NORTH TEXAS AREA UNITED WAY ANNOUNCES COMMUNITY IMPACT INVESTMENTS
Wichita Falls, Texas: North Texas Area United Way reaffirmed its commitment to graduate more kids, lift families and individuals to financial stability and create a healthier community when its board of directors approved funding to continue implementation of its Community Impact Agenda. United Way will invest more than $2.6 million in more than 25 education, financial stability and health programs.
Over 50 community volunteers, making up the United Way Community Impact Council and subcommittees, met over the past several months reviewing applications for funding and had very healthy conversations about what the greatest needs were in our community and how to address them.
“We’re committed to creating meaningful change in North Texas,” said United Way President and CEO Matt Yell. “One way we help drive change is by investing in the best local education, financial stability and health programs to impact our community’s kids and their families.”
In education, United Way is investing $220,000 to support programs to prepare our kids for kindergarten and help them achieve and maintain grade-level reading with the ultimate goal of graduating on schedule. United Way is investing in programs provided by the following agencies: Big Brothers Big Sisters, Boys and Girls Club of Wichita Falls, Child Care, Inc., Communities in Schools, Helen Farabee MHMR Centers, Iowa Park RAC (Recreational Activities Center), Southside Youth Senter, Teen Court, YMCA, and Zavala.
Through financial stability programs, United Way is investing $53,269 to help individuals and families achieve and maintain financial stability. The goal is to help our community earn it, keep it and save it. The agency programs chosen to invest in are: Catholic Charities, Wichita Adult Literacy Council, and Habitat for Humanity.
And in health, United Way is investing $79,347 to support programs helping our community members to start and remain living healthy lives, with an emphasis this year on combating mental illness and on seniors remaining independent. Agency programs include: NAMI Wichita Falls (National Alliance on Mental Illness), The Kitchen, Senior Citizens Center of Burkburnett, and the Wichita Adult Literacy Council.
In addition, United Way has received over $2.2 million in state and federal grants to further advance our community impact investments.
United Way will also distribute $76,463 in donor-directed funds to local nonprofit organizations through the SECC and CFC campaigns in 2017.