June 2024
Metro United Way Impact Tracker
This impact tracker is updated on a monthly basis to share highlights of the work that we do every day to help make our community better for everyone!
There’s nothing more important than making sure our community’s children have what they need to thrive. LEARN MORE
- La Casita’s natural playground build is completed and an official opening was hosted in early June. Metro United Way partnered with Bernheim Forest and Community Coordinated Child Care (4-C) to plan the build which was funded through Louisville Metro Government’s Early Childhood ARP funding.
- Recent stories from the Ages & Stages Developmental Screening Hub:
- An unhoused mom was not able to enroll her child into JCPS preschool without a current address and was overwhelmed with the process of trying to navigate the system. She had given up with the Hub contacted her. With permission from the mom, the Hub spoke to JCPS and determined the next steps. The child will now start preschool in August.
- The Hub recently spoke with a family who graduated from the program a few years ago. One of the children is now a junior in high school and an officer in the ROTC program. When the family joined Play Cousins, her daughter didn’t know how to interact with other children. By going on outings like KMAC she learned these skills. She expressed how much Ms. Sapphire inspired her daughter with her compassion. Her daughter now mentors other children in the community because of her experience with Ms. Sapphire and Play Cousins collective.
- Since the last Impact Tracker, the Ages & Stages (ASQ) Developmental Screening Hub (The Hub) has provided 27 families with referrals to needed services through our pediatric outreach initiative.
- Our Youth Success Network recently held a End of Year Celebration on May 30th with 55 Youth Success Network partner representatives. We celebrated six individuals who attended at least ten of our 32 professional development offerings with MUW Youth Success Certificates and a Linked In Badge at the event.
- On July 2, 2024 we will be hosting the young people from TECH-nique, a Youth Success Network partner and one of ten Youth Social Action Project recipients, who will be presenting their engaging and interactive workshop titled “Artificial Intelligence: What do WE need to know?”
- Through our 36 Little Free Libraries in Louisville, we distribute about 3,000 books a month! Thank you to the volunteers who make this happen! This initiative was recently featured in the Towne Post Network (click here or below):
When we have strong households, we are creating pathways out of poverty to prosperity, which is a win for us all. LEARN MORE
- Each month, more participants in our financial coaching efforts show gains in their financial lives. To date,
- 25 individuals have increased their income by a median of $7,932
- 66 have increased their savings by $678
- 45 have raised their credit score by 26 points
- 59 have decreased debt by $2,000
- Several of our Siemer Institute partners convened at a national summit last month to learn from each other and strategize ways of achieving the most impact for stabilizing families with children. Last year the national effort reached over 20,000 families and 44,000 children to advance stability in housing, income, and education. Louisville remains a strong performer in all areas of success, exceeding the national community averages. One of our local partners, Kristie Adams of Family Scholar House, was a featured speaker at the convening to advance the network’s understanding of two-generation learning approaches and trauma-informed care.
- Our first FundBLACKFounders cohort of underrepresented entrepreneurs in the program continues to receive coaching to effectively build communities of champions for raising additional capital to grow their businesses. We are in the planning stage for a culminating event this fall to highlight the successes of these pioneering founders – stay tuned!
- Metro United Way and other partnering organizations, under the leadership of Kentuckiana Works, are developing a toolkit to promote understanding of how employers can create inviting and inclusive workplaces for young adults of color. This resource will help local businesses diversify their workforces and advance goals while improving economic opportunities for underrepresented individuals. We look forward to sharing the product of these efforts when once completed.
- Our pilot initiative with 16 JCPS schools and the Elev8 Academic center has been finalized for United Community. Training took place the first week of June, and the community organizations will be identified soon. While all schools have access to the platform, we are investing time in 16 schools surrounding our priority neighborhoods to focus on eliminating barriers to student basic needs.
- We recently launched a new United Community events landing page that has upcoming events as well as a subscribe form: metrounitedway.org/united-community-events.
- Metro United Way and the Muhammad Ali Center hosted the fifth annual Greatest Give Back on Thursday, June 6. The project attracted 600 volunteers who filled 2,500 backpacks with school supplies and 2,500 hygiene kits with essentials! Fifty nonprofits in the Greater Louisville region benefited from the project. Thank you to our sponsors: Muslim Aid, Yum! Brands, and Aetna.
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
- We conducted Racial Wealth Gap Simulations with UPS and Amazon, providing these organizations with a deeper understanding of systemic economic disparities and equipping them with tools to foster greater equity.
- During the past month, our work with the Black L.O.V.E. Philanthropic Partnership (BLPP) has seen significant progress and engagement. We hosted a productive meeting where we continued to establish the foundational principles of BLPP and conducted our first Education Session for quarter 1. This session included insightful presentations and discussions that helped solidify our goals and strategies moving forward. These meetings have been instrumental in fostering a strong, collaborative environment among cohort members and advancing our collective mission.
- As part of our Young Men United program, we concluded our final College and Career Readiness session at the DuBois Academy and held a “Love Notes” session, both aimed at preparing young men for future success.
- Words of wisdom from acclaimed author, journalist, and activist Ta-Nehisi Coates. We had the pleasure of hosting him as our latest Beyond Buzzwords speaker on June 11. Register for our next event & don’t miss the inspiration and knowledge!
- MUW’s Director of Equitable Community, Trent Findley, represented our efforts on a violence prevention panel discussion hosted by Jewish Career and Family Services, contributing to community dialogue and strategies to reduce violence. These activities highlight our ongoing commitment to addressing systemic issues and empowering communities. Read the WHAS11 article here or click below.
