UNITED WAY OF WILLIAMSON COUNTY

SEE SCHEDULE O ORGANIZATION'S PROGRAM SERVICE ACCOMPLISHMENTS: SUPPORT OF FUNDED PROGRAMS UNITED WAY BRINGS TOGETHER BUSINESSES, ORGANIZATIONS, INDIVIDUALS, AND RESOURCES TO PROVIDE: TUTORS AND MENTORS FOR IMPROVING YOUTH ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE, JOB SKILLS TRAINING AND RESOURCES FOR SECURING FAMILY ECONOMIC MOBILITY, AS WELL AS HEALTH CARE, COUNSELING, AND WELLBEING ACTIVITIES TO MAINTAIN HEALTHY LIVES. ENTRUSTED WITH THE RESPONSIBILITY OF MULTIPLYING RESOURCES THAT OPTIMIZE IMPACT IN WILLIAMSON COUNTY, UNITED WAY FACILITATES THE CITIZENS REVIEW PANELS WHERE COMMUNITY VOLUNTEERS CONDUCT REVIEWS OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICE AGENCIES REQUESTING FUNDING. CURRENTLY 42 PROGRAMS SERVING WILLIAMSON COUNTY RECEIVE 1.85 MILLION IN FUNDING. DONOR DESIGNATIONS TO OTHER NON-PROFIT AGENCIES OR UNITED WAYS THROUGHOUT THE ANNUAL UNITED WAY CAMPAIGN, DONORS MAY CHOOSE TO DIRECTLY DESIGNATE A PORTION OF THEIR GIFTS TO A SPECIFIC AGENCY OR UNITED WAY IN ANOTHER COMMUNITY. ELIGIBILITY FOR DESIGNATIONS REQUIRES THAT AGENCIES ARE TAX EXEMPT UNDER IRS CODE 501(C)(3) AND HAVE A HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICE FOCUS. IN 2018, DONOR DESIGNATED GIFTS RESULTED IN 1.5 MILLION ADDITIONAL FUNDS FOR THESE AGENCIES AND UNITED WAYS. RAISE YOUR HAND (RYH RAISE YOUR HAND (RYH) IS A COLLABORATIVE PROJECT BETWEEN UNITED WAY OF WILLIAMSON COUNTY (UWWC), FRANKLIN SPECIAL SCHOOL DISTRICT (FSSD) AND WILLIAMSON COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT (WCS) THAT OFFERS TUTORING TO FIRST, SECOND, THIRD AND FOURTH GRADE STUDENTS SCORING IN THE BOTTOM 40% IN READING AND MATH. TUTORING, SNACKS, BACKGROUND CHECKS, AND TRANSPORTATION ARE ALL PROVIDED THROUGH GRANT FUNDING. IN WILLIAMSON COUNTY, TRANSPORTATION IS A BARRIER FOR THE MAJORITY OF STUDENTS. SO PROVIDING THAT SERVICE IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT ASPECTS TO OUR AFTER- SCHOOL TUTORING PROGRAM. UWWC RECRUITS VOLUNTEERS TO HELP IN THE CLASSROOM AFTER SCHOOL AND PROVIDES TRAINING FOR TEACHERS AND VOLUNTEERS. FOR THE 2018-2019 SCHOOL YEAR, 124 RYH VOLUNTEERS PROVIDED TUTORING FOR 442 STUDENTS WITH SCHOOL TESTING RESULTS SHOWING 96% OF STUDENTS IMPROVED IN READING AND 100% OF STUDENTS IMPROVED IN MATH. SUMMER OF 2019, RYH PARTNERED WITH FSSD AND WCS DISTRICTS TO PROVIDE FUNDING FOR 3 LIBRARIES (WESTWOOD, LIBERTY AND CHAPMAN'S RETREAT ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS) TO BE OPEN 4 HOURS PER WEEK FOR SIX WEEKS. THIS PARTNERSHIP TARGETED REDUCTION OF THE 'SUMMER SLIDE'. UNITED WAY CONTINUES TO LOOK FOR NEW COLLABORATIONS TO BRING ENHANCEMENTS TO THE PROGRAM. UNITED WAY OF WILLIAMSON COUNTY FREE TAX PREP (VITA) UNITED WAY OF WILLIAMSON COUNTY FREE TAX PREP (VITA) IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE IRS IS A NATIONAL PROGRAM STAFFED BY LOCAL IRS-CERTIFIED VOLUNTEERS TO PROVIDE FREE PREPARATION AND ELECTRONIC FILING OF INCOME TAX RETURNS TO HOUSEHOLDS THAT EARNED 66,000 OR LESS IN 2018, (THIS LEVEL CHANGES EACH YEAR). VOLUNTEERS ARE ALSO ABLE TO EDUCATE TAXPAYERS ABOUT TAX CREDITS FOR WHICH THEY MAY QUALIFY. FOR THE 2019 TAX SEASON, 37 VOLUNTEERS SERVED 2,483 HOURS AT 7 TRADITIONAL SITES AND 3 MOBILE SITES IN WILLIAMSON COUNTY, AND HELPED PREPARE MORE THAN 1,742 TAX RETURNS WHICH RETURNED OVER 1.6 MILLION IN TOTAL REFUNDS TO TAX FILERS. WILLIAMSON COUNTY ANTI-DRUG COALITION (WCADC) WCADC IS WORKING TO MAKE PARENTS AWARE OF SUBSTANCE USE AMONG YOUTH, AGES 12-18. WCADC WORKS WITH COMMUNITY PARTNERS SUCH AS THE LOCAL GOVERNMENTS, HEALTH DEPARTMENT, EDUCATORS, COURT SYSTEMS, LOCAL AGENCIES, HEALTH PROVIDERS, CITIZEN ACTIVISTS, AND VOLUNTEERS TO IMPLEMENT EFFECTIVE STRATEGIES THAT PROVIDE AWARENESS, INFORM RESIDENTS AND PREVENT SUBSTANCE USE. WCADC INITIATED DRUG TAKE BACK DAYS IN COOPERATION WITH LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT. THESE EVENTS ARE SCHEDULED TWICE EACH YEAR AND 919 LBS. OF UNUSED/EXPIRED MEDICATIONS WERE TAKEN BACK DURING FISCAL YEAR 2018-19. PERMANENT DROP BOXES ARE AVAILABLE YEAR ROUND AT THE NOLENSVILLE POLICE DEPARTMENT, FAIRVIEW POLICE DEPARTMENT, BRENTWOOD POLICE DEPARTMENT, SPRING HILL POLICE DEPARTMENT AND WILLIAMSON COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE. WCADC WORKED WITH OVER 12,000 STUDENTS AT AREA MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOLS ON PREVENTION EVENTS THIS PAST YEAR. THOSE INCLUDE: KICK BUTTS DAY EVENTS; RED RIBBON WEEK; PROM PROMISE EVENTS; STARS EVENTS; VAPING/JUUL PRESENTATIONS; STRESS AND SUBSTANCE USE CLINICS; PLUS MANY MORE. WCADC CONTINUES TO HOST LUNCH-N-LEARN EVENTS, PARTICIPATE IN HEALTH FAIRS/CLINICS AND SPEAK AT COMMUNITY EVENTS DURING WHICH HOME LOCK BOXES FOR PRESCRIPTION DRUGS ARE DISTRIBUTED AS WELL AS INFORMATION ON OPIOIDS, UNDERAGE DRINKING, TOBACCO/VAPING. OVER 2,000 AREA CITIZENS PARTICIPATED IN ONE OF THESE EVENTS DURING FY 2018-19 AND OVER 300 LOCKBOXES WERE DISTRIBUTED. WCADC HIRED A REGIONAL OVERDOSE PREVENTION SPECIALIST (ROPS) IN EARLY 2019. ROPS ARE LOCATED THROUGHOUT THE STATE OF TENNESSEE AS A POINT OF CONTACT FOR TRAINING AND EDUCATION ON OPIOID OVERDOSE AND FOR OVERDOSE PREVENTION THROUGH THE DISTRIBUTION OF NALOXONE. THIS POSITION COVERS WILLIAMSON, RUTHERFORD, CANNON, TROUSDALE AND WILSON COUNTIES. UNITED WAY'S VOLUNTEER CENTER VOLUNTEER WILLIAMSON COUNTY WAS ESTABLISHED TO CONNECT VOLUNTEERS WITH MEANINGFUL AND FULFILLING COMMUNITY PROJECTS. IN ADDITION TO COORDINATING THE ANNUAL DAYS OF CARING FOR EMPLOYEES OF LOCAL CORPORATE PARTNERS AND A COUNTY-WIDE DAY OF ACTION, VOLUNTEER WILLIAMSON COUNTY HOSTS COLLEGE STUDENTS FROM ACROSS THE COUNTRY FOR ALTERNATIVE SPRING BREAK. THESE STUDENTS PAY FOR THEIR OWN TRANSPORTATION PLUS PAY A FEE TO PARTICIPATE AND SPEND THE WEEK WORKING ON COMMUNITY PROJECTS HERE IN WILLIAMSON COUNTY. THE VOLUNTEER CENTER ALSO COORDINATES THE FOLLOWING: THE PATRICIA HART SOCIETY'S (WOMEN'S INITIATIVE) ANNUAL EVENTS (STUFF THE BUS, THANKSGIVING FOOD DRIVE AND ANNUAL FUNDRAISING EVENT IN FEBRUARY); THE COMMUNITY GARDENS; AND INDIVIDUAL VOLUNTEER PROJECTS YEAR ROUND. A COLLABORATION WITH WILLIAMSON COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT PROVIDES VOLUNTEERING OPPORTUNITIES FOR STUDENTS OBTAINING THE TNACHIEVES SCHOLARSHIP. DURING THE YEAR, VOLUNTEERS CONTRIBUTED 48,000 HOURS OF SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY.