Successes abound: a year in review

New strategic plan will focus on education, income, health, housing

MIDDLETOWN >> It has only been a few days since we all counted down to the New Year and said our goodbyes to 2016. As I begin to think about where this year will take our community, my family and the Middlesex United Way, I can’t help but feel an enormous amount of gratitude and accomplishment for this past year. Over 6,700 donors, more than 800 volunteers, 45 partners and hundreds of advocates have helped us achieve the successes highlighted in this column.

One major step the Middlesex United Way had this year was the development of a new strategic plan, helping us to establish and shape our mission, vision and core values. The plan will position us to achieve even greater impact in the four focus areas of education, income, health and housing. It is important that the work that we do reflects the values of collaboration, compassion, informed, transparency, inclusivity, integrity and stewardship.

Our success is largely driven by the success of our partners. This year, the Middlesex County Coalition on Housing and Homelessness announced that as of Oct. 11, 2016, all chronically homeless individuals on the waiting list have been matched with housing. We anticipate this tremendous regional success will be replicated throughout the state this coming year.

For the past two years, we have worked with 15 other Connecticut United Ways to develop a study on financial hardship in Connecticut. The ALICE report was presented in 2014, and this past year was recently updated. ALICE is a newly identified demographic standing for Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed, whose families comprise 25 percent of households in Connecticut. These hardworking individuals are trying to get by financially.

As a way to shine a light on ALICE families and help other community members walk in ALICE’s shoes, this year, the ALICE simulator, Making Tough Choices, was launched. Its launch is a huge highlight of the year, as this simulator puts individuals in the same positions that ALICE families find themselves. You will be forced to make tough decisions for your family, such as buying groceries for the week or sending your children to day care.

This year, the Healthy Communities-Healthy Youth assets model continued to see positive trends amongst our youth. The Middlesex United Way is partnered with Youth and Family Service organizations in Middlesex County to implement the Healthy Communities-Healthy Youth assets model in their towns. The approach increases young people’s participation in their local communities and results in reduced high-risk behaviors. Since 2003, average assets have continued to increase and average risk-taking behaviors have continued to decrease amongst our youth.

This year, our affinity groups have been hard at work. The Middlesex United Way Women’s Initiative held its annual Power of the Purse event in June. The event raised more than $7,000 to be used to award grants to Middlesex County-area nonprofits that are creating opportunities for a better life for women and children in the areas of early childhood development, empowering young women and financial stability. In 2016, the Women’s Initiative was able to make grants to several organizations.

The Young Leaders Society also had some major successes. Recently, members hosted the sixth annual Holiday Social & Stuff-a-Cruiser drive, collecting over 1,100 gifts to brighten the holidays for local teens in need in Middletown. The Young Leaders Society provides community involvement, professional development and networking for young professionals ages 21 to 40 who live or work in Middlesex County. It holds monthly networking, volunteer and leadership events.

At the Middlesex United Way, we continue to make strides to help our community move toward a better tomorrow. We can only hope that 2017 holds as much promise as we had in 2016. Without our volunteers, donors, partners and advocates, none of this would be possible, so again, we thank you and wish everyone a happy, healthy and prosperous 2017.

Over 6,700 donors, more than 800 volunteers, 45 partners and hundreds of advocates have helped us achieve the successes highlighted in this column.

FILE PHOTO Middletown’s Church of the Holy Trinity hosts the annual service for the homeless in 2015. This year, The Coalition on Housing and Homelessness announced that as of Oct. 11, 2016, all chronically homeless on the waiting list have been matched with...