COMMUNITY Spring Newsletter 2022
SOLVING THE CHILDCARE DILEMMA: UWRV RECEIVES INTERNATIONAL ATTENTION When we mention ‘systems and processes’ and ‘collaborative change,’ sometimes people’s eyes glaze over and we’ve lost our audience. Despite the broadness of these terms, thousands of families in our region now have firsthand experience of the meaning and real-life impact of these words in action. In February 2020, United Way of Roanoke Valley launched Smart2Start (S2S), a program that coordinates regional childcare through a robust public-private partnership. The collaboration involves five public school systems, two community action agencies operating Head Start and Early Head Start, the Department of Social Services, private child care centers and family day homes. As COVID-19 threatened the security and income of many households, UWRV’s approach to systems change meant that an additional 600 children were connected to quality childcare. Their parents and caregivers were able to keep working — many in the essential, frontline positions that we all depend on. Since then, Smart2Start has grown to cover the 16 localities that are part of the Virginia Early Childhood Foundation’s (VECF) Ready Regions West initiative, led by United Way of Roanoke Valley. Our program is so successful that the expansion is continuing — at the request of VECF — to become accessible to every family in every part of the Commonwealth. But the story doesn’t end there; Smart2Start is so unique that it’s even gaining international attention. The collaboration is the topic of a recent case study by United Way Worldwide, recognizing S2S as a best practice among its network of more than 1,200 community-based organizations across the globe. Additionally, I am pleased to share that our work coordinating access to quality childcare has also garnered the attention of White House US Digital Services staff and the Annie E. Casey Foundation. Our team recently provided an overview of our coordinated enrollment journey, with recommendations on how federal and state governments can overcome barriers and expand access for young children and their families nationwide. We’re especially thankful to the families, regional partners and stakeholders learning right alongside our team at United Way and Smart2Start. These accolades are a testament to systems change and the power and impact of partnership! With appreciation,
Abby V. Hamilton President & CEO, United Way of Roanoke Valley
WHAT’S IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD? United Way of Roanoke Valley not only serves the Roanoke Valley region, but also supports programs and initiatives all over Virginia!
HIGHLAND
Check out what programs are in your neighborhood!
BUENA VISTA BATH
MAP KEY: ALLEGHANY
Core Service Area Extended Areas served by 3 or more United Way initiatives
ROCKBRIDGE LEXINGTON
NELSON
COVINGTON
Extended Areas served by 1 or 2 United Way initiatives
AMHERST
BOTETOURT
LYNCHBURG
CRAIG GILES
BEDFORD
SALEM
ROANOKE
MONTGOMERY PULASKI
APPOMATTOX CAMPBELL
ROANOKE CITY
RADFORD
CHARLOTTE
FRANKLIN
FLOYD
PITTSYLVANIA HALIFAX PATRICK
HENRY
DANVILLE
MARTINSVILLE
Serving Our Core Service Area:
United Way of Roanoke Valley
Serving Additional Areas:
MIDYEAR SNAPSHOT 2021-22
United Way of Roanoke Valley
Early Learners
Successful Youth
Healthy Adults & Community Resource Hub
507 Children
7 Youth-Serving Programs
110 Individuals
served by community agencies making up the Early Learners Collaborative (ELC) to support their healthy development
working together under the Strengthening Youth Opportunities for Success (SYOS) umbrella to ensure access to quality programming for students of all ages
collectively supported by 6 community partners towards gaining family sustaining employment through Onramp
221 Preventative Health Screenings
500 Students
346 Households
provided for children and their adult caregivers as part of a holistic set of services provided by partners
in after-school programs that help youth identify strengths, build healthy decision-making skills and set them up for success
in the Roanoke Valley connected to various community services to help remove barriers to health and self-sufficiency
6,928 Children
175 Students
24 Community Health Workers
(ages 0-5) benefiting from early childhood sites participating in VA Quality care training and improvement efforts
received additional on site mental health services at partnering after-school programs
trained and deployed in partnership with 7 organizations to serve the holistic needs to families as part of the Community Resource Hub
798 Children
100% Middle/High School
Over 6,000 Contacts
were connected with quality childcare across the region through the Smart2Start coordinated enrollment system
students served offered employment and skill training
made at workplaces, events and other community settings on vaccine education and hesitancy
I hope people see the collaborative model that United Way has instituted and understand how nonprofits are working together to reduce redundancy and waste, and to serve families from a holistic perspective.
Michelle Davis, CEO, Boys & Girls Club of Southwest Virginia
PARTNERING FOR SOLUTIONS Every day, United Way of Roanoke Valley helps make life-changing impact, one family at a time. Here are just a few examples of your dollars at work to help individuals achieve financial stability.
PROBLEM:
For Marianne*, a Roanoke senior citizen in a dangerous living situation with few resources and chronic debilitating health problems, there seemed to be no hope for the future. As she fled an abusive relationship, she had nowhere to go, and no transportation to get there.
