WHAT WE DO
United Way of Whitewater Valley supports programs that address early childhood education, youth success, economic mobility, and access to healthcare. These targeted areas are all equally important to us because all four must be lifted up and supported to build strong thriving communities. A simpler way to put it: there’s no one good place to start in order to improve things for the people in the Whitewater Valley. For example, people often have more economic mobility if they had access to quality early childhood education – but early childhood education can be negatively impacted if there is limited access to healthcare support, if a child’s parents’ economic mobility options are stunted, and so on.
HOW WE DO IT
Complicated problems require the work of many people to make headway. United Way of Whitewater Valley’s role is to work with companies, governments, nonprofits, and other community organizations to:
Identify the needs of the community.
Determine the root cause of these needs.
Facilitate collaboration between organizations.
Fund organizations addressing the needs of the community.
United Way of Whitewater Valley (UWWV) examines the charitable organizations to ensure their impact, outcomes, and effectiveness are genuine and best-suited to address our local needs. Every program must meet a need, address the root cause of this need, and create outcomes of change in one of our four focus areas. UWWV also helps businesses achieve their corporate social responsibility objectives by providing an easy way for employers to give back to their community in a trusted format that leverages the collective impact from all of their employee donors. The ability to give is multiplied as each donation is combined with others.
United Way of Whitewater Valley
Our Program: More Than Words
More Than Words is a program fully funded by United Way of Whitewater Valley. It seeks to connect schools, businesses, and community organizations in order to give kids and families a vision for how we live and work together in Wayne and Union Counties. Each month More Than Words has a focus value word. These value words directly support endeavors that are important to community advancement.
Did You Know in Wayne and Union Counties?
Our Focus Areas
Childhood Success
Our investment in local agencies ensures that children have the best chance early in life to enter school ready and be successful in primary school. This can be as simple as a scholarship to a local daycare facility or increased access to age-appropriate reading material to encourage parents and children to read together.
Over the last year,
- 422 children were able to access quality early childhood programs.
- 113 children received books and reading support.
- 365 family members or caregivers were empowered with knowledge and resources to support their child’s learning.
Youth Success
United Way of Whitewater Valley supports improving the circumstances for our children because so much of what happens in their adult life is established by the access to resources they have in childhood.
We invest in programs aimed at helping youth gain the knowledge, skills, and credentials to build a bright and successful future. Because of our incredible program partners who ensure our local youth thrive,
- 797 youth developed career-ready skills such as time management, communication, teamwork, and self-confidence.
- 71% of middle and high school students served are passing core subjects in school.
- 7,140 youth participated in out-of-school programs which help improve student work-study habits and engagement in school.
Economic Mobility
Investing in our partners helps individuals and families improve their socioeconomic status and be part of a thriving community. For example, just having access to the internet at home impacts ease of applying for jobs, accessing financial services and apps, and access to education. (Source: 2020 ALICE In Indiana Report)
Thanks to the work of our partners,
- 68 individuals and families gained access to services and supports to improve financial stability and affordable housing access.
- 100% of individuals and families served increased their disposable income and/or reduced household costs.
Access to Health
United Way of Whitewater Valley supports access to health by organizing funding to help program partners achieve their goals in Union County and Wayne County. Over the last year,
- 6,876 children and adults improved their overall health by exercising regularly and accessing fresh, healthy food options through efforts to combat food insecurity.
- 90% of people served reported reducing or avoiding risky behaviors.
- 5,271 people were able to access healthcare support, such as preventative care, mental health treatment and counseling, and services for people with physical disabilities.
Why We Do It
To put it simply, a strong start in education puts children on the right path. Economic mobility support helps parents find quality jobs and become financially stable. Access to healthy food and quality healthcare ensure parents are able to work and children can focus in the classroom. Supported children are then able to go on to lead empowered lives and give back to their community – further uplifting Union and Wayne Counties. United Way of Whitewater Valley supports programs that address these needs and promote stronger communities.
