United Way of Palm Beach County
At United Way of Palm Beach County, our mission is to improve measurably the lives of individuals and families in Palm Beach County by uniting the resources of donors, volunteers, agencies and the community.
Using donor dollars, we fund local human-service programs that provide services to Palm Beach County residents -- children and families, seniors and people with disabilities. We make an impact in the community by funding programs and partnering in local collaboratives that create remarkable results. United Way of Palm Beach County holds itself and its partners accountable not just for action, but for measurable results.
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Health
Through this Targeted Care Area, United Way of Palm Beach County is improving access to health care and promoting healthy behaviors.
The following is just some of this Care Area's programs and partnerships that are having a measurable impact on residents in Palm Beach County.
Family Nurse Consultants
United Way of Palm Beach County provides funding support for the Alzheimer’s Family Nurse Consultants who are registered nurses with a specialized expertise and training on the needs of caregivers’ and patients who live in the community, and/or participate in one of the seven neighborhood specialized dementia specific day care service sites. Interviews and consultations with caregivers are done at any one of the four accessible office sites, and when required, in the home as well. Based upon these assessments, the Family Nurse Consultant makes recommendations to caregivers and family members to develop an individualized short and long-term plan to address their overall needs throughout the duration of the disease process. This diminishes institutionalization, while increasing the longevity of caregivers. These nurses assess the emotional, medical, and physical needs of patients, caregivers and family while placing a safety net.
Other services of this program include: healthcare provider and caregiver educational programs, support groups, 24-hour crisis line, hurricane counseling, quarterly Alzheimer’s magazine, and in-home crisis interventions that are culturally sensitive and competent.
211 Elder Crisis Outreach Program
The Elder Crisis Outreach (ECO) assists vulnerable, distressed elders and their caregivers by providing information, referral, service linkage and advocacy. As a natural extension of the 211 Elder HelpLine, ECO fills a void in the service delivery continuum for the elderly of our community by providing short-term, in-home outreach services to elders who may be experiencing physical illness, difficulty meeting basic needs, bereavement, financial hardship, social isolation, victimization, emotional distress, suicidal thoughts or other crisis.
Gleaning
Gleaning is a process in which volunteers pick fresh fruits and vegetables that have been donated by local farmers. Gleaned food is then distributed through the Palm Beach County Community Food Alliance free to many local community food providers with food pantries and major feeding sites that feed the hungry in Palm Beach County. This is a program through the Palm Beach County Community Food Alliance, an initiative of United Way.
This Targeted Care Area funds the following agencies:
211 Palm Beach/Treasure Coast
Area Agency on Aging of Palm Beach and the Treasure Coast
Alzheimer’s Community Care
American Red Cross, Greater Palm Beach Area Chapter
AVDA (Aid to Victims of Domestic Abuse)
Center for Family Services of Palm Beach County
C.R.O.S. Ministries (Christians Reaching Out to Society)
Deaf Service Center of Palm Beach County
Gulfstream Goodwill Industries
Mae Volen Senior Center
Palm Beach County Community Food Alliance
Village Baptist Church
YWCA of Palm Beach County
Education
Through this Targeted Care Area, United Way of Palm Beach County is helping children and youth achieve their potential.
Below is a list of just some of this Care Area's programs and partnerships that are having a measurable impact on residents in Palm Beach County.
Quality Child Care Programs
United Way is committed to funding quality childcare programs that provide education/training of staff, High/Scope curriculum, low-teacher child ratios and parent involvement. Society saves $7.16 for every $1.00 invested in children who receive quality childcare. This is a result of reduced need for special education programs, increased tax revenues because these children will earn more when they reach adulthood, low welfare usage and lower involvement in criminal justice system (State of the Child, 2002).
Prosperity Centers
Prosperity Centers offer Palm Beach County residents a one-stop source of services, including a matched-savings program for home ownership, help in resolving credit issues, money management assistance, benefits assistance and access, education and job assistance, plus free income-tax filing services. Prosperity Centers are a key component of the Prosperity Campaign.
