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YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS IN ACTION UWAY.ORG @UWMidlands

Because of your generosity last year:

20k+

parents demonstrated increased knowledge about their children’s development through school readiness and parent engagement programs funded by United Way.

1,500+

elementary students were given a total of 10,000 books through Be a Book Bunny to help supported summer reading and build their athome libraries. These books are meant to mitigate the impact of summer learning loss and help students start the next year on track.

1,800+

This has allowed our families to embrace the e-learning environment... Our parents now can help take an active role and our students are able to keep up with their peers.”

children participated in quality in and out of school time programs funded by United Way, and more than 90% of students demonstrated progress on one or more of the following: grades, improved reading skills or attitude or progressing on time to the next grade.

— Lila Anna Sauls, Homeless No More President and CEO

Providing Internet Access

Midlands shelters realized changes had to be made due to social distancing. Access to Wi-Fi was needed immediately to help kids experiencing homelessness keep up with their peers academically.

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 can’t gather and need to stay at least six feet from one another.

ids all over South Carolina are trying to get an education from home these days. For more than 10,000 of them who aren’t living in a permanent home, that’s even harder. Within days of schools being canceled in March 2020,

Families don’t have access to Wi-Fi in their rooms unless they have a hotspot on their phone.

The United Way of the Midlands COVID-19 Response Fund assisted Homeless No More and Palmetto Place Children’s Shelter with some of the funding to upgrade Internet services at their locations. Students at the Family Shelter now have outdoor picnic tables that allows them to get their schoolwork done while maintaining safe distance from one another. “This has allowed our families to embrace the e-learning 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.” Palmetto Place Children’s Shelter, which has two locations, a children’s shelter and teen house, assists 45 people. Many of the residents are either in high school, working towards their GED or attending Midlands Technical College. “We wanted to ensure that we were able to provide them with access to their education during this time,” said Jill Lawson McHugh, Palmetto Place executive director.

Because of your generosity:

270k+

I thought it would be a great learning opportunity. ... It turned out to be so much more. We were so happy to help and be a part of it.

meals were provided to seniors in the Midlands, and 1,234 seniors participated in programs in Fairfield, Newberry, Orangeburg and Richland counties last year.

— Francesca Mullins, volunteer

42,000 Midlands residents saved $4.5 million through the FamilyWize prescription discount card offered in partnership with United Way of the Midlands since its inception.

900+

people were placed in housing through United Way 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.

More than a Donation

While walking around town, Francesca Mullins’ son, Roman, saw a couple people sleeping on benches, and it raised questions. Following the discussion with his mom, he asked if they could buy some coats and blankets for the homeless.

“I thought it would be a great learning opportunity,” Francesca said. “It turned out to be so much more.”

he world of the homeless may seem very far from yours, but in some ways it is not. The loss of a job, the illness or death of a spouse or a child, or a severe physical disability could be the road to homelessness for any of us.

The goal was to collect a total of 50 coats and blankets, but they ended up with more than they could count. “He asked friends, family, neighbors, members of the golf course and I asked at work,” Francesca said. “We were so

happy to help and be a part of it.” The donation was used and given out during the Point in Time (PIT) Count. The Midlands Area Consortium for the Homeless (MACH), led by United Way of the Midlands conducts the annual count of sheltered and unsheltered homeless persons in Aiken, Allendale, Bamberg, Barnwell, Calhoun, Chester, Fairfield, Lancaster, Lexington, Newberry, Orangeburg, Richland and York counties. With successive counts, we can better understand homelessness and housing needs and measure our progress. The count is part of a national effort led by the U.S.

Department of Housing and Urban Development to estimate the number of Americans without safe, stable housing to produce a one-day snapshot of community needs. “The annual count is necessary for us to truly understand the gaps in services and housing, so we can continue to reduce the number of people experiencing homelessness in our community,” said Sara Fawcett, President and CEO of United Way of the Midlands. To learn more about the PIT Count, visit www. midlandshomeless.com.

Because of your generosity last year:

21k+

treatments were provided for adults and children to have their dental needs met at WellPartners Dental Clinic.

2,400+ were able to use services at local free medical clinics, and 88% used clinics as medical homes. Also, since its inception, Familywize prescription savings cards have resulted in more than $4.5 million in prescription savings for 42,000 Midlands residents.

1,100+

It is important to keep this clinic open to keep patients with dental problems out of emergency rooms.

received eye care services or corrective lenses at WellPartners Eye Clinic.

— Tamara Stockton, DDS, MAGD

WellPartners Dental Clinic Continues to Serve

uring a time of stay at home orders across the state, WellPartners Adult Dental Clinic provided care by appointments

and the children’s clinic was open for emergencies.

to keep patients with dental problems out of emergency rooms,” Stockton added.

“The challenge for us was to find a way to be available to provide those necessary services during the pandemic,” said Tamara Stockton, DDS, MAGD.

Hospital emergency rooms typically do not have a dentist on staff. Patients are prescribed antibiotics and painkillers and are told to visit their dentist.

Dr. Stockton oversees United Way’s Wellness Partners adult dental clinic for uninsured and underinsured in the Midlands. The services include preventive and restorative care.

COVID-19 may have restricted movement of people, but the dentists and clinicians continued to provide access to care during a difficult time.

“Another reason it is important to keep this clinic open is

In the 2019-2020 fiscal year, WellPartners Dental Clinics provided patient visits to more than 3,000 adults and

nearly 700 children from Fairfield, Lexington and Richland counties totaling an in-kind value of about $1.75 million. Eye care services were provided for more than 1,800 patient visits. “Access to dental services and eye care for families is an integral part of overall health,” said Dr. Stockton. “We know untreated oral health problems can lead to serious health complications. It’s the continued support from donors, volunteers and our partners that helps us.” To learn more, visit www.wellpartners.org.

We’ve been through a lot in 2020. Your gift made a difference. While we still face significant uncertainty in the coming months, this moment is an opportunity to say thank you for your support. Through our COVID-19 Response Fund, we raised more than $800,000 and were able to quickly respond to the needs of the community and serve many families who were using these services for the first time. COVID-19 is still impacting our community and United Way will be here to serve those in need. Stay up to date at www.uway.org.

3,300 YOUR COVID GIFT

supported education when more than 3,300 Midlands families needed you most. You helped United Way provide childcare for children of essential workers through day camps. You also supported families with basic needs and learning kits plus technology for virtual home visits.

2,800

10,557

YOUR COVID GIFT

provided shelter, emergency financial help and motel vouchers to nearly 2,800 individuals. You helped United Way support agencies facing increased costs, improved WiFi at youth and family shelters and provided personal support to individuals with disabilities, helping them access critical resources.

helped more than 10,557 people who were struggling to put food on the table and access health care. United Way was able to support increased demand at food pantries, helped with meal delivery for seniors, and developed telehealth services for Midlands residents.