Category: Community Partners

United Way of Greater Greensboro Accepting Strategic Partnership Applications for Annual Grant Funds

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New process allows organizations to align their services with two poverty-combatting funding opportunities

GREENSBORO, NC (October 28, 2022) – United Way of Greater Greensboro (UWGG) is pleased to announce it is accepting strategic partnership applications for annual grant funds to help local children, adults, and families leave poverty. This year the competitive application process has been updated to allow organizations the ability to apply for two distinct grants for program services that are Poverty Relieving or Poverty Ending.

Poverty Relieving grant funds are open to programs or collaboratives providing services that help people find and stay on pathways out of poverty. Poverty Relieving grants will be awarded to the following areas of impact:

  • Cradle-to-career supports to ensure that children and youth are hitting major milestones, from the time they are born until they find a career, on the path to leaving generational poverty.
  • Basic needs and access to healthcare services to address households’ foundational needs to keep them on the path out of poverty.
  • Financial stability to help adults maintain their progress and build toward self-sufficiency by safeguarding income and building assets.

Poverty Ending grant funds are open to programs or collaboratives providing services that offer clear ways for people to leave poverty by increasing and maintaining their annual household income above the federal poverty threshold. These programs will support United Way’s Bold Goal efforts to help 3,000 households leave generational poverty by 2030. Poverty Ending program examples include but are not limited to:

  • Services and supports that connect adults to jobs that offer family-sustaining wages
  • Skills and career development programing

Volunteer-led committees will review applications and select programs based on their abilities to produce defined outcomes that help UWGG achieve its efforts of the Bold Goal. This “open funding” model allows UWGG to invest donor gifts into local programs with proven solutions that help to end poverty.

Strategic partner grant funding will begin July 1, 2023. Application deadlines vary by grant. Grant seeker information sessions for each funding stream will occur in early November.

Interested organizations can visit www.UnitedWayGSO.org/Grants to access all grant information and register for grant seeker information sessions.

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END LOCAL POVERTY: United Way of Greater Greensboro creates, connects, and leads community partnerships that equip and empower people to leave poverty. More than 57,000 people are living in poverty in the greater Greensboro area. In the City of Greensboro, one out of every four children, lives in poverty. Our strategy builds pathways out of poverty by: Helping youth transition from cradle to career, Helping adults land jobs and increase income, Providing access to basic needs and healthcare, and Bundling services that eliminate barriers at our nationally recognized Family Success Centers and innovative Guilford Success Network. With the community’s support, we will achieve our BOLD GOAL: As a community united in equity and lasting solutions, 3,000 households will leave generational poverty by 2030. The federal government defines poverty as a family of four earning $27,750 per year. According to local self-sufficiency standards many four-member households need to earn around $60,000 to meet basic needs without subsidized assistance. www.UnitedWayGSO.org

United Way of Greater Greensboro Launches Guilford Success Network to Help Households Leave Poverty

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Greensboro, NC (June 28, 2022) – Today United Way of Greater Greensboro (UWGG) launched Guilford Success Network (GSN), a county-wide, mobile friendly network that will connect people to services and coordinators who help them identify, track, and achieve their personal goals of becoming financially stable.

Facebook Photo Album Here.

Since 2014, UWGG’s single focus has been to reduce the number of people living in generational poverty. GSN is one of UWGG’s strategies to achieve that goal.

During today’s launch event, attended by nearly 100 community members and partners, Greensboro Mayor, Nancy Vaughan, said, “For a lot of organizations, when they talk about ending poverty, it’s just a tagline and a way to raise money. But United Way has really put action behind those words for many, many years.”

GSN is initially launching as an 18-month pilot project with core partners serving the Greensboro area and will expand county-wide over time. GSN partners will learn to identify people who may benefit from joining the Network and people who wish to join will be connected to a coordinator. After the pilot phase, people will be able to access the Network through an online portal.

UWGG’s GSN launch falls within the organization’s yearlong centennial celebration, and during the kickoff event, Khari Garvin, UWGG President and CEO said, “As we continue to celebrate 100 years of transforming your compassion into community change, I am excited that in a year of celebrating our past, we are yet again making history. Today, we are officially launching a new pilot project that will give our community another tool to leverage in our collaborative efforts to help households leave poverty. Together, we can, and I know we will, continue to move families out of poverty.”

