We’re raising funds to build resilience, reduce disparities, and increase equity in Central Oregon!
We’re officially kicking off our annual community fundraising campaign today (Thursday, September 24th)! And, we’re 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% of Central Oregonians were already living on the edge before COVID-19, according to our ALICE Report, a study of financial hardship, that we 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.
We were one of the first to respond – providing resources for food, financial assistance and basic needs – through our COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund. The nonprofit’s response continues – now and in the future – through our COVID-19 Recovery & Resilience Fund.
So far, we’ve 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.
26% of Central Oregonians are served by a United Way funded program or service.
We are 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, we are convening and collaborating with community partners to build resilience in our region.
We’re 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 us on the TRACEs movement.
In this year’s community fundraising campaign, we’re raising funds to fight for the health, education, financial stability, and resilience of every person in our community. We’re focused on reducing existing disparities so that when today’s kids are tomorrow’s adults, they can thrive. Through all the uncertainties, we have been here to help locally for 68 years, and we continue our critical work feeding people who need to be fed, keeping them in their homes, and protecting our most vulnerable.
Did you know? We recently changed our name from United Way of Deschutes County to United Way of Central Oregon. Our current focus is on our vital role of mobilizing resources and deploying them where they are needed most. Knowing that community crises often disproportionately impact Black, Indigenous, People of Color, and other marginalized groups, our funding prioritizes efforts that attend to racial and other inequities.
