The United Way of Larimer County announces new awards totaling $465,250 to 24 nonprofit agencies serving our community! In the fall of 2021, 28 agencies applied for funding for 30 projects to advance outcomes within UWLC’s 5 priority areas of School Readiness, High School Graduation, Housing Stability, Financial Security, and Food Security.
UWLC’s 14-Member Community Impact Committee’s review and scoring process prioritized agencies that are addressing root causes and are committed to advancing racial equity. UWLC convenes partner agencies quarterly within each of the priority areas to share outcomes, discuss service gaps, identify opportunities to reduce duplication, collaborate, and build connections. Newly funded partner agencies will be invited to participate.
Congratulations to our funded partners!
High School Graduation
The on-time graduation rate for Larimer County is 83%. To ensure students receive adequate academic support, develop social-emotional skills, cultivate positive bonds with peers and adults, and feel a sense of belonging to be successful in school, a total of $164,750 has been awarded to the following agencies:
$32,000 to provide afterschool programming to youth, which includes opportunities to engage in academic or career readiness programming and build skills necessary to be successful in school.
$20,000 to conduct screening for and provide individualized one-on-one speech-language and reading therapy as well as pre-literacy programming to improve communication and literacy skill development.
$7,500 to provide tailored mentoring support for youth so that they engage in school, complete academic credits, achieve passing grades, and feel a sense of belonging through positive mentor relationships.
$18,000 to support community-based and school-based mentoring support including case management time and life skill activities to increase youth self-confidence, self-esteem, their bonding to adults, and their commitment to school.
$9,250 to provide the Red Feather Lakes Community Library (RFLCL) afterschool and summer kids’ program to increase youths’ interest and level of engagement in science and increase literacy outcomes.
$28,000 to offer Homework Helpers and Summer Zone programs at the Community Life Centers and site-based programming to extend youths’ time engaged in educational learning, specifically reading, and to build positive connections with adults.
$15,000 to provide tutoring and mentoring to the Estes Park School District, Eagle Rock School, and homeschool families so students successfully complete their high-school equivalency exams.
$10,000 to provide the Freshman Academy Program and ensure that students are on track to succeed in school by fostering a sense of belonging and community to their High School.
$20,000 to provide the YMCA School Age Program offered out of Thompson R2-J elementary schools where youth develop social-emotional learning competencies.
Housing and Homelessness
In the last quarter, more than 600 people in Larimer County were considered “chronically homeless” and over 2,000 people accessed services. The following agencies were awarded a total of $156,000 to help meet basic needs and prevent chronic homelessness in Larimer County:
$20,000 to provide emergency overnight shelter and extended-stay shelter and supportive services to those experiencing homelessness in Larimer County so families can generate an income and move into stable housing.
$10,000 to provide Family Support Services (FSS) programming including, but not limited to, case management, home visitation, resource and referral, and access to emergency assistance so families are able to successfully navigate housing resources and assistance and maintain or improve economic self-sufficiency.
$16,000 to provide services at Family Housing Network’s Day Center which include financial literacy programming and help families secure permanent housing.
$40,000 to support the Murphy Center for Hope and connect individuals with resources as well as Housing First Initiative case management to increase housing retention rates.
$30,000 to provide case management for youth in the Empowering Youth program who are aging out of foster care, homeless youth, and referred youth who do not have stable housing to increase independent living skills and employment opportunities and remain housed.
$40,000 to provide Eviction Prevention programming to preserve stable housing for local families and individuals in Larimer County.
Food Security
An estimated 38,040 residents in Larimer County are food insecure; 33% (1 in 3) are children, and 7.7% are seniors. $95,000 was awarded to the following agencies to ensure that families and individuals have access to nutritious food that enables them to live a healthy life and become more financially stable by saving money:
$25,000 to acquire fresh produce for distribution through their Fresh Food Share pantries, which provide free groceries to about 30,000 people facing hunger each year, helping families eat better and save money on groceries.
$5,000 to work in partnership with community members to cultivate community gardens and provide culturally appropriate, fresh food boxes containing popular cooking items for the neighborhood community to become more self-sustainable.
$30,000 to purchase food and provide case management to reduce food insecurity, raise awareness of additional resources available, and increase healthier food intake.
$15,000 to purchase and provide food through the North 40 Food Pantry to increase food security, improve diversity of nutritious food, and help families save money on gas and vehicle expenses due to delivery options offered.
$10,000 to provide the Community Education Program which helps people learn about rescued food, food security, and strategies regarding how to use rescued food for meal prep as well as to provide food to families, individuals, and nonprofit partners through their market.
$10,000 to provide home delivered meals to homebound older adults, age 60+, to improve nutrition intake and maintain or improve their independence.
Financial Stability
The poverty rate in Larimer County is 11.4%. Financial stability programs provide access to finance professionals and improve financial literacy and education outcomes to support families’ ability to achieve upward economic mobility. The following agencies were awarded $49,500 to contribute towards this goal:
$7,000 to provide the Genesis Coffee Youth Mentorship and Job Readiness Program for youth to connect with a healthy community, learn new skills, and be equipped to secure and sustain employment.
$7,500 to provide financial counseling and education services to families across Larimer County, as well as provide partner relations support to community partners.
$25,000 to pair low-income single parents to an Advisor who provides case management support, so they are better able to understand their financial needs to be self-sufficient; choose a viable career path; develop an education plan; secure financial resources; complete a degree; prepare for the workforce; and secure employment.
$10,000 to provide free tax preparation assistance so families can save money in tax preparation fees receive federal and state refunds.
School Readiness
In addition to these Community Impact grants awarded through a competitive process, UWLC is funding 5 nonprofit early childhood providers who are striving collectively in partnership with UWLC to advance School Readiness outcomes. The following agencies will receive general operating support totaling $110,000 which will cover teacher salaries, wage increases, offset decreased fundraising amounts, offset the sliding fee scale income against the actual cost to participants to keep services accessible and maintain staff to student ratios, and cover classroom supplies and general overhead expenditures.
- EVICS – Estes Valley Investment in Childhood Success – $15,000
- The Family Center/La Familia – $25,000
- Teaching Tree – $38,000
- Thompson Valley Preschool – $14,000
- Respite Care – $18,000
United Way of Larimer County is committed to understanding and addressing the root causes of social and economic inequity across our community through education, financial stability, and addressing essential human needs. Working together, we ensure our community’s resilience for generations to come. Support this important work to build resilient communities that thrive by making a gift today.