People who access the network will be connected to services and supports that are focused on three areas:

  • Work, Health & Income Supports – to stabilize people’s basic needs
  • Education & Career Advancement – to help people learn skills and land jobs
  • Financial Education & Coaching – to help people build upon their success.

GSN was developed based on community feedback listening sessions and workgroups comprised of residents with lived experience, nonprofit staff, and local government representatives.

GSN is rooted in a service delivery approach that is often referred to as an Integrated Service Delivery (ISD) model. ISD models connect people to multiple support services through sequencing and bundling so that people who need help can access what they need, when they need it. Research shows ISD strategies empower families to achieve better social, economic, and health outcomes.

UWGG and GSN partners are committed to tracking outcomes and providing annual updates. Data will be captured during intake at all partner locations and will be stored within GSN’s virtual platform.

GSN pilot partners include: GuilfordWorks, Housing Consultants Group, Triad Goodwill, Nehemiah Community Enrichment Center, The Servant Center, Welfare Reform Liaison Project, Guilford Community Care Network, and The Forge Greensboro.

During the pilot, the Network will measure household progress towards self-sufficiency. Metrics include:

  • Income
  • Educational Attainment
  • Housing 
  • Safety of Environment
  • Health Condition
  • Health Access
  • Employment
  • Work History
  • Money Management
  • Benefits

More information, including a Q&A document can be found at: www.unitedwaygso.org/guilford-success-network.

Volunteering. Making a Difference.

Posted on by Taylor Chapman

UWGG recently celebrated National Volunteer Week and is extremely thankful to the over 100 volunteers who took on a variety of needs, including cleaning up local parks, donating diapers and hygiene products to families in need, signing up to mentor local children, and more.

We wrapped up our week of service on Earth Day by planting 25 trees in partnership with Greensboro Housing Authority and Greensboro Beautiful, Inc. Children from The Salvation Army Boys and Girls Club of Greensboro were excited to get their hands dirty and make the area around the Caldcleugh Center even more beautiful with every tree that was planted.

Later that evening, we gathered at the Center for Visual artists and recognized some special people with LIVE UNITED Centennial Volunteer Awards. We also honored the top 3 winners of our Student Art Contest with medals and Chik Fil A gift cards.

We are so grateful for all the wonderful people who make up our UWGG community!

Seven United Way Partners Honored with Spirit of NC Awards

Posted on by Taylor Chapman

Greensboro, NC (February 28, 2022) – Seven local United Way of Greater Greensboro partners will be honored with Spirit of North Carolina Awards at United Way of North Carolina’s annual award event on March 1, 2022.

Every year, United Way of North Carolina recognizes organizations that have succeeded in raising funds to support their community and have dedicated themselves to being part of the long-term solution to build stronger communities. Winners of this year’s awards went above and beyond the traditional scope of fundraising by deeply engaging their communities and volunteers, supporting COVID-19 relief efforts, and by creating opportunities to educate employees on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.

“The Spirit of NC Award gives United Way of Greater Greensboro an opportunity to acknowledge organizations that have stepped up big ways to make a real impact in the local community. This year’s winners are fully committed to helping children, adults, and families leave poverty, and we are so proud and thankful for their partnerships,” says Nadine Malpass, Senior Vice President of Resource Development, United Way of Greater Greensboro.

Local Spirit of NC Award winners include:

Building a legacy of community engagement through volunteerism

  • Summit Rotary Club – The Summit Rotary Club of Greensboro has been a committed partner of United Way of Greater Greensboro for the last ten years. From taking on volunteer leadership positions, to hosting resource drives for families in need, to making significant financial contributions to support United Way Family Success Centers (FSC) and Integrated Service Delivery Network during the pandemic, Summit Rotary has dedicated itself to deep community engagement in the Greensboro community around efforts to end local poverty.
     
