT THE IWC VIA TRANSPORTATION COORDINATED UNDER THE CONTRACT WALK-UPS ARE NOT ALLOWED DUE TO THE DANGEROUS NATURE OF CROSSING HUGER STREET TO ACCESS THE SHELTER LOCATED NEAR RIVERFRONT PARK. UWM SUBCONTRACTS WITH MIDLANDS HOUSING ALLIANCE (TRANSITIONS) FOR THE DAY-TO-DAY OPERATIONS, SALVATION ARMY FOR MEALS, A PRIVATE VENDOR FOR SECURITY AND COMET FOR TRANSPORTATION. THE IWC FIRST OPENED FOR OPERATION LAST SEASON ON NOVEMBER 1, 2021 AND CLOSED ON MARCH 31, 2022. FOR THE SEASON, THE CENTER HELPED 781 UNDUPLICATED ADULTS WITH SHELTER (AVERAGE OF 104 PER NIGHT) AND 16,488 MEALS. DUE TO THE PANDEMIC, MULTIPLE SAFETY PRECAUTIONS WERE IMPLEMENTED TO ENSURE SAFETY OF THE INDIVIDUALS EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS, VOLUNTEERS, AND STAFF. SOME, BUT NOT ALL SAFETY PRECAUTIONS INCLUDED THE ADDITION OF AN AIR FILTRATION SYSTEM, TEMPERATURE CHECKS BEFORE BOARDING THE BUS TO TRAVEL TO THE CENTER, ROTATION SCHEDULE OF MEALS TO ALLOW FOR SOCIAL DISTANCING, AND RECONFIGURED SLEEPING AREAS TO ACCOMMODATE SOCIAL DISTANCING.UWM'S TWO-GENERATION SUPPORT EXPANDS AGENCIES' LONGTERM CASE MANAGEMENT FOR FAMILIES REFERRED BY LOCAL SCHOOL DISTRICT PARTNERS THAT ARE EXPERIENCING HOUSING OR ECONOMIC INSTABILITY. ASSISTANCE INCLUDES RESOURCE NAVIGATION, WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT SUPPORT, AND WRAP AROUND SERVICES FOR THE CHILDREN IN THE FAMILIES. 186 FAMILIES CONSISTING OF 669 INDIVIDUALS WERE REFERRED FROM 9 DIFFERENT SCHOOL DISTRICTS ACROSS 4 COUNTIES TO RECEIVE MULTI-GENERATIONAL STABILITY SERVICES FROM TWO-GENERATION SUPPORTED PARTNERS.UWM IS MAXIMIZING THE IMPACT OF A RECENT GIFT FROM MACKENZIE SCOTT BY AWARDING FUNDS TO ORGANIZATIONS AND PROJECTS THAT IMPROVE AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN THE MIDLANDS. UWM AWARDED $250,000 TO HOME WORKS OF AMERICA TO INCREASE THEIR CAPACITY TO SERVE MORE HOMEOWNERS WITH HOME REPAIRS BY HIRING NEW PERSONNEL TO MANAGE ADDITIONAL PROJECTS. UWM ALSO AWARDED EDISTO HABITAT FOR HUMANITY $50,000 TO BUILD THEIR CAPACITY TO RAISE RESOURCES THROUGH IMPROVED COMMUNICATIONS AND MARKETING.FINANCIAL STABILITY AND BASIC NEEDS INITIATIVES- UWM SERVES AS LEAD U.S. HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT (HUD) AGENCY FOR THE MIDLANDS AREA CONSORTIUM FOR THE HOMELESS (MACH) WHICH IS THE HUD DESIGNATED HOMELESS CONTINUUM OF CARE COVERING 13 COUNTIES STRETCHING FROM YORK, THROUGH THE MIDLANDS TO AIKEN. AS A TEAM, WE ARE COMMITTED TO ENDING HOMELESSNESS IN THE MIDLANDS. MACH MEMBER AGENCIES AND OTHER PARTNERS PROVIDE DIRECT SERVICES, SHELTER AND HOUSING THAT ASSIST OUR COMMUNITY'S HOMELESS FAMILIES, INDIVIDUALS, YOUTH AND VETERANS TO STABILITY. THE COMPLEXITY OF THE ISSUE, DIVERSITY OF THE POPULATIONS AND SHIFTING RESOURCES AND PRIORITIES OF THE COMMUNITY AND FEDERAL GOVERNMENT MAKE COORDINATION KEY TO COMMUNITY SUCCESS. SINCE 2006, UWM HAS LED MACH'S EFFORTS TO SECURE FEDERAL FUNDING FROM THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HUD TO SUPPORT HOMELESS HOUSING PROGRAMS. TO DATE, OVER $45 MILLION IN FEDERAL RESOURCES HAVE BEEN BROUGHT INTO THE MIDLANDS THROUGH THIS WORK LEVERAGING AN ESTIMATED $150 MILLION IN MATCHING RESOURCES.

