United Way Wrap – April 2017

GREENVILLEJOURNAL GREENVILLEJOURNAL.COM • Friday, April 7, 2017 • Vol.19, No.14

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OUR COMMUNITY IS WORTH FIGHTING FOR Greenville County is often recognized as one of the best places to live in America.

United Way is committed to making that true for all of our neighbors.

With support from our community, we are fighting for the educational success and financial stability of every person in Greenville County.

Join the fight with us.

LIFE ESSENTIALS

TOGETHER,

WE’RE BUILDING A CYCLE OF SUCCESS.

OUR VISION

We all want Greenville County to be a thriving community where everyone has the opportunity to live a safe, stable and successful life. Meeting basic needs provides an important foundation, but it’s not enough. Together, we fight for long-term solutions that help individuals and families build a Cycle of Success, where

• children start school prepared to learn and go on to graduate

• well-educated graduates find good jobs and create stable homes

• children from stable homes continue the cycle because they start school on track and prepared for success

TODAY IN OUR COMMUNITY 1,200 Greenville County residents are homeless.

1 in 3 people

(170,000) can’t meet basic financial needs.

52% of students (38,000) are on free/reduced lunch.

70,000 people live in poverty. 20,000 are children. 1,500 babies are

born into poverty each year.

$15,080 is the average annual income of workers without a high school diploma.

$42,133 is the annual

household income ($19.94 hourly wage) needed for a family of three to meet basic financial needs.

Only 50% of 3rd-5th graders are meeting or exceeding expectations in English Language Arts and math, based on the results of state testing.

OUR RESPONSE Problem Solving

To help the 70,000 people in our community who live in poverty and the additional 100,000 who can’t make ends meet, United Way of Greenville County uses your support to create opportunities for all through greater access to education, jobs and safety net services. Our approach is unique. We invest in programs and initiatives with proven records of success to deliver results. And, we lead and support partnerships and collaborations to solve shared community challenges.

Investing

Engaging

Innovating

United Way invests in more than 100 community programs and initiatives that help more than 100,000 people each year.

8,637 volunteers donated 41,000 hours of service, resulting in $1 million in economic impact for our community in 2016.

Empowering

Strengthening Nonprofits

100+ people are now empowered community leaders as graduates of the Greenville Dreams Grassroots Leadership Development program.

United Way AmeriCorps members serve 28 Greenville County nonprofits. In 2016, 2,000 people increased financial literacy, 800 people were trained for better jobs, and 131 people opened savings accounts.

Conceived by United Way and strategic partners, OnTrack Greenville is an unprecedented community initiative that is leveraging data and relationships to keep middle school students on track to high school graduation. Fueled by the Social Innovation Fund, United Way and private philanthropy, OnTrack Greenville partners identify the challenges and barriers students face and mobilize the school and community around students and families.

MULTIPLYING YOUR IMPACT Donor support is a springboard that helps United Way secure additional resources that multiply the impact of your contributions even more.

ANNUAL DONOR CONTRIBUTIONS

+

MORE THAN $16M IN ADDITIONAL GRANTS & RESOURCES

=

INCREASED INVESTMENTS IN OUR COMMUNITY

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Together, we help people and families meet basic needs to stabilize their lives. We’re working to ensure that all children and youth meet academic and development milestones that lead to success in college, career and life – and help them on their journey to build a Cycle of Success for themselves and their families.

Below are just a few examples of our collective impact in 2016:

Life Essentials 100,330 people were

helped with basic needs.

School Readiness 15,715 children are better

prepared to start school.

505 families were enrolled in quality child care.

1,800 children received new books through United Way Be a Book Bunny.

2,592 people completed substance abuse treatment programs.

1,686 victims of domestic violence are now in safe homes.

2,261 students benefited from high quality afterschool programs.

Through OnTrack Greenville: 98% of the 540 students visiting Greenville Health System schoolbased health centers returned to class, reducing absences.

16,358 improved their health through medical care and prevention services.

8,000 senior citizens are active in the community through senior engagement programs.

9,340 people are closer to 7,127 students are more

achieving financial stability. prepared for post-high school success.

3,000 students received the school supplies they need to start the first day of school.

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More than 21,000 callers received referrals for basic needs and crisis assistance through United Way 2-1-1.

High School Graduation Financial Stability

94% of the 14,600 families that completed child literacy programs read to their children at least an hour per week.

765 parents have set parenting goals and have increased knowledge of parenting skills.

At a six-month check in, 85% of parents are following through on those goals.

77% of students receiving guidance from Communities In Schools student support specialists improved on goals.

460 students became teen leaders through Greenville County Schools teen leadership courses to help them lead their peers and make healthy decisions.

180 students completing BELL summer learning programs gained one month of learning in English and math.

278 families secured affordable housing. 90% of families placed in affordable housing have remained in affordable housing six months later.

1,721 people completed a workforce training program.

1,293 trained workers received an industry standard certification.

Over 1,500 people found jobs.

40% of those are currently earning a self-sufficient wage.

10,333 people had their tax returns prepared and filed by volunteer tax preparers, returning $12 million to the Upstate and saving $1.5 million in tax prep fees.

562 people increased financial literacy—90% of them have saved money for six consecutive months; 81% improved their debt to income ratio; and 61% increased their credit score.

Raven Daniel is building her Cycle of Success Three years ago, Raven Daniel was facing some pretty tough odds.

As a junior at Wade Hampton High School, she became pregnant. The reality of facing motherhood at such a young age was made even more challenging when the pregnancy became high-risk, forcing her to leave school and stay home on bed rest.

But just when the outlook for a successful future for Raven seemed most bleak, United Way of Greenville County was there to help.

She credits the care and support she received from the United Way-funded Nurse Family Partnership program for not only getting her through the tough times and preparing her for motherhood, but also helping her earn her high school degree and raise a healthy and precocious son, Tristan.

United Way donor-supported childcare scholarships are now making it possible for Tristan to attend a quality childcare program—laying the groundwork for his successful school years—while Raven works towards a more financially stable future by pursuing an associate degree from Greenville Technical College.

Today, the outlook is much brighter for Raven and Tristan. She dreams of one day owning her own boutique, maybe in one of Greenville’s trendy shopping districts, but wants nothing more than to see Tristan continue to build the Cycle of Success they’ve started.

“I know he’s on a great path and I think he’ll continue,” she said. “Our future is brighter because of Nurse-Family Partnership and United Way. It really has made a difference in our lives.”

RAVEN AND TRISTAN

Partner with us in improving our community. Make a contribution. Lend your voice. Share your time.

More information on how you can get involved is always available at unitedwaygc.org.

CONNECT WITH US

United Way of Greenville County

UWGreenvilleSC

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United Way of Greenville County

United Way of Greenville County 105 Edinburgh Court • Greenville, SC 29607 • 864.467.3333

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@UWGreenvilleSC