  • Xtern Software – Community engagement, volunteering, and a culture of care are core values for Xtern Software and its employees. To help Family Success Center (FSC) members gain workplace skills for employment, Xtern executives and software developers held COVID-safe interest sessions to meet with FSC members, assess their computer literacy skills, and build a curriculum to meet their needs. In response to the pandemic, Xtern gave financial support, held hygiene supply drives, and created care packages so that FSC families had critical supplies during the COVID-19 crisis.

    “We are very impressed with United Way and its efforts to end local poverty. We are especially impressed with its Family Success Centers (FSC) which provide bundled services in a way that is innovative and better serves families in our community. Xtern Software is proud to partner with the FSC to offer services that their members are seeking, like computer literacy courses for job readiness,” says Keir Davis, President, Xtern Software.

Building Campaign Momentum with Engaged Leadership & Employees

  • ITG Brands – ITG Brands stepped up their campaign engagement this year by thinking outside of the box. First, they assembled a campaign committee with representation from each of ITG Brands’ Business Units, allowing for increased participation from employees, more thorough communication about the campaign, and exposure to United Way of Greater Greensboro messaging about our new Bold Goal. Senior leadership also provided employees with incentives for those who participated which helped increase turnout not only in financial contributions made but for a drive-through Purse Party event that generated auction items for our Handbags to End Poverty event as well.

    “ITG Brands is committed to Greensboro and the families that make up this community. We value the long-term partnership we have enjoyed with United Way, and we support the mission to end poverty which aligns with our Diversity and Inclusion commitment to ensure all members of this community can live up to their greatest potential. Thank you for the recognition and we look forward to doing our part to continue to make Greensboro a great community for all to thrive,“ says Kim Reed, CEO of ITG Brands.

Campaign/engagement success or campaigns conducted amid COVID-19

  • Lincoln Financial Group – Lincoln Financial Group (LFG) has maintained their standing in the top 2 overall workplace campaigns in Greensboro. The success of Lincoln’s employee-driven campaign is attributed to their creative and agile approach to engage employees in a virtual environment. Amid COVID-19, employees reimagined traditional campaigns, offering new and innovative formats to encourage active participation. Virtual events included a senior leadership series focused on giving back, along with weekly “lunch and learn” opportunities. Lincoln employees are deeply engaged, uniquely connected and remain firmly committed to their Greensboro community, which helped to ensure a successful campaign.

    “At Lincoln Financial Group, we serve our communities with compassion. The United Way Spirit of North Carolina Award is a testament to that compassion and the continued generosity of Lincoln employees,” said Mike Burns, Senior Vice President of Life Solutions, Lincoln Financial Group. “We are honored to receive this award and we remain committed to a shared future where everyone in our Greensboro community thrives and reaches their full potential.”

Investment in long-term sustainable impact

  • The Fresh Market – As a guiding principle, The Fresh Market believes in bringing people together and giving back to the communities they serve. Their partnership has been instrumental in supporting United Way of Greater Greensboro’s year-round signature events. The Fresh Market has provided generous large in-kind contributions of flowers, food, gift cards, and more, along with financial contributions that have had a lasting impact in the Greensboro community. In addition to their support of United Way, they make food donations multiple times per week to Feeding America’s partner food banks and its agencies to fight hunger in their communities.
     

Leading through the DEI lens

  • Cone Health, Kontoor Brands –After hosting a series of community conversations on racial equity in the summer of 2020, United Way of Greater Greensboro (UWGG) decided to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion by launching a 21-Day Racial Equity Challenge in the spring and fall of 2021. Thanks to support from Kontoor Brands and Cone Health, nearly 800 people accepted the challenge and received 21 daily emails with thought-provoking content and resources exploring topics like structural racism, segregation, privilege, gender, and LGBTQ rights. Both Kontoor Brands and Cone Health sponsored the challenge and promoted it to their employees as an internal diversity, equity, and inclusion educational and learning opportunity. Both organizations openly acknowledged that dismantling barriers to equity is key to creating a community where people can thrive, which is at the heart of UWGG’s efforts to end local poverty.

    “Diversity, equity and inclusion are woven into the culture of Cone Health. The 21-Day Racial Equity Challenge was an important resource allowing us to continue our leadership on these issues,” says Cone Health CEO Dr. Mary Jo Cagle. “We are honored for this recognition and thankful of the United Way of Greater Greensboro for keeping the conversation going in our community.”

