UNITED WAY OF NORTHWEST VERMONT INC

COMMUNITY FUNDING: THROUGH A MULTI-STEP PROCESS, A DIVERSE GROUP, WHICH INCLUDES VOLUNTEERS AND BOARD MEMBERS, EVALUATES APPLICATIONS FROM LOCAL NONPROFIT AGENCIES AND MAKES FUNDING DECISIONS THAT HELP ACHIEVE COMMUNITY-DETERMINED PRIORITIES. UWNWVT AWARDED APPROXIMATELY 1,500,000 IN AGENCY ALLOCATIONS FOR 2023 AND 2022 - FUNDED THROUGH THE UNDESIGNATED PORTION OF THE ORGANIZATION'S ANNUAL COMMUNITY CAMPAIGN AS WELL AS RESTRICTED STATE AND FEDERAL GRANTS. UWNWVT ALSO DISTRIBUTES DONOR- DESIGNATED FUNDS TO OTHER NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS BASED ON AMOUNTS ACTUALLY COLLECTED. WORKING BRIDGES: UNITED WAY WORKING BRIDGES IS AN INNOVATIVE PROGRAM DESIGNED TO IMPROVE JOB RETENTION, PRODUCTIVITY, AND ADVANCEMENT BY SUPPORTING EMPLOYEES WITH COMMUNITY RESOURCES. THE CONCEPT IS SIMPLE: EMPLOYERS WORK TOGETHER TO EFFECTIVELY DEVELOP AND TEST INNOVATIVE HR PRACTICES USING THE WORKPLACE AS A PLATFORM FOR SERVICES DESIGNED TO HELP WORKERS GET, KEEP AND GROW STABLE EMPLOYMENT. BY SHARING RESOURCES, EMPLOYERS ARE MINIMIZING THE BARRIER TO EMPLOYMENT AND SUPPORTING EMPLOYEES' NEED TO BE SUCCESSFUL AND IMPROVE THEIR LIVES. COMMON GOOD VT: AS OF JANUARY 2021, COMMON GOOD VERMONT IS A PROGRAM OF UNITED WAY OF NORTHWEST VERMONT. COMMON GOOD VERMONT SERVES AS THE "GO-TO" RESOURCE FOR ALL OF VERMONT'S MISSION-DRIVEN ORGANIZATIONS TO SHARE RESOURCES, GAIN SKILLS, AND BUILD PARTNERSHIPS. COMMON GOOD VERMONT'S PROGRAMS INCLUDE: - NONPROFIT CERTIFICATE PROGRAMS - VERMONT NONPROFIT SUMMER CAMP - THE NONPROFIT NEW ENGLAND WAGE AND BENEFITS REPORT (VERMONT EDITION)- VERMONT NONPROFIT ADVOCACY & LEGISLATIVE DAY - VERMONT NONPROFIT NEWS - JOB POSTINGS FOR VERMONT MISSION-DRIVEN ORGANIZATIONS - OTHER NONPROFIT PROFESSIONAL TRAINING COMMUNITY IMPACT AND VOLUNTEER MOBILIZATION: COMMUNITY IMPACT CONVENES AND BACKBONES VARIOUS INITIATIVES THROUGHOUT THE REGION. CURRENTLY UWNWVT IS DIRECTING TWO EFFORTS. NORTHWEST VERMONT REGIONAL PREVENTION NETWORK: IN DECEMBER OF 2021, UNITED WAY OF NORTHWEST VERMONT LAUNCHED THE NORTHWEST VERMONT REGIONAL PREVENTION NETWORK AS PART OF A 5-YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN TO UNIFY THE REGION AROUND A HOLISTIC AND COMPREHENSIVE APPROACH TO PREVENTING SUBSTANCE MISUSE AMONG YOUTH AND YOUNG ADULTS. THIS WORK IS FUNDED BY PREVENTION CENTER OF EXCELLENCE (PCE) GRANT AWARDED TO UNITED WAY THROUGH THE VERMONT DIVISION OF SUBSTANCE USE PROGRAMS. MENTAL HEALTH INITIATIVE: UNITED WAY OF NORTHWEST VERMONT'S MENTAL HEALTH INITIATIVE IS ELEVATING THE VOICES OF DIRECT PROVIDERS OF MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES, VERMONTERS WITH LIVED EXPERIENCE, AND ORGANIZATIONS AND ALLIANCES FOCUSED ON MENTAL HEALTH AND SUBSTANCE MISUSE. TOGETHER WE WILL WORK TO ALIGN EXISTING MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCES, IDENTIFY GAPS IN THE SYSTEM OF CARE, AND CREATE A SHARED AGENDA AND ACTION ITEMS FOR OUR NEXT STEPS. THROUGH EXTENSIVE CONVERSATIONS WITH COMMUNITY PARTNERS, WE HAVE IDENTIFIED THREE INITIAL PRIORITIES FOR THE MENTAL HEALTH INITIATIVE TO FOCUS ON: ADDRESSING VERMONT'S CRITICAL LABOR SHORTAGE OF MENTAL HEALTH PROVIDERS; STRENGTHENING AND ALIGNING RESOURCES FOR SUICIDE PREVENTION; AND RESPONDING TO THE ACUTE RISE IN YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH NEEDS. OUR ROLE IS TO WORK ALONGSIDE OUR SERVICE PARTNERS ON THE GROUND, THOSE WITH LIVED EXPERIENCE NAVIGATING MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES, AND POLICYMAKERS TO BREAK DOWN BARRIERS TO THE SYSTEMS CHANGE WE NEED TO PROMOTE BETTER MENTAL HEALTH AND ENSURE COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO WANT IT HAVE TIMELY ACCESS TO EFFECTIVE MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES. COMMUNITY PARTNERS WHO WILL HELP GUIDE THE MENTAL HEALTH INITIATIVE'S WORK INCLUDE HOWARD CENTER, NORTHWESTERN COUNSELING & SUPPORT SERVICES (NCSS), VERMONT CARE PARTNERS, SPECTRUM YOUTH & FAMILY SERVICES, VERMONT SUICIDE PREVENTION CENTER, AND NAMI VERMONT. THE MENTAL HEALTH INITIATIVE IS MADE POSSIBLE THANKS TO FUNDING FROM THE UVM HEALTH NETWORK, IBM AND GENEROUS INDIVIDUAL DONORS. VOLUNTEER MOBILIZATION ACTIVITIES PROMOTE AND SUPPORT VOLUNTEERING THROUGHOUT THE REGION THROUGH GENERAL VOLUNTEER POSTINGS ONLINE THROUGH VOLUNTEER CONNECTION. UWNWVT ALSO CONDUCTS TWO, MAJOR "55+" VOLUNTEER PROGRAMS FUNDED IN LARGE PART BY FEDERAL AND STATE GRANTS - THE "RETIRED AND SENIOR VOLUNTEER PROGRAM (RSVP) OF CHITTENDEN COUNTY- AND THE "FOSTER GRANDPARENT PROGRAM (FGP)." RSVP: SCHOOL BUDDIES HELP SCHOOL-AGE CHILDREN WHO TEACHERS HAVE IDENTIFIED AS NOT MEETING ACADEMIC STANDARDS IN READING, MATH, SPELLING, OR OTHER ACADEMIC AREAS. READ TO ME VOLUNTEERS READ ONE-ON-ONE AND IN SMALL GROUPS TO CHILDREN IN LOCAL CHILD CARE CENTERS TO PROMOTE NOT ONLY A LOVE OF READING, BUT THE SKILLS NECESSARY TO BECOME EMERGING READERS. FGP VOLUNTEERS SHARE THEIR WARMTH AND ENCOURAGEMENT WITH CHILDREN BY HELPING TEACHERS IN A CLASSROOM SETTING 15 OR MORE HOURS PER WEEK. FGP SERVES CHILDREN IN CHITTENDEN, FRANKLIN, GRAND ISLE, AND WASHINGTON COUNTIES. VOLUNTEERS RECEIVE A TAX-FREE STIPEND THAT DOES NOT AFFECT THEIR OTHER BENEFITS.