(Photo | Courtesy of United Way of Central Oregon)
United Way of Central Oregon officially kicks off its annual community fundraising campaign today, Thursday, September 24. The nonprofit is raising funds to help members of the community who are most impacted by current crises to recover and to build resilience, and to help local nonprofits to adapt.
The global pandemic, civil unrest across the nation and wildfires in Oregon have put a spotlight on financial and racial inequalities in our region and across the country. Inequities in our systems for health, education, employment, food access and vulnerability to natural disasters. And, inequities in financial stability and opportunity for all.
Nearly 40 percent of Central Oregonians were already living on the edge before COVID-19, according to United Way’s ALICE Report, a study of financial hardship, released in June of this year.
Then the pandemic hit, deepening existing disparities. The fallout of COVID-19 hit our most vulnerable first and hardest and will continue to do so in weeks and months and even years to come.
United Way of Central Oregon was one of the first to respond – providing resources for food, financial assistance and basic needs — through its COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund. The nonprofit’s response continues — now and in the future — through its COVID-19 Recovery & Resilience Fund.
So far, our local United Way has awarded $295,000 to 44 local nonprofit programs so that they may successfully face new challenges of COVID-19 and can deliver essential services and meet the needs of our community’s most vulnerable.
Twenty-six percent of Central Oregonians are served by a United Way funded program or service.
United Way is simultaneously driving the change that is building a resilient Central Oregon and working to reduce disparities and increase equity through grantmaking and through the TRACEs movement.
As the backbone of the TRACEs movement, United Way of Central Oregon is convening and collaborating with community partners to build resilience in our region.
United Way is leading this collective impact effort involving public, private and nonprofit sectors — listening and responding to what members of our community need, convening and collaborating with community partners, mobilizing all sectors of our community to work together for everyone to live their best lives and using resources to be a catalyst for change and to build resilience in our community.
Over 100 agencies and individuals are partnering with United Way on the TRACEs movement.
In this year’s community fundraising campaign, United Way is raising funds to fight for the health, education, financial stability and resilience of every person in our community. The nonprofit is focused on reducing existing disparities so that when today’s kids are tomorrow’s adults, they can thrive. Through all the uncertainties, United Way has been here to help locally for 68 years, and continues its critical work feeding people who need to be fed, keeping them in their homes and protecting our most vulnerable.
