The United Way of Lee County

Community Impact Fund:The United Way supports 92 local human service agencies and over 258 programs and initiatives in our community. The United Way Community Impact Fund targets and addresses the underlying causes of problems in five key impact areas: 1) Strengthening Families - By moving families and individuals beyond poverty, facilitating support groups to empower victims to regain control of their lives, and providing assistance to victims of domestic violence. 2) Nurturing Youth - By ensuring a quality early childhood education opportunity for all children, supporting mentoring programs, and providing at-risk youth with programs to build and strengthen their character and life skills. Continued on Schedule O3) Meeting Critical Needs - By helping the elderly and people with disabilities live independently, with dignity and respect, responding to people in crisis, and connecting people in need of help through United Way 211 Information and Referral Line; 4) Empowering Communities - By organizing and mobilizing communities, bringing health and human services to neighborhoods, and connecting providers and residents through partnerships. 5) Supporting Veterans- Meeting the needs of veterans and active service members through Mission United; coordinating the veteran support organizations.The United Way Gifts in Kind Program solicits and collects donated merchandise, materials, equipment, fixtures, furniture, etc. for redistribution to local nonprofit agencies. In 2022, the program received over $10 million in donated items that benefited the local social service network and community.United Way Houses:United Way of Lee, Hendry, Glades, and Okeechobee Counties, in collaboration with our human service partners, brings needed services into communities through neighborhood resource centers. These "one stop" centers provide space for agencies to reach clients who may not be able to access services outside their neighborhood. In 2022, United Way House clients received 460,629 services across the 17 United Way Houses in operation. The neighborhood houses are a perfect example of how collaboration increases access to services and improves local neighborhoods. The vision is helping people in need with more than a short-term solution by offering them coordinated services that may help prevent the problem from reoccurring.

United Way 211:Every hour of every day, someone in our community needs human services, from finding an after-school program, to counseling for a teen, to securing adequate care for an aging parent. People often don't know where to turn, and as a result, end up going without necessary services. United Way 211 exists to help people navigate their way through the maze of health and social service agencies by providing the most adequate, up-to-date resources for the client's situation. In 2022 United Way 211 had a total call volume of over 119,854. During times of natural disasters such as hurricanes, United Way 211 becomes the Information Hotline for Lee, Hendry, and Glades Counties offering information on shelters, evacuation routes, and recovery services. United Way 211 also runs Mission United, a single phone point of entry utilizing the 211 number to help local United States active military, veterans and their families in Lee, Hendry and Glades counties navigate and access needed services. United Way 211 is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week by dialing 211 or 239-433-3900.

ARPA funding, as directed through Lee County Government has served to enhance the capacity of the United Way of Lee County to ensure that Lee County nonprofit human service providers have the resources and organizational capacity to deliver services to the community and help mediate the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. 65 projects through 63 agencies with over $4.5 million distributed in 2022 to non-profit entities serving Lee County residents with things such as rehousing, food distribution access, GED prep and completion, domestic violence counseling, financial assistance (utility and food stamps), employment support,community engagement programs, and other services. Continued on Schedule OThe economic harm and increased need for services to disproportionately impacted individuals make paramount the United Way mission to support area non-profit organizations in their vital work.

Other.