Issue link: https://nebusinessmedia.uberflip.com/i/1531086
UNITED TO END POVERTY ALIGN United Way aligns community, corporate, government and philanthropic partners to end poverty. W hen community leaders raised the flag that homelessness was spiking by 13 percent last winter, United Way swiftly stepped up to respond. Our neighbors sleeping outdoors in freezing weather conditions was – and always will be – unacceptable to United Way and its partners. We activated United Way's Rapid Response Fund: Housing and Homelessness. We partnered with the Coordinated Access Network, emergency shelters and municipalities to prevent more people from losing their homes; and, to quickly move those living in shelters into safe and stable housing. We did this because United Way is designed to work nimbly and efficiently. We can quickly mobilize when concerning community conditions emerge. And, we heard from hundreds of diverse stakeholders through community conversations that they want to see United Way close gaps in housing. You can expect to see more strategic partnerships and rapid response from United Way as we narrow our focus and deepen our next phase of impact. We will continue to do this work for families like Cassandra's. United Way reactivated its Rapid Response Fund: Housing and Homelessness in November 2024, which marked the third consecutive year of homelessness rising across our community. 6 | COMMUNITY IMPACT REPORT 2024 | UNITED WAY OF CENTRAL AND NORTHEASTERN CONNECTICUT Click here and select "Housing" when making your gift to help keep families stable this winter. Last winter, when Cassandra experienced her second house fire in a seven-month time span, her family lost everything. The back-to-back tragedies weighed heavily on her son. When they had nothing and had nowhere to turn, they got connected to United Way's Rapid Response Fund. The emergency, direct financial assistance bridged a gap her family was experiencing, having lost their home and belongings. These resources helped Cassandra's family stay in stable housing while they recovered from devastation. They also helped offer Cassandra capacity to provide critical emotional support to her son who was struggling with his mental health. Today, Cassandra's family is grateful to be living safely in a new apartment. Her son is thriving. And, she was so moved by United Way's support that she made a career path change to pay it forward. She now offers resources to people experiencing housing crises and can relate to what they are going through. Cassandra feels empowered to use her experience to help others. Click here to hear Cassandra's story in her own words.