UNITED WAY OF THE BROWN COUNTY AREA

FOR OVER SEVENTY-FIVE YEARS, THE UNITED WAY OF THE BROWN COUNTY AREA HAS PLAYED A UNIQUE ROLE BY BRINGING TOGETHER PEOPLE FROM EVERY PART OF OUR COMMUNITY-DONORS, VOLUNTEERS, ADVOCATES, NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS, COMMUNITY LEADERS, AND PEOPLE WITH LIVED EXPERIENCE. UNITED WAY'S STRATEGIC VISION IS TO ENVISION A UNITED AND RESILIENT COMMUNITY WHERE EVERYONE BELONGS AND THRIVES. WE WILL UNITE PEOPLE AND PARTNERS TO ENSURE THAT OUR NEIGHBORS ARE STRUGGLING TO MAKE ENDS MEET LAND ON THEIR FEET AND STAY THERE. UNITED WAY'S WORK AND INVESTMENTS ARE FOCUSED ON ADDRESSING THE CHALLENGES OF HEALTH, EDUCATION, AND FINANCIAL STABILITY. THE UNITED WAY OF BROWN COUNTY AREA IS A VIBRANT ORGANIZATION WITH A RICH HISTORY OF CONNECTING PEOPLE AND RESOURCES. OUR PROGRAMMING IS OF THE HIGHEST QUALITY, AND WE ARE WELL RESPECTED IN THE COMMUNITIES WE SERVE. IN 2024-2025, THE UNITED WAY YOUTH ACTIVITIES SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM GAVE OUT 189 SCHOLARSHIPS TOTALING OVER 20,000. THESE SCHOLARSHIPS HAVE GONE TO YOUNG PEOPLE THROUGHOUT BROWN COUNTY, AGES 3 TO 18, WHOSE FAMILY INCOME IS INSUFFICIENT TO AFFORD ACTIVITY FEES. SCHOLARSHIPS ARE AVAILABLE FOR UP TO 200 PER YEAR PER YOUTH, PROVIDING 80% OF THE ACTIVITY FEES. THE FAMILY COMMITS TO PAYING THE REMAINING 20%. THIS PROGRAM AIMS TO ENSURE THAT AREA YOUTH WILL NOT BE DENIED THE OPPORTUNITY TO PARTICIPATE IN CHARACTER- BUILDING ACTIVITIES RANGING FROM MUSIC AND DANCE LESSONS TO SPORTS AND OTHER ACTIVITIES. THIS PAST YEAR, THE UNITED WAY OF THE BROWN COUNTY AREA CONTINUED THE PROGRAM'S VISION TO FOSTER A LOVE OF READING AMONG PRESCHOOL CHILDREN AND THEIR FAMILIES BY PROVIDING THEM WITH THE GIFT OF A SPECIALLY SELECTED BOOK EACH MONTH. THROUGH THE DOLLYWOOD FOUNDATION, IMAGINATION LIBRARY IS ONE OF THE UNITED WAY OF BROWN COUNTY AREA'S MOST BELOVED PROGRAMS. BY MAILING HIGH-QUALITY, AGE-APPROPRIATE BOOKS DIRECTLY TO THEIR HOMES, WE WANT CHILDREN TO BE EXCITED ABOUT BOOKS AND FEEL THE MAGIC THEY CAN CREATE. MOREOVER, THIS PROGRAM ENSURES THAT EVERY CHILD HAS BOOKS, REGARDLESS OF THE FAMILY'S INCOME. SINCE THE INITIAL PROGRAM LAUNCH IN THE UNITED STATES, IMAGINATION LIBRARY HAS GONE FROM JUST A FEW DOZEN BOOKS TO FORTY MILLION BOOKS MAILED TO CHILDREN IN THE UNITED STATES, INCLUDING OVER 1000 BOOKS MAILED IN BROWN COUNTY EACH MONTH. IF A CHILD IS READ TO FOR 20 MINUTES DAILY, THEY WILL START SCHOOL WITH AN 800-WORD VOCABULARY. AS WE FACE CONTINUED CHALLENGES TO MEET THE DEMANDS OF A HIGH-TECH WORLD, WE MUST DO WHATEVER WE CAN TO PREPARE OUR YOUNGEST CITIZENS TO SUCCEED. IN 2025, OUR STUFF THE BACKPACK PROGRAM GAVE OVER 643 BACKPACKS FILLED WITH AGE, GRADE, AND SCHOOL-DISTRICT-APPROPRIATE SUPPLIES TO CHILDREN ALL OVER BROWN COUNTY. THESE BACKPACKS WERE MADE AVAILABLE TO CHILDREN FROM FAMILIES IN NEED TO HELP ENSURE THAT THE CHILDREN CAN GET OFF TO A GOOD START IN SCHOOL. THE UNITED WAY PARTNERED WITH ALLIANCE BANK TO