Twenty-six Boone County agencies with 35 strategies to help low-income mid-Missourians will receive funding in 2013 from Heart of Missouri United Way (HMUW), officials announced Oct. 19 in Jesse Hall.
MU’s United Way Campaign 2012 is helping raise money for the strategies. As of Wednesday, the campaign had brought in $370,910. Its goal is $800,000 by Nov. 16.
Meanwhile, HMUW is about 40 percent of the way to its fundraising goal of $4 million by Dec. 31.
HMUW’s funding model is called Community Impact, which focuses on reaching children in low-income households to break the familial pattern of poverty.
“It aims to eliminate, not just alleviate, poverty in this community,” MU Deputy Chancellor Michael Middleton said at the announcement. “We are proud to support the Community Impact agenda.”
In research for Community Impact, HMUW utilized hundreds of volunteers and dozens of area studies, including the “Social Service Agency Evaluation” report by MU’s Institute of Public Policy in the Truman School of Public Affairs. HMUW committed to funding only strategies that the data showed would best help the poor change their socioeconomic status. Some of the chosen agencies have received funding in more than one focus area.
Community Impact addresses four areas:
• Education: seeks to have low-income youth reading proficiently by third grade and making successful academic transitions to middle and high school. $771,127 is allocated.
Eleven social service agencies and their strategies are receiving funding. Included are Big Brothers Big Sisters and its strategy “Middle School Mentoring,” and United Community Builders’ strategy “Community Hope.”
• Income: seeks to develop employment skills and offer affordable transportation and childcare, among other goals. $278,305 is allocated.
Four agencies will be funded, including Services for Independent Living and its strategy “Work Readiness Training,” and Youth Employment Zone’s “Empowerment Group.”
• Health: aimed at increasing the number of youth making healthy choices by eating balanced diets and avoiding teen pregnancy, substance abuse and smoking. $617,796 is allocated.
Among the seven agencies receiving funding is the Family Counseling Center of Missouri Inc. for its “Comprehensive Family Mental Health” and “School Based Programming” strategies.
• Safety Net: supports crisis and intervention. $681,000 is allocated. Two of the nine services receiving support are Rainbow House for its youth strategies and The Salvation Army’s “Harbor House.”
Allocated for general support of the chosen nonprofits is $453,000.
Among the currently funded agencies that were not selected for 2013 allocation are Adult Day Connection, Boone County Council on Aging, Boy Scouts of America–Great Rivers Council, Girl Scouts of Missouri Heartland and UCP Heartland Child Development Center.
At the announcement, MU Associate Athletic Director Joe Scogin praised MU students, faculty and staff for their participation in Campaign 2012. “This is our opportunity socially to make an impact on our community,” Scogin said.
Pledges can be made at unitedway.missouri.edu.