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HEY BUCKEYE FANS! JOIN US FOR UNITED RIVALS TO RAISE FUNDS TO FEED KIDS AND BEAT MICHIGAN
October 28th, 2024As the Ohio vs. Michigan football rivalry heats up, Buckeye fans are being called to rally behind another competition: United Rivals. From Nov. 18 to Nov. 30, United Way of Central Ohio is challenging fans to donate to fight childhood food insecurity while aiming to beat Michigan in a two-week fundraising competition with United Way for Southeastern Michigan. Donations made to United Way of Central Ohio through UnitedRivals.org will directly support programs that provide meals to children in central Ohio who are at risk of hunger during out of school time. Every contribution counts, and fans who donate $50 or more will receive a limited-edition, scarlet and grey LIVE UNITED t-shirt. PLUS: Every $25 you give at UnitedRivals.org from Nov. 18 to midnight, Nov. 24 entitles you to an entry in a drawing for a Beat Michigan Package that includes two tickets to the OSU vs. Michigan game on Nov. 30, a parking pass and an invitation to tailgate before the game with former OSU player Mike Doss and his friends! “United Rivals is a fun way for Buckeye fans to channel their rivalry with Michigan into something that makes a real impact in our community,” said Lisa Courtice, President…
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United Ways Mobilize to Support Communities Impacted by Hurricane Helene
September 30th, 2024United Way Worldwide and local United Ways in states and communities impacted by Hurricane Helene have established emergency and disaster relief funds to assist in recovery efforts from this devasting disaster. These critical funds will help meet short-term, storm-related needs and support the long-term recovery efforts in the hardest hit areas. In times of disaster, United Ways quickly mobilize resources to assist those in need, so no individual, family or community faces a crisis alone. If you would like to donate and support efforts to help families and communities recover, please consider giving to one of these United Ways: United Way of North Carolina: https://www.unitedwaync.org/ United Way of Florida: https://www.uwof.org/disaster-recovery-fund United Way Southwest Louisiana: https://unitedwayswla.org/news/united-way-leads-disaster-relief-efforts-hurricane-helene-victims United Way of the Big Bend: https://uwbb.org/disaster-recovery-resources/ United Way of Pasco County: https://www.unitedwaypasco.org/ United Way Worldwide: https://www.unitedway.org/hurricane-helene
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United Way Board of Trustees Approves Endorsement of LinkUS Ballot Issue
September 26th, 2024The board of trustees for United Way of Central Ohio voted unanimously on Thursday, Sept. 26 to endorse COTA’s LinkUs initiative, which will appear on the Franklin County ballot in November. LinkUS will require passage of .5% sales tax to raise $6 billion of the $8 billion needed to implement the plan. LinkUS is a comprehensive transportation and development initiative aimed at enhancing mobility and connectivity in central Ohio. By expanding public transit services, improving sidewalks, bike lanes and trails, LinkUS seeks to create a more accessible and equitable transportation system that supports community growth and connects residents to jobs, housing and recreational opportunities. It is the view of United Way and its board that LinkUS is critical to the long-term success of low-income residents, the nonprofit sector and the future of central Ohio. LinkUS will support families and workers by reducing transportation costs and increasing access to housing, health care, education and community services. Ultimately, this initiative aims to strengthen the region by fostering vibrant, walkable communities that accommodate the area’s rapid population growth. Read the full United Way resolution endorsing LinkUS here.
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United Way Hosts Literacy Roundtable at CIC for State Legislators
September 24th, 2024United Way of Central Ohio and Success by Third Grade hosted a roundtable discussion on Monday, Sept. 23 at the Community Impact Center to shed light on the critical issue of youth literacy. A number of local state representatives from the Ohio House of Representatives and Ohio Senate, along with legislative aides, were in attendance to discuss literacy rates in Franklin County and the impact low literacy rates have on our children, our workforce and our communities. Led by Lisa S. Courtice, United Way’s President & CEO, and Cheryl Wyatt, Vice President of Success by Third Grade, the discussion focused on barriers to reading proficiency and the long-term consequences of low literacy rates. Participants also discussed solutions for improving literacy rates, including collaboration between nonprofits and government entities and officials, as well as policies and funding that could address the issue. Learn more about the Success by Third Grade movement and how United Way works to improve reading proficiency by identifying and tackling nonacademic barriers. Our vision is to mobilize the caring power of our community to put every child in Franklin County on a pathway to success by the time they leave third grade.
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Springfield Unity Fund Established to Strengthen Haitian Families and Community
September 19th, 2024In response to the growing needs of Springfield’s Haitian families and offers of support coming from across the United States and beyond, United Way of Clark, Champaign & Madison Counties has launched the Springfield Unity Fund. Donations to this targeted fund directly support nonprofits with boots on the ground providing critical direct services to Springfield’s Haitian families as they work to successfully integrate into the community. These donations will be distributed with urgency as we unite to eliminate the strain on Springfield’s social services and maintain community stability by investing in the well-being of its Haitian families. Donate and learn more here, or text unityfund to 53555: As the backbone nonprofit of the region, United Way of Clark, Champaign & Madison Counties is a trusted organization in convening community resources to address critical needs. United Way’s focus has long supported providing access to essential services for the community. These services include pre-K education, English language courses, driving instruction and much more. The Haitian community, which has recently garnered significant attention in Springfield, is no exception. “The Springfield Unity Fund will allow people across the nation to quickly and effectively provide targeted support to our Haitian families, as we work together…
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Volunteers Turn Out in Force for Stuff the Backpack to Support Students
August 12th, 2024United Way of Central Ohio is thrilled to announce the success of our 2024 Stuff the Backpack event! This incredible initiative brought together over 550 passionate volunteers who have made a difference in our community, ensuring that thousands of children start the school year with the supplies they need to succeed. View photos of the event here. On Tuesday, Aug. 6, volunteers showed up in full force, dedicating their time and energy across three bustling shifts. Together, they stuffed, quality-checked and boxed an astounding 10,000 backpacks. Filled with essential school supplies, these backpacks joined 10,000 more backpacks stuffed at NBC4 events and all 20,000 backpacks are now in the hands of students across Franklin, Licking, Fairfield and Union County school districts. The success of this event, now in its third year, is a testament to the incredible spirit of our community. Employees from 54 different organizations across central Ohio rolled up their sleeves and joined the effort. But the story doesn’t end there. Thanks to the generosity of our community, over $30,000 was raised to cover the cost of school supplies, along with over $100,000 in corporate support. While Stuff the Backpack ensures students start the school year with the…
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United Way Announces Funding for 75 Central Ohio Nonprofits for Third Grade Success
July 26th, 2024United Way of Central Ohio’s board of trustees has approved over $5.3 million in funding for 75 local nonprofits and 96 programs serving our community’s families and children. These funds are dedicated to supporting Success by Third Grade, which focuses on eliminating nonacademic barriers to help families thrive and children succeed in school and in life. Download the list of funded nonprofits here. Success by Third Grade is a collective impact movement that brings together individuals, nonprofits, corporations, school districts and governments to ensure children achieve reading proficiency by the time they leave third grade, setting them on a path for long-term success. This funding cycle runs from July 2024 to June 2025 and will focus on three primary areas: ensuring that children are safe and supported at school, promoting home and family stability, and enhancing child well-being. Our goal is to address these critical areas to help children succeed both academically and in their overall quality of life. Currently in Franklin County, 47% of students in school districts that participate in Success by Third Grade can read proficiently by third grade, compared to 77% in nonparticipating districts. Our target goal is to cut this 30-point proficiency gap in half…
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Join Stuff the Backpack 2024 to Support our Local Students
July 3rd, 2024Join United Way of Central Ohio, NBC4 and the Columbus Crew for this year’s Stuff the Backpack on Aug. 6 at Lower.com Field! You’ll enjoy fun, food and games while helping us stuff 10,000 backpacks with the supplies our local students need to start school feeling confident, prepared and ready to learn. See Cheryl Wyatt, our VP of Success by Third Grade, on Daytime Columbus talking about Stuff the Backpack and Success by Third Grade. Now in its seventh year, Stuff the Backpack has provided over 200,000 students across central Ohio with basic school supplies. Last year, our community showed up in force! We had over 500 volunteers join us, and they packed 1,500 backpacks in just 45 minutes. This year, in partnership with Besa, we are prepared to welcome 700 volunteers to pack 10,000 backpacks during three shifts throughout the day. REGISTER TODAY There will be loads of fun and raffle prizes, and food will be provided by our generous partner Condado Tacos. We’re also grateful for our supporting sponsors, Big Lots and Grange, for contributing a portion of the supplies and backpacks that make Stuff the Backpack a success. To meet our ambitious goal of getting 10,000…
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ALICE Report Reveals Number of Households Struggling to Meet Basic Needs Rising in Franklin County
May 22nd, 2024Though wages for the lowest-paid jobs have risen across the country at the fastest rate in four decades, the number of households struggling to get by in Ohio and Franklin County is rising, according to a new update from United Way of Central Ohio and its research partner, United For ALICE. The report, “ALICE in the Crosscurrents: An Update on Financial Hardship in Ohio,” reveals that about 1.9 million of the 4.9 million households in Ohio, or 39%, were living below the ALICE Threshold in 2022, a figure that encompasses both those in poverty and those classified as ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed). These hardworking individuals—such as child care providers, home health aides, cashiers—struggle to make ends meet in our current economy, but earn above the Federal Poverty Level, which is based on food prices established in the 1970s and indexed to inflation, meaning it doesn’t capture the reality of essential household expenses like health care, food and child care. That sobering reality underscores the financial struggles experienced by a significant portion of households in the region despite being employed. For instance, the basic costs for a family of four with an infant and a preschooler to live and…
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2023 Annual Report: A Century United. A Future Ignited.
May 21st, 2024You can see the impact your gifts have made by downloading and reading the 2023 Annual Report here. The accomplishments of United Way of Central Ohio over the past 100 years were made possible thanks to individual and corporate donors and volunteers, along with many community partnerships. We are grateful to the thousands of supporters who have united with us since our first campaign in 1923. Together as one community, we’ve strengthened families and supported youth so they can become the dreamers and doers of tomorrow. In 2023, you helped us raise and invest more than $3.6 million to strengthen families by assisting with basic needs and over $4.02 million to help students achieve success. For example, your gifts were instrumental in providing nutritious food to more than 423,850 neighbors with food insecurity, and resources and opportunities to over 12,300 students. Thank you for joining us in building a stronger, more equitable central Ohio for everyone.
