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Program Grants Address Community Priorities (Mar 01, 2003)

Meeting the pressing human service needs of DelawareCounty in times of economic uncertainty is foremost in the minds of United Way allocations volunteers as they analyze results and award allocations to charitable agencies.

Allocations volunteers are community and business leaders who assist United Way of Delaware County in the year-long process of monitoring results of programs and services delivered by 19 area agencies supported by the workplace campaign United Way conducts each fall. Each spring they allocate a portion of campaign funds to member agencies for direct services and typically also allocate additional funds for several special projects, Community Priority grants.

“This year the allocations committee was challenged by the shortfall in the 2002 campaign -- reflective of the economic climate -- and cutbacks in the state budget and other funding sources which fund charitable agencies,” said United Way President Katherine Tatterson.

“To assure that basic needs are met, we voted to suspend the Community Priority grants for the coming year. We then assessed each agency’s need on the basis of our community’s most pressing needs, the agency’s performance and presence in our county, current state budget cuts and other sources of funding, among other factors,” explained Allocations Committee Chair Laura Frum, of the Ohio Statewide Development Corporation.

Frum said one agency, YMCA – Liberty Twp./Powell, which has other funding sources, voluntarily withdrew its funding request for the year. Two other agencies received smaller allocations than last year after consideration of available funds and priority needs.

Overall, United Way of Delaware County’s 19 member agencies provide services ranging from youth programs to elder care; information and referral services; disease and substance abuse intervention and prevention; literacy training; disaster recovery; and more. Program allocations awarded for the coming year include:

$45,000 to Action for Children for referrals to affordable day care; $176,537 to the American Red Cross for emergency and disaster assistance, blood services; healthy and safety services and aid to military families; $11,500 to the Arthritis Foundation for public education, self-help and support groups for arthritic patients; $59,027 to Big Brothers/Big Sisters for mentoring programs; $17,000 to Boy Scouts of America, Simon Kenton Council, for youth development programs; and $158,000 to Delaware Speech and Hearing Center for speech and language pathology and hearing services.

$14,500 was allocated to Girl Scouts – Seal of Ohio Council; for youth development; $113,762 to HelpLine of Delaware and Morrow Counties, for information and referral services, prevention/training and mental health education; $35,000 to Heritage Day Health Center for adult day care; $12,000 to The Legal Aid Society for sliding-scale legal services; and $205,000 to Liberty Community Center for early childhood day care; and $19,805 to the Literacy Coalition for literacy and tutoring programs.

Marion Goodwill Industries received a $5,000 stipend for rehabilitation; and allocations were made of $18,500 to Meals on Wheels of Delaware County for elderly nutrition programs; $145,000 to People in Need for emergency food, medical and housing assistance; $199,704 to Recovery & Prevention Resources of Delaware and Morrow Counties for alcohol and drug prevention and treatment programs; $81,500 to Senior Services for Independent Living for independent living and transportation services; and $62,683 to Turning Point for residential treatment and assistance to victims of domestic violence..

Additional information on United Way agencies and the results of United Way funded programs is available from United Way of Delaware County by mail at P.O. Box 319, Delaware, OH 43015; in person at 40 N. Sandusky St., Suite 203; by fax at (740) 369-9080; or by e-mail at feedback@uwaydelaware.org.