For more information about the Spirit of North Carolina Award and to view a complete list of winners, visit unitedwaync.org/spirit-north-carolina-award-winners.

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United Way of Greater Greensboro Seeking Requests for Proposals Supporting Bold Goal Efforts to End Poverty

Posted on by Taylor Chapman

GREENSBORO, NC (November 19, 2021) – United Way of Greater Greensboro (UWGG) is pleased to announce it is seeking grant applications from human service organizations through an open and competitive process to support achieving its Bold Goal of 3,000 households leaving generational poverty by 2030. 

Proposals must be submitted by 5 p.m. on January 14, 2022, and interested organizations can visit www.UnitedWayGSO.org/Grants to access additional information and application documents.

After a year of listening to and collaborating with thousands of diverse community stakeholders, UWGG announced a new community-inspired and developed Bold Goal aimed at taking organizational efforts of ending poverty to the next level: As a community united in equity and lasting solutions, 3,000 households in greater Greensboro will leave generational poverty by 2030. 

Volunteer-led Impact Councils will select programs based on their abilities to produce defined outcomes that help UWGG achieve the Bold Goal. This “open funding” model allows UWGG to invest donor gifts into local programs with proven solutions that help to end poverty.

Proposals must support the following:

  • Employment and financial stability support to help adults get on the path and achieve the Bold Goal by moving over the poverty line through employment, educational attainment, safeguarding income, and asset building. 
  • Cradle-to-career supports to ensure that children and youth are hitting major milestones from the time they are born until they find a career, on the path to leaving generational poverty. 
  • Basic needs and access to healthcare services to address households’ foundational needs to keep them on the path out of poverty. 

UWGG plans to make 1 to 2-year investments beginning July 1, 2022. The current Requests for Proposal: Strategic Partner Grants 2022-2024, includes updated criteria to support Bold Goal efforts. A summarized overview of high-level changes includes but is not limited to:

  • Reconceived Impact Areas with distribution caps, directing the largest percentage of funding to Employment and Financial Stability
  • Prioritizing collaborative applications 
  • Increasing engagement with households in poverty by expanding access to our funding and prioritizing investment to support households at or below the Federal Poverty Level
  • Begin applying an equity framework to our grantmaking by requesting additional diversity, equity, and inclusion information.
  • Grants will be awarded for a minimum of $20,000 not to exceed 50% of the proposed total program budget.

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END POVERTY: United Way of Greater Greensboro is leading a local movement to END poverty. We create strategic partnerships and initiatives that are coordinated throughout the community that work together to help children, adults, and entire families leave poverty. More than 57,000 people are living in poverty in the greater Greensboro area. In the City of Greensboro, one out of every four children, lives in poverty. With the community’s support, we’re connecting people to supports and services like housing, jobs, education, and healthcare. The federal government defines poverty as a family of four earning $26,500 per year. According to local self-sufficiency standards many four-member households need to earn around $60,000 to meet basic needs without subsidized assistance. www.UnitedWayGSO.org Local impact for 99 years and counting. 

Candy & COVID-19 Vaccines – Trunk-or-Treat Giving Out Both!

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Greensboro, NC (October 4, 2021) – United Way of Greater Greensboro’s Young Leaders (YL) Affinity Group will host their annual Trunk-or-Treat on Saturday, October 23, 2021, 2 to 4 p.m. in the United Way parking lot located at 1500 Yanceyville Street, Greensboro. This year’s event will require attendees to follow several safety precautions, offer candy and COVID-19 vaccinations.

United Way, in partnership with Starmount Healthcare, is offering a vaccination booth during the event for anyone age-appropriate who would like to receive a COVID-19 vaccine to protect themselves and the community. Booster vaccines will be available as well.

After last year’s event was cancelled due to COVID, YL leadership was determined to bring back Trunk-or-Treat this year so that children and families could once again have a safe alternative to trick or treating. 

“We have several precautions in place this year to ensure everyone’s safety while still being able to provide the festivities they have come to expect over the years,” said Young Leaders Chair, Marcus Thomas. 

