UNITED PLANNING ORGANIZATION

COMMUNITY SERVICES - BY PARTNERING WITH OTHER COMMUNITY BASED ORGANIZATIONS, LOCAL BUSINESSES, GOVERNMENT AGENCIES AND VOLUNTEERS IN 2023, UPO PLANNED AND IMPLEMENTED SELFSUFFICIENCY INTERVENTIONS THAT SERVED A TOTAL OF 52,852 LOW-INCOME RESIDENTS (MEN, WOMEN AND CHILDREN) IN ALL FOUR QUADRANTS AND EIGHT WARDS OF WASHINGTON, DC. AS WE CONTINUE TO WORK POST COVID19, UPO REMAINS RESOLVED TO HELPING DC RESIDENTS MAINTAIN OR ACHIEVE ECOMONIC SECURITY. UPO CONSISTENTLY REACHES OUT WITHIN COMMUNITIES IN THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA THAT EXPERIENCE HIGH LEVELS OF POVERTY AND ECONOMIC INSECURITY. SERVICES ARE PROVIDED AT: ---FIVE (5) UPO COMMUNITY SERVICE CENTERS---EIGHTEEN DIRECTLY OPERATED HEAD START SITES---TWO PARTNER FUNDED SITES, AND ---THROUGH CONTRACTUAL RELATIONSHIPS WITH EIGHT COMMUNITY BASED ORGANIZATIONS (CBOS) WORKING AS CSBG SERVICE PROVIDERS. DIRECT SERVICES PROVIDED BY UPO INCLUDE EMPLOYMENT ASSISTANCE; EARLY EDUCATION; YOUTH SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT; YOUTH ACADEMIC ENRICHMENT; ADULT EDUCATION; VOCATIONAL SKILLS TRAINING AND CERTIFICATION; HOUSING SUPPORT AND ASSISTANCE; BUDGET AND INCOME MANAGEMENT COUNSELING; FINANCIAL LITERACY TRAINING; EMERGENCY SUPPORT SERVICES; NUTRITION EDUCATION; COMPREHENSIVE CASE MANAGEMENT; HEALTH RELATED SERVICES AND LINKAGES TO PRIVATE AND GOVERNMENT SUPPORT SERVICE PROGRAMS. IN THE FISCAL YEAR 2024, ALL OF UPO'S COMMUNITY SERVICES PROGRAMS OPERATED WITH THE GOAL OF ENSURING THAT 1) INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES WITH LOW-INCOME ARE STABLE AND ACHIEVE ECONOMIC SECURITY, 2) COMMUNITIES WHERE PEOPLE WITH LOW-INCOMES LIVE ARE HEALTHY AND OFFER ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY, AND 3) PEOPLE WITH LOW-INCOMES ARE ENGAGED AND ACTIVE IN BUILDING OPPORTUNITIES IN THEIR COMMUNITIES. ALTOGETHER, UPO'S COMMUNITY SERVICES NETWORK SERVED A TOTAL OF 54,544 LOW-INCOME MEN, WOMEN, AND CHILDREN IN ALL FOUR QUADRANTS AND EIGHT WARDS OF WASHINGTON, DC. AS A RESULT OF THE SERVICES PROVIDED, 543 INDIVIDUALS WITH LOW INCOMES SECURED EMPLOYMENT THAT PLACED THEM IN A BETTER POSITION TO ATTAIN SELF-SUFFICIENCY; 266 INDIVIDUALS WITH LOW INCOMES WHO COMPLETED EXTENSIVE VOCATIONAL SKILLS TRAINING AND RECEIVED NATIONAL CERTIFICATIONS THAT PLACED THEM IN A BETTER POSITION TO SECURE GAINFUL EMPLOYMENT; $1,450,000 DOLLARS IN CUSTOMER TAX REFUNDS SECURED WITH UPO'S FREE TAX PREPARATION COMPLIMENTED WITH MUCH-NEEDED INCOME MANAGEMENT COUNSELING; 710 YOUTH WHO RECEIVED ACADEMIC ENRICHMENT SERVICES; 1,091 YOUTH MENTORED BY FOSTER GRANDPARENTS; AND OVER 1,500 WHO RECEIVED CASE MANAGEMENT WITH OTHER SUPPORT SERVICES DESIGNED TO ENABLE THEM TO COMPETE FOR, SECURE AND