UNITED WAY OF WESTCHESTER AND PUTNAM

THE UNITED WAY IS COMMITTED TO LIFTING-UP THE ALMOST 40% OF FAMILIES AND INDIVIDUALS LIVING IN POVERTY OR PAYCHECK TO PAYCHECK IN OUR COMMUNITY. ONE OF THE PRIMARY WAYS WE SUPPORT STRUGGLING FAMILIES TRYING TO MAKE ENDS-MEET IS BY MAKING FINANCIAL OR INKIND GRANTS TO LOCAL NONPROFIT PARTNERS. IN 2024-25, WE ADMINISTERED $5,267,358 (TAKEN FROM AUDIT SCHEDULE OF COMMUNITY EXPENSES LINES: ESSENTIAL GOODS, COMMUNITY IMPACT GRANTS, CAPACITY BUILDING GRANT, EMERGENCY FOOD AND SHELTER AND LEVERAGED COMMUNITY IMPACT FOR ESSENTIAL GOODS) IN GRANTS AND GOODS. OUR GRANT MAKING EFFORTS DURING THE 2024-25 FISCAL YEAR TOTALED $256,268 (TAKEN FROM AUDIT SCHEDULE OF COMMUNITY EXPENSES LINES: COMMUNITY IMPACT GRANTS, CAPACITY BUILDING GRANT, EMERGENCY FOOD AND SHELTER). THROUGH THE CAPACITY BUILDING, COMMUNITY IMPACT, AND EMERGENCY FOOD AND SHELTER GRANTS, WE SUPPORTED THE WORK OF 40 NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS IN WESTCHESTER AND PUTNAM THAT COLLECTIVELY HELPED TENS OF THOUSANDS OF INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES WHO WERE STRUGGLING TO SURVIVE. THE EMERGENCY FOOD AND SHELTER PROGRAM IN WESTCHESTER AND PUTNAM IS PART OF THE FEDERALLY FUNDED PROGRAM THAT IS MANAGED BY UNITED WAY WORLDWIDE. A LOCAL EMERGENCY FOOD AND SHELTER BOARD FOR EACH COUNTY, INVOLVING REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINE ORGANIZATIONS, INCLUDING LOCAL UNITED WAYS AND OTHER PUBLIC AND COMMUNITY LEADERS, ALLOCATE FUNDS FROM THE TOTAL COUNTY-WIDE ALLOCATION -- BASED ON SEVERAL NEEDS-ORIENTED FACTORS INCLUDING EQUITY TO MARGINALIZED POPULATIONS -- TO LOCAL 501(C)(3) AGENCIES REQUESTING EMERGENCY FUNDS TO EXPAND THEIR CAPACITY TO SERVE THE NEWLY HUNGRY AND HOMELESS. THE CAPACITY BUILDING AND COMMUNITY IMPACT GRANTS WERE FUNDED BY MONIES RAISED BY UWWP AND THE ALLOCATIONS WERE DETERMINED BY ITS VOLUNTEER IMPACT COMMITTEE. UWWP'S ESSENTIAL GOODS FOR BASIC NEEDS PROGRAM DISTRIBUTED $4,795,756 WORTH OF GOODS (TAKEN FROM AUDIT SCHEDULE OF COMMUNITY EXPENSES LINES: ESSENTIAL GOODS), INCLUDING FOOD, BEDDING, CLOTHING, DIAPERS, HYGIENE PRODUCTS, BOOKS, TOYS, AND CHILDREN'S ACTIVITIES THROUGH 194 AGENCIES TO 109,325 HOUSEHOLDS DURING THE 2024-25 FISCAL YEAR. THE GOODS (ALMOST ALL BRAND NEW) FROM THE ESSENTIAL GOODS PROGRAM ARE EITHER DONATED FROM OUR RETAIL OR WHOLESALE PARTNERS OR THROUGH COMMUNITY DRIVES ORGANIZED BY VOLUNTEERS.

