United Way invests over $13 million to enhance basic needs and foster resilience in the Midlands

United Way of the Midlands invested over $13 million in funding to community organizations over the past year, including $2.1 million in Impact grants for its 2023-2024 fiscal year to support basic needs and improve resiliency and long-term self-sufficiency in the Midlands.

The $2.1 in Impact grants is in addition to the donor-directed gifts, initiatives and programs UWM operates directly, and funds UWM brings into partner agencies through grant writing.

This year’s Impact grants will be awarded to 29 programs in Calhoun, Fairfield, Lexington, Newberry, Orangeburg and Richland counties and will focus on creating generational change by meeting immediate needs, breaking cycles of crisis and empowering people to build their own path to success.

“United Way programs impact more than 40,000 lives each year, and we are committed to investing in those programs to create generational change for families throughout the Midlands,” said Sara Fawcett, United Way of the Midlands President and CEO.

In the area of building resilience, the United Way is awarding the Midlands Fatherhood Coalition (MFC) $90,000. The grant will specifically support MFC’s transformative “IMPACT” program, which is designed to uplift families from poverty and enhance their prospects. Through a comprehensive range of economic mobility services, including financial literacy and employment soft skills training, certifications, and job placement assistance, the MFC is dedicated to serving fathers with children under 18 years old at no cost to them.

“We are working towards creating resilient communities that can withstand and recover from crises, ultimately improving the overall well-being and self-sufficiency of individuals and families throughout the Midlands for good,” said Fawcett.

Among this year’s basic needs grants, United Way is awarding The Samaritan House of Orangeburg $56,249. The organization provides temporary housing and stabilization services to adult men and women and their dependent children who are experiencing chronic, institutional, or transitional homelessness in Orangeburg, Calhoun and Bamberg counties.

“We aim to create a stronger and more resilient community, where every individual has access to the basic necessities required for a stable and healthy life,” said Fawcett.

Last year, United Way expanded its funding to also include programs that support its two-generation approach to family stability. An example of this investment includes United Way’s $275,000 grant to the Salvation Army of the Midlands. The two-generation approach provides long-term case management to improve workforce skills and employment plus address any other barriers keeping families from long-term paths to financial stability and independence. Services are also provided to the children in the family to ensure they have strong, resilient foundations.

For more information about United Way’s investments or grants process, please contact Isabel Steen, United Way of the Midlands’ Director of Community Investments, at [email protected] or (803) 733-5119.

About United Way of the Midlands

United Way of the Midlands is the most collaborative, efficient and accountable model for investing in the improvement of the Midlands community. With 70 Community Impact Partners, United Way works to identify and respond to the critical human service needs of Calhoun, Fairfield, Lexington, Newberry, Orangeburg and Richland counties. Funds are raised through workplace campaigns, grant writing and individual donations and are directed to creating generational change by breaking cycles of crisis and empowering people to build their own paths to success. For more information, please visit uway.org.