United Way Of the Chattahoochee Valley- Brings Community Into Focus – Creates Space and Individuality
Community approaches help to make worldwide challenges solvable on a personal level, and United Way has taken up the mission of helping local communities approach problems with humanitarian campaigns and practical solutions.
United Way is a global network of community organizations which partner to create opportunities, offer assistance with everyday challenges, and make a positive impact in peoples’ lives.
Columbus’ United Way branch has operated since 1950. The organization was started in Denver in 1937, originally named Community Chest. The idea was to pool private funds to do social good in communities. The idea took off, and today there are over 1000 United Way branches across the country, with additional branches worldwide totaling 1600 branches.
The Columbus branch is in the top 100 of United Way branches for revenue. Eachl branch is its own 501c3 nonprofit that raises funds and directs those funds back to the local community. This is key, because the work our local United Way does directly benefits us.
President and CEO of United Way of Chattahoochee Valley Ben Moser sat down with me to share a little about the organization, the impact it has made in our community, and ways we can get involved.
Many people have heard the name United Way, and Moser explains that the high brand recognition helps fundraising efforts, so a bigger impact can be made. United Way directs funds raised back into the community in several ways, one of the biggest of which is through funding partner agencies. The Columbus branch currently has 28 partners, with the highest funded being the Boys and Girls Clubs and the second highest the Easter Seals. Some other partners they fund include Girls, Inc., the YMCA, and Mercy Med.
Closing gaps in the community is a mission of United Way, to give all community members the opportunity to thrive. United Way is active in local high poverty schools to offer resources to students and families in need. They offer a resource room stocked with food, clean uniforms, hygiene products, and even a washer and dryer for families to use. The program, called Community Schools United, focuses on relationship development and referral services as well as after school programs. A United Way representative is on-site in participating schools to employ United Way services. Moser explains that the representatives are “Experts in dealing with adverse childhood experiences.” The program is a first line of defense for students in need, and is an approachable, on-site, encompassing resource that is changing the lives of students. “Every dollar invested in community schools brings $7 back to the community,” Moser says. “We know this is a very effective program, and we’re plugged in on a national level with it.”
The Chattahoochee Valley United Way has a 211 call center, which directs callers to over 350 resources in the community. The call center is an access point to United Way services such as housing and rent assistance, youth assistance, help for domestic violence victims, and more. “If you’re providing services in the area, we want you to be in 211,” Moser says. A list of 211 resources and partners can be accessed by calling 211, texting 828211, or visiting the website at unitedcv.org.
Home for Good is a United Way program that addresses housing needs in the community. The program partners with local resources to help homeless community members find permanent homes. A widely successful program, over 97% of participants end up remaining in permanent homes, according to the United Way website.
Poverty reduction is a big part of United Way’s mission. The local branch’s goal is to reduce poverty in the Chattahoochee Valley by 50% in a ten-year period. “We know to reduce poverty we have to create good jobs,” Moser explains. So, our local United Way is working to do just that with a program called Chips 4 Chips. The program’s incentive is to create job opportunities in the community by working to bring the semiconductor manufacturing industry to our area. “We have everything you need here to create a thriving microchip ecosystem,” Moser says. “We’ve been heavily investing in this effort.” He goes on to enthusiastically explain that jobs in this industry are well-paying and accessible to people with little college education.
“You have to be proactive to reduce poverty rates,” Moser explains. “Economic development and systems changes – that’s how we get there. If you want to change the dynamic, you have to do things differently and create new opportunities.”
The United Way of the Chattahoochee Valley isn’t built on hopes and ideals alone, but is working to create practical solutions to the economic challenges our community faces. They are putting in the work to match the mission with dynamic programs that address root issues and offer real life solutions.
United Way has always been about community members helping each other out. There are many ways we can do just that here in the Chattahoochee Valley. Workplace campaigns give employees opportunities to donate to United Way, and individuals, corporations, and foundations can also donate on the website at unitedcv.org. Organizations can apply for United Way funding, and volunteer opportunities can be found on the website at unitedcv.org. “It’s about the whole community getting involved,” Moser says.
United Way of the Chattahoochee Valley is currently running their annual campaign to raise funds that will be invested back into the community. The goal this year is nine million dollars, and donations can be made on the website at unitedcv.org. Future plans to expand their community schools program and continue to grow and take care of community partners will all be possible through funds raised. “We’re the stewards of public trust and public funds, and we want to make sure every dollar is leveraged,” Moser says.
More than anything, United Way plans to continue giving back. “We want to make sure we continue to stay focused on doing the things we’ve started really well,” Moser says. As the organization expands, United Way of the Chattahoochee Valley remains committed to their mission, and their work is making an impact on all who live here.
By Natalie Downey