United Way Miami Inc

THE MISSION OF UNITED WAY MIAMI IS BUILDING THE COMMUNITY BY HELPING PEOPLE CARE FOR ONE ANOTHER.

5,879 CHILDREN RECEIVED QUALITY EARLY EDUCATION EXPERIENCES; 896 EARLY CHILDHOOD PROFESSIONALS RECEIVED 4,314 HOURS OF PROFESSIONAL LEARNING; 9,705 YOUTH ATTENDED AFTER-SCHOOL PROGRAMS THAT ENABLED THEM TO IMPROVE ACADEMIC SKILLS AND AVOID RISKY BEHAVIORS, SUCH AS DRINKING, ALCOHOL, SMOKING AND TAKING DRUGS. SUCCESSFULLY ADVOCATED FOR EARLY LEARNING AND K-12 EDUCATION EACH RECEIVED SIGNIFICANT INCREASES TO BASE STUDENT ALLOCATION (BSA) AND EXTRA FUNDS TO SUPPORT TEACHER WAGES. THE K-12 BSA INCREASED BY $214.49 TO ABOUT $4,587.40 PER PUPIL, PLUS $800 MILLION TO INCREASE TEACHER WAGES TO A MINIMUM OF $47,500 WITH 50% GOING TO NEW HIRES AND 50% GOING TO VETERAN TEACHERS. THE VPK BSA INCREASED BY $317 TO $2,803 PER PUPIL FOR 3-HOURS PER DAY PRESCHOOL - PLUS $100 MILLION TO SUPPORT ADDITIONAL PAYMENTS TO PROGRAMS THROUGH THE EARLY LEARNING COALITIONS TO INCREASE THE PER-CHILD RATE AND ENSURE VPK INSTRUCTORS MAKE AT LEAST $15/HOUR. COMPLETED THIRD YEAR OF FIVE-YEAR $22.5 MILLION FEDERAL EARLY HEAD START-CHILD CARE PARTNERSHIP GRANT, REACHING 683 INFANTS AND TODDLERS IN UNDER-RESOURCED AREAS OF OUR COMMUNITY.

63,450 PEOPLE RECEIVED EMERGENCY FOOD AND SHELTER ASSISTANCE; 500 INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES RECEIVED COUNSELING THAT WILL ENABLE THEM TO IMPROVE THEIR FINANCIAL STABILITY AND ACHIEVE THEIR GOALS; IN 2022, A TOTAL OF 6,582 MIAMI-DADE TAXPAYERS RECEIVED TAX REFUNDS TOTALING OVER $11 MILLION AND EARNED INCOME TAX CREDITS OF ALMOST THAN $4 MILLION, SAVING $1.3 MILLION IN TAX PREPARATION FEES; 1,379 VETERANS AND THEIR FAMILIES RECEIVED FOOD ASSISTANCE THROUGH UNITED WAY'S MISSION UNITED. IN 2022, THE SADOWSKI HOUSING TRUST FUNDS WERE FULLY APPROPRIATED FOR THE FLORIDA HOUSING FINANCE CORPORATION, WHICH MANAGES THE PROGRAMS SHIP AND SAIL, WILL RECEIVE $362,725,000, $209,475,000 FOR SHIP AND $53,250,000 FOR SAIL. THE REMAINING $100,000,000 WILL CREATE A NEW HOMETOWN HERO HOUSING PROGRAM, WHICH PROVIDES DOWN PAYMENT, AND CLOSING COST ASSISTANCE TO ALICE WORKERS. UNITED WAY WAS SUCCESSFUL IN ADVOCATING INCLUDING THE EARLY LEARNING EDUCATORS IN THIS PROGRAM.

OVER 22,689 PEOPLE ACCESSED CARE TO IMPROVE THEIR PHYSICAL, MENTAL AND EMOTIONAL HEALTH NEEDS.8,956 OLDER ADULTS RECEIVED ASSISTANCE TO REMAIN HEALTHY AND ACTIVE. 1,809 CHILDREN ENGAGED IN HEALTHY EATING, FITNESS AND PLAY;EMBARKED IN DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION (DEI) EFFORTS TO ADDRESS HEALTH DISPARITIES IN OUR COMMUNITY. UTILIZING A MULTI-PRONGED APPROACH, THE VOLUNTEER HEALTH IMPACT COUNCIL WORKED WITH A LOCAL DEI EXPERT, NATALIE ROBINSON BRUNER OF GLADED LEADERSHIP SOLUTIONS, TO CRAFT A VARIETY OF TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE AGENCIES. THESE INCLUDED A CAPACITY BUILDING GRANT, AWARDED TO FOUR AGENCIES FOR COMPLETION OF SPECIFIC DEI PROJECTS; A TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AWARD WHICH PROVIDED GRANTEES WITH 12 HOURS OF CONSULTING WITH A TRAINER; A LEADERSHIP TRAINING SERIES, FOUR TWO-HOUR TRAINING SESSIONS; A TRAINING VOUCHER FOR A 12-HOUR FOLLOW-UP PROVIDED TO ORGANIZATIONS WHO COMPLETED THE FOUR TRAINING SESSIONS; AND PEER GATHERINGS WITH PARTICIPANTS FROM THE TRAINING SERIES TO FOSTER CONTINUED DISCUSSIONS ON THE TOPIC. A COVID-19 VACCINATION INITIATIVE WAS LAUNCHED THROUGH A GRANT FROM OCEAN REEF COMMUNITY FOUNDATION FOCUSED ON THE SOUTH DADE COMMUNITIES OF HOMESTEAD AND FLORIDA CITY, WHERE LESS THAN 40% OF THOSE AGED 16 AND OLDER WERE VACCINATED. AS PART OF THE INITIATIVE, UNITED WAY MIAMI PARTNERED WITH KEY NONPROFITS AND FAITH-BASED INSTITUTIONS TO CONDUCT OUTREACH ACTIVITIES TO INFORM, EDUCATE AND DISPEL MYTHS ABOUT THE VACCINE. OTHER PARTNERS INCLUDED UBER, WHICH PROVIDED FREE TRANSPORTATION TO AND FROM VACCINATIONS SITES: UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI, MIAMI-DADE COUNTY AND THE HEALTH FOUNDATION OF SOUTH FLORIDA. CO-LED THE MIAMI-DADE AGE FRIENDLY INITIATIVE RESULTING IN SUSTAINABILITY OF COLLABORATION AND COORDINATION AMONG EIGHT MAJOR PARTNERS COMMITTED TO MAKE MIAMI-DADE MORE AGE FRIENDLY (AS PER THE FRAMEWORK OF THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION).