To Live Better, We Must Live United
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
TO LIVE BETTER, WE MUST LIVE UNITED. 2018 COMMUNITY REPORT OUR MISSION: The United Way of Youngstown and the Mahoning Valley will create positive change by collaborating with partners to educate and empower children and families in the Mahoning Valley. DEAR FRIENDS: As we wrap up a successful 2018 and start to celebrate our Centennial in 2019, we want to personally thank all of you who have made it possible for United Way to have generations of impact. From our roots in 1919 to the organization we have grown into today, it all begins with you. What excites and energizes all of us is the work that is being done. From the incredible agencies we fund to the work United Way leads, lives are changing for the better in our community. Change doesn’t happen alone, and we are thankful to have you on this journey with us. We are now working with all nine Youngstown Elementary Schools, as well as Youngstown Community School, Girard, Liberty and Campbell with our Success After 6 initiative. This initiative is much more than an afterschool program, although we do have close to 650 children taking part in out-of-school activities. This includes academics, enrichment, field trips, mentoring programs and so much more. We encourage all of you to reach out and schedule a time to visit one of our Success After 6 sites. Please contact us and we will make this happen. Success After 6 is one of the many wonderful things we are doing in partnership with you. Please look through this Annual Report to learn more about where your dollars are going. A big thank you to all who helped us again raise in excess of 3 million dollars. The Mahoning Valley always steps up and exceeds our expectations. We are doing so much more than raising money, and that is why the community is trusting our United Way with their charitable dollars. For a third straight year, Charity Navigator gave our United Way a 4 star rating, their highest award, and ranked us among the top non- profits in Ohio for accountability and transparency. 2019 is a very special year for us, and we look forward to making an even greater impact in the next 100 years! On behalf of our staff and Board of Directors, a sincere thank you for LIVING UNITED. Sincerely, Bob Hannon, President Ted Schmidt, Board Chair “I think it’s a perfect intro into kindergarten. I was really happy that he was in the school he’ll be attending in the fall. I saw him grow a lot, especially his confidence when he was in Success By 6.” Parent of Success By 6 student South Range Elementary School “Success By 6 got her motivated to like school. She struggled at first. She didn’t want to learn. But this got her into the routine and she started to get excited about school. It’s an excellent program.” Parent of Success By 6 student Struthers Elementary School UNITED WE STAND UP FOR EDUCATION IN THE MAHONING VALLEY. SUCCESS BY 6 started in 2009 in two school districts. In 2018, this pre-kindergarten readiness program was in 19 school districts and 25 school sites. Our United Way partnered with the local educators to prepare 610 students for their first year in school. The students saw an average 13 point increase in their pre and post literacy test scores. Students in several districts were exposed to STEM curriculum through our partnership with OH WOW! and they received enrichment from the Ohio State University Extension. SUCCESS BY 6 SUPPORTERS AND PARTNERS: An Apple A Day The Brilex Group of Companies Hometown Pharmacy Solutions Nordson Foundation OH WOW! Children’s Center Ohio State University Extension PNC Foundation Public Library of Youngstown and Mahoning County The Youngstown Foundation The Zita M. & Joseph DiYorio Foundation UNITED WAY of Youngstown and the Mahoning Valley knows the best way to prepare our students is to provide a strong foundation. We invest in our youngest children through our early education initiatives that reach them before they even enter school. We know in today’s world, pre-school is not always an option for our families. Our goal is to step in and provide resources to fill that gap. We achieve this by getting books into the hands of babies and toddlers as well as literacy resources to their parents and guardians. We do this by preparing these future students for success by giving them a first hand experience of what life will be like once they officially become a kindergartener. United with our partner agencies who also provide valuable early childhood education programming, we are establishing a strong foundation so essential to future success in the classroom. IMAGINATION LIBRARY was introduced to the Valley by our United Way in 2014. Since that time, we have IMAGINATION LIBRARY served more than 9,000 children. Currently, we have 5,300 SUPPORTERS AND PARTNERS: children receiving a free book once a month sent to their home. Another 3,868 graduated from the program once they Covelli Enterprises turned 5 years old. Thanks to the Dolly Parton Foundation, we Jane F. Lamb Charitable Foundation Ohio Children’s Foundation have distributed 152,124 books since 2014. This year, we The James & Coralie Centofanti Charitable Foundation partnered with the Public Library of Youngstown and Mahoning William M. Neckerman, Jr. Foundation County to provide literacy programming and training to 180 parents and guardians at schools, library locations, and partner non-profits like OCCHA. UNITED WAY of Youngstown and the Mahoning Valley wants to build upon the foundation we help set with Success By 6, Imagination Library, and the valuable programs run by our partner agencies. In 2015, we launched Success After 6 with the goal of continuing to strengthen our students. We partner with 5 school districts, various enrichment partners, and community volunteers to provide additional resources to the students to help improve their academics. The cornerstone of our Success After 6 initiative is an afterschool program that takes place at each school site. We also partner with community volunteers and organizations to bring mentoring into the schools to inspire the children to dream big and provide them with the tools to achieve their goals. “Success After 6 has been one of the most successful programs as far as increasing attendance, reducing discipline incidents, and improving student performance on both state and benchmark assessments.” John LaPlante, Chief Information Officer Youngstown City Schools UNITED WE STAND UP FOR EDUCATION IN THE MAHONING VALLEY. SUCCESS AFTER 6 provided afterschool 2018-2019 SUCCESS AFTER 6 SCHOOLS: programming to 550 Students grades kindergarten to sixth in 4 school districts at 8 sites for the 2017-2018 school year. Youngstown Community School Students referred to the program are often most at-risk and Campbell Elementary School have the greatest need for additional help and support. They Girard, Prospect Elementary School may start further behind than their peers. Liberty, Blott Guy PK-6 For the 2017-2018 school year, many of these students Youngstown City Schools experienced growth. Students in Youngstown had an average Harding Elementary 4.7% higher attendance rate and a 7.9% lower discipline rate Kirkmere Elementary than students not in the program. They also had a 58% higher McGuffey Elementary growth rate on the NWEA Math Test and 68% higher growth MLK Elementary rate on NWEA Reading Tests. These tests monitor growth in student’s ability in Reading and Math and help predict Paul C. Bunn Elementary performance on Ohio’s state-wide achievement tests. Taft Elementary For the 2018-2019 school year, we expanded to an additional Volney Rogers Elementary district and 4 more school sites. 650 students are enrolled in Williamson Elementary the afterschool program. We added the 9th Youngstown Wilson Elementary Elementary School—Harding—in January of 2019. YOUNG WOMEN’S MENTORSHIP YOUNG WOMEN’S MENTORSHIP SUPPORTERS: occurs in two schools with 42 mentors and 43 mentees. For Boardman Center Intermediate School Youngstown Taft Elementary School the 2017-2018 school year, 85% of the mentees improved their Butler Museum of Art grades, 81% improved their attendance, and 80% had less City of Youngstown—CDBG discipline referrals. For the 2018-2019 school year, the mentors Home Savings Charitable Foundation increased their roles by planning the weekly sessions and Junior Achievement of Mahoning Valley inviting outside partners, programs, and speakers. They Macy’s address social emotional issues and encourage academic Mahoning County Mental Health Board success and leadership skills in the 5th—7th grade students. Ohio State Extension Office Simon Roofing Youngstown State University “I wanted to do something that would make a difference and have a true impact on a student. Little did I know the impact the program would have on my life, too.” Shannon Tirone, Young Women’s Mentorship at Taft Elementary School “I’m loving being a mentor. They are like my little brothers. I need to show them the right way. I came from a similar background as them. I want them to know we can break the cycle. Teach them about cause and effect. I’ve grown as a mentor. I learn something new every day from them. I wanted to give back and this was a no-brainer for me to be a part of the program.” Steven Lemley, Promising Men’s Mentorship at Youngstown Community School PROMISING MEN’S MENTORSHIP PROMISING MEN’S MENTORSHIP SUPPORTERS: occurs at Youngstown Community School with 11 mentors and 20 mentees in the 6th and 7th grades. Youngstown Community School The Kool Boiz Foundation leads the weekly sessions Kool Boiz Foundation teaching the young men about responsibility in and out Boys and Girls Club of Youngstown of the classroom.