You know about the safety net of basic services United Way donors support -- called the Community Care Fund. But there's so much more going on! Learn about the new initiatives aimed at some of our community's most urgent needs.

You know about United Way’s broad community reach – 150 health and human service programs in a closely monitored network of the Community Care Fund – but that’s just the beginning.
Now, United Way of the Midlands sharpens the focus, with “community impact.”

The goal is to provide our neighbors with the building blocks for a good life:  a quality education that leads to a stable job, steady income that supports a family, and good health.

SO HOW WILL WE ACHIEVE "COMMUNITY IMPACT?"
With partners old and new, United Way is teaming up with nonprofit organizations, government agencies, private companies and other funders to target populations in these focus areas. Our initiatives include:
     --- Financial Stability Partnership - Solutions for Working Families
     --- Dial 2-1-1
      --- International Center of the Heartland
     --- Early Childhood Education, including the Born Learning awareness effort
     --- Engaging At-risk Youth in Community Service
     --- Older Adults Initiative

FINANCIAL STABILITY PARTNERSHIP TM - SOLUTIONS FOR WORKING FAMILIES

This initiative helps working families to achieve economic stability and success. As well, local employers can benefit with better employee retention, loyalty and productivity. (Formerly known as "Family Economic Success.")

Current projects include:

Accessing the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), a tax credit overlooked by many eligible low income individuals and families. If eligible, families stand to receive several thousand dollars that will go a long way toward paying off debt or building a nestegg. United Way and its partners are sponsoring free tax preparation fairs each year, to connect these working families with tax experts, banks, and others who can set them on a more self-sufficient path.  Free tax prep sites were available once again in 2010 for the elderly and needy in our community.  More than 3,600 returns were filed, with an average overall refund of $1,211. That goes a long way to help our neighbors cover their basic needs and pay their bills. 

Financial Literacy Training and Counseling that helps individuals and families control their debt and then build assets for the future. Several local employers are offering this nuts-and-bolts training to their workforces, so more people are able to participate. 

Creation of Individual Development Accounts (IDAs), in which an individual’s regular monthly savings are matched by an employer/government collaboration – to be used for home ownership, further education and small business creation.

Efforts on the part of a dozen local banks and credit unions to tailor some products for low-income workers that enable them to better secure their money and more fully partake in the pursuit of economic independence.

DIAL 2-1-1

Looking for a local service to help a friend, co-worker, or your own family? Get connected and get answers -- Dial 2-1-1, hosted by United Way. With one simple phone call, you can find easy access to information on health and human services in Nebraska and Iowa. Listed services include:
Utility /Rent /Financial Assistance
Food / Shelter / Clothing
Abuse Prevention
Counseling / Mental Health Services
Local Support Groups
Senior Services
Children/Teen Services
Nebraska’s pilot 2-1-1 call/resource center is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You can check out the same information on-line, in our 2-1-1 Community Resource Directory.

OLDER ADULTS INITIATIVE
This initiative is a multi-year response designed to identify and focus on a community-wide system to extend the ability of older adults (age 65+) to remain healthy, productive and independent as long as possible.

Since falls are a leading cause of hospitalization for seniors, United Way and its partners hope to increase the availability of fall prevention and balance control exercise training.  For instance, the Safety & Health Council - Greater Omaha Chapter and the Council Bluffs Senior Center are offering T'ai Chi classes; participants in the practice report improved strength and balance. The Safety Council has also produced a home safety dvd, to help seniors identify and correct "fall danger" zones, with help from the members of "F1RST" (Fall Intervention Reaching Seniors Together), including United Way!

Another key issue is transportation.  It can be difficult for a person to find affordable rides to the doctor's office or grocery store.  For a start,  United Way and partners have published a new directory of transportation services that are currently available for area seniors, and it's available right here on this website!

- - - -
United Way, Alegent and other community partners participated in a "decision accelerator" in March 2007, to help survey available senior services, and to plan the "continuum of care" for our community's older adults.

Partners include Alegent, American Red Cross Heartland and Loess Hills Chapters, Council Bluffs Senior Center, Creighton University, Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging, Our Healthy Community Partnership, Safety & Health Council of Greater Omaha, The Salvation Army, Southwest 8 Senior Services, University of Nebraska Medical Center, University of Nebraska-Omaha, Visiting Nurse Association of the Midlands and VNA Pottawattamie County.