DONOR DESIGNATIONS- AS A CONVENIENCE TO ITS DONORS, UNITED WAY OF THE MIDLANDS ALLOWS DIRECT UNRESTRICTED CONTRIBUTIONS TO OTHER UNITED WAYS OR SPECIFIC AGENCIES. UNITED WAY OF THE MIDLANDS SUPPORTS 69 PARTNER AGENCIES IN THE AREAS OF BUILDING RESILIENCY AND PROVIDING SAFETY NET SERVICES. UNITED WAY OF THE MIDLANDS DOES NOT REQUIRE THE RECIPIENT ORGANIZATIONS TO PROVIDE INFORMATION RELATIVE TO THE USE RESULTS OF THESE CONTRIBUTIONS.

OTHER PROGRAM SERVICES:EDUCATION IS KEY TO AN INDIVIDUAL'S LONG-TERM SUCCESS AND FINANCIAL STABILITY. UWM FOCUSES ON EARLY EDUCATION AND KEY TRANSITIONS IN SCHOOL TO IMPROVE ON-TIME GRADUATION. IN THE AREA OF READING, MIDLANDS READING CONSORTIUM (MRC) MOBILIZED 112 VOLUNTEERS TO READ WITH 561 ELEMENTARY SCHOOL STUDENTS THROUGH ONE-TO-ONE READING SESSIONS AND CLASSROOM READINGS. ASSESSMENT RESULTS GENERALLY SHOWED MRC STUDENTS' ATTITUDES TOWARD READING CONSIDERABLY IMPROVED. UWM ALSO SUPPORTED CHILDREN IN AFTER SCHOOL AND SCHOOL-BASED PROGRAMS. OF 4,608 STUDENTS ENROLLED IN UWM-SUPPORTED PROGRAMS, MORE THAN 90% OF STUDENTS DEMONSTRATED PROGRESS ON ONE OR MORE OF THE FOLLOWING INDICATORS: ATTENDANCE, POSITIVE BEHAVIORS, OR PROGRESSING (ON TIME) TO THE NEXT GRADE. RESILIENT MIDLANDSDEVELOPSSYSTEMS AND SERVICES THAT PREVENT AND TREAT THE TOXIC EFFECTS OF TRAUMAAND ADVERSE CHILDHOOD EXPERIENCES (ACES).TO ADDRESS ACES IN RICHLAND COUNTY, RR FOCUSES ON FOUR STRATEGIES: 1) COMMUNITY AWARENESS ABOUT TRAUMA AND ITS EFFECTS ON CHILDREN, 2) TARGETED TRAINING FOR PROFESSIONALS WORKING WITH CHILDREN, 3) DEVELOPING PREVENTION INTERVENTIONS WITH PARENTS AND CAREGIVERS TO INCREASE PROTECTIVE FACTORS IN THE NORTH COLUMBIA 29203 COMMUNITY, 4) COMMUNITY-BASED RESILIENCY TEAMS TO PROVIDE INTENSIVE SUPPORT TO CHILDREN AND FAMILIES EXPERIENCING COMPLEX TRAUMA. TWO RESILIENCY TEAMS WHICH CONSIST OF A SOCIAL WORKER AND A BEHAVIOR INTERVENTIONIST TO SUPPORT FAMILIES AND TEACHERS - WERE ESTABLISHED AT HYATT PARK ELEMENTARY (RICHLAND 1) AND JACKSON CREEK ELEMENTARY (RICHLAND 2), SERVING OVER 300 FAMILIES AND CHILDREN WITH INTERVENTIONS. LEADERSHIP AND CAPACITY BUILDING SUPPORTS THE MISSION OF UWM AND COMMUNITY IMPACT BY PROVIDING CAPACITY BUILDING ACTIVITIES THAT SUPPORT STRONG NONPROFIT PARTNERS AND ENCOURAGING CIVIC ENGAGEMENT IN THE COMMUNITY.CAPACITY BUILDING ACTIVITIES INCLUDE TRAINING AND SUPPORT IN THE DEVELOPMENT AND REPORTING OF COMMON OUTCOMES AND INDICATORS, AND TRAINING AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE IN GOVERNANCE AND OTHER NONPROFIT BEST PRACTICES. IN 2021-2022, UWM STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS RENEWED PARTNERSHIP WITH 17 NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS AND INITIATED NEW PARTNERSHIPS WITH TWO ADDITIONAL ORGANIZATIONS. STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS REVIEWED 41 FUNDING APPLICATIONS AND ASSESSED MORE THAN 20 END-OF-YEAR PROGRAM REPORTS. THROUGH OUR BLUEPRINT FOR LEADERSHIP AND BRIDGING COLUMBIA PROGRAMS, WE TRAINED 40 COMMUNITY MEMBERS FOR BOARD AND COMMITTEE SERVICE. THE UWM VOLUNTEER CENTER MANAGED THE COMMUNITY PORTAL FOR VOLUNTEERING AND ORGANIZED OR FACILITATED 35 VOLUNTEER PROJECTS IN THE COMMUNITY. THE TOTAL NUMBER OF VOLUNTEERS ASSOCIATED WITH UWM DURING THE FISCAL YEAR WAS 3,551.