Category: Impact

NEWS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT
Dana Carter
United Way of Greater Greensboro
Dana.carter@unitedwaygso.org
Phone: 336-378-6617

Greensboro, NC – November 21, 2014 – United Way of Greater Greensboro is focused on supporting solutions that improve the quality of life for all in Greater Greensboro. It does this, in part, by investing in new, innovative community programs. Investments for up to three years are available to support programs that have proven successful and have created positive change in the community.

United Way of Greater Greensboro is proud to continue its mission with a recent investment of $275,000 into the community through two grants, managed by United Way of Greater Greensboro. The Kathleen & Joseph Bryan Community Enrichment and Venture Grant (CEVG) invests in new and innovative programs; whereas, the Joseph M. Bryan Human Services Grant provides stabilization and expansion grants for programs already demonstrating success. Applicants that met the respective grant eligibility requirements participated in an open RFP process in April 2014.

“Our community is overflowing with talent to make positive change in the lives of those in need,” says Michelle Gethers-Clark, president and CEO of United Way of Greater Greensboro. “These grants highlight great, new partnerships that deepen United Way’s work in meaningful ways.”

Grantees are working to ensure every child enters school healthy, safe and ready to succeed in school and in life. They are supporting families through opportunities to increase income, build savings, and access resources to prevent and minimize crisis. Grantees are also helping residents live healthy lives by providing information and resources, removing barriers to healthcare and connecting them to local available resources.

Community volunteers evaluate and review applications to make investment recommendation for approval by the United Way of Greater Greensboro Board of Directors.

For information about our annual grants and future RFPs, visit www.unitedwaygso.org/nonprofits/.
Grantees supporting children and youth through education include:

Black Child Development: Freedom School – $10,000
Reading Connections: Family Literacy Academy – $30,000
YWCA of Greensboro: C.R.E.W. – $15,000

Grantees supporting individuals and families to become financially stable and independent include:

Children’s Home Society: Kinship Navigator Assistance Program – $10,600
Community Housing Solutions: Aging in Place – $30,000
Greensboro Housing Coalition: Housing Hotline – $10,000
Greensboro Urban Ministry: Beyond GUM Project – $15,000
People & Paws 4 Hope: Second Chance – $30,000
Reading Connections: Detention Center Literacy – $15,000
Women’s Resource Center: Women’s Financial Fitness Project – $25,000

Grantees supporting all individuals to lead a healthy life include:

Adult Center for Enrichment: Res Fit Club – $12,254
Family Service of the Piedmont: Electronic Health Records Implementation – $15,000
Guilford Adult Health: Feed the 485 – $9,746
Mary’s House: Integrated Health Care for Homeless Children – $11,000
Mental Health Association of Greensboro: Suicide Awareness and Prevention Training – $15,000
North Carolina A&T State University: Aggie Outreach Teen Pregnancy Prevention – $6,400
Women’s Resource Center: Change Maker Recharge – $15,000

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LIVE UNITED
United Way of Greater Greensboro pools resources, time and talent to support programs, initiatives, and partner agencies meeting the critical needs of our community and help every individual and family succeed. United Way is a worldwide network in 41 countries and territories, including more than 1,200 local organizations in the U.S. United Way recruits people and organizations who bring the passion, expertise and resources needed to get things done. To give, advocate and volunteer, visit www.UnitedWayGSO.org.

Health literacy is defined as “the degree to which an individual has the capacity to obtain, process and understand basic health information and services needed to make appropriate health decisions.”

Health literacy is essential for successful access to care and use of services, self-care of chronic conditions, and maintenance of health and wellness because people with low health literacy:

Are less able to care for their chronic conditions
Use more healthcare services
Have higher mortality rates
More likely to engage in unsafe or inappropriate use of prescription or over the counter medications
Are less likely to use preventative care
Have difficulty navigating the health care system

We challenge you to become “Health Literacy Heroes”
Being a “Health Literacy Hero” is about taking action and finding ways to improve health communication. In October, be a Health Hero:

Spread the word about this emerging public health issue that affects all age, race and income levels
Raise awareness about why health literacy matters
Empower individuals to take control of their health care
Partner with others to connect people to resources and communicate clear health messages in ways that EVERYONE can understand

Health information should be:

Accurate- should be accurate but presented in ways everyone can understand
Accessible- is this info where people can see it, easy to read, have a main message
Actionable-give some background but make sure recommendations are made so people know what to do with the information they have been given