Some of those precautions include masks being required for attendees, hand sanitizing stations, reducing the number of trunks to allow for social distancing, and more.  

“Our community is a top priority. We want to ensure the wellbeing of everyone involved while raising awareness about United Way’s mission to end poverty in the Greater Greensboro community. This event allows us to do that,” Thomas said. Volunteers are still needed to donate candy, host and decorate trunks, and more. If you are interested in volunteering for this event, please visit www.UnitedWayGSO.org/Volunteer or reach out to United Way’s Marketing and Communications Manager, Taylor Chapman at TaylorChapman@UnitedWayGSO.org.

United Way Announces New President and CEO

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Khari Garvin Selected to Lead Organization Efforts to End Poverty, Public Invited to Meet Garvin at Virtual Lunch and Learn August 12

GREENSBORO, NC (July 20, 2021) – United Way of Greater Greensboro (UWGG) announced today that Khari Garvin has been named President and CEO and will begin leading the organization’s strategy to end local poverty on July 26. The public is invited to meet Garvin during a virtual lunch and learn, August 12, noon to 1 p.m. by registering at www.UnitedWayGSO.org/CEO. 

Garvin, whose career in anti-poverty programs began with the US Department of Health and Human Services’ Head Start program, has more than 20 years national, state, and local experience designing and leading systems serving children and families in low-income communities.

Immediately prior to joining UWGG, Garvin served as Executive Director of Save the Children’s $30 million portfolio of regional Head Start programs where he managed over 400 staff serving children and families living in poverty in communities across six states.

Garvin led the implementation of Great Expectations, a $40 million, 10-year signature initiative of the Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust, which helps children enter Kindergarten and emerge prepared for continued learning and success. 

His impressive experience also includes leading the state office of the North Carolina Head Start system, comprised of 55 affiliate grantee organizations including public school systems, community action agencies, county governments, and private non-profits that served over 28,000 children and families in all 100 counties. 

Garvin, who currently lives with his wife in High Point, also has experience working with Greensboro-based Guilford Child Development, where he served as Assistant Head Start/Early Head Start Program Director.

“I am excited to return to Greensboro and continue my life’s work and dedication to serving children and families. I look forward to maintaining and creating meaningful relationships and high-impact partnerships as we bear down with the greatest weight possible this community’s efforts of ending poverty,” said Garvin.

“I am a staunch advocate for people who may be discovering their voice, or who have been overlooked. Poverty should not be a final destination for anyone, and I am confident this community has what it takes to create a future where all community members have the ability to achieve their dreams.”

Garvin, who earned a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Emory University, and Master of Science in Education from Southern Illinois University, replaces Michelle Gethers-Clark who was hired in April by Visa, Inc. to serve as Chief Diversity Officer and Head of Corporate Responsibility. 

In April, UWGG formed a diverse eight-member search committee comprised of current and past board members, and announced it was working with Charles Aris Executive Search of Greensboro to conduct a national search for a new President and CEO.

Charles Aris received approximately 300 applications, had meaningful conversations with over 100 candidates, and ultimately provided the UWGG search committee with a shortened list of the most qualified candidates.

The UWGG search committee conducted two interviews with the shortened list of candidates and invited finalists to in-person meetings where each candidate was asked to conduct a presentation on relevant topics.

After meeting with additional community supporters, Garvin was selected and approved as President and CEO by the UWGG board of directors.

Garvin joins UWGG a short time before it is expected to announce a new community-developed, measurable Bold Goal aimed at helping a specific number of households leave poverty by certain date. The Bold Goal was developed over the past year with the input and collaboration of thousands of people.

Brian Pierce, Chair, UWGG Board of Directors, who served on the search committee said, “Khari is tremendously experienced in the work of addressing poverty. His drive and motivation for what he does is infectious and inspiring.”

“Khari is a strategist and a leader. He will help United Way and our community develop ways we can continue to reach for and measure our progress in this fight against poverty. Khari is uniquely equipped to help bring our community together to produce the outcomes we all want to achieve.”

