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Community Impact Initiatives are those projects supported by United Way of Manatee County and multiple collaborative funding sources. The collaborative partners include United Way Sarasota, United Way of South Sarasota County, Desoto County Government, Manatee County Government, Sarasota County Government, City of Arcadia, local agencies and foundations.
United Way 2-1-1 of Manasota, Inc.
United Way 2-1-1 of Manasota, Inc. is a collaborative Community Impact Initiative of the United Ways of Manatee, Sarasota, and South Sarasota Counties, and Manatee, Sarasota and Desoto County Governments to provide 2-1-1 service to the residents of the three county areas through a Regional Call Center. The three United Ways and the three County Governments are the current funders of the initiative.
If you need help, or would like to give help, call 2-1-1. United Way 2-1-1 of Manasota provides a centralized number to any resident in our community seeking personal information or regarding human services. It's free, simple and confidential.
The Regional Call Center is operational and is located in the United Way of Sarasota facilities. The Regional Center replaced the First Call For Help agencies that had provided information and referral services for health and human services from separate locations in the two counties. 2-1-1 service is available on a 24/7 basis. For additional information: www.uw211manasota.net
Suncoast Partnership to End Homelessness
The Suncoast Partnership to End Homelessness’ grant funding will enable the Partnership to further enhance the effort to reduce and prevent homelessness in our community, which is the goal of the "10-Year Plan to End Homelessness." The Suncoast Partnership receives grant funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), which helped to increase the housing inventory in Manatee County for victims of domestic violence and to provide emergency funding to help residents who are facing eviction. The Partnership continues to enhance the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) to help agencies become more effective and efficient. www.suncoastpartnership.org
Whole Child Project Manatee
The Whole Child Project Manatee is a partnership between the people of Manatee County and the Lawton Chiles Foundation. This partnership identified that a major barrier to getting assistance for families was that services were fragmented and the time needed to access those services was overwhelming. As a result, this partnership has designed a user-friendly, comprehensive, integrated Web-based system that will enable families with children ages 0-5 to identify family needs and to access the providers of those services that are best equipped to meet their needs. This is accomplished at one point of entry, thus the "no wrong door" of entry to human services.
The system includes: The Whole Child Profile, which identifies the needs of the family, the Whole Child Plan, which matches the needs to the resources, the Whole Child Advisor, a highly qualified human services professional who is available to assist families with their plans, and a database of providers. Families access the system from any Internet connected computer at www.wholechildmanatee.com. Computers are available to families at locations throughout the community.
As a result of the success of The Whole Child Project Manatee, several Counties in the State of Florida have implemented a model of the Whole Child Project.
POM Project/CTK Funding Application-POM Reporting Project
The Program Outcome Measurement Project, which includes CTK Implementation, is a collaborative effort between United Way and Manatee County. POM is a systematic process designed to define and assist program services to reach their goals and run more efficiently. POM provides the opportunity to allocate funds according to their impact on targeted causes and/or by measuring the outcomes of human services. To date, all human services agencies have received training in methodology and have participated in ongoing workshops and evaluations. The United Way funding process has incorporated outcomes as a major part of the request for financial support. The process requires all agencies to identify outcomes for all programs and to complete outcome reports. Each agency must select a least two outcomes for each of their programs.
Agencies will receive ongoing training and mentoring throughout the 2010-2011 fiscal year. In partnership with Manatee County Government we will produce a Report to the Community based upon the outcomes that our combined Agencies have reported.
Building Strong Families Manatee
A program managed by the Jewish Family & Children’s Service of Sarasota-Manatee, Inc., made possible by a grant of $50,000 annually for three years. Building Strong Families Manatee works with families with school age children who are at risk of becoming homeless in Manatee County. The program works with families in two ways. The first is by providing a long-term plan to maintain financial and emotional stability of the family. The second is by providing immediate resources to stabilize the family’s current housing problem in order for the family to remain in the home and the children in their school. This circumvents disruption in the children’s education and prevents truancy, school drop-outs, academic underachievement, and behavioral problems.
Through the William McKnight Trust, the United Way of Manatee County has committed to three years of matching funding ($15,000/year) for this program in order to secure the $50,000 grant. The staff member in charge of the program is housed at the United Way offices in downtown Bradenton on a pro-bono basis. The Manatee Community Foundation has committed $5,000/year for three years as matching funds to help expand the program to full-time.
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