MAINTAIN EMPLOYMENT. UPO COORDINATED COMMUNITY HEALTH INITIATIVES, COMMUNITY REINVESTMENT STRATEGIES, HOME RETENTION EDUCATION, AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT STRATEGIES. COMMUNITY SERVICES BLOCK GRANT (CSBG) FUNDS WERE ALSO USED TO SUPPORT EARLY HEAD START SERVICE DELIVERY, TRANSPORTATION FOR HOMELESS CUSTOMERS AND COMPREHENSIVE TREATMENT.BY PARTNERING WITH OTHER COMMUNITY BASED ORGANIZATIONS (CBOS), LOCAL BUSINESSES, GOVERNMENT AGENCIES AND VOLUNTEERS, UPO PLANNED AND IMPLEMENTED INTERVENTIONS THAT LEAD TO INCREASED ECONOMIC SECURITY FOR DC RESIDENTS WHO HAVE LOW INCOMES. UPO'S OUTREACH WAS TARGETED AT RESIDENTS OF MULTIPLE COMMUNITIES IN THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA THAT HAVE EXPERIENCED HIGH LEVELS OF POVERTY AND ECONOMIC INSECURITY. SERVICES PROVIDED FOLLOWING OUTREACH WERE PRIMARILY DELIVERED AT THREE (3) UPO COMMUNITY SERVICE CENTERS, SIXTEEN DIRECTLY OPERATED EARLY HEAD START SITES, TWO PARTNER-FUNDED SITES, AND THROUGH CONTRACTUAL RELATIONSHIPS WITH EIGHT (8) CBOS WORKING AS CSBG SERVICE PROVIDERS. DIRECT SERVICES PROVIDED BY UPO ACROSS THE CITY INCLUDE EMPLOYMENT ASSISTANCE, EARLY EDUCATION, YOUTH SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT, YOUTH ACADEMIC ENRICHMENT, ADULT EDUCATION, VOCATIONAL SKILLS TRAINING AND CERTIFICATION, HOUSING SUPPORT AND ASSISTANCE, BUDGET AND INCOME MANAGEMENT COUNSELING, FINANCIAL LITERACY TRAINING, EMERGENCY SUPPORT SERVICES, NUTRITION EDUCATION, AND COMPREHENSIVE CASE MANAGEMENT.

LINE 4BHEAD START AND EARLY HEAD START - UNITED PLANNING ORGANIZATION'S (UPO) HEAD START PROGRAM WAS INITIATED IN 1964 AND WAS ONE OF THE FIRST PILOT PROGRAMS IN THE UNITED STATES. IN 2012, THE UPO OFFICE OF EARLY LEARNING (UPO-OEL) WAS AWARDED A BIRTH-TO-FIVE GRANT THAT PROVIDES SEAMLESS SERVICES FOR 1,200 CHILDREN AGES 6 WEEKS TO 3 YEARS OLD INCLUDING EXPECTING FAMILIES. UPO-OEL DIRECTLY OPERATES 17 EARLY LEARNING CENTERS AND PARTNERS WITH FIVE (5) NONPROFIT CHILDCARE AGENCIES THAT HAVE CONTRACTS. UPO IS THE LARGEST PROVIDER OF EARLY HEAD START (EHS) SERVICES IN WASHINGTON, DC. UPO-OEL IS ALSO A HUB FOR THE OFFICE OF THE STATE SUPERINTENDENT (0SSE) QUALITY IMPROVEMENT NETWORK (QIN) EARLY HEAD START CHILDCARE PARTNERSHIP INITIATIVE. THEQIN-HUB INITIATIVE PROVIDES TRAINING AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO 12 CHILDCARE AND 14 FAMILY CHILDCARE PARTNERS IN DC TO SUPPORT THEM IMPLEMENTING HIGHQUALITY SERVICES FOR OVER 566 CHILDREN. THE QIN-HUB IS A HIGH-PROFILE INITIATIVE THAT IS PART OF DC'S QUALITY RATING SYSTEM. HEAD START AND EARLY HEAD START ARE EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS THAT PROVIDES COMPREHENSIVE SERVICES FOR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES.