United Way of Central Maryland today announced $195,000 in grants for programming supporting the organization’s goal of improving the lives of Harford County residents. United Way’s grants will support the overall mission to help low-income individuals and families in Harford County obtain the necessities of a better life: education, housing, employment and health.
“We are grateful for the generosity of our supporters who allow us to invest in programs and organizations that make a real impact in Harford County,” said Len Parrish, chair of United Way of Central Maryland’s Harford County partnership board and Housing and Community Development director for Harford County Government. “Our hope is that these grants help build a solid foundation for struggling individuals and families living in our community.”
The eight community operating grants totaling $120,000 include:
- Associated Catholic Charities, $20,000 to support their housing programming.
- Boys & Girls Clubs of Harford County, $20,000 to help with the organization’s education programs.
- Edgewood Community Support Center, $7,500 to assist with their health initiatives.
- Harford Community Action Agency, $20,000 to support the organization’s health programming.
- Harford Family House, $20,000 to support their housing programs.
- Meals on Wheels of Central Maryland, $5,000 to help with their health programming.
- The Arc Northern Chesapeake Region, $7,500 to support their workforce development and income programming.
- The Sexual Assault/Spouse Abuse Resource Center, $20,000 to support their housing programs.
An additional $75,000 is also being invested in United Way’s family stability programming, which will be operated by United Way in partnership with Harford County Public Schools.
A multi-faceted approach to supporting the region’s most vulnerable citizens, United Way’s family stability programs work to get struggling families back on track by helping them obtain housing and assisting them in gaining access to food, healthcare, employment and education.
Since its launch in May 2012, United Way’s Family Stability programs across central Maryland have ensured that more than 1,200 families stayed in their homes, or were rapidly rehoused if they had already lost their homes. This also means that 99.7 percent of the children in these families avoided having to change schools.
These new grants will help to continue this important work to provide families the support and resources they need and strengthen communities across central Maryland.
For more information about United Way of Central Maryland’s work, or to join our fight to create meaningful, measurable and lasting change for people throughout our region, visit www.uwcm.org
About United Way of Central Maryland
United Way fights for the education, health and financial stability of every person in every community. For more than 90 years, United Way of Central Maryland has been improving lives in the communities it serves: Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Carroll, Harford and Howard Counties, and Baltimore City.
All of United Way’s work is supported by the 2-1-1 Maryland United Way Helpline, a 24-hour, 7-day a week service that provides information and referrals on a variety of health and human service issues. Celebrating its 10th anniversary, the program has provided answers for more than 104,000 calls for help in fiscal year 2016.
In January 2017, United Ways in Maryland released the ALICE® Report, revealing that more than a third of Maryland households – nearly 750,000 – either live in poverty, or qualify at or below the ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) threshold. United Way of Central Maryland works to stabilize ALICE residents – individuals and families who work hard but still cannot afford basic necessities because of Maryland’s high cost of living – and those that fall below the Federal Poverty Level, by focusing on the building blocks of a better life to become self-sufficient: education, employment, housing and health.
United Way is improving lives in central Maryland communities, but no one can create change alone. United Way of Central Maryland encourages individuals to get their friends, colleagues and others involved, to do more in the community and help more families in central Maryland. Working together, United Way of Central Maryland, its supporters and its volunteers can empower more families in the communities it serves.
To learn more about the United Way of Central Maryland, visit www.uwcm.org. To find out more about the ALICE Report, visit www.uwcm.org/ALICE.