END LOCAL POVERTY: United Way of Greater Greensboro is leading a movement to end local poverty. We create strategic partnerships and initiatives that are coordinated and work with children, adults, and families across the entire community. More than 57,000 people are living in poverty in the greater Greensboro area. In the City of Greensboro, one out of every four children, lives in poverty. The federal government defines poverty as a family of four earning $26,500 per year. According to local self-sufficiency standards, many four-member households need to earn around $60,000 to meet basic needs without subsidized assistance. www.UnitedWayGSO.org Local impact for 99 years and counting.

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United Way of Greater Greensboro Awards $1 Million in Grants to Address Local Housing Disparities – Grants will help more than 300 households recover from the economic impacts of COVID-19

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GREENSBORO, NC (July 15, 2021) – United Way of Greater Greensboro (UWGG) is pleased to announce it is leveraging the first $1 million of philanthropist MacKenzie Scott’s recent $10 million gift, to award five grants to local organizations leading programs supporting innovative solutions addressing housing disparities.

As part of UWGG’s focus on ending local poverty, selected programs are anticipated to help more than 300 local households recover from the economic impacts of COVID-19. Grants were approved through a volunteer-led Request for Proposal process which began in April.


“Stable housing is the foundation of well-being. Research shows the housing industry is an economic engine and if history repeats itself, will help propel our post COVID-19 recovery. In the past, communities that made investments in housing its’ residents have experienced economic recovery after virtually every major downturn,” says Frank McCain, UWGG Vice President, Community Investment & Impact.

“We are thrilled that through this investment, 300 or more households will be provided with extra support to help them recover from the impacts of COVID-19. An investment of $1,000,000 will help local families build a future that leaves poverty behind through permanent, stable housing.”

Awarded Programs, impact descriptions, and amounts:

Agency and Program Impact Description Awarded 
Bridging the Gaps:  Partners Ending Homelessness (lead), Family Service of the Piedmont, Room at the Inn, The Servant Center, Youth Focus, YWCA Collaborative providing case management and financial assistance to clients who are precariously housed, homeless, or experiencing barriers to securing permanent housing and are not eligible for or have expenses not covered by public funding sources.   $330,000 
Emergency Assistance Program: Salvation Army of Greensboro Help individuals and families that are not eligible by federal guidelines with intensive case management, housing placement, and financial assistance for legal and court filings, tenant insurance violations, rental and utility assistance, and temporary hotel stays on the way to permanent housing.  $200,000 
Eviction Resolution Project: Legal Aid of NC (lead), Greensboro Housing Coalition, UNCG Center for Housing and Community Studies Collaborative providing supportive services in the areas of legal representation, financial assistance, tenant education, and case management to stabilize tenancies and to avoid immediate eviction.    $270,000 
Get Your HOUSE in Order: Housing Consultants Group Provides extra down payment assistance to homebuyers with lower incomes and higher housing debt through the City’s first-time homebuyer program. Also providing classes and coaching to prepare future homebuyers and to help current homeowners maintain ownership. $100,000 
Home Repair Program: Community Housing Solutions Preserves home ownership by completing critical home repairs to qualifying low-income homeowners who live in substandard housing conditions and elderly and/or disabled homeowners living in unsafe homes that cause falls or the inability to continue to live in their home.    $100,000 
TOTAL:   $1,000,000

 
Why is UWGG issuing grants specific to housing?
While significant and needed federal funds entered the community for rental and utility assistance, gaps in assistance remain. There is a need for unrestricted and flexible funding.

UWGG believes housing disparities that existed before COVID-19 must still be addressed. UWGG supports permanent housing along a continuum – from short-term crisis assistance all the way to home ownership, a critical strategy for building the wealth and assets needed for ending generational poverty.

What is the MacKenzie Scott $10 million gift?

In December 2020, Scott gifted over $4 billion to 384 nonprofits across the nation. UWGG was one of only two United Ways in North Carolina to receive funding. At the time, UWGG announced plans to utilize the funds to make innovative and transformational investments in solutions that work together to end poverty across the entire community.

