• Our Child Care Provider Appreciation Day event took place on Friday, May 12 at Neighborhood House to celebrate our community’s providers. Help us honor Child Care Providers today by posting a message on our kudoboard HERE. One big take away from the event: providers need more than words — they need action! We advocate for them because without further investments in our child care centers, we ALL suffer.

  
  

• The Indiana legislature passed new funding for early childhood education and Medicaid while also increasing Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and child care eligibility.
• The Ready for K Alliance’s Access and Quality Action Network Phase 2 proposal funding request was approved by Ready for K’s Guiding Team. This project will launch a Community of Practice (CoP) model for Russell center-based child care providers beginning in June which is dedicated to improving the quality, availability, and accessibility of child care and early childhood development that is culturally responsive and based on the expressed needs of the providers it will serve.
• Referrals from our first Ages & Stages pediatric partner, Norton Broadway, continue to increase. We have received over 15 referrals for children in less than one month! The hub is in the initial stages of expanding our pediatric outreach and partnership initiative to include five pediatric partners.
• The Ages & Stages Developmental Screening Hub received a call from a mom who had been evicted. She needed emergency shelter for herself and two children that evening. We were able to connect her to a shelter for herself and 2 kids for the night, however, she was required to bring her own food. We were able to locate a kids café severing food that evening 2 minutes from her location.
• This week, we convened the awardees of the Youth Social Action Mini Grant. The organizations were awarded $5,000 to complete youth-led social action projects in Jefferson County. The Youth Social Action Project Mini Grant cultivates opportunities for youth in Louisville to be change agents in their communities.
• We will be announcing our Youth Success investments in May – more coming soon!
• Our Youth Success network now has 111 organizations and growing!

• Our first cohort of Black entrepreneurs through our new partnership with FundBLACKFounders were announced at an amazing and inspiring event on Tuesday, May 9! This initiative will include coaching and support to assist with training, capacity-building, raising capital, and identifying customers. Learn more about the entrepreneurs HERE.

  

• If you would like to support Black-owned businesses in our community, learn more about our partnership with FundBLACKFounders by visiting HERE.
• For the new American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Healthcare Workforce Innovation Coalition initiative, we will be leading the coordination of financial coaching support for individuals participating in workforce training, connecting fundraising support to entrepreneurs from marginalized communities, and coordinating consultation for employers to promote inviting workplaces for the diverse populations. Read more about this $40 million investment in our community HERE.
• Through coordination by the Louisville Asset Building Coalition, Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) volunteers served 7,041 individual tax filers during the recently completed tax season which returned over $9 million in tax refunds to hard-working families and represents over $1.7 million in tax preparation fee savings.

​

​

• Each year, the Muhammad Ali Center and Metro United Way partner to host “The Greatest Give Back,” a day of service honoring The Greatest and Louisville’s own humanitarian legend, Muhammad Ali. Join us on Thursday, June 8, 2023, for the 4^thAnnual Greatest Give Back as we work together to TKO the need in our community! This year, 500 community volunteers will work in two shifts to assemble 2200 backpacks filled with school supplies and 2200 Healthy Snack Kits. Learn more and sign up today!

  

• Save the date for two United Community events: Lunch & Learn on Thursday, May 18^th and Convening on Wednesday, May 31. Register HERE and HERE. This convening will highlight policies and efforts that aim to combat the housing crisis and create opportunities for policy change guided by data evidence and informed by the needs of the communities, and the organizations working to serve them.
• MUW’s 42 Little Free Libraries are in need of books. Books can be gently used or new. Click here to learn more about what types of books we need and accept.

  

• We are currently recruiting members to our Community Impact Cabinet from Shelby, Oldham, and Bullitt Counties. Please reach out to robert.gunn@metrounitedway.org if you or someone you know may be interested in this volunteer opportunity.