UNITED WAY OF WAYNE COUNTY INC

SEE ATTACHED SCHEDULE O THE MISSION STATEMENT OF UNITED WAY OF WAYNE COUNTY IS TO BRING PEOPLE AND RESOURCES TOGETHER TO IMPROVE LIVES IN WAYNE COUNTY. FOR THE LAST 100 YEARS, UNITED WAY OF WAYNE COUNTY (UWWC) HAS ENGAGED THE COMMUNITY TO WORK COLLABORATIVELY TO ADDRESS THE ROOT CAUSES OF MANY SOCIAL ISSUES. IN 2015, UNITED WAY OF WAYNE COUNTY REALIZED THE CHALLENGES TO HEALTHY CHILD DEVELOPMENT AND PLACED MORE EMPHASIS WITHIN ITS FOUR FOCUS AREAS OF EDUCATION; HEALTH & WELLNESS; FINANCIAL STABILITY, AND COMMUNITY RESPONSIVENESS ON EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT FOR AGES 0-10 TO HELP PREPARE CHILDREN TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN SCHOOL AND LIFE. IN 2020, WITH ALL THE CHALLENGES OF A PANDEMIC, THE UWWC PARTNERED WITH THE WAYNE COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT AND CURAMERICA BY HIRING DOZENS OF COMMUNITY HEALTHCARE WORKERS OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS IN SUPPORT OF THE COMMUNITY NEEDS. IN 2022, ON THE HEELS OF MULTIPLE YEARS OF DECLINE IN EMPLOYEE CAMPAIGNS, AND MOVING THROUGH A PANDEMIC, THE UNITED WAY OF WAYNE COUNTY BOARD AND STAFF, ALONG WITH MANY OTHER UNITED WAY AGENCIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY, BEGAN TO SEEK OTHER OPPORTUNITIES TO SERVE THE COMMUNITY AND REMAIN RELEVANT. IN 2023, STAFF BEGAN INVESTIGATING THE SUCCESS OF OTHER UNITED WAYS MOVING TO AN ISSUE FOCUS. THE TRANSFORMATION WOULD ALLOW UNITED WAY OF WAYNE COUNTY TO DIVERSIFY THEIR FUNDING AND CHANGE THE NARRATIVE. IN 2023, UWWC ALSO BEGAN THEIR FIRST DIRECT SERVICE PROGRAM, UCAN, UNITED COMMUNITY ASSISTANCE NETWORK, ALLOWING US TO UTILIZE THE EXPERIENCE IN CASE WORK AND SERVE A GAP IN BASIC NEEDS. IN 2024, UWWC OFFICIALLY BEGAN THE ISSUE FOCUS TRANSFORMATION AND IN 2025, THANKS TO INPUT FROM THE COMMUNITY, CHOSE POVERTY AS THE ISSUE WITH FINANCIAL STABILITY AS A GOAL. THIS THREE-YEAR PROCESS GRADUALLY REDUCES GRANTING FUNDS TO OTHER AGENCIES WHILE EDUCATING THEM ON OUR PROCESS. AS WE START 2026, WE ARE CENTERED IN THE MIDDLE OF OUR ISSUE FOCUS AND CONTINUE TO PROVIDE COMMUNITY GRANTS WHILE PREPARING 100% FOR THE ISSUE FOCUS IN THE FUTURE. IN DOING SO, WE ARE HOLDING MULTIPLE ISSUE FOCUS SUMMITS AND SEEKING ROOT CAUSES WE WILL CHOOSE TO IMPACT AS A COMMUNITY. RECOGNIZING WE CANNOT LEAD IN EVERY CAUSE, WE ARE SEEKING OTHER LEADERS TO WALK THROUGH THE JOURNEY WITH US. THE CONVENINGS ARE ALLOWING US TO UNDERSTAND THE LEADERSHIP IN SOME ROOT CAUSES AND GAPS IN OTHERS.