There’s nothing more important than making sure our community’s children have what they need to thrive. LEARN MORE
- Our Ready for K Alliance is providing an online professional development opportunity to child care providers. This training session is for early childhood educators seeking to enhance their skills in engaging and collaborating with parents. So far we have 100 providers registered.
- The MUW public policy team has launched a new initiative, Advocacy Action Grants to be issued to Ready for K partners to build their capacity to support policy priorities and participate in MUW’s Live United Day on Tuesday, February 20.
- A family enrolled their first child into MUW’s Ages and Stages (ASQ) program in 2012. Eleven years later, all four of her children have participated and graduated from the program.
- Through MUW’s United Community, our ASQ team connected a young mom to Jefferson County Adult Education GED Classes. She is now enrolled and on her way to a GED.
- A single mother of two was unable to enroll her child into Head Start due to not being able to afford the fee for a certified copy her birth certificate. Due to her lack of child care and family support, this mom was also unable to work. Working with multiple other organizations, our ASQ team found a way to obtain the needed documents and the mother can now proceed with enrolling her daughter into Head Start.
- We received the following message from a mom: “Thanks for all the resources – it’s something I have truly learned from, valued, and appreciated! Looking forward into starting the next round with our seven week old, soon. Thanks again!”
- A mom whose child had been recently diagnosed with a delay reached out to our ASQ team feeling very overwhelmed and unsure of what to do while waiting for her child to receive services. We were able to provide her with multiple resources for things she can do with the child at home as well as connect her to other agencies specializing in her child’s diagnosis.
- Our Youth Success Network (YSN) Continues to grow and 29 grassroots organizations have completed organizational development and capacity building work. Because of our partnership with Louisville Metro Government, Office of Safe and Healthy Neighborhoods, Youth Engagement Services they are all now eligible for $6,800.00 in beneficiary grants. We processed $170,000.00 in payments to eligible Youth Success Network Partner grassroots organization this month.
- We launched our Build-a-Bed program in 2017, to date we have built 741 beds for children who need them. Our next event will take place at Prosser Carrer and Education Center on Saturday, February 10, 2024 and will include seven of the eight public school systems and a projection of 203 additional beds.
When we have strong households, we are creating pathways out of poverty to prosperity, which is a win for us all. LEARN MORE
- Our financial coaching partners engaged through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) workforce grant have been hard at work since we launched our effort last summer. Currently, we have served 117 individuals, and many are already realizing positive results listed as follows: 35 participants have reduced debt, 17 have improved their credit, 41 have increased their savings, and 11 have improved their income.
- We have recently added two new partners to our network of providers who are working to increase the financial security of families, so their children have every opportunity to be successful in school. A warm welcome is extended to Salvation Army of Southern Indiana in Floyd County and Turnaround Resource Center in Bullitt County.
- Our first Louisville FundBLACKFounders cohort has begun launching their crowdfunding campaigns. To date, our founders have raised over $102,000 toward their campaigns with support from 1,700 community members. You can learn more about and support the local entrepreneurs here: https://www.fundblackfounders.com/. Metro United Way will match the entrepreneurs’ campaigns up to $25,000. This innovative program supports early-stage startups founded by underrepresented entrepreneurs, helping them to bring their ideas to life and grow their businesses.
- A service supported by Metro United Way has achieved incredible impact over the last 20+ years and is about to do more! The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program provides free tax return preparation for individuals and families with household incomes up to $66,000. Since its inception in 2002, the Louisville Asset Building Coalition has prepared over 148,000 returns resulting in over $224 million in refunds including the valuable Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), and has saved filers an estimated $32 million in tax preparation fees. The EITC is credited with lifting more families out of poverty than any other government program and is also correlated with increased workforce participation, healthier birthweight babies, and children doing better in school. The 2024 tax season has now begun! Please help us spread the word by visiting this link to learn more about VITA and how to access this valuable resource.
- Indiana United Ways (IUW), the state membership association for 42 of Indiana’s 44 United Ways serving Indiana counties, including Metro United Way’s service area of Clark, Floyd, and Harrison counties, is pleased to announce a new Statewide Capital Projects Initiative (SCPI), supported by Lilly Endowment Inc. The Initiative will award $80 million in capital project matching grants to select nonprofit organizations between 2024-2028. All eligible nonprofits with real estate projects based in our Southern Indiana region that are directly associated with providing essential health and human services can apply in collaboration with Metro United Way. We anticipate the local launch and public promotion to take place in early Sprin 2024. Learn more details about the Initiative and complete an initial eligibility assessment at iuw.org/capitalgrants.
- We send a needs survey twice annually to our nonprofit partners from across our seven-county service area. We have received requests for:
- Collection Drives: winter gear (coats, hats, gloves), personal hygiene items, toilet paper, MUW’s 42 Little Free Libraries – Books for children of all ages
- Impact Kits: Tie-Knot Blankets – 1726, Personal Care Kits – 2747, Laundry Kits – 2895, Financial Literacy Kits – 1105, Healthy Snack Kits – 2652, Diaper Kits – 1106
- If your group or company would like to learn more about hosting a collection drive or kit packing project fill out our interest form: https://metrounitedway.org/volunteer-interest-form/
- We have identified organizations to invest in capacity-building funds to continue our coordination of care efforts through United Community.
- We have successfully launched our Social Needs Think Tanks and have had record attendance (our next meeting is February 8, 2024 at 2pm at Metro United Way)
- We have solidified an implementation plan to serve 15 JCPS schools through United Community in an effort to serve students’ basic needs.
We envision the Greater Louisville region as a place where zip code doesn’t determine destiny and everyone has the opportunity to live up to their full potential. LEARN MORE
- How the street camping ban in Safer Kentucky Act would impact Louisville homeless population
-WAVE3
- Our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Council (DEIC) has represented MUW for The Local Worldchanger project since August 2023 with the University of Louisville’s Center for Positive Leadership alongside the UofL Athletics Department. An update was shared with staff on just how we accomplished goals of finalizing a DEI strategic plan for MUW, increasing understanding and awareness of MUW’s equity work, creating a toolkit for organizations, and spotlighting Black LOVE cohort participants and the work that they do.
- The Black L.O.V.E. Philanthropic Partnership’s next round of investments will launch in February and will total $1 million, split over two years. The objective is to attract and support Black-led social change organizations that align with BLPP’s Live, Own, Vote, Excel principles.
- Our MUW staff participated in a workshop titled “Microaggressions & Micro-Resistance” facilitated by The University of Louisville’s Dr. Cynthia Ganote. In a post-training anonymous evaluation, 100% of respondents rated the overall effectiveness of the workshop either extremely effective or very effective and either agreed or strongly agreed there are changes or improvements they would like to make in their own behavior or practices as a result of attending the training seminar.
- The Young Men United (YMU) Scholarship, which embodies Metro United Way’s commitment to supporting young male students of color in Jefferson and Shelby counties, will provide a total of $468,000 to 156 recipients to help support their academic and collegiate goals. The scholarships will be awarded beginning in February.
- The Racial Wealth Gap Simulation was shared with the board of directors of One West in Louisville. The public is invited to register for the next Racial Wealth Gap Simulation, which is virtual, scheduled for Wednesday, February 28th at 1:00 pm. Registration opens soon!
- Learn more about how we’re celebrating Black History Month HERE.