SOLUTION:
It takes a village! With the help of numerous community services, Marianne is finally in her own apartment, living safely and solo for the first time in her life. It took case management from TAP’s Domestic Violence Services, ARCH, the Roanoke Homeless Assistance Team, medical attention from New Horizons Healthcare, counseling through Blue Ridge Behavioral Healthcare and navigation guidance from a UWRV Community Health Worker. Several organizations provided additional resources that helped Marianne set up her home, including Roanoke Area Ministries and AGAPE. Marianne is now in a job-training program through Goodwill and is working toward owning her own car someday!
PROBLEM:
A UWRV Community Health Worker (CHW) was contacted by a Franklin County Public Schools employee for help on behalf of a family in need. Three young brothers had lost both their mother and father, back-to-back, to COVID-19. The CHW was asked to help coordinate funeral repayment from the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) COVID funds.
SOLUTION:
After securing FEMA financial assistance, the Community Health Worker was able to work with the three brothers who were desperate not to be separated or moved into foster care. The eldest was old enough to get custody of his brothers, but they still needed immediate assistance with groceries and utility bills. The CHW helped them get officially established as a household and helped them apply for state services. They now have a social worker and counselor aiding them as they find stability in their new normal.
PROBLEM:
Monica* is a mother to four children and worked full-time as a certified nurse aide (CNA). Her employer provided on-the-job training for her to receive a temporary license as a Medication Aide, which was an additional part-time job for her. But the temporary license was about to expire and getting (and paying for) the accreditation she needed in order to remain employed seemed impossible.
SOLUTION:
Onramp was able to offer Monica the opportunity for a practice exam and also covered the required testing fees. This past November, she passed her exam. She was able to move to a single full-time position, which provided even more free time to spend with her children.
PROBLEM:
In December, with the holidays approaching, a working mom suddenly lost her job that the family relied on. Without those paychecks, Teresa* didn’t know how she’d come up with enough money for rent, food and utilities. She had no idea how she was going to find a job or even afford the car she needed to get back to work.
SOLUTION:
Staff at the Virginia Employment Commission encouraged Teresa to seek help. They led her to Onramp, which assisted with her monthly car payment and insurance. The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act provided Pam with a career coach as she began her job search. The family also received case management at the Department of Social Services, which led to emergency energy assistance and connection to a food bank. Through Total Action for Progress (TAP), the family qualified for Roanoke Redevelopment & Housing Authority (RRHA) rent and utility assistance. Her case manager also matched her with a local church, where she was even able to get holiday gifts for her children. Teresa started her new job in February 2022, putting her family back on track to long-term self-sufficiency.
PROBLEM:
It’s a worry many parents and caregivers know first-hand. Darius*, who is now in the 8th grade, has been attending after-school programming through the Community Youth Program (CYP) at St. John’s Episcopal Church since elementary school. As he ages out of that program, he’s excited to finally be old enough to stay home alone next year. The new-found independence Darius is gaining concerns his mother. Without after-school supervision while she’s at work, she’s worried he will lose his way.
SOLUTION:
Thanks to the Strengthening Youth Opportunities for Success funding, Presbyterian Community Center can now accept CYP students into their after-school programming beginning in 9th grade. That means Darius will have a seamless transition between programs, much to his mother’s relief.
PROBLEM:
Sarah*, a young Franklin County woman, had several worries on her mind when she arrived at a COVID-19 vaccination clinic. She was pregnant and didn’t know if she should be vaccinated; she was worried about finding transportation to some important upcoming doctor’s appointments. Once the baby arrived, Sarah knew there would be other obstacles - like how to pay her rent when she lost work time delivering and caring for her newborn.
SOLUTION:
A UWRV Community Health Worker (CHW) took time to work with Sarah and arranged for her vaccination once she was fully informed, as well as rides to-and-from her medical appointments. The CHW also worked with Sarah to find temporary rental assistance to supplement the upcoming loss of income and helped her apply for benefits through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). In just one visit with a CHW, Sarah made some big accomplishments to help ensure the health and safety of her baby. *All names have been changed for confidentiality.
Alisha Childress
Vice President, Resource Development
Austin Higgins
Development & Engagement Specialist
Alisha is a Roanoke native. She is passionate about her community and being a mover and shaker for positive change. She is actively involved in her community by leading various community conversations around diversity, equity and inclusion, including the advancement of minority-owned businesses, financial empowerment and organizational management. Alisha is a proud member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. She is also the proud mom of a beautiful little girl.
Austin is the newest addition to the Resource Development team at UWRV.
Alisha joined the United Way of Roanoke Valley in May 2021. Prior to UWRV, she served as the Director of Operations with Apple Ridge Farm and Director of Community Cultivation at the PACE Center in Richmond, Va. She continues to serve as an adjunct professor with the University of Maryland Global Campus, where she teaches emergency management and business continuity courses. Alisha is a graduate of Virginia Commonwealth University and University of Maryland Global Campus where she earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees.
