United Way Of Southern Kentucky Inc

TO BE THE LEADER IN BRINGING TOGETHER THE RESOURCES TO BUILD A STRONGER, MORE CARING COMMUNITY.

FUND DISTRIBUTION: UNITED WAY OF SOUTHERN KENTUCKY'S FUND DISTRIBUTION PROCESS ALLOCATED $1,121,733 TO PROGRAMS SERVING THE 10-COUNTY SERVICE AREA. FUNDING WAS AWARDED TO MORE THAN 43 PROGRAMS IMPACTING UNITED WAY OF SOUTHERN KENTUCKY'S SEVEN PRIORITY FOCUS AREAS OF EDUCATION: KINDERGARTEN READINESS, COLLEGE & CAREER READINESS; INCOME: WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT; HEALTH: ACCESS TO AFFORDABLE HEALTH CARE, SAFE HOME & COMMUNITY; SAFETY NET: ACCESS TO BASIC NEEDS AND TRANSPORTATION. THIS VOLUNTEER-DRIVEN PROCESS CONCENTRATES ON A PROGRAM'S ABILITY TO ADDRESS THE ROOT CAUSE OF ISSUES RATHER THAN TREATING THE SYMPTOMS. IN ADDITION TO THE FUND DISTRIBUTION PROGRAM, A HALLMARK OF UNITED WAY, AN ADDITIONAL $53,759 IN DONOR DIRECTED CONTRIBUTIONS WERE PROCESSED AND DISTRIBUTED.

COVID 19 AND DISASTER RESPONSE & RECOVERY:THE TORNADO RESPONSE & RECOVERY FUND WAS ESTABLISHED TO ASSIST FAMILIES AND INDIVIDUALS WHO WERE IMPACTED BY DECEMBER 11, 2021 AND JANUARY 1, 2022 TORNADOES WHICH AFFECTED PRIMARILY WARREN COUNTY OF OUR SERVICE AREA. THESE FUNDS WERE UTILIZED TO ASSIST WITH FEEDING PROGRAMS, DOCUMENT REPLACEMENT, MOVING THOSE IN EMERGENCY SHELTER TO HOTELS AND DISASTER CASE MANAGEMENT PROGRAM (DCMP) SERVICES. THE GOAL OF DCMP WAS TO RETURN SURVIVORS TO A PLACE OF SELF-SUFFICIENCY WHICH WAS AS GOOD OR BETTER THAN BEFORE THE TORNADO. SURVIVORS HAVE RECEIVED ASSISTANCE WITH REHOUSING (TEMPORARY & PERMANENT), REPLACING FURNITURE & HOUSEHOLD ITEMS, AND REPAIRING STRUCTURE DAMAGE. UWSK PARTNERED WITH THE HOUSING AUTHORITY OF BOWLING GREEN, REFUGE BG, AND THE SALVATION ARMY TO PROVIDE THE DCMP WHICH WORKED WITH SURVIVORS TO DEVELOP AND EXECUTE AN INDIVIDUALIZED DISASTER RECOVERY PLAN. THROUGH 2022, OVER 300 HOUSEHOLDS WERE ASSISTED THROUGH THIS PARTNERSHIP.

IN ORDER TO ENSURE CHILDREN HAVE THE SKILLS NEEDED TO ENTER KINDERGARTEN READY TO LEARN, UNITED WAY CONTINUED THE KINDERGARTEN READINESS CAMPAIGN THAT STARTED IN 2016/17 TO HELP EDUCATE PARENTS ABOUT HOW TO BETTER PREPARE THEIR CHILDREN FOR DAY ONE OF KINDERGARTEN. AS PART OF THIS EFFORT, UNITED WAY ENCOURAGES PARENTS TO READ, PLAY, COUNT, AND LOG OFF WITH THEIR CHILDREN. PARENTS CAN LOG ONTO THE UNITED WAY MICROSITE MYCHILDISREADY.COM TO FIND INFORMATION TO DETERMINE IF THEIR CHILD IS KINDERGARTEN READY AND IF NOT, HOW THEY CAN ADAPT EVERYDAY ACTIVITIES TO INCREASE THE LEVEL OF THEIR CHILD'S READINESS. ANOTHER CRITICAL COMPONENT IN UNITED WAY'S WORK IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION IS THE EXPANSION OF AN ADDITIONAL BORN LEARNING TRAIL, AND UNITED WAY CONTINUES TO EXPAND ITS EFFORTS TO ENROLL ELIGIBLE CHILDREN IN THE DOLLY PARTON IMAGINATION LIBRARY PROGRAM. SINCE UNITED WAY BEGAN THE MANAGEMENT AND FACILITATION OF THE PROGRAM IN 2011, MORE THAN 527,400 BOOKS HAVE BEEN DISTRIBUTED; BETWEEN JULY 2021 AND JUNE 2022 A TOTAL OF 90,384 BOOKS WERE DISTRIBUTED.