Our Priorities

Your gift to United Way is invested in four focus areas to get results that matter. Our four priorities are: Community Wellness, Thriving Children, Basic Needs and Training and Education for Jobs. Research indicates that certain areas require particular attention in our community and therefore, all of United Way's efforts address at least one of these priorities or focus areas.

Results You Can See By priority area

Community Wellness

• Child & Family Agency's Parent Child Services program provides therapy to children and their families to decrease disturbing behavior. At the end of their treatment, 82% (285 of 349) of the children improved their behavior such as attending school more regularly or having fewer angry outbursts. In addition, the agency's School-Based health Centers in Groton, Norwich, and New London schools attend to children's primary and mental health needs. Of the 127 students, 65% (82) with mental health issues improved their outlook after 3 months of therapy and the provision of support systems.
• Visiting Nurse Association's Community Mental Health program visits people with short-term or chronic mental illness. Of the 323 clients, 274 (85%) remained out of the hospital during the previous year and 85% maintained or improved their level of daily functioning.
• United Community & Family Services provides a full range of affordable services to keep people well. They gave 1,635 flu immunizations to adults in 20 locations; they provided no- or low-cost immunizations, lead testing, and nutritional assessments to 114 children 24-35 months old in their Pediatric Health Care program.

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Thriving Children

• Catholic Charities' Pregnancy & Parenting program supports parents, babies, and children to optimize their well-being. Of the clients in the program, 89% (57 of 64) received regular care from point of contact to the birth of the child, increasing the chances of a healthy baby.
• Of the 365 mothers in the Visiting Nurse Association's Maternal Health program, 350 (96%) increased their parenting skills and knowledge of child caring by demonstrating appropriate maternal/child care.
• Riverfront Children's Center provides affordable, quality child care. They helped 104 of 126 (83%) of their young clients increase their social and emotional behavior measures by at least one-third in a calendar year.
• Big Brothers Big Sisters provides one-to-one friendships for 218 youth with adult mentors. Of the youth in the program, 78% (170) improved their sense of being able to accomplish something, nearly 61% (132) improved their completion rate of homework, and 53% (115) improved their behavior in the classroom.
• The Family Visitation Center at Madonna Place is helping families achieve healthy relationships in a safe, neutral environment. Of the 153 children at the Center, 100% were kept safe during visits; 88% (77 of 88) of the families achieved their goals of changing negative attitudes and behaviors; 92% (133 of 145) of the parents improved their understanding of what constitutes constructive or abusive parent practices.

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Basic Needs

• Covenant Shelter helped 85 of 95 (89%) of its clients in the Emergency Shelter obtain employment within 2 weeks of admission through temporary relief and case management.
• Catholic Charities helped 1,489 households with 2,776 requests for basic needs including food, shelter, clothing, utility and rent assistance, transportation, medicine, and infant clothing or food; 99% (2,752) of the requests were fully or partially met.
• Transitional, Assisted Housing at Martin House promoted self-reliance and recovery for low-income adults with a history of mental illness or homelessness. Of the 15 clients who arrived at Martin House between February 2003 and January 2004, 74% (11) maintained affordable housing for at least six months.
• Phoenix House at the Women's Center of SE CT moves homeless women and their children into safe housing for a period of 24 months. Of the 51 residents, 29 (57%) furthered their educational and/or job training goals during the 6 to 24-month period they lived at Phoenix House.
• Thames Area Citizen Advocacy Program provides sustained matches between advocates and isolated elderly nursing home residents. The advocates are trained volunteers whose role involves more than friendly visiting. Of the 16 elderly residents in the program, 13 (81%) formed a positive relationship with their advocate and after three months of weekly outings with an advocate, 13 (81%) demonstrated reconnection to their communities.

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Training & Education for Jobs

• Within 1 year of enrollment, 100% of the 106 clients in OIC of New London County's Project Employment program found jobs. In their Certified Nurses Assistant program, 96% (22 of 23) of the students passed the state licensure test that will help them secure full-time jobs.
• At Literacy Volunteers, 84% (42 of 50) of people enrolled in English as a Second Language tutoring who took pre- and post-tests increased their knowledge of English a full level and 28% increased by 2 levels according to standardized tests.

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