Thank you for your support of the United Way of Greater Waterbury Emergency Fund through the Helping Neighbors NOW initiative.

 

Your support of this initiative helped United Way to raise an impressive $83,755 to provide immediate relief to local service providers and increase their capacity to meet growing needs. 100% percent of the donations were allocated to local nonprofit agencies (501c3’s) providing basic need services through a grant process by a committee comprised of community members with expertise about the needs in our region. 

 

Now that the funds have been distributed and the outcomes measured, we’d like to take this opportunity to share with you additional details on the success of the Helping Neighbors NOW initiative.

 

 The funds were invested as follows:

 

Safe Haven: $6,500 (food)

New Opportunities, Inc.: $9,439 (housing)

Greater Waterbury Interfaith Ministries: $15,877 (food)

WaterburyHospital: $10,000 (medical)

St. Vincent DePaul: $14,439 (food/housing)

NeighborWorks New Horizon: $5,000 (housing)

Salvation Army Waterbury: $10,000 (food/utilities)

Salvation Army Cheshire: $2,500 (food/utilities/medication)

StayWellHealthCenter: $5,000 (ultra sounds & lab work)

Family Services of Greater Waterbury: $5,000 (behavioral health sessions)

 

A total of 7,812 individuals and 1,075 families were served as a direct result of these funds. Each with their own story, touched by the generosity of the Helping Neighbors NOW donor. Here are just a few of the lives that have been touched:

 

• A single father with two children who lost his job when his employer closed his business and moved out of CT. By the time his unemployment checks began to arrive, he had fallen behind in his rent and his power was about to be shut off and he had very little food for himself and his children. The United Way of Greater Waterbury Emergency Fund was able to resolve this family’s crisis by stabilizing his housing and utility services as well as referring him to agencies where he could receive food assistance.

 

• Six families staying in the St. Vincent DePaul shelter were able to move out of the shelter and into their own apartment sooner than they expected as a result of the emergency funding, accelerating their return to self-sufficiency.

 

• An 82 year old woman from Waterbury fell behind in her rent due to the high cost of repairing her vehicle, which she uses to transport her 2 home-bound siblings to their medical appointments. The grant enabled this woman to become current on her rent and remain in her apartment.

• A 37 year old married, employed, uninsured male came to the Waterbury Hospital Emergency Department with shortness of breath and pain in his lower calf. He had blood clots in his lungs and in his legs. He was provided with 5 prescription gift cards to purchase life saving injections for blood thinning medications as a result of the funding that he otherwise would have not been able to afford.

 

• A woman caring twins that were sharing an amniotic sac required frequent ultrasounds at $250 each. StayWellHealthCenter used the grant funds to cover some of the needed ultrasounds as well as providing prenatal care for 52 uninsured pregnant women.

 

• Two single mothers, one unemployed and one underemployed were able to go food shopping as a result of the fund and feed their children.

 

This is just a sampling of the thousands of stories made possible as a direct result of the response to the Helping Neighbors NOW initiative.

                                                 

You have inspired us with your generosity and demonstrated what can be accomplished when we choose to LIVE UNITED. We look forward to sharing additional opportunities on how you can make a difference in the coming months and thank you for your continuing support of the United Way of Greater Waterbury.

THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO DONATED TO HELPING NEIGHBORS NOW!

The current economic times are posing day-to-day challenges for an increasing number of people from all walks of life. Not only are the most vulnerable among us struggling to keep food on the table and a roof over their heads, but so, too, is an ever-increasing number of previously self-sufficient families and individuals who never thought they would need a helping hand.

In response to this economic crisis, United Way of Greater Waterbury and the Connecticut Community Foundation have joined together to launch the Helping Neighbors Now initiative, a community effort to raise funds to support the UWGW Emergency Fund and the CCF Emergency Fund from March 20th through May 1st, 2009 to meet immediate, local emergency needs.

UWGW Emergency Fund
Due to the current economic crisis, nonprofits in Greater Waterbury are faced with an increase in requests to provide assistance and services to residents with fewer resources.

Contributions to the UWGW Emergency Fund will be distributed to nonprofit organizations that help individuals and families with food and housing assistance but are struggling to keep up with the demand.

Which nonprofit agencies qualify?

100% of the funds contributed to the UWGW Emergency Fund will be disbuted to local 501c3's who provide basic need services in Bethlehem, Cheshire, Middlebury, Prospect, Southbury, Thomaston, Waterbury, Watertown, Woodbury and Wolcott through a grant process designed to provide relief quickly to those who need it most.

Funds will be distributed as grants are approved and fund become available.
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