For the Cumberland Times-News
Cumberland Times-News
CUMBERLAND — More than $150,000 in County United Way funding will be spent to combat homelessness and implement programs for children in response to needs that were identified by community members during the past year.
As part of the agency’s new Community Impact Funding program, organizations applying for funds in Allegany, Garrett, Mineral and Hampshire counties were required to address these key issues as well as collaborate with other agencies to create innovative programs.
“We have been working on achieving Community Impact Funding for the past three years,” said Tom Dowdell, president of the Board of Directors for County United Way. “We certainly recognize that County United Way cannot solve these problems alone, but we can serve as a catalyst in the process and partner in the discussion with others who may be in the best position to meet these critical needs for each community.”
A Community Summit occurred in 2009 with 104 participants focused on determining critical needs for their respective counties. Allegany County prioritized programs to address homelessness while Garrett, Hampshire and Mineral counties agreed to target after-school and summer programs for children.
Allegany County received two proposals for homeless programs with a total award of $97,875 and Garrett County received two proposals for after-school and summer programs amounting to $13,769. Both Mineral and Hampshire counties received four proposals for student programs and were awarded $27,182 and $10,413, respectively.
Betsey Hurwitz-Schwab, chairwoman of the Executive Committee for Allegany County and a member of the Community Impact Task Force said, “The United Way’s goal is to create long-lasting changes by addressing the underlying causes of these problems in our communities.”
County United Way Executive Director Mary Beth Pirolozzi explained the concept behind Community Impact Funding. “We were challenged by our donors and the community to find the best ideas to strengthen and improve our community. As greater needs are presented, donors ask what we are doing to reduce or eliminate the underlying causes of those needs.”
The United Way commissioned a community needs assessment using a public meeting approach. Nine one-hour meetings were held in all areas served by CUW with more than 200 community members participating.
Pam Jan, Community Impact Task Force member and an Executive Committee member for Mineral County, commented on the future of County United Way. “We are very excited about the new direction our local counties have chosen to pursue. As always, donors to the United Way can designate funds for a favorite organization. But we believe this way of allocating resources will make a greater positive impact on our community.”
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