United Way to invest nearly $15 million to meet basic needs and foster resilience in the Midlands

United Way of the Midlands will invest more than $14.9 million in funding to community organizations over the next year, including $3.2 million in impact grants for its 2024-2025 fiscal year to support basic needs, improve resiliency, and create long-term self-sufficiency in the Midlands.

The $3.2 million in impact grants is in addition to $587,000 in funding to United Way’s Whole Family strategy, and $171,000 in special funding initiatives that include United Way’s vital 211 program, which connects Midland’s residents with needed health, education, and economic mobility services.

This year’s impact grants will be awarded to 25 programs in Calhoun, Fairfield, Lexington, Newberry, Orangeburg, and Richland counties. These grants will help provide services and continue to create generational change for families across the Midlands.

“United Way programs impact more than 40,000 lives each year, and we are committed to investing in these programs by meeting immediate needs, empowering our community, and building pathways to generational success,” said Sara Fawcett, United Way of the Midlands President and CEO.

In the area of building resilience, United Way is awarding The Boys & Girls Club of the Midlands (BGCM) $127,500. The grant will specifically support their “Project Learn” program, which complements and reinforces what children learn during the school day and create daily experiences to help them fall in love with learning. BGCM is one of the agencies supported by United Way’s Whole Family Strategy, along with the Salvation Army of the Midlands, where another $275,000 investment will go to help support families at risk of homelessness. Our Whole Family Strategy expands the agency’s long-term case management for families experiencing housing or economic instability, referred to by local school district partners.

United Way will also deploy outside grant resources secured to grow our directly operated programs such as Midlands Reading Consortium and Young Men United, which create opportunities to cultivate literacy and youth development.

Among this year’s basic needs grants, United Way is investing $100,000 in The Free Medical Clinic, Inc. The organization’s Quality Healthcare Program provides medical care, medications, patient education, and preventative care at no cost to community members who are uninsured and live below 250% of the federal poverty line.

“When we invest in these programs, we make our communities stronger,” said Fawcett.

For more information about United Way’s investments or grants process, please contact Jennifer Moore, United Way of the Midlands’ VP of Community Impact, at [email protected] or (803) 479-3138.

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 73 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.