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Initiatives and Partnerships
Through United Way's initiatives and partnerships we reach out to our local community. These are collaborative efforts, which means we work with other agencies, community organizations, and corporations, to bring the best services to those most in need. Currently, our initiatives and partnerships include:
Center for Youth Development
Children ages 10-14 are at a critical time in their physical and mental development, a time when peer pressure must be countered by a positive environment and positive role models.
The Center for Youth Development was founded in 1998 by a generous grant from the William Penn Foundation to United Way. We are now working to provide constructive out-of-school hours activities throughout low-income neighborhoods in Philadelphia. The Center stresses the importance of youth development through the promotion of positive youth imagery. For more information, including listings of after school programs in the community and volunteer opportunities for young people such as Youth United Way, please visit Center for Youth Development.
Learn more about parenting, child care, family activities, and health.
http://www.thebeehive.org/family/topics-family.asp
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Early to Learn: Partners for School Readiness
In large urban school systems like Philadelphia's, kindergarten teachers report that one third to one half of all children start school without the language, cognitive or social skills they need to do well. And, children who start behind, stay behind.
With Early to Learn: Partners for School Readiness, United Way seeks to provide enriched early learning experiences so that children from low-income neighborhoods start school ready to learn. One of this initiative's primary objectives is helping early education centers add a more developmental focus, with teacher training, educational equipment, facility improvements, and improved partnerships with parents. Through this initiative, United Way will reach parents, neighbors and relatives who care for young children at home with the establishment of neighborhood-based "playschools" aimed at early literacy. In addition, School Readiness Specialists will be placed in pediatric settings to consult with parents who face special challenges, and to work with early childhood education centers on better supporting parents.
Funding partners for Early to Learn: Partners for School Readiness include the Annenberg Foundation, the William Penn Foundation, Lenfest Foundation, Pew Charitable Trusts, John and Chara Haas Trust, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Obtain online educational resources for your young child.
http://www.thebeehive.org/school/
Get information on finding affordable child care.
http://www.thebeehive.org/family/child-care.asp
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Emergency Food and Shelter Program
United Way of Southeastern Pennsylvania works with the Philadelphia Council to award $1 million each year to fund agencies that help families in crisis. These agencies provide services from homeless shelters to food cupboards to emergency housing counseling. The goal is to keep individuals and their families off the streets during the times of their greatest need.
Learn about housing and utilities assistance in Philadelphia.
http://www.thebeehive.org/local/content.asp?c=73&language=1&p=130
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First Call for Help
When you need a helping hand overcoming obstacles, United Way is here. Through First Call for Help, we can direct you to the appropriate agency to address issues that affect you, your family, and your neighborhood.
This service is available Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., so you can get the help you need, in English or in Spanish.
First Call for Help to talk to a friendly information specialist about a need, problem, or question you have. He or she will make certain you get the help you need. Call about:
- Employment services
- Money matters
- Children and Adult Services
- Health Services
- Housing Services
Assistance is available Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., in Spanish or English. If you're looking for job help, be sure to email mailto:firstcallforhelp@uwsepa.org or call us at 215-568-3750.
Get information on applying for housing and utilities assistance http://www.thebeehive.org/local/content.asp?c=73&language=1&p=130
Find out about emergency health care in Philadelphia.
http://www.thebeehive.org/health/topics-health.asp
Learn how to apply for Unemployment Compensation.
http://www.thebeehive.org/jobs/unemployment-insurance.asp
Find out what resources are available if your family is in need of financial assistance.
http://www.thebeehive.org/local/content.asp?c=219&p=118&root=5§ion=5&pathid=5&color=CC66FF&language=1
Obtain resources for legal help in Philadelphia.
http://www.thebeehive.org/local/content.asp?c=78&language=1&p=129
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Gifts In Kind
This United Way of Southeastern Pennsylvania program accepts donations of quality surplus merchandise and equipment, and distributes it to other social service agencies in the Greater Philadelphia community. Through corporate and private generosity, we have been able to bring items such as ADOBE® software, Avon® products, Staples® office supplies, and one million dollars worth of children's books to disadvantaged neighborhoods.
Companies interested in making donations should email Camara Jordan at camara@uwsepa.org.
Non-profit agency enrollment into the Gifts in Kind program has been closed until further notice.
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Hispanic Leadership Development Program (HDLP)
The Hispanic Leadership Development Program provides critical leadership and skills training for Latino men and women. It offers personnel and management development workshops on issues such as leadership styles, team building, strategic planning, and fundraising. This program was developed to prepare prominent Latinos for leadership positions within the business world and the community.
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One to One/The Greater Philadelphia Mentoring Partnership
In many communities, there is a lack of positive role models to guide our young people, to teach them, through example and sharing, how to live responsibly.
United Way ensures that children have positive role models to choose from; men and women they can laugh with, learn from, talk to, and use to lean on as they move from adolescence to young adulthood.
This program provides resources for individuals, organizations, companies, faith-based programs, and non-profits interested in increasing the number of mentors for young people. From linking individuals to children who need mentors, to teaching other organizations how to set up their own mentoring program, United Way is working to bring together responsible adults and the children that need them.
This partnership, between One to One and United Way, was formed in 1989 to promote mentoring as a success strategy for youth. More information is available by visiting the website or emailing mailto:lynda@uwsepa.org?Subject=One to One Inquiry.
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The One Economy Project (OE)The One Economy Project (OE) is dedicated to helping low-income residents become self-sustainable and improve their standard of living through technology as a tool of access and empowerment. OE’s strategy is three-fold: providing access to technology by placing computers and Internet access in homes, providing content that is relevant to the lives and needs of community members through quality training curricula and access to http://www.thebeehive.org/philly, an online social services referral tool, and creating Digital Communities within underserved neighborhoods to increase social capital and build assets.
Technology is a resource embedded into our every day lives, vital to communication and progression in our culture. A collaboration of One Economy Corporation, United Way of Southeastern Pennsylvania, and community-based organizations in Philadelphia is building digital communities in West Philadelphia to ensure digital access, quality web content and applications, and training to use technology in improving their standards of living. Residents are given access to home computers that are connected to each other and to their neighborhood CTC by two wireless networks. By providing community members with relevant information and training through CTC’s and using www.thebeehive.org/philly as a resource, they will have the tools to apply what they’ve learned to their every day living.
Philadelphia Neighborhood Development Collaborative
Founded in 1991, the Philadelphia Neighborhood Development Collaborative (PNDC) is a group of 11 foundations and corporations that are seeking to assist community development corporations (CDCs) in their mission to stabilize and revitalize neighborhoods. PNDC provides operational funding and customized technical assistance to 10 Philadelphia CDCs. Together, we seek to create thriving communities with decent and affordable housing.
http://www.pndc.net/
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Philadelphia's Promise
It is through offering help to our youngest citizens that we can have the greatest impact on our future - ours and theirs. Giving children the tools, education, and services they need is critical to helping them to not only stay off of drugs and avoid risky behavior, but to begin thinking about and planning for careers.
Philadelphia's Promise does that, focusing on mobilizing around the five following youth needs designed to help them and to allow them to learn they are part of a larger community and a larger world:
- Healthy start
- Caring adult mentors
- Safe places
- Skills for employment
- Community serve
Resources are available for individuals, organizations, companies, and nonprofits that want to improve the lives of young people in the region.
Interested parties should contact us at Philadelphia's Promise Inquiry, or more information is available at the Philadelphia's Promise website.
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School-to-Career Project
It is important to guide high school children into a career while they are still in school. Because of this, a collaboration between the One-to-One Mentoring Program and the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce works to teach children about how to transition into a good-paying career after the end of school. Activities that are supported include the City-Wide Shadowing Day, where children 'shadow' a professional throughout his or her workday; Business Education Goes into Neighborhoods (BEGIN), and work-based learning mentor training.
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Teaming for TechnologyUnited Way is collaborating with IBM and the Corporation for National and Community Service to make computers and technology assistance available to human service agencies in the Philadelphia region. The project is part of a multi-city initiative coordinated through United Way of America.
We provide consulting services, equipment and training to nonprofit organizations, built 8 technology centers in low-income neighborhoods and expanded technology in 17 child care facilities.
More information can be found at Teaming for Technology website.
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VolunteerWay.org
United Way is bringing volunteering into the 21st Century. This "virtual volunteer center" helps community-based organizations recruit volunteers. It also offers reporting and tracking functions to support corporate volunteer programs.
For more information, you can call 215.665.2474, email mailto:volunteerway@uwsepa.org?Subject=VolunteerWay Inquiry, or visit VolunteerWay.org.
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Workforce Development Fund
Sometimes, through a complicated interplay of a lack of education, family pressures, and few mentors, adults can find themselves without the skills to get decent jobs in their communities. The results are underemployment and frustration.
The Workforce Development Fund has two goals: one is to assist disadvantaged adults in entering the workplace. The other goal is to equip adults who are in entry-level jobs to get the training and education to advance. All gifts to this fund are matched by leadership donors to double their impact.
Learn more about the job search and adult education in Philadelphia.
http://www.thebeehive.org/jobs/topics-jobs.asp
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