END LOCAL POVERTY:United Way of Greater Greensborois leading a movement to end local poverty. We create strategic partnerships and initiatives that are coordinated and help children, adults, and families across the entire community. More than 57,000 people are living in poverty in the greater Greensboro area. In the City of Greensboro, one out of every four children, lives in poverty. The federal government defines poverty as a family of four earning $26,500 per year. According to local self-sufficiency standards, many four-member households need to earn around $60,000 to meet basic needs without subsidized assistance. www.UnitedWayGSO.orgLocal impact for 99 years and counting.

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Community Members Donate 600+ Basic Needs Kit to Benefit Local Individuals Experiencing Homelessness

Posted on by Lauren Forbis

United Way Young Leader’s Basic Needs Kits Surpasses Goal, Makes a Difference

When United Way of Greater Greensboro’s Young Leaders affinity group cabinet learned that every night in Greensboro more than 900 people go to sleep homeless, they sprang into action. United, they organized a new volunteer opportunity and invited the entire community to participate in hosting their own Basic Needs Kits drives.

Basic needs kits— with a variety of items like soap and sunscreen included in each kit—were a simple way to provide practical help to individuals experiencing homelessness. 

With community support, the drive resulted in almost 650 kits being collected! 

“Young Leaders set a goal of collecting 100 kits, so we were blown away by surpassing that goal! The response for our community was incredible and inspiring, especially during these unprecedented times,” said Tanicia Barnes, UWGG Young Leaders cabinet member, Cone Health Launch Co-Chair, and organizer of Cone Health’s Basic Need Kits drive.

“Cone Health alone collected 434 kits, supported the drive by purchasing over 200 items from the Basic Needs Kit Amazon wishlist, and collected almost 150 additional items! Cone Health was a proud participant in this initiative by way of Launch— one of Cone Health Inclusion Network groups. I’m so proud of how our Cone family upheld the iCARE value of Caring for our Community,” Barnes continued.

The following partners received kits and will distribute to local folks experiencing homelessness over the next few weeks:

  • Greensboro Housing Coalition
  • Greensboro Urban Ministry (Pathways Family Center)
  • Interactive Resource Center
  • Partners Ending Homelessness
  • The Salvation Army of Greensboro (Center of Hope)
  • The Servant Center
  • YWCA Greensboro

To learn more about upcoming volunteer opportunities with UWGG, visit unitedwaygso.org/volunteer.

Community Volunteer Collects 4,000+ Baby Items 

Posted on by Lauren Forbis

Every year, United Way of Greater Greensboro (UWGG) hosts a variety of volunteer opportunities in partnership with the Volunteer Center of the Triad and various partner agencies to celebrate National Volunteer Week. This year, as many continue to social distance during the COVID-19 pandemic, UWGG encouraged community members to host Baby Items drives for items like diapers, wipes, and more to benefit members of UWGG’s Family Success Centers.

When Beverly Johnson learned of the opportunity to volunteer safely in this way, she knew she had to participate. Beverly hosted a porch drop-off drive and by simply inviting her neighbors and friends to participate, the collection grew beyond what she thought was possible.

“Every day I got to watch the collection grow. It was inspiring to see the kindness of my friends and neighbors who were thrilled to include a few items for this important cause,” said Beverly. 

Through her efforts, Beverly and her friends and neighbors collected over 4,680 items! All items collected were delivered to UWGG’s Family Success Center #1. Altogether, generous community members donated thousands items to support the National Volunteer Week Baby Items drive effort.

“After months of distancing, my neighbors came together to support this United Way volunteer project and we look forward to doing it again. Thanks to United Way for creating a tangible and personal way for us to get involved in your focus to end poverty. We all appreciate what United Way is doing in our greater community to ease the effects of poverty as it relates to families and children!”

UWGG’s Family Success Centers partner with families to support their transition from poverty into financial stability through personalized coaching and strategically bundled and sequenced services offered in a central location.

Since March 2020, both Family Success Centers temporarily closed on-site programming at their buildings and continued FSC programming and services virtually. Family Success Centers members are resilient in the face of difficulties. Many challenges, like accessing childcare and sustaining employment, have been amplified by the pandemic. Family Success Centers members have demonstrated inspiring commitment to helping their children adapt to virtual schooling while working toward accomplishing their own goals.

To learn more about upcoming volunteer opportunities with UWGG, please visit unitedwaygso.org/volunteer.