"UNITED WAY DISTRIBUTES $900,000 TO MEET THE COMMUNITY'S MOST URGENT NEEDS"
Press Release June 4, 2009
For more information contact:
Dennis P. Carman, President & CEO
United Way of Greater Plymouth County
928 West Chestnut Street 2nd Floor
Brockton, MA 02301
Tel. (508) 583-6306 x105
Cell (508) 944-9154
The United Way of Greater Plymouth County has completed its review process of proposals from area charitable organizations vying for United Way funds from this year's United Way campaign. United Way is distributing $900,000 to fund 39 initiatives proposed by twenty local, nonprofit, community partners.
The annual process for allocating United Way funds is conducted by teams of volunteers. Each team was randomly assigned 4 or 5 proposals to review, to conduct site visits and to score the overall applications. These scores were compiled and reported to the Community Impact Committee of the United Way Board for review and for their recommendations to the full United Way Board of Directors for their review and final vote on allocations. Beyond meeting basic fiscal and legal criteria, as well as demonstrating active United Way partnerships, applications are measured based on their "alignment" with one of the six community needs that were identified in the most recent community needs assessment (housing and homelessness, access to health care, life skills and job training, child and youth development, community and youth violence, and basic needs). Applicants are also required to establish concrete outcomes from the initiatives that they are asking United Way to fund. These expectations of United Way funded initiatives are part of a long term shift of most United Ways to what is called a "community impact" model. According to Leo MacNeil, Director of Community Relations for HarborOne and Chair of the United Way Board's Community Impact Committee, "it is inspirational to see compassionate volunteers directing dollars where they will do the most good".
Of the $900,000 being distributed by United Way, $166,099 will fund life skills and job training initiatives, $$150,411 will fund basic needs (shelter and food) initiatives, $125,800 will fund after school, child care and youth development initiatives, $112,010 will fund housing and homelessness initiatives, $102,680 will fund domestic, youth and community violence initiatives, and $78,000 will fund access to health care, health insurance and drug prescription coverage. As part of this year's $166,099 allocation for life skills and job training, United Way has awarded Catholic Charities South in partnership with the Plymouth Area Coalition for the Homeless and Mayflower RSVP $85,000 for the second year of its life skills and job training program for homeless families from the towns of Plymouth, Kingston, Middleboro and Carver.
United Way will also continue to supply $25,000 in funding for a statewide Mass 211 call center to aid area residents locate needed area health and human services as well as $55,000 in funding for local information, referral and advocacy services through BAMSI's Helpline.
Dennis Carman, President & CEO of United Way of Greater Plymouth County expressed his appreciation for the generosity of the local businesses and citizens of greater Plymouth County. "Given that these very challenging economic times have given rise to unprecedented demand for services, we are so very thankful to the community for their financial contributions to United Way and for their volunteering with our non profit, community partners".