Three Community Collaborations Receive UWCC Funding for 20-21 Grant Cycle
by Angie Matthiessen, Executive Director – United Way of Charlotte County
Some of my favorite things come in 3s.
Neapolitan ice cream (chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry, oh my!). Three strikes and you’re out (Go Braves!). And three priorities at the United Way of Charlotte County (UWCC): Educational Success, Financial Stability, and Health and Wellness. Together these priorities form a strong foundation for our residents, with a long-term goal of reducing poverty.
UWCC donor funds are invested in programs that use a collaborative approach to make a bigger impact on these priorities. UWCC is pleased to announce the recipients of this year’s funding: Kids Thrive!, Charlotte County Reads and Ending Youth and Chronic Homelessness.
Poverty can confront a child before he is even born. Kids Thrive! has become an ally for both baby and mother, educating and supporting expectant mothers to decrease the effects of substances their unborn babies have been exposed to. Postnatally, caregivers receive education and support that bolster health, development, parent-child bonding, and literacy. Kids Thrive! will receive $80,897 in funding through the UWCC 2020-2021 Collaborative Grant.
Charlotte County Reads champions early childhood literacy efforts for elementary school children. Children are matched with a volunteer mentor and enrolled in an afterschool program to strengthen their reading abilities. Studies have shown that 88 percent of students who failed to earn a high school diploma were struggling readers in third grade. Setting students up for educational success early on leads to higher paying careers down the line, delivering a forceful blow in the fight against poverty. Charlotte County Reads will receive $54,230 in funding through the UWCC 2020-2021 Collaborative Grant.
Ending Youth & Chronic Homelessness wraps its arms around individuals lacking the most basic of needs – shelter. Housing first is the key to stability. Once permanency in housing is achieved, complex medical and psychiatric needs are addressed, and those who qualify for disability assistance are guided through the application process, helping many gain financial stability for the first time in a long time. This year they will be coming to the defense of homeless youth in addition to continuing to assist those who are chronically homeless. Ending Youth and Chronic Homelessness will receive $145,302 in funding through the UWCC 2020-2021 Collaborative Grant.
The Community Collaborations that are receiving UWCC funding this year align beautifully with our agency’s priorities. By targeting educational success, financial stability, and health and wellness, we place a firm foundation under our most vulnerable residents. With three Community Collaborations focusing on three priorities we pack three times the PUNCH as we fight poverty in Charlotte County. To see video stories of these community collaborations and learn who is involved, please visit https://www.unitedwayccfl.org/videos.
For more information, please call the United Way of Charlotte County at 941-627-3539. Mission: Mobilizing the power of our community to break the cycle of poverty.
published July 5, 2020 - Port Charlotte Sun