United Way Of Alamance County Inc

THE MISSION OF UNITED WAY OF ALAMANCE COUNTY IS TO RADICALLY DECREASE THE NUMBER OF FAMILIES IN POVERTY BY ADVANCING SOCIAL EQUITY PRACTICES THAT PROMOTE SOCIAL MOBILITY AND PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES THAT BUILD A RESILIENT COMMUNITY. UNITED WAY IS COMMITTED TO REDUCING DISPARITIES BY TARGETING FUNDING TO THOSE THAT NEED IT MOST, SPECIFICALLY THOSE LIVING IN POVERTY. WE ARE STILL FUNDING IN THE AREAS OF EDUCATION, HEATH AND FINANCIAL STABILITY, BUT ARE DOING SO INTENTIONALLY TO LIFT UP OUR MOST VULNERABLE POPULATIONS. UNITED WAY OF ALAMANCE COUNTY ENVISIONS A COMMUNITY THAT COMES TOGETHER TO BREAK DOWN BARRIERS, ELIMINATE INEQUITIES, AND END POVERTY. OUR AGENCY IS EQUIPPED TO DO THIS GIVEN OUR ROLES WITHIN THE COMMUNITY AND STRONG PARTNERSHIPS WE HAVE WITH AGENCIES WORKING ALONGSIDE US IN THIS WORK. EACH YEAR, UNITED WAY OF ALAMANCE COUNTY RAISES FUNDS THROUGH SPONSORSHIPS, CORPORATE GIFTS,WORKPLACE CAMPAIGNS AND INCOMING GRANTS IN ORDER TO FUND OUR COMMUNITY'S MOST PRESSING NEEDS. THESE NE

COMMUNITY INVESTMENTS COMMUNITY INVESTMENTS ARE UNDESIGNATED DONATIONS FROM INDIVIDUALS, BUSINESSES, AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS THAT ARE RESOURCES UNDER MANAGEMENT (RUM) WITH UNITED WAY TO BE DISTRIBUTED WHERE THEY ARE NEEDED MOST AND HAVE THE GREATEST IMPACT. FUNDS ARE GRANTED TO LOCAL NONPROFITS THAT ARE WORKING TO LIFT FAMILIES OUT OF POVERTY WITH AN EMPHASIS ON OUR HISTORICALLY MARGINALIZED POPULATIONS OR COMMUNITIES (I.E. COMMUNITIES OF COLOR AND THE LATINX POPULATION). A GROUP OF DIVERSE COMMUNITY VOLUNTEERS REVIEW THE REQUESTS EACH YEAR AND RECOMMEND FUNDING ALLOCATIONS. NINETEEN PROGRAMS WERE FUNDED IN 2021-22.

COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS AND PROGRAMS PARTNERSHIPS INCLUDE BUT NOT LIMITED TO ALAMANCE ACHIEVES; NONPROFIT LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE FOR ALAMANCE COUNTY'S NONPROFIT SECTOR; JUSTICE ADVISORY COUNCIL FOR STEPPING UP; JUVENILE CRIME PREVENTION COUNCIL; ALAMANCE COUNTY DEPT. OF SOCIAL SERVICES; ALAMANCE HOUSING COMMITTEE; LOCAL AREA FOOD PANTRIES. MOST RECENTLY, WE ARE FOCUSING ON HOUSING BY HIRING A HOUSING SPECIALIST THROUGH A GRANT TO SYSTEMATICALLY ADDRESS HOUSING INEQUITIES IN THE COUNTY. ACCESS TO QUALITY, AFFORDABLE HOUSING IS A PRESSING ISSUE AND THE HOUSING SPECIALIST IS WORKING TO CREATE AN EFFICIENT CONTINUUM OF HOUSING RESOURCES AS WELL AS IDENTIFYING NEW SOLUTIONS/PROJECTS. COMMUNITY COUNCIL IS AN ORGANIZATION OF NONPROFITS, COMMUNITY MEMBERS, GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS, ETC. THAT MEET MONTHLY TO DISCUSS PERTINENT AND PRESSING ISSUES. THE COMMUNITY COUNCIL BLOG, WITH OVER 400 SUBSCRIBERS, DISSEMINATES INFORMATION FOR NONPROFITS (EVENTS, RESOURCES, NEEDS, PROGRAMS, ETC.). COMMUNITY COUNCIL IS A PLATFORM USED TO DISCUSS PRESSING ISSUES IN THE COMMUNITY AND INTRODUCE NEW PARTNERSHIPS TO FILL SERVICE GAPS. VOLUNTEER INCOME TAX ASSISTANCE (VITA) PROGRAM IS COMPOSED OF IRS TRAINED VOLUNTEERS THAT ASSIST LOW INCOME (57,000 OR BELOW), DISABLED OR VETERANS IN FILING THEIR TAX RETURNS. 281 RETURNS WERE PREPARED IN 2022 WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF 12 VOLUNTEERS PREPARING TAXES IN PERSON AND VIRTUALLY, AND ONE STAFF PERSON TO OVERSEE THE PROGRAM. 327,792 WERE BROUGHT BACK IN REFUNDS TO THE COUNTY. THIS YEAR, WE ASSISTED WITH ADVOCACY EFFORTS AROUND THE EARNED INCOME TAX CREDIT (EITC) BECAUSE THERE IS SIGNIFICANT DATA LINKING CERTAIN HEALTH OUTCOMES LIKE MENTAL HEALTH AND CHILD/MATERNAL HEALTH TO THE EITC. THROUGH THE WORK WITH THE VITA PROGRAM, WE RECEIVED A GRANT TO HIRE A PUBLIC BENEFITS NAVIGATOR TO ENROLL PEOPLE IN ELIGIBLE BENEFITS, WITH AN EMPHASIS ON THE ACA MARKETPLACE.

211 IS A 24/7/365 FREE RESOURCE AND REFERRAL HOTLINE THAT WORKS TO CONNECT PEOPLE TO HOUSING, FOOD, HEALTHCARE, TRANSPORTATION, AND MANY OTHERS. IN THE LAST YEAR, 4,837 CALLS HAVE BEEN MADE TO 211 FROM THOSE LIVING IN ALAMANCE COUNTY. TOP CALLER NEEDS CONTINUE TO BE HOUSING (RENT/MORTGAGE ASSISTANCE/EMERGENCY SHELTER) AND UTILITY ASSISTANCE.