United Way of Southeastern Connecticut has been awarded a grant for $130,000 from M&T Charitable Foundation, the philanthropic arm of M&T Bank for United Way’s New Capacities program in Norwich.
“Through the Amplify Fund, we are committed to continuing our partnership with organizations like United Way of Southeastern Connecticut that work hand-in-hand with community members in the field to provide the critical resources and programming necessary to truly make a difference,” said Dominique Goss, Executive Director of the M&T Charitable Foundation.
New Capacities is a collective impact initiative with a cross-sector team of local businesses, the City of Norwich, Norwich Free Academy, the Norwich Public School Systems, nonprofits and residents. The community-driven plan combines resources, continuous communication, data-sharing, and high-level systems change as well as on-the-ground programs.
Partners are working together to align the education system with workforce needs to respond to employer demand in our growing and changing workforce, while also creating an inclusive, interconnected, and economically self-determined community.
The ALICE Report showed that 50% of Norwich households could not afford basic needs. The cost of living in Norwich for a family of four is $96,852, yet the median household income in Norwich is $59,751 . New Capacities’ goal is to increase the number of financially stable homes in Norwich to 66%.
A gap exists at many high schools for students not bound for college and those lacking a direct plan for employment post-graduation, and they can encounter a significant challenge upon graduation. While the student is still in need of guidance to fully achieve their own career path and future, support from the school typically ends. New Capacities spans this bridge beyond the students' high school experience, and the program has hired a Job Developer located at Norwich Free Academy (NFA).
“We are thankful for the grant from M&T Bank to support New Capacities and the Job Developer position,” said Dina Sears-Graves, President and CEO of United Way of Southeastern Connecticut. “The program identifies gaps and the real needs, bringing partners and employers together to solve a community-level challenge of increasing the number of financially stable households in Norwich.”
Not only does New Capacities assist students with post-graduation plans and preparation, but it also strives to ensure they will earn a living wage. This will lead to a decrease in dependence on other support, as well as longer-term emergency financial assistance, all reducing the burden on taxpayer supported funds.
"Norwich Free Academy's partnership with United Way has been invaluable,” said Linda Farinha, Director of the College and Career Center at NFA. “With our New Capacities work as a road map, we have been able to open a dialogue resulting in student programming such as the CNA/Medical Interpreter Pipeline, setting students up with meaningful work that is in demand.”
Additionally, the program is specifically placing students with local employers to support the growing needs in the local workforce, especially healthcare and manufacturing, addressing significant shortages in high demand roles. New Capacities has filled a gap in the community so that households in Norwich are able to achieve and maintain financial stability.
