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Increase the Impact of Charitable Dollars!

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After months of delays, New Haven County was recently awarded $438,240 in much needed Emergency Food and Shelter Program(EFSP) funding to assist the increasing number of individuals and families needing help with basic needs in our region. 
 
Despite this year's EFSP award being 21% ($120,000) less than New Haven County's 2010 award, funding will help sustain many households in our region struggling with food insecurity, housing and utility costs. EFSP funding also allows area emergency shelters serving single adults and families the opportunity to extend their services beyond their anticipated capacity. 
 
With Connecticut's unemployment rate at 9.1%, (just inching behind the national average of 9.2%), and in the face of deep impending cuts to state programs as a result of the Debt Ceiling deal brokered by our nation's leaders and a recession that seems to stick like glue, will this funding provide the level of service needed in our community? Surely not!

Future Board Members

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New Haven is blessed with hundreds of not for profit organizations providing services ranging from providing food in soup kitchens to domestic abuse shelters to world class theater. Some of them like the Red Cross, Salvation Army and the YMCA have been around for decades or even centuries.  Some of them just started in the last few years.

Newman Architects Lend a Helping Hand

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Newman Architects Makes a Difference

By: Tracy Feger, Campaign Associate, United Way of Greater New Haven

United Way of Greater New Haven would like to extend a big thank you to Michelle Newman of Newman Architects for volunteering her time and expertise to design both our old and new offices.

A Birds-Eye view of what it means to work for United Way

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Hello all!  I am new to the United Way family.  First off, I just want to say that I feel so priveleged to have the opportunity to work and engage in activities that benefit our community.  After only being here a few months, I can see the difference and changes our work has impacted on so many of the lives we help to improve.  There are many different opinions about what exactly United Way stands for, but the overall consensus is that we strive for a better tomorrow.  We provide services that enable people to become independent so that they can live happy and successful lives.  We administ

Abraham's Tent to Shelter Homeless

A recent article in the New Haven Register announced "Houses of worship alleviate overcrowding". 

HAMDEN — As frigid temperatures grip the state, the Greater New Haven faith community is opening its doors to bring homeless people in from the cold.
In an effort to ease overcrowding at New Haven’s shelters during the winter, area houses of worship will take turns feeding and housing homeless people for the next 12 weeks. Abraham's Tent "goes a long way to easing the burden when temperatures outside force more homeless into shelters". 

How to help the homeless in the cold

A recent CNN report give tips on what you can do to help homeless people during the cold winter months.   "The weather has turned dangerously cold in much of the country, putting homeless people at high risk of injury or even death. If you encounter someone and want to help, what should you do?   The specific answer depends on the circumstances, but those who work with the homeless every day agree you generally should leave social services to the professionals.

Baby, It’s Cold Outside!

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There was a time, a month or so ago, when I was actually looking forward to winter. I couldn’t wait to start wearing sweaters (and buy more), decorating, shopping and cooking for the holidays and watching the snow fall while sitting comfortably curled up in my favorite chair in front of the TV. The first snowfall was so exciting. I went outside and took pictures, then quickly went back in to take my place in front of the TV under a blanket. Ahh, that was a good day. Well, here we are. Its winter alright and boy is it cold outside. It seems like everywhere I go it is all everyone talks about; “How much longer is it supposed to be like this?”, “I need to go away on vacation to someplace warm”, “It was so cold this morning, I didn’t want to get out of bed”, etc. Sounds familiar, right?

While most of you can relate to this, there is something else we need to think about. Or should I say SOMEONE else? There are hundreds of people in our community who are not as fortunate. They don’t have the luxury of curling up on their favorite chair watching the snow. This is nothing you haven’t already heard.

But, did you know that on a single night in January 2008, there were 664,414 sheltered and unsheltered homeless persons nationwide?

This shouldn’t be a surprise to us; with the rising number of layoffs and increased numbers of foreclosures, our nation should be questioning just how many of our neighbors can’t make ends meet.

According to Ct Coalition to End Homelessness, in 2009 there were approximately 4,154 people who experienced homelessness in CT and 677 in New Haven alone.

New Haven Fund for “Unsung Heroes” Seeks Nominations for 2010 Award

The Morris Wessel Fund of the Community Foundation for Greater New Haven is seeking nominations for its annual prize recognizing “unsung heroes” creatively and compassionately serving New Haven area families.

Established by patients, colleagues, and “fellow travelers” to honor the work of Dr. Morris Wessel upon his retirement from pediatric practice, the fund sponsors a recognition event for its recipients and provides an investment up to $2000 in groups and individuals nurturing the area’s families.

Congressional Leaders Focus on Importance of Healthy Babies

Over 65 area business and civic leaders, government representatives, and community leaders gathered at the Oronoque Country Club for the “Giving Babies a Healthy Start: A Congressional Dialogue” breakfast on Monday, December 14th.   The breakfast was a culmination of a regional effort by the United Ways of Greater New Haven, Coastal Fairfield County, and Western CT to collect half a million diapers for lower income families, and to raise the awareness level of the challenges facing them in caring for their babies. The breakfast celebrated the success of the Healthy Baby Diaper Drives that took place across 33 towns throughout the months of September, October and November; recognized the many companies, civic organizations, schools, and municipalities that ran diaper drives; and announced the next steps to this important work. 
 
Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro and Congressman Jim Himes spoke about the Congressional Baby Caucus and what is happening at a federal level to help struggling families.
 
"“I am so pleased with the good work being done by the United Way and their efforts to address one of the most basic needs of raising children,
an adequate supply of diapers. I have worked throughout my career as a legislator to ensure that children get off to a good start in life, with
access to health care, appropriate child development and good nutrition”, stated DeLauro. Ensuring these things will make children more likely to
be ready for school, and eventually, hopefully, to become productive, contributing adults,” said Congresswoman DeLauro. “Too
many families are facing difficult financial choices in the face of our economic crisis this winter, and I believe that we in Congress need to focus
in on what we are doing to help America’s infants and toddlers right now.”
 
Speakers of the morning included Michael Crowe, COO, Global Operations for Covidien, who whose company collected over 60,000 diapers; Healthy Baby Diaper Drive Co-Chairs Irene Cornish, Interim Superintendent, Stratford Public Schools and Janice Gruendel, Consultant, Connecticut State Department of Education; Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro, Congressman Jim Himes; The Diaper Bank President and Founder Joanne Goldblum, and Merle Berke-Schlessel, Esq., President & CEO of United Way of Coastal Fairfield County. 
 

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