The Happy Kitchen/La Cocina Alegre™
This program trains social, health care and education workers on how to teach cooking and nutrition classes to diverse communities. Trainers are taught culturally appropriate and nutritious meal preparation. They then go out to community organizations and churches to teach individuals. This is a program through the Palm Beach County Community Food Alliance, an initiative of United Way.
This Targeted Care Area funds the following agencies:
Achievement Centers for Children and Families
Boys & Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County
Children's Home Society of Florida, South Coast Division
CILO (Coalition for Independent Living Options)
Communities in Schools
Easter Seals Florida
Florence Fuller Child Development Centers
Girl Scouts of Southeast Florida Jeff Industries
Jupiter Pre-school, Thelma B. Pittman
Literacy Coalition of Palm Beach County
New Hope Charities
NOAH
PACE Center for Girls of Palm Beach County
Redlands Christian Migrant Association (RCMA)
Transition Youth Council
YWCA of Palm Beach Count
Income
Through this Targeted Care Area, United Way of Palm Beach County is promoting financial stability and independence.
The following is just some of Care Area's programs and partnerships that are having a measurable impact on residents in Palm Beach County.
Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Sites
United Way of Palm Beach County’s Prosperity Campaign began in the spring of 2004 with the opening of Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) sites. These sites provide free income tax-preparation services to those with an annual income of $49,000 or less a year and, helps those who are eligible for Earned Income Tax Credits (EITC) apply for them. The sites are staffed by volunteers who are trained and certified by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
Individual Development Account (IDA) Program
The IDA Program is a matched-savings program for homeownership or for a micro-enterprise small business. Eligible residents must save $2,000 dollars within six to 40 months. While saving, clients must participate in credit and money management classes offered through United Way's Prosperity Centers. For every dollar a participant puts in their IDA savings account, it is matched by another two dollars. When an IDA participant saves $2,000, it is matched 2:1 so the participant receives $4,000 in matching funds to be used towards the purchase of their new home or business.
The VITA and IDA Programs are key components of the Prosperity Campaign.
Family Empowerment Coalition
The Family Empowerment Coalition (FEC) is comprised of 13 local agencies whose goal is to provide a seamless continuum of services that promote family stability and self-sufficiency. The FEC model allows clients to move easily from one agency to another, and/or access the entire range of services offered through three, community-based Family Empowerment Centers.
Family Empowerment Centers offer the following services to the community: quality child care; youth groups, after-school and out-of-school programs; comprehensive support services to prevent abuse, neglect, crisis, other social problems; and case management. These services empower clients to effectively navigate the educational, social and health systems within their communities. In 2006, a service added was the cooking and nutrition classes, offered by Happy Kitchen, a program offered by the Palm Beach County Community Food Alliance and funded by United Way.
Currently, United Way funds nine agencies that are members of the FEC.
SHARE Florida Food Network
The SHARE (Self Help and Resource Exchange) Florida Food Network is a nonprofit food cooperative that helps households save up to 50% or more on their groceries, allowing households to stretch their food budgets and increase their access to nutritious foods.
SHARE is promoted by the Palm Beach County Community Food Alliance, an initiative of United Way of Palm Beach County, and alliance members.
This Targeted Care Area funds the following agencies:
Adopt-A-Family of the Palm Beaches
AVDA Aid to Victims of Domestic Abuse
The ARC of the Glades
Center for Family Services of Palm Beach County
Consumer Credit Counseling Services
Exceptionalities
Families First
Farmworker Coordinating Council of Palm Beach County
Gulfstream Goodwill Industries Housing Partnership
Legal Aid Society of Palm Beach County
The Lord's Place
Noah
Palm Beach County Community Food Alliance
Palm Beach Habilitation Center
Pathways to Independence
Ruth Rales Jewish Family Service of South Palm Beach County
YWCA of Palm Beach County
For more information on these Targeted Care Areas and their projects, please contact United Way of Palm Beach County at (561) 375-6600.
If you are in need of services or assistance, please contact 211, an information and referral line funded by United Way of Palm Beach County. 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 211 provides quick and easy access to the public to the more than 5,000 programs in Palm Beach County that provide services locally. The programs, projects, and services United Way supports are registered with 211.
Just dial 2-1-1, or (561) 383-1111, to get access to the many services offered in our community. You may also visit 211's Web site at www.211palmbeach.org
