d e t i n U ver
E n a h t e r o M UWAY.ORG @UWMidlands
YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS IN ACTION IN
EDUCATION In the days immediately after schools shut down due to the coronavirus pandemic, United Way of the Midlands staff and volunteers filled more than 900 literacy totes with more than 5,000 books as a part of Be a Book Bunny, a Young Leaders Society (YLS) initiative that promotes literacy by filling totes with books and school supplies for local kindergarten through second grade students. Totes were filled to be distributed through United Way’s
Midlands Reading Consortium’s partnership with eight local school districts: Fairfield, Lexington One, Lexington Two, Lexington-Richland Five, Newberry, Orangeburg, Richland One and Richland Two. “Be a Book Bunny allows United Way’s Midlands Reading Consortium to provide new, age-appropriate books for children in the Midlands who may not have libraries at home,” said Melissa Dunn, United Way of the Midlands Director of Education. “Our goal is to continue to encourage healthy reading habits at home especially with what is happening today. We wanted to give students and families something that could be of benefit while working and learning from home because our families and
Also, because of your generosity last year...
21,000+ parents demonstrated increased knowledge about their children’s development through school readiness and parent engagement programs funded by United Way.
1,600+ elementary students completed United Waysupported summer reading camps in seven Midlands school districts. The camps are meant to mitigate the impact of summer learning loss and help students start the next year on track.
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students have had their lives turned upside down.” Additionally, United Way’s COVID Response Fund assisted Homeless No More and Palmetto Place Children’s Shelter with funding to upgrade internet services at their locations. At Homeless No More, which assists 62 families, students typically share a community center that had Wi-Fi to get their schoolwork done. However, the students could not gather with social distancing guidelines in place. Plus, families don’t have access to Wi-Fi in their rooms unless they have a hotspot on their phone. “This has allowed our families to embrace the e-learning
1,900+ participated in quality in and out of school time programs funded by United Way, and more than 90% of those students demonstrated progress on one or more of the following: grades, improved reading skills or attitude or progressing on time to the next grade.
environment,” said Lila Anna Sauls, Homeless No More President and CEO. “In the beginning, our team was having to print things out and find a middle ground to help the students and our families keep up. Our parents now can help take an active role and our students are able to keep up with their peers.” Learn more about Be a Book Bunny at www.uway.org/bookbunny.
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YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS IN ACTION IN
FINANCIAL STABILITY As children and their families continue to work through a time of uncertainty during the pandemic, it’s important to provide them with tools they can use to respond to different challenges. Resilient Richland, a United Way of the Midlands initiative, has been preparing and distributing resiliency kits for elementary schools across the Midlands. The kits include school supplies, non-perishable food items, an activity
item and parenting tips.
“During this period of virtual learning, it’s essential that younger students are allowed to continue their school activities and have the necessary supplies to do so,” said Andre Goodman, United Way of the Midlands Youth Program Manager. Resilient Richland aims to by reduce the stigma of trauma and equip individuals and organizations with information and skills to build resilience among children and youth who experience traumatic incidents, referred to as Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), during childhood and teen
Also, because of your generosity last year...
1,000+ people were placed in housing through United Way’s supported programs, and the majority were still stable in housing after six months. Additionally, nearly 500 units of affordable housing have been created or preserved since 2012.
240,000+ meals were provided to seniors in the Midlands, and 1,234 seniors participated in programs in Fairfield, Newberry, Orangeburg and Richland counties.
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were completed for eligible households in the Midlands, and $1.7 million Earned Income Tax Credits (EITC) were refunded to qualified households to total $4.7 million in tax refunds. In addition, 772 people increased their income through new benefits or employment.
years. These include physical, verbal, sexual abuse and physical or emotional neglect.
toothbrushes to create disaster kits for Transitions’ clients, many of whom are especially vulnerable to the pandemic.
The United Way of the Midlands Resiliency Team is also working with Prisma Health to distribute Food Lion grocery gift cards.
“It builds community, and it builds a sense of partnership and togetherness,” said Lauren Rosati, a third-year USC medical student who volunteered to help put the kits together. “I love it.”
“With the spike in unemployment and the increase in food insecurity, the gift cards give families the ability to purchase emergency basic need items essential to their household,” Goodman added. Additionally, Verizon Wireless partnered with United Way by donating 800 items including toothpaste and
“We are connecting volunteers who are ready, willing and able to help to help those who would otherwise go without,” said Becky Morrison, United Way of the Midlands Director of Community Engagement.
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YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS IN ACTION IN
HEALTH When COVID-19 shut down most of the Midlands’ businesses, United Way’s WellPartners Dental and Eye Clinics stayed open for patients needing emergency care and is currently preparing to see an increased need for services with such high unemployment in our state. The goal of United Way’s WellPartners is still the same as when it opened its doors – provide dental and eye services to help those individuals, families and children who are
uninsured or underinsured live healthier, better lives. As of September 2019, the children’s dental clinic, now a part of WellPartners, is celebrating 60 years of providing free dental care for children. At the core of this program are dedicated volunteers like Dr. Lynn Campbell, a volunteer dentist for more than 58 years. Since his early years as a volunteer, he has seen that children, usually five or six years old, were losing permanent molars and had rotting teeth simply because they did not have access to consistent, long-term care. Dr. Campbell explains, “That’s when you get into trouble, and kids lose the teeth they were supposed to keep the
Also, because of your generosity last year...
3,900+ visits were made by adults to have their dental needs met at WellPartners Dental Clinic. Plus, 876 children were able to get the care that they deserve.
1,500+ received eye care services or corrective lenses at WellPartners Eye Clinic.
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rest of their life.” Children with dental pain are three times more likely to miss school than those with healthy teeth and gums. As these children grew up, Dr. Campbell would see them at the adult dental clinic with no teeth or very poor dental hygiene that led to a lot of pain. The care that has been provided through the dental clinics would be unavailable without dedicated volunteers like Dr. Campbell. Since 1959, 145 volunteer dentists and registered hygienists, six dental residents and 36 Midlands Technical College hygiene and dental assisting students have provided free services through these clinics.
were able to use services at local free medical clinics, and 71% used clinics as medical homes. Also, since its inception, Familywize prescription savings cards have resulted in more than $3.8 million in prescription savings for 29,000 Midlands residents.
“If a kid goes to school without a permanent front tooth, they are made fun of, and it makes a tremendous difference in their personal growth.” Dental care is more than just clean teeth. It’s about having the confidence to step out of your comfort zone, it’s about preventing disease and most importantly, it’s about reducing or eliminating pain in someone’s teeth so they can focus on what’s truly important to them. Dr. Campbell still volunteers today even though he is retired from the private sector of dentistry. He believes that “if you’ve got the ability to give back, then do it.” Learn more at www.wellpartners.org.
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SOCIAL DISTANCING FORCES US APART.
BUT COMPASSION DEFIES DISTANCE. LEARN MORE ABOUT HOW UNITED WAY IS HELPING THE MIDLANDS DURING THIS UNPRECEDENTED TIME AT
WWW.UWAY.ORG