Community-based organizations under the umbrella of United Way of Central Maryland will receive about $10.5 million during the next 30 months to help solve serious social issues.
Forty-one organizations and programs will share in the funding to address four impact areas ? basic needs, school readiness, family safety and youth achievement ? identified by United Way?s board as essential.
“By making targeted and sustained investments, United Way can make meaningful, long-term progress on important issues facing our community,” Larry Walton,president and chief professional officer of United Way Central Maryland, said in a statement.
“We?ve identified innovative programs and nontraditional partnerships in which several agencies are working together to address the root causes of many of the region?s most challenging social needs.”
Among the organizations splitting the $10.5 million during 2007, 2008 and 2009 is Episcopal Community Services of Maryland in Baltimore, which provides child care and other services to homeless families.
“It?s a wonderful opportunity for us,” said Jean Cushman, executive director of ECSM.
Its program The Ark, ECSM will help homeless children improve their language and social skills in an effort to bring the children up to par before entering kindergarten.
“We know that children are the fastest-growing segment of the homeless population,” Cushman said.
“Our best estimate is that there are between 3,000 and 6,000 homeless people in Baltimore on any given night, and 62 percent of children who are homeless are age 8 and under.”
The United Way funding will help ECSM team a speech and language therapist with children to “further hone in on language skills,” Cushman said.
“The mission of creating community impact is to engage and inspire communities to create a shared vision for the future and set goals for action,” said Bernie Cook, United Way?s board chairman. “We are investing in excellent programs designed to address some of the region?s most pressing social needs. We will hold ourselves accountable for delivering quantifiable outcomes.”
LEARN MORE
» Go online to www.uwcm.org and click on the news and events link for a complete list of local agencies receiving community impact funding.
