Impact | United Way of Southern Nevada

Community Assessment 2012

Posted on December 19, 2012 by ScottH • 0 Comments

Open publication - Free publishing - More las vegas

(See PDF Viewer above or download from the link at bottom of post)

United Way Worldwide continually embarks on national large scale research initiatives which help guide and shape our path and give a megaphone to a variety of our constituents including donors, recipients, employees, volunteers and community partners.

It is this continual feedback loop that makes United Way what it is, an organization steeped in history and heritage, yet one that continually seeks new input from our community and experts, driving community change based on real issues.

Local United Way chapters formulate their local agendas with the help of this National research, yet many, like United Way of Southern Nevada, take it a step further to get an accurate read of our local community issues through the eyes of our many constituents.

United Way of Southern Nevada has historically fielded a large scale Community Assessment every few years. Given the dynamic changes in our community over the past two years, it was critical that we get back into the field to understand the unique factors and recent changes so that real-time solutions are put into place. With the help of Applied Analysis and The Lincy Institute we have brought together best practices in academic, economic and policy research.

Phase I of The UWSN Community Assessment 2012 was completed in the Fall 2012.

Voices from all around the community were heard, from opinion leaders, the general population and the at-risk population. It was critical that the methodology allow for multiple points of view so as to understand the nuances that affect varying populations. These results will help set the course for many smaller non-profits and governmental agencies. Phase II is currently underway, with The Lincy Institute creating solutions to meet the challenges our community voices. Together, we can understand and tackle our community’s challenges. Together, we LIVE UNITED.

Community Assessment 2012 link (24MB, please allow time to load) or use viewer above.

Filed Under: Impact

Health | Helping Children Grow and Thrive

Posted on November 19, 2012 by LaurieM • 0 Comments

Angelica could not afford healthcare for her son, Caleb. A struggling single mother, she needed help getting Caleb immunized so that he could start school and he also needed treatment for asthma.

When she found out about the United Way of Southern Nevada partner University of Nevada School of Medicine – Children’s Health Access Project (CHAP), which provides clinical health care services and age appropriate immunizations for uninsured children, she immediately brought Caleb to the clinic.

Through the clinic, Angelica was able to get Caleb immunized so that he could start school and receive help for his asthma.

“Without the help of this clinic, we would not have been able to control my son’s asthma,” said Angelica. “The nurses at the clinic helped ensure that Caleb is healthy and protected from illness through immunizations, so that he wouldn’t miss any school and fall behind his classmates.”

Before immunizations were available, over 13,000 cases of Paralytic Polio were reported each year in the United States, an average of 450 Measles associated deaths were reported per year between 1953 and 1963 and nearly all persons in the United States suffered from Chickenpox by adulthood and over 100 deaths were caused by the disease per year.*

With soaring medical costs, many families have a hard time paying for extra medical expenses. Because of the CHAP program, uninsured children who attend Matt Kelly, Booker and West Prep Elementary Schools now have access to clinical health care services and age appropriate immunizations.

“Through our partnership with CHAP, we are closer to accomplishing our mission of helping all children have a medical home and consistent, high quality health care so that they may grow and thrive,” said Terri Janison, United Way, Senior Director, Community Development.

Through the services of CHAP, children are immunized, treated with medications to help control or cure their conditions, receive yearly physicals and referred to specialists to help control or cure their conditions by the doctors and residents from the University of Nevada School of Medicine. CHAP also provides preventative help, educating children and families on proper nutrition, exercise and hygiene, which leads to better overall health. All of these services combined help children to not miss school and therefore have a better future.

*Source: Department of Health and Human Services Centers for Disease Control and prevention.

Filed Under: Health, Impact

Hurricane Sandy Recovery Fund

Posted on November 1, 2012 by ScottH • 0 Comments

The United Way Hurricane Sandy Recovery Fund was established to address the near-term and long-term recovery needs of individuals, families and communities along the Eastern Seaboard that were impacted by Hurricane Sandy’s devastation. Contributions to the Fund will be used by local United Ways in Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Virginia, Washington, DC and West Virginia to address hurricane recovery needs in communities that FEMA has declared disaster areas.

At the request of and in cooperation with United Way U.S.A., United Way of New York City is leading fundraising efforts and will ensure that all funds are used efficiently and effectively to serve those in need. United Way of New York City will charge no administrative fees.

You can also Text-To-Give. Text RECOVERY to 52000 to make a $10 donation.

If you have any questions about the fund, please send an email to communication@uwnyc.org.

Filed Under: Impact, UWSN

Health | Jesse Learns How to “Brush at Lunch”

Posted on October 9, 2012 by LaurieM • 0 Comments

At five years old, Jesse had never been to a dentist. His parents, Maria and Francisco, couldn’t afford one more expense with two young children and a baby on the way. Since the family has no medical insurance, they were relieved when they found out that Jesse’s preschool school offered a “Brush At Lunch” program to introduce good dental hygiene habits to children and their families.

The dental hygienists used over-sized toothbrushes and puppets to teach the children how to brush and floss properly. United Way funded dental kits that had toothbrushes, floss and a timer for the children to use. The best part for the children was getting to line up after lunch with their friends at preschool and brush their teeth. Lots of giggles and water splashing ensued as they used their new toothbrushes with puppets during the oral health-training workshop.

Jesse had his first dental exam and his parents were happy to know that only two teeth had some decay. The family was pleasantly surprised that Jesse found a new interest in brushing his teeth as the hygienist carefully demonstrated proper brushing techniques on a stuffed dragon with bright white teeth. He also read the book United Way provided about healthy teeth to his little sister.

“Jesse was petrified of going to the dentist office,” said Maria. “After he saw how easy it was and that there was no pain, he told me that he is no longer afraid of going to the dentist. As a parent, I can help all my children and our family to brush after each meal and make it fun. It was a wonderful opportunity for me to ask the hygienists questions in a relaxed environment at the preschool instead of the dentist’s office.”

The “Brush At Lunch” workshops are a great opportunity for children and adults to learn about healthy foods and habits and for parents to recognize the warning signs of poor oral health before the child is in pain.

Because oral health is also related to diet and nutrition, Jesse and his parents are also learning how to prepare easy and healthy recipes at home. Jesse has added new fruits and vegetables to the shopping list and understands that candy and sweets are only treats for special occasions.

Jesse and his sister now enjoy brushing their teeth together before they go to bed, and Jesse loves to flash his million-dollar smile even with two front teeth missing.

Filed Under: Health, Impact

Education | FERCs Help Students Graduate

Posted on September 6, 2012 by ScottH • 0 Comments

FERC-Family Education Resource Center

Gabriel, a high school freshman, was in danger of being referred out of Sunrise Mountain High School for cutting classes and truancy. Gabriel’s counselor met with Gabriel and his mom to discuss her concerns that if he kept on missing school and disrupting class, he would not graduate. Concerned about her son, Angelica asked the counselor for advice on how to help.

What Angelica found out surprised her. Sunrise Mountain High School had partnered with United Way of Southern Nevada to create a Family Engagement Resource Center (FERC). Because of this funding, over 2,400 freshman and sophomore students and their families attending five local high schools, now have access to information, technology and support towards career readiness. UWSN’s Women’s Leadership Council partnered with the Clark County School District (CCSD) to increase southern Nevada’s high school graduation rate. United Way’s Women’s Leadership Council has contributed $319,880 in funding with an additional $300,000 available. With this help, students like Gabriel, can get back on track to graduate, acquire life planning skills and plan for their career choice. Angelica now had resources herself to help her son stay connected to the staff at school and Gabriel’s teachers now recognize how deeply she cares about her son graduating and planning for his future.

“Not only has he completely changed in terms of his behavior but he was one of the outstanding students in the ROTC program this year,” said Renee Fairless, Administrator at Sunrise Mountain High School. “In the beginning he hated it when his mom was upstairs in the FERC helping other students, and now he is proud to know his mom is there and he comes up to check on her at lunchtime to see how things are going.”

Research Proves…
Research proves that students with involved parents and supportive families, regardless of their socio-economic background, are more likely to; earn higher grades and test scores, enroll in higher education programs, attend school on a regular basis, pass their classes, use better social skills, graduate and move on to post-secondary education.

“This setting allows people to come on our campus and feel like they really should be here and they are family,” said Renee. “It’s a place for parents to come and any new student to be introduced to some of the different programs in the school.”

According to Principal John Barlow, the vision behind the FERC is to engage families in their children’s academic success and provide a place at school for families to come and feel comfortable with resources that empower them to help their children succeed.

“I think as a principal this is one of the greatest things that has come my way, being able to have tools and resources that support the families with a curriculum, counseling support and community volunteers,” said Mr. Barlow. “We found out this year that we had the greatest number of students that had decreased their absenteeism from school and we also had an increase in grade point averages among our two focal group populations so we were able to see the results based on some of the activities that happen in this center.”

So that parents can help their children graduate, Sunrise Mountain High School offers FERC University, which provides complete information on class credits, transcripts and proficiencies. When they complete FERC University, parents receive a gift certificate to a local restaurant and are eligible to work at the “Career Training Center” assisting as peer-to-peer trainers.