RECEIVE BACKPACKS AND SCHOOL SUPPLIES. IN ADDITION, OVER 30 BUSINESSES, ORGANIZATIONS, AND MANY INDIVIDUAL DONORS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY GAVE THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS' WORTH OF SCHOOL SUPPLIES. THIS WAS A FANTASTIC EFFORT, AND WITHOUT THE GENEROSITY OF THE CITIZENS OF BROWN COUNTY, WE WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO PROVIDE SO MANY CHILDREN WITH THE TOOLS NEEDED TO START THE SCHOOL YEAR. THURSDAY, OCTOBER 23, FRIDAY, OCTOBER 24, AND SATURDAY, OCTOBER 25, WAS THE ANNUAL "DAYS OF CARING". THIS IS THE UNITED WAY OF BROWN COUNTY'S 28TH ANNUAL DAYS OF CARING. THE DAYS OF CARING IS A YEARLY EVENT THAT MAKES A POSITIVE DIFFERENCE THROUGH VOLUNTEERING. OVER 100 VOLUNTEERS WILL SPEND PART OF THE DAY HELPING OTHERS IN OUR COUNTY. IN 2024, 86 PROJECTS WERE COMPLETED IN THE BROWN COUNTY AREA. THIS PROGRAM IS AT THE FOUNDATION OF WHAT WE DO, CONNECTING OUR GREATEST RESOURCE, OUR PEOPLE, TO THOSE WHO NEED A HELPING HAND. PROJECT LUNCHBOX IS A WEEKEND FOOD PROGRAM FOR KIDS IN K-8TH GRADES IN NEW ULM PUBLIC SCHOOLS. IT IS ALSO PROVIDED TO THE RIVERBEND DISTRICT, NEW ULM CATHOLIC SCHOOLS, AND ST. PAUL'S. THIS IS OUR EIGHTH YEAR PROVIDING THIS MUCH-NEEDED NEW ULM SCHOOL DISTRICT PROGRAM. ORGANIZING THE DRY GOODS, PURCHASING, AND OVERSEEING THE PROCESS OF PACKING AND DISTRIBUTING THE FOOD IS MONUMENTAL. THE FOOD IS PACKAGED AND DELIVERED TO SCHOOLS FOR KIDS WHO QUALIFY FOR FREE OR REDUCED LUNCHES. THE FOOD PACKAGES ARE THEN PLACED IN A CHILD'S BACKPACK ON FRIDAY TO BE TAKEN HOME. WITH A STEADY CORE OF VOLUNTEERS, THESE FOOD PACKAGES INCLUDE TWO MEALS, TWO SNACKS, AND TWO BEVERAGES TO GET EACH CHILD THROUGH THE WEEKEND. AN ARMY OF VOLUNTEERS IS INSTRUMENTAL IN THE EXECUTION OF THIS PROGRAM. HUNGER CAN IMPACT YOUNG CHILDREN, CAUSING ANXIETY, POOR BEHAVIOR, AND IMPAIRMENT TO LEARNING, AND FOOD INSTABILITY IS A REAL PROBLEM IN THE BROWN COUNTY AREA. PROJECT LUNCHBOX PROVIDES THE VITAL NUTRITION THAT STUDENTS NEED FOR SCHOOL SUCCESS. THIS YEAR WE ALSO PROVIDED 5000 IN FUNDING TO THE SLEEPY EYE FOOD SHELF AND THE SPRINGFIELD FOOD SHELF FOR THEIR WEEKEND FOOD PROGRAMS. THIS WAS DONE TO ENSURE THAT ALL CHILDREN IN BROWN COUNTY CAN PARTICIPATE IF THE FAMILY CHOOSES. THE TOTAL NUMBER OF CHILDREN WHO WERE SERVED THIS YEAR WAS 207. THERE ARE MANY BARRIERS FOR THE ELDERLY, WORKING POOR, AND YOUNG STUDENTS IN GETTING THEIR TAXES DONE EACH YEAR. TIME, ACCESS OR UNDERSTANDING OF HOW THE TAX SYSTEM WORKS, AND THE LACK OF FUNDS TO PAY SOMEONE TO DO THEIR TAXES ARE JUST A FEW BARRIERS FACING BROWN COUNTY AREA RESIDENTS. WHATEVER THE BARRIER, UNITED WAY OF THE BROWN COUNTY AREA'S FREE TAX PREPARATION PROGRAM IS IN PLACE TO HELP THOSE INDIVIDUALS. EACH YEAR, COMMUNITY MEMBERS VOLUNTEER TO BECOME IRS CERTIFIED TAX PREPARERS AND/OR CLIENT FACILITATORS THROUGH AARP TO HELP LOCAL AREA CITIZENS. THIS PUTS THOUSANDS OF TAX DOLLARS BACK INTO OUR COMMUNITIES AND INTO THE HANDS OF THOSE WHO NEED IT MOST.