DURING THE 2024-25 FISCAL YEAR, UNITED WAY'S 211 HELPLINE (WHICH SERVES THE HUDSON VALLEY, LONG ISLAND, CAPITAL REGION, AND ADIRONDACKS) CONTINUED TO PLAY A VITAL ROLE CONNECTING FAMILIES AND INDIVIDUALS TO THE BASIC NEEDS PROGRAMS THAT CAN ASSIST THEM. UNITED WAY'S 211 HELPLINE AND ONLINE REFERRAL DATABASE OFFERS FREE INFORMATION, REFERRAL, ASSESSMENT, AND CRISIS SUPPORT TO HELP PEOPLE ACCESS THE HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES THEY NEED TO ADDRESS EVERYDAY CHALLENGES. UW'S 211 ALSO WORKS WITH LOCAL SOCIAL SERVICE DEPARTMENTS AND GOVERNMENT AGENCIES TO PROVIDE REFERRALS AND RESOURCES TO RESIDENTS. THESE RELATIONSHIPS HAVE BEEN VITAL TO SOLVING VERY COMPLICATED SOCIAL SERVICE NEEDS. 211 IS A CONFIDENTIAL, MULTILINGUAL, AND COMPREHENSIVE SERVICE WITH A DATABASE OF MORE THAN 25,000 SERVICES AND PROGRAMS THAT ARE UPDATED THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. TRAINED CALL SPECIALISTS ARE AVAILABLE 24/7, 365 DAYS A WEEK THROUGH THE UW'S 211 AND CAN ASSIST CALLERS IN 200+ LANGUAGES (THROUGH TRANSPERFECT) AS WELL AS THE HEARING-IMPAIRED. UNITED WAY'S 211 HELPLINE IS AN INFORMUSA-ACCREDITED CALL CENTER WHICH ENSURES THAT THE RESOURCE DATABASE USED TO REFER CALLERS TO PROGRAMS AND SERVICES IS ORGANIZED ACCORDING TO THE NATIONALLY-STANDARDIZED PROBLEMS AND NEEDS CATEGORIES AND INCLUDES RESOURCE LISTINGS FOR SERVICES THAT RANGE FROM CHILDCARE TO FOOD PANTRIES; SHELTERS TO SPECIALIZED SERVICES FOR VETERANS AND MILITARY FAMILIES; AND MENTAL HEALTH TO TRANSPORTATION. THE DATABASE IS ALSO AVAILABLE ONLINE AT WWW.211HUDSONVALLEY.ORG AND SINCE 2019, TEXTING CAPABILITIES ARE AVAILABLE FROM 9 A.M. TO 5 P.M., MONDAY FRIDAY. TEXTING OFFERS OPTIONS FOR THOSE LESS LIKELY TO WANT TO MAKE A PHONE CALL AND IS PARTICULARLY HELPFUL IN SENDING OUTGOING MESSAGES TO CONFIRM TAX APPOINTMENTS OR PROVIDE INFORMATION DURING TIMES OF A DISASTER (LIKE A HURRICANE OR DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC). THE CALL CENTER, RUN BY UNITED WAY AND LOCATED IN WHITE PLAINS, NY, MANAGED OVER 727,000 INTERACTIONS (ACROSS CALL, TEXT, EMAIL AND WEB SEARCH OPTIONS) DURING 2025 FROM TWELVE COUNTIES IN NEW YORK STATE IN WHICH OVER 19,623 CALLS WERE TAX RELATED WHICH RESULTED IN REFUNDS AND CREDITS OF OVER $26 MILLION (FROM LINI'S MOST RECENT REPORT AND CHARMAINE'S 211 ENEWS). 211 OPERATES AS PROGRAMS OF THE UNITED WAY AND IS UNDERWRITTEN BY LOCAL UNITED WAYS, GOVERNMENT AGENCIES, AND CORPORATE FOUNDATIONS. UNITED WAY RUNS THE 211 HELPLINE FOR THE HUDSON VALLEY REGION, WHICH INCLUDES DUTCHESS, ORANGE, PUTNAM, ROCKLAND, SULLIVAN, ULSTER, AND WESTCHESTER COUNTIES. IT ALSO RUNS THE 211 HELPLINE FOR THE LONG ISLAND REGION, WHICH INCLUDES NASSAU AND SUFFOLK COUNTIES. IN ADDITION, UNITED WAY CONTRACTS WITH THE UNITED WAY'S IN THE CAPITAL REGION AND ADIRONDACK REGION TO PROVIDE CALL CENTER SERVICES IN SUPPORT OF THEIR 211 EFFORTS.