The FERCs are staffed by AmeriCorps members that serve as volunteers and ensure that students are in class by performing a daily attendance check and providing feedback to parents/guardians.

“Many students end up in credit denial status because of their attendance, so one of the big things is having the AmeriCorps volunteers follow up on them,” said Renee.

Through United Way’s funding, Sunrise Mountain High School also hosts a report card distribution night, where as many as 1,500 families receive dinner and an opportunity to get their student’s report cards and talk to their teachers and counselors.

The students who receive additional guidance and support from the FERC volunteers often have less than 90% attendance, have failed one or two of their core classes and are identified as students at-risk of failing in high school.

“The whole idea is that they are ready to graduate,” said Renee. “We can track their attendance and their grades and we work with them every day to see if they are improving in their core classes and their attendance”.

“If they are struggling on an assignment and they don’t have a computer at home, they can come in and we will help get resources for them,” said Renee. “The staff, students and families greatly appreciate the United Way funded Family Engagement Resource Centers and use them every day!”

Filed Under: Education, Impact, UWSN

Education | Scholarships

Posted on July 1, 2012 by VanessaM • 2 Comments

Jamie wanted to attend preschool but her parents could not afford another expense. Jamie’s parents learned about the education programs funded by United Way at a community event offering no cost immunizations for preschoolers. Excited to see if they could qualify for the education scholarship, Jamie’s parents called the HOTLINE at 892-2361.
The family picked up their scholarship application at their local preschool and felt welcomed by the teachers and parents. They also were thankful to learn that United Way sponsored scholarships for infant/toddler children to ensure the family stays together. Jamie has started preschool, her parents are able to focus on work and college, knowing that their children are receiving the highest quality of child care and school-readiness education.
Each year, hundreds of children and their families access United Way’s tuition assistance and just like Jamie, become confident in their ability to learn and make friends. Jamie and her brother will now be prepared to start Kindergarten and enjoy a highly successful academic journey. Learning to be self-assured as a child has been a key indicator of success for families and children that maintain focus on high school graduation and career readiness.
“What we are doing impacts the child’s development from birth to age five. Their morals and values are created, this is the cornerstone of their life,” said Tamy Gates, Director, Hill and Dale Family Learning Center. “I think we as a society have early childhood education and college reversed, and teachers who have degrees in education should be teaching our children. We really count on United Way to help us supplement our income and give children an opportunity to have quality care in a quality center.”
According to Tamy, early childhood education is a monumental tool to help provide the children who attend Hill and Dale with a solid academic, social and emotional foundation to prepare them for their future endeavors. She cited the study by HighScope Educational Research Foundation that tracked for forty years the financial results of a quality preschool education. The results clearly demonstrate that for every dollar invested in early childhood education, $17 dollars are saved in the reduced need for social and remedial services over the span of a child to an adult and in all communities.
“Children with a solid start in life will be prepared to attend high school and college and be contributing members to the community instead of draining from society,” said Tamy. “I just don’t think there is a more critical time in a person’s life than early childhood.”
During the last five years, United Way funded hundreds of early childhood education scholarships, provided over 200,000 hours of innovative professional development for preschool teaching staff at 70 partner Child Development Centers and inspired 5,665 families to contribute 10,703 volunteer hours and participate in family engagement training workshops at their Child Development Centers.
“I can tell you every year the classrooms improve and the teachers learn so much when they go through the child assessment and curriculum training. The children learn. It teaches us a better way of working with the children,” said Tamy.
The training concepts focus on technique and methodology to ensure that teachers understand that all children are interested and eager to learn and teachers are responsible for creating active and fun learning environments. Children benefit most when their teachers follow their lead.
Jamie for example, spotted a colorful butterfly outside of her classroom window and was curious about bugs and insects. After going through the teacher training, Jamie’s teacher brought to life her interest in butterflies and taught Jamie and her class all about the fascinating world of insects with hands-on learning activities. Yes, they touched and watched worms for days.
“Instead of forcing them to learn, we allow them to set the tone and the direction,” said Tamy. “They will retain and learn so much more from that approach.”
Tamy believes that without United Way’s scholarship funding the Center that has been in operation for over 25 years would not have survived the recession. It has allowed the Center to help more children receive a quality early childhood education and employ more staff.
“I would like to say thank you United Way on behalf of my staff for helping to keep us employed,” said Tamy. “I just love seeing the children come through the door and be successful. This is our future.”
If you or your friends would like to learn more about the United Way funded education initiatives, please contact Dolores Hauck, Sr. Director, Community Development (Doloresh@uwsn.org).

Filed Under: Education, Impact

Category Archives: Impact