INTERNATIONAL CENTER OF THE HEARTLAND

Immigrating populations and the diversity of cultures continue to grow at an accelerated rate throughout Omaha, eastern Nebraska and southwest Iowa. Through partnerships and collaboration, the new International Center is now open (at The Center Mall in Omaha) offering support to immigrants and refugees including:

-resettlement assistance
-health and human service referral
-preparation for citizenship & civic responsibility
-employment service
-language translation & ESL training  

This United Way initiative seeks to link immigrants and refugees to needed services so that they may acquire jobs and English skills, take care of their families and contribute to the good of the community. United Way of the Midlands' Planning Allocations and Community Development Cabinet approved a 'community initiatives grant' of $200,000 to partner organizations, for staffing and services as the Center gears up. Other organizations have committed more than $400,000 in in-kind services to the center which is now open at The Center Mall in Omaha.

Partners include Lutheran Family Services of Nebraska, YMCA, Catholic Charities, Legal Aid of Nebraska, OneWorld Community Health Center, Creighton University, Metropolitan Community College,  American Red Cross-Heartland Chapter, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Douglas County Health Department, Hope Medical Outreach Coalition, AIM Institute. Other partners will be joining the effort in coming months.

EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION
Goal: to increase awareness and advocacy of the value of early childhood safety, health and education.

United Way of the Midlands is working with other community partners on efforts to help family and friends get involved in the early development of our community's children. 

The School Readiness Program focuses on toddlers and young children in Omaha's international community, which includes refugees, asylees and immigrants. In partnership with Heartland Family Service and YMCA, the program provides children and their families with fun learning opportunities, so the youngsters are ready to learn on their first day of kindergarten.

ALSO:
"Born Learning" : this national initiative has arrived in Nebraska. The goal: to help parents make the most of each child's "learning moments" starting on the day they're born.

United Way of the Midlands is working statewide with the Buffett Foundation and United Way of America, Nebraska Children and Families Foundation, seven Nebraska United Ways, Central District Health Dept. Childcare Solutions, and Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce. Local partners include Heartland Family Service, YMCA of Greater Omaha, Child Saving Institute, Early Childhood Training Center, Educare, Head Start, Midwest Child Care Association, and University of Nebraska Medical Center.

ENGAGING AT-RISK YOUTH IN COMMUNITY SERVICE
Teenagers and pre-teens spend part of their summer vacation in supervised volunteer projects.  The Summer Youth Volunteer Program engages them in service projects that are challenging, rewarding and educational. The program helps to meet the needs of our community and promotes a lifetime ethic of service among the young people involved.  The summer program projects take place at a variety nonprofit agencies. Applications for the program are accepted during the spring of each year.  The volunteer projects, in 2- and 3-week session, take place in June and July. Call 522-7933 for more information.
 
So how is United Way tracking needs and measuring progress in our community?
THE GREATER OMAHA HUMAN CARE PROFILE©
The Annual Greater Omaha Human Care Profile© provides trend data on four dozen health and human service indicators including: family functioning, basic and material needs, economic opportunity, birth and death health factors, health risks, and public safety.

Also, the 2-1-1 call center spans the three focus areas of Education, Income and Health,  and makes it possible for many individuals and families to easily access available health and human services. The 2-1-1 information and referral specialists will provide callers with up-to-date information about United Way’s community initiatives. And, because the type and number of 2-1-1 calls are tracked, the phone service will assist United Way and our community leaders in tracking current local human needs.

Other United Way of the Midlands Collaborative Efforts:

Omaha Metro Medical Response System (Disaster Preparedness)
Medical Reserve Corps (Disaster Preparedness)
Personnel Processing Point (PPP) for General Disaster Volunteers
Omaha Citizens’ Corps
Urban Area Security Initiative
Local Emergency Planning Council
Nebraska VOAD (Volunteer Organizations Acting in Disaster)
OPPD and MUD Energy Intervention Programs
Court-Referral Community Service Program -Douglas County
Toys for Tots
Metro Area Continuum of Care for the Homeless (MACCH)
National Youth Service Day
Join Hands Day
Metro on the Move (transportation planning for the elderly and disabled)
Training on Program Outcome Measurement for local nonprofits
Our Healthy Community Partnership 
Domestic Violence Coordinating Committee
Youth Service Worker Training Institute
Neighborhood Center of Greater Omaha
Heartland Walk for Warmth

United Way of the Midlands plays a unique and necessary role in bringing greater coordination, accountability and citizen involvement to our community’s human care system. Ensuring the continued strength and vitality of our United Way is a sound investment in the future well-being of our entire community. Today, there is no better charitable investment than strengthening our United Way.

Thanks for choosing to LIVE UNITED!