United Way's Community Impact Goals:

Education: Children and teens are successful in school.

Self Sufficiency: People have steady jobs and financial stability.

Health: People have access to mental and physical health care

 You can invest in these results by giving, advocating or volunteering!

Our Community's Challenges: 

·         Almost half of Lawrence students enter kindergarten without the skills they need to succeed in school and 13% of Douglas County students are not graduating from high school.

·         More than 25% of the households in our community live in or near poverty and require emergency assistance, including food and shelter. 80% of our community's lower wage earners spend more than half of their monthly income on housing.

·         An estimated 14,000 people in Douglas County don't have health insurance. 40% of people experiencing homelessness report having mental health or substance abuse problems.

United Way's Solution

·         In 2011, the United Way of Douglas County embraced a Community Impact model to better address the complex challenges that keep too many in Douglas County from achieving health, education and self sufficiency.

·         We connect Community Partners specializing in education, health and self sufficiency to develop collaborative approaches for addressing these complex challenges, setting measurable goals, assessing progress and targeting improvement.

·         United Way collaborations are getting better results as they develop innovative approaches to serving more people using fewer resources.

We're Already Seeing Successes

Here are just a few examples of amazing work being done each day by United Way and its Community Partners:

Education: Students are gaining support to be proficient in math and reading.

The United Way collaborated with the Lawrence School District and the Boys & Girls Club to create Power Hour Kits filled with interactive educational materials the 1,200 students served in after-school programs can use to meet the school district's academic goals.

Self Sufficiency: Teens with disabilities are finding jobs.

The United Way's collaboration with Independence Inc. and The Arc is helping youth with disabilities land jobs. Through the Youth Employment Program, these teens receive job training and work opportunities at area businesses that enable them to become more self sufficient.

Health: Vulnerable populations are pursuing healthy lifestyles.

The United Way manages a group of AmeriCorps members who work at local agencies to develop innovative solutions to unique health challenges.