NORWICH – Faced with escalating demand for local services in the areas of income, education and health, the Chenango United Way is taking on a new approach.
The newly implemented 2014-2018 Chenango United Way strategic plan aims to help local residents by way of increased participation among community members, nonprofits, local government, and other stakeholders, explained organization Director Elizabeth Monaco. The goal, she said, is to bring a variety of input to the table and discuss matters that affect every person in all four corners of the county.
“We spent a good portion of 2013 meeting with stakeholders around the community, our donors, the organizations we fund, the organizations that apply for funding, and the organizations we don't fund,” she said. “We came to the conclusion that if we're going to be one of the key organizations in our community, then we really need to be seen as a convener; an organization that can bring people together to talk about crucial issues.”
The Chenango United Way's new plan includes creation of three “community impact teams” that will report directly to the organization board. Monaco said each team will have a certain focus area: income, education, or health. Each team will promote its focus area via community town-hall style meetings, social media, and other community outreach.
Each community impact team might also branch into several subgroups, allowing for a broader outreach.
“Other communities in the country have tried something similar to this and have been very successful,” Monaco added, citing education impact teams in Vermont that increased school participation by nearly 40 percent. “Our hope is that this strategy will reposition the United Way to better serve our local community.”
More than 70 people have already expressed interest in serving on community impact teams, according to the Chenango United Way.
Unlike previous years when strategic plans were developed using state and federal data, the Chenango United Way is using more localized data that was collected through a county-wide community survey last summer. That survey revealed a number of alarming statistics, said Monaco, including:
• 16.6 percent poverty rate (and 26 percent childhood poverty rate)
• 56.4 percent of children in kindergarten through grade six who are eligible for free or reduced lunch
• 14 percent of people age 25 and older who don't have a high school degree
• 27.4 percent obesity rate
• 330 domestic violence reports in 2012
• 37 percent of adults with a disability and annual income less than $25,000
The Chenango United Way also notes there are no psychiatric in-patient services offered in Chenango County, no practicing pediatric dentists, and no assisted living facilities for senior citizens and respite.
Survey results will be passed on to each community impact team to help them improve their focus area.
“We know this model works well in other communities,” added Monaco. “This will help our plan be more specific for our community and help determine what our future looks like.”
The Chenango United Way is in the process of scheduling community impact meetings throughout the county.
Said Monaco, “We see the needs increasing in income, education and health all over the county ... We can help, but we can't do it alone.”
For more information or to become involved, visit the Chenango United Way website at chenangouw.org or call 334-8815.