As immunizations and prevention measures begin to slowly reduce the impact of COVID-19 on our economy and lifestyles, we must not forget those terribly hurt and least able to weather this past year.
Among those most affected are our ALICE households. These are hardworking families who, under normal conditions, struggle to afford a basic cost of living.
Thanks to your support, we want to tell you what United Way of Frederick County is doing to directly assist Frederick County's ALICE families, how we are assisting our community's nonprofits, and the ways we support our community's decision makers with information about ALICE families in Frederick County.
Thank you for your support and trust in what we do.
Sincerely,
Ken Oldham
President & CEO
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Supporting Working Families |
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ALICE households are those who are unable to afford a basic cost of living in Frederick County. In 2018, 37% of households in Frederick County are ALICE. More about ALICE can found at www.uwfrederick.org/ALICE.
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From Homeless to Homeowner in Six Months!
Sabrina and her family moved to Frederick in 2019, homeless and with only a few clothes to their name. While her husband entered the Frederick Rescue Mission’s Changed Life Recovery program, Sabrina and her two young daughters moved into a nearby shelter for homeless women and children.
Soon Sabrina, pictured here with CEO Ken Oldham, found a job as a peer recovery specialist, employed by the county health department. The family moved into an apartment and she enrolled in our free budget coaching program where she learned how to prepare her first budget. She signed up to get her income taxes done through VITA, our free tax preparation program. And when she got a refund, she put it into our Prosperity Savers match savings account and started building towards a down payment on a home.
In late 2020, Sabrina closed on her new home!
According to Sabrina, the Prosperity Center programs made this all possible. “The process was so simple and I received encouragement every step of the way,” she said.
We believe it is not about where you come from or where you’ve been; it is about helping Sabrina and others move forward on their Pathway to Financial Stability!
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Pathways to Financial Stability
Our Prosperity Center offers programs for ALICE families that start them on Pathways to Financial Stability. The first stop on is VITA, a free tax preparation program using IRS-certified volunteers like those pictured here.
VITA saves each ALICE household over $250 in tax preparation fees, protects them from predatory services, helps them get all the tax savings they qualify for, and delivers 100% accurate returns each year.
This year, United Way is the only VITA site in Frederick County, due to the expense of operating safely in the COVID world. We felt we had to continue to offer this service in spite of the many changes required to protect our clients and our volunteers. We are completely booked and anticipate bringing nearly $400,000 back into the Frederick community through accurate tax returns.
VITA is often the first stop on the Pathways to Financial Stability, as you read about in Sabrina’s story. Other stops include free credit counseling, free budget coaching, and matched savings programs to purchase a used car or a home.
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Supporting Local Nonprofits |
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Training for Nonprofit Organizations
The 2021 Unity Campaign officially kicks off on March 10 and runs through March 21. This community-wide fundraising effort unites 31 nonprofit organizations to support ALICE households in Frederick County!
On February 16, we offered training to the 31 participating nonprofits in partnership with Association of Fundraising Professionals -- Western Maryland Chapter. Unity Campaign partners participated in Tips, Tricks & Tools of the Trade -- How to Heighten Your Organization’s Visibility. The program gave nonprofits the free and low-cost tools they can use to show their impact, and tell their story in a way that will help them reach their goals.
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Supporting Local Decision Makers |
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Vaccine Information and Coordination for ALICE households
United Way of Frederick County wants to ensure fair and equitable access to the COVID-19 vaccine as it becomes available. We understand challenges of money, transportation and work schedules, among other reasons, may hinder an ALICE family's access to vaccine. That's why we're working to coordinate our trusted nonprofit partners to help do what they do best -- advocate for and support ALICE in our community.
United Way of Frederick County has 80-plus years of experience activating our local nonprofit network. Reaching our most vulnerable populations has never been more important.
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Huge thanks to the Unity Campaign's Incentive Match Fund sponsors!
Ausherman Family Foundation
Delaplaine Foundation
Equity United Mortgage
Legacy House Title
Randall Family
Springirth Services
Troyce Gatewood & Partners
The Unity Campaign wouldn't be possible without this outstanding group of philanthropists!
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Our Thanks to Caring People in Frederick County Workplaces
We continue to be amazed by the incredibly caring people who contribute to United Way's Employee Giving Campaigns at Frederick County workplaces.
Thank you for your continued support!
In a year when we all faced many challenges, you chose to continue fighting for the health, education, and financial stability of every person in Frederick County.
If you would like to learn more about how Employee Giving Campaigns help our neighbors in need, build a stronger community, and improve employee engagement and retention, please contact CEO Ken Oldham at koldham@uwfrederick.org.
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Please join us on social media! |
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United Way of Frederick County fights for the health, education and financial stability of every person in our community.
We oppose all forms of discrimination and actively strive to be a model of diversity, equity, and inclusion. We embrace each person’s social or economic status, gender, gender identification, ethnicity, religion, age, sexual orientation, and physical or mental abilities. We respect and value diverse life experiences and heritages and ensure that all voices are valued and heard.
Special thanks to local artist Ellen Byrne who created and donated the United in Recovery imagery.
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