United Way 2021 Q3 Impact Report

community Impact Report

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We’re on a mission to unite our community and spark change.

engagement

new United Way virtual community! (See below for details.)

100%

of student parents surveyed said our Brooklyn Family Center provided them with relevant and helpful resources.

Calling All Changemakers! Local media got the word out about the United Way Changemaker Challenge and helped us get so many great entries this year! All four TV stations and leading news outlets spread the word about this tremendous opportunity for local leaders. Some highlights:

July-September 2021

media highlights

uwcm.org

BUILDING STRONGER FAMILIES—AND STRONGER NEIGHBORHOODS In September, we marked the completion of Phase I of the Family Center in our Neighborhood Zone in Poppleton. Joining us were representatives from Baltimore City Public Schools, The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation, Lowe's, Southwest Partnership, and the Maryland Family Network, who, along with many others, played an integral role in creating this Family Center at Excel Academy, which will provide teen students with free childcare and enriching early childhood education. Programs offered through this Neighborhood Zone will also include in-home, supportive services, counseling support, and quick referrals to critical health and human services for community residents. Check out photos from the day and the Family Center here.

highlights

Our events and activities this quarter generated financial support and built awareness of critical needs in our key focus areas: housing, health, economic advancement, and education.

Impact

Highlights

Engagement

Media Highlights

school supply drives helped make sure local kids were well prepared for a new school year.

finalists in our Changemaker Challenge who will propel the work of local leaders.

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HOMETEAM HEROES SUPPORT! Adding to the many features of our Neighborhood Zone in Poppleton, Ravens star player Calais Campbell joined United Way and Lowe’s to kick off this season’s Hometeam Heroes program by getting their hands dirty: building the United Way Kids’ Garden at the Allen AME Church. The garden will be used as an outdoor learning tool for children at the Family Center.

WE ASKED, THEY ANSWERED We recently surveyed parenting students at our Neighborhood Zone in our Brooklyn Family Center on how we were doing. This Family Center provides free, onsite daycare and holistic services, and their responses confirmed that we are providing what’s needed, where it’s needed to help them and their young children.

100% said they received relevant and helpful resources 88% felt supported by our staff 88% said our teachers were easy to contact and responded quickly Parents also said they had built a stronger connection with their child and received tools and resources to help them with their parenting goals.

We love our volunteers!

I finished strong due to the Family Center support. My relationship [with my child] and parenting is so amazing because the staff always helped me overcome any hardship! They gave me advice on how to be a great mother in any situation.

Always keep that energy, love, care, patience, etc. with the babies and mommies because that makes us feel amazing. To me, when I saw how y’all treat [my child] and myself, I felt so loved, supported, and motivated!

AMPLIFYING THE IMPACT OF LOCAL LEADERS We know the people best equipped to drive meaningful, local change are community leaders. In July, we announced our United Way Changemaker Challenge finalists. We’ll be granting a total of $500,000 to people and nonprofit organizations across our region who have big ideas to strengthen lives and communities. Finalists' entries have included innovative approaches to accessing healthy food, mental health support, digital access, stable housing, expanded equity, early childhood and youth education, and more. Stay tuned for our next report to learn more about the winners, who are big thinkers ready to implement ideas for change! And listen to past Changemaker Challenge grant recipients in our most recent podcast.

DO YOU KNOW HOW WE DO WHAT WE DO? Explore United Way’s virtual community to see our work in action. This online experience provides a fun and interactive way to see how we provide what’s needed, where it’s needed, across Central Maryland. Check it out here!

OUR BOSS ROCKS! United Way President and CEO Franklyn Baker was recently honored by the Baltimore Business Journal with a Power 10 Award and by The Daily Record as a Most Admired CEO. These awards celebrate leaders in our region for their leadership, vision, and record of achievements in—and commitment to—our community. Congratulations to our leader, who embodies boldness and compassion!

CREDENTIALS MATTER The Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) recently issued United Way a three-year accreditation—the highest level offered—for our Neighborhood Zone in Brooklyn. CARF accredits health and human service providers that demonstrate proficiency and value while also enabling us to more competitively pursuing federal, state, and local dollars to advance our work.

MAKING BACK-TO-SCHOOL BETTER After two difficult school years, we wanted to make sure students—and teachers—got the best possible start in 2021. Our amazing volunteers and donors stepped up to provide school supplies; spruce up outdoor spaces with painting, gardening, and landscaping projects; and give a teachers’ lounge a TV-worthy makeover! And family friendly summer volunteer activities brought out dedicated volunteers of all ages for a fun variety of gardening, harvesting, and beautification projects across Greater Baltimore.

YOUR MISSION…IF YOU CHOOSE TO ACCEPT IT… Are your kids too young for the latest James Bond movie? Looking for a fun way keep them busy while doing good at the same time? Then register them for our Mission Possible giveback challenge! Mission Possible boxes include seven projects for your child to complete, each one focused on the value of giving back. Interested? Watch this video to see what the experience will be like! Your purchase of a Mission Possible box will benefit United Way’s initiative to bring Wi-Fi to underserved communities--all proceeds support our Digital Access Fund. More information will be coming soon! Interested in being a corporate sponsor for this initiative? Help us distribute more kits to the community and engage more kids. Contact Beth Littrell at beth.littrell@uwcm.org for information.

THAT’S THE (COMMUNITY) SPIRIT! United Way’s Community Impact Leadership Institute recently hosted Pickett Slater Harrington, founder and managing principal at Joltage, and partner in our work to expand our Neighborhood Zones, for a session on the ABCDs--Asset Based Community Development. ABCD builds on the assets that are already found in the community and mobilizes individuals, associations, and institutions to come together to build on their assets—not concentrate on their needs. And WYPR’s Aaron Henkin, who produced the award-winning series Out of the Blocks, led a conversation on building connections and deep conversations when walking into neighborhoods that aren't your own. Our Institute’s fall line-up is great—sign up for an upcoming session today!

With more than 400 media mentions this quarter, we’re happy the good news about our work is being shared far and wide! We couldn’t do all that we do without our supporters and volunteers—and the entire United Way team!

The Afro The Baltimore Sun WJZ-TV WBFF-TV WMAR-TV WBAL-TV

Everyone Needs a Place to Call Home. We’re helping even more people avoid eviction and homelessness through our expanded STEP Program (Strategic Targeted Eviction Prevention).

Featured in the Baltimore Sun: Article 1 Article 2 Article 3 WYPR WMAR

Back to School After a tumultuous couple of years, some normalcy returned as we helped students and teachers start the new school year on a positive note!

WBFF-TV WJZ-TV WBFF-TV Hometown Hotspot WMAR-TV #1 WMAR-TV #2

July-September 2021