DID YOU KNOW?
Poor health literacy is a stronger predictor of a person’s health than age, income, employment status, education level and race
90 million people (nearly half of the adult population) lack health literacy skills needed to understand and act on health information and health system demands
One out of five American adults read at a 5th grade level or below, and the average adult reads at an 8th or 9th grade level, yet most health care materials are written above the 10th grade level
Limited health literacy increases the disparity in health care access among exceptionally vulnerable populations (such as racial/ethnic minorities and elderly)
Adults living below the poverty level have lower average health literacy than those living above the poverty threshold (In adults who receive Medicaid, 30% have below basic health literacy)
Research suggests that people with low literacy make more medication errors, are less able to comply with treatments, lack the skills needed to successfully negotiate the health care system and are at higher risk for hospitalization than people with adequate literacy skills

NEWS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT:
Dana Z. Carter
United Way of Greater Greensboro
Phone: 336-378-6617
dana.carter@unitedwaygso.org

(Greensboro, NC – January 31, 2014) – Working families may get a larger tax refund this year because of the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), but to get it, they must claim it. January 31 marks the 8th National EITC Awareness Day, and United Way of Greater Greensboro is reminding taxpayers that free tax preparation services are available in our community if your household earned $58,000 or less in 2013.

In tax year 2012, more than 27 million workers received $67 billion in EITC refunds. Also that year, in Guilford County approximately $750,000 was claimed for EITC out of over $2.8 million that was returned to our taxpayers through free tax preparation services. In recent years, more than 1 in 5 tax returns from North Carolina were able to claim EITC[i]. Nationwide, millions of people miss out on EITC because they do not claim it on their tax return or they are not required to file taxes.

“Our community’s free tax preparation services will help many families get EITC and the maximum refund they’re due,” says Frank McCain, vice president of community investment and impact at United Way of Greater Greensboro. “This is money they can save or use to pay off bills, buy that car to get to work or make a down payment on a home.”

Here’s how to get started:

STEP 1: Find out if you qualify for EITC.
If you worked last year and had income of less than $51,567 you should check out your eligibility for EITC. For more information about EITC, including eligibility details, visit www.irs.gov/Individuals/EITC-Home-Page–It’s-easier-than-ever-to-find-out-if-you-qualify-for-EITC. You can also receive general guidance by calling MyFreeTaxes at 1-855-MY-TX-HELP (1-855-698-9435). On average, EITC adds $2,300 to working families’ refunds. It can mean an additional $487 for people without children up to $6,044 for those with three or more qualifying children.

STEP 2: If you qualify, make sure you get your credit and save on fees by filing for free.
Locations that offer free tax preparation can be found by dialing 2-1-1, United Way’s Information and Referral line. VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance) volunteers are trained by the Internal Revenue Service and can help households that earned $52,000 or less in 2013 prepare their taxes for free and claim the EITC and other tax benefits.

Individuals in households earning up to $58,000 can also file their returns for themselves online throughwww.MyFreeTaxes.com/Greensboro, provided by H&R Block in cooperation with the Walmart Foundation, Goodwill Industries International, National Disability Institute, and United Way Worldwide. Taxpayers filing online have access to tax law experts through online chat or a toll-free phone number.

In addition, many EITC eligible individuals may not receive their full refund because of costly fees from paid tax preparers. For families who are walking a financial tightrope, saving $200 or more can make a big difference in preventing a financial crisis. By helping families make every dollar go farther, United Way is offering solutions that move people towards financial independence and a better quality of life. Call 2-1-1 for details.

On Tuesday, March 4, 2014, United Way will hold a Family Economic Success event featuring free tax preparation services, financial management workshops, and free credit reports in partnership with BB&T Bank. Details coming soon.

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LIVE UNITED
United Way of Greater Greensboro advances the common good by supporting programs, initiatives, member agencies, and partners meeting critical needs in our community in the areas of education, income, and health. United Way is a worldwide network in 41 countries and territories, including more than 1,200 local organizations in the U.S. United Way recruits people and organizations who bring the passion, expertise and resources needed to get things done. To give, advocate and volunteer, visitwww.UnitedWayGSO.org.
[i] http://www.brookings.edu/blogs/the-avenue/posts/2012/11/19-eitc-taxes-kneebone