United Way Of Southeast Louisiana

TO ERADICATE POVERTY IN SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA.

COMMUNITY IMPACT - STRATEGIC PLANNING & FUND DISTRIBUTION: UNITED WAY OF SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA (UWSELA) HAS A BOLD VISION FOR ERADICATING POVERTY IN SELA. GRANT-MAKING SUPPORTS THE VISION OF "EQUITABLE COMMUNITIES WHERE ALL INDIVIDUALS ARE HEALTHY, EDUCATED AND ECONOMICALLY STABLE." THIS MEANS BOTH A SHARPENED FOCUS ON POVERTY THROUGH SUPPORTING THE CRITICAL PROGRAMS THAT FORM THE BEDROCK OF SERVING OUR POPULATION, AND A SYSTEMS CHANGE APPROACH CENTERED ON COLLABORATION. OUR GRANT-MAKING IS ROOTED IN ADDRESSING THE COMPLEX INTERPLAY OF SYMPTOMS AND DRIVERS OF POVERTY IN THE REGION. IN 2016, UNITED WAY LAUNCHED ITS FIRST CYCLE OF GRANTS TO SUPPORT PROGRAMS AND GROUPS WORKING TOGETHER IN A COLLABORATIVE WAY TO ADDRESS THE OUTCOMES IN OUR BLUEPRINT FOR PROSPERITY. THIS PORTION OF THE COMMUNITY IMPACT DIVISION, AS DISTINCT FROM THE INITIATIVES AND PROGRAMS IT COORDINATES, IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE ANNUAL STRATEGIC GRANTS FUNDING PROCESSES. IT DEVELOPS STRATEGIC PLANS TO GUIDE THE FUNDING PROCESSES AND PROGRAM OR INITIATIVE DEVELOPMENT, AND ESTABLISHES AND MONITORS MEASURES OF PROGRAM SUCCESS AND FINANCIAL ACCOUNTABILITY. ACCOMPLISHMENTS: PROGRAM GRANTS:TOTAL # OF PEOPLE SERVED BY OUR 79 GRANT PARTNERS FROM JULY 1, 2022-JUNE 30, 2023 - 329,820. UWSELA FUNDED 79 PROGRAMS, FROM JULY 1, 2022-JUNE 30, 2023 TO ADDRESS PRIORITIES SUCH AS WORKFORCE TRAINING, HOUSING, MEDICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH CARE, CHILD AND ADULT CARE AND ACADEMIC SUPPORTS. UWSELA ANSWERED OVER 329,820 APPEALS FOR HELP FROM OUR COMMUNITY.

ENTERGY UTILITY ASSISTANCE:ENTERGY CUSTOMERS WHO APPLIED FOR THE CREDIT FOR THEIR ENERGY BILL FROM ENTERGY RECEIVED A ONE-TIME CREDIT OF $150. TO QUALIFY, CUSTOMERS MUST HAVE A TOTAL HOUSEHOLD INCOME OF UP TO 250% OF THE FEDERAL POVERTY LEVEL, WHICH EQUATES TO $69,000 FOR A FAMILY OF FOUR.UWSELA SERVED 12,928 ENTERGY CUSTOMERS IN JEFFERSON, ORLEANS, PLAQUEMINES, WASHINGTON, TANGIPAHOA AND ST. TAMMANY PARISH.

DISASTER RELIEF:IN AUGUST 2021, HURRICANE IDA MADE LANDFALL IN SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA AS ONE OF THE STRONGEST STORMS TO EVER HIT OUR STATE. UNITED WAY OF SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA (UWSELA) COORDINATED IMMEDIATE RELIEF EFFORTS, AND CONTINUES TO INVEST IN LONG-TERM RECOVERY WITH OVER $1.3 MILLION COMMITTED TO THE WORK TO DATE. THROUGHOUT THE SEVEN PARISHES WE SERVE, WE CONTINUE TO WORK IN CONCERT WITH PARTNERS TO SUPPORT LONG-TERM RECOVERY GROUPS (LTRG), INCLUDING KEY NONPROFITS, FAITH-BASED, BUSINESS, AND GOVERNMENT PARTNERS. EACH PARISH'S GROUP REFLECTS THE UNIQUE NATURE OF ITS COMMUNITIES WHILE MAINTAINING A SHARED GOAL: IDENTIFY LOCAL DISPARITIES AND GAPS IN SERVICES AND PROVIDE UNMET NEEDS. WE RECRUITED AND MOBILIZED VOLUNTEERS LOCALLY AND NATIONALLY TO PROVIDE CRITICAL REBUILDING SUPPORT TO 149 HOUSEHOLDS - INCLUDING THE REPAIR OF 30 HOMES ALLOWING THEM TO RECOVER AND THRIVE. ADDITIONALLY, UWSELA, BISHOP WILFRET JOHNSON, AND HANDSON NEW ORLEANS ARE WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP TO REBUILD AND RESTORE THE ST. PAUL BENEVOLENT ASSOCIATION COMMUNITY HUB FOR PLAQUEMINES PARISH. RESIDENTS WILL BENEFIT GREATLY FROM HAVING A SPACE OF THEIR OWN TO COMMUNE, PLAN, AND RESPOND TO FUTURE EMERGENCIES IN A WAY THAT CENTERS ON COMMUNITY RESILIENCE AND SUSTAINABILITY.IN DECEMBER 2022, TORNADOS HIT ST. BERNARD AND JEFFERSON PARISHES. HOURS AFTER MAKING LANDFALL, OUR TEAM SPRANG INTO ACTION DISTRIBUTING TARPS, GARBAGE BAGS, RAKES, AND WATER. IN TOTAL, WE WERE ABLE TO RAISE $159,000 VIA 1,510 DONORS. FUNDS WERE USED TO SUPPORT THOSE IMPACTED INCLUDING $30,000 TO SMALL BUSINESSES IN ST. BERNARD, ALGIERS AND THE WEST BANK AS WELL AS $79,078 IN IMMEDIATE AID DISTRIBUTED TO IMPACTED HOUEHOLDS.