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We can’t stress enough how important your gifts are to United Way and to families in our community and we would like to tell you a bit more about how we’re putting your investments into action in our community.
At the request of our nonprofit partners, asking us to be their voice and to help with securing resources, while our donors and corporate partners asked us what they could do, we launched the United for the Valley COVID-19 Response Fund:
- Raised nearly $3 million and through grants to non-profits and schools helped more than half a million people.
- Placed more than $700,000 in donated goods – gifts in kind – like PPE, water, hand sanitizer, laptops and hot spots. In fact, distributed more than 500,000 PPE into community so far.
- Shifted our Vello from virtually tutoring kids in their classrooms to tutoring them at home.
We’re proud of this work and hope you are, too. And, the need continues as we put a focus on solving for the digital divide. Your philanthropy isn’t just about dollars, it’s about activating real solutions for people in Maricopa County:
- 5-year-olds to enter kindergarten ready to learn
- Kids of all ages to have safe and places to go after school like Boys & Girls Clubs and YMCAs across the Valley
- High school students to have the tools and mentoring they need to graduate and enter college.
While we celebrate our impact together, we can’t stress enough that the effects of the pandemic continues and will continue to overshadow families, especially those who were already vulnerable.
- 209,000 students or 20% of Arizona K-12 students do not have broadband Internet service at home
- 100,000 students in Maricopa County do not have access to a computer
- 8 school districts online only, 44 others using hybrid model
- Situation evolving daily (e.g., Murphy School District)
- Immediate needs raised by school districts who lack capacity to fulfill them (e.g., data capture, digital literacy, connectivity)
In times like this, people and companies what to help…they want to be involved, so our focus is to make it simple to ACTIVATE.
- Deployed TechSupport Hotline for families in our partner school districts
- Supported school districts with funding for “hot spots”
- Provided safe environment with internet access (BCGC, YMCA, CPLC, etc.)
- Partnered with PHX Chamber on refurbished laptop distribution
- Funded over 30 community partners (schools and out-of-school time programs) in youth programming and technology (laptops)
- Provided materials (laptops, hotspots, Swivels, etc.)
- Launched Vello at Home
- Organized FAFSA completion events
- Supported PUHSD virtual Peer Influencer campaign
- Convened out-of-school time partners to identify additional supports
- Connected schools with out-of-school time partners
- Developed out-of-school time program map for PXU partner schools
- Enabled virtual mentoring (Big Brothers Big Sisters, BCGC, etc.)
There is still so much work to be done. We’re working with companies to achieve their corporate social responsibility goals that also provide Relief for our neighbors and can help families rebuild their lives.
We know many of you want to engage, so we have virtual volunteer opportunities like Vello virtual tutoring, mentoring and even volunteer IT support for families struggling with the technology of distance learning.
There is a lot of unknown ahead for families, individuals, schools, for all of us. What we DO know is that together, we MAKE a difference and we WILL rebuild when the time is right. We can’t do it without you.
The AZ Charitable Tax Credit is an opportunity to come together and help others as this year closes out. What’s different about this year-end contribution, is that you may be eligible to get every dollar back on your Arizona State Taxes, as long as you have a state tax liability. Singles can contribute up to $400. Married couples can contribute up to $800. Please consider this critical end-of-the-year donation—one that gives to those who need it the very most, and one that gives back to you during tax time.
We promise, United Way will invest it wisely and it will impact people who need it the most.