He graduated with a degree in finance and a minor in applied statistics.
After spending his teen years in the suburbs of Las Vegas, Nev., Austin returned to his birthplace in the state of Florida for college. As a student at Stetson University, he had the opportunity to work as a Student Assistant Coach for the Stetson Hatters football team, at the same time juggling his role as an equity analyst with the school’s student-led mutual fund.
Austin has spent most of his professional life in financial services, most recently helping people buy and sell small businesses in Asheville, NC. In March 2022, he transitioned into the nonprofit sector to take on the role of Development & Engagement Specialist at UWRV. Always a lover of mountains, Austin enjoys the outdoors, cooking and going to see his favorite musicians in concert.
MEET YOUR 2022 RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT TEAM Corey Slusher
Development & Engagement Specialist
Stepahnie Hackett
Corey was born and raised right here in southwest Virginia. She joined the United States Navy at 19 and that experience fueled her love for travel, food and people. Corey has been back in the Roanoke Valley since 2000 and has been channeling her passions into volunteerism through United Way of Roanoke Valley ever since.
Stephanie was born near Burlington, Vt. She went on to attend Washington College in Chestertown, Md. where she studied English and competed on the Western Riding team. Returning to Vermont after graduation, Stephanie joined the staff at the nonprofit Sara Holbrook Center supporting multi-lingual students in summer school. This experience led her to pursue her master’s degree in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages through Saint Michael’s College.
Over the past 15 years she has volunteered in many roles including Catalyst Volunteer Chair (now Emerging Leaders United) and Community Impact Panel Chair, helping to make the hard decisions for how the money raised in workplace campaigns is spent in our community. In 2018-19, while working for Kroger, she led her team to raise just over $209,000 for UWRV and over $500,000 for the 25 United Ways covered by the Kroger Mid-Atlantic Region through the Employee Campaign and special events such as Annual Golf Tournaments, Fashions for Evergreens and Baconfest, where her team won first place in the 2019 event. Corey has been a member of the United Way Roanoke Valley Resource Development team since 2021. She’s able to share her love for her community daily in her role as Development & Engagement Specialist.
Development & Engagement Specialist
Stephanie went on to work at the most diverse schools in Vermont, engaging middle and high school students with community learning experiences and academic supports. Stephanie also helped lead an after- school program, PeaceJam, for high school students wanting to make a difference in their local community, and designed a high school summer program for Senior Projects. She saw first-hand how support services and programs can make a difference for a family. After moving with her husband to Virginia last fall, Stephanie linked up with United Way of Roanoke Valley and quickly progressed to become a Development & Engagement Specialist. She’s proud to have the opportunity to help make a big impact on the community!
HEROES & HANDRAISERS United Way of Roanoke Valley’s Heroes & Handraisers finally had the chance to meet together under one roof for the first time in two years at the Annual Leadership meeting on April 12 at Roanoke’s Jefferson Center. Over a scrumptious Southern breakfast from Gina’s Food with Flavor in Salem, the audience of business and community leaders received an update about UWRV’s emphasis on collaboration and its impact over the past year, as well as the initiatives guiding our organization toward its goal of elevating 10,000 families to self-sufficiency by 2030.
This past year showed us our United Way doing what it does best - gathering everyone around the table to collaborate on solutions for the tough problems that at first can seem insurmountable. Paul Droubay
UWRV Board President
OUR EVENT SPONSORS silversponsors
bronzesponsors
FOOD PROVIDED BY: Gina’s “Food with Flavor”
CONVENING & COLLABORATING
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1. Ryan at Black Father Family Fireside Chat held at Dumas Center 6. Jennifer, Judy and Nicole with Smart2Start supporting our 2. Ready to get to work at Career Quest, sponsored by Virginia neighbors at a Wellness Rodeo, organized through a collaboration Career Works - Blue Ridge Region of community partners 3. Alisha Childress (center) with Austin Higgins (l) and UWRV Board 7. CENANEDH’s Human Rights Course Virtual Kickoff, March 2022, member Esteban Duran-Ballen (r) holding UWRV’s Nonprofit of offered with the VA Office of New Americans, Molina Healthcare, the Year award from the Salem-Roanoke County Chamber of Casa Latina, Blue Ridge Literacy and UWRV Commerce 8. The Honorable Judge Onzlee Ware at the Black Father Family 4. Corey Slusher with Anthem Volunteers assembling personal health Fireside Chat kits for local Little Free Pantries at the Vinton War Memorial 5. Smart2Start/BrightByText sign ups at Small Steps Learning Academy
United as one, we change the story of many
THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT AND LIVING UNITED! United Way of Roanoke Valley 325 Campbell Avenue, S.W. Roanoke, VA 24016 540.777.4200
RAISED HERE. | STAYS HERE. | SHARED HERE.
$650,000+
1,500+
$43,000+
invested in access to healthcare
children accessed childcare through Smart2Start
in utility assistance provided to 51 households