• Our Youth Success RFP is OPEN NOW through February 10 to youth-serving organizations in Jefferson, Bullitt, Oldham, and Shelby counties in Kentucky and Clark, Floyd, and Harrison counties in Indiana. More than 30 community leaders and volunteers will take part in reviewing applications! More information and apply HERE.

• Since August, 231 individuals and 56 youth-serving organizations have participated in 72 hours of training with us! 13 of these organizations are grassroots nonprofits in our capacity-building program.
• On Monday, January 23 in partnership with HANDs, Healthy Start and Family and Children’s Place, Metro United Way is hosting a community conversation for community members to learn​ about home visitation, the difference between HANDs, Healthy Start and Family and Children’s Place, and the services each of these agencies provides.
• Continued leadership, support, and trainings are planned with our Ready for K Alliance network to help organizations serving families of young children, sharing resources and tools that can help families navigate the health requirements for kindergarten, how to connect families with resources to meet those requirements, activities from the Countdown to Kindergarten calendar, and assisting parents with the transition into kindergarten to ensure they are also ready, and supports for developmental delays and English as second language services.
• Our second annual Countdown to Kindergarten professional development training geared towards partners and childcare providers to create a more unified approach of sharing resources and messaging across community partners and supporting coordination and alignment of kindergarten readiness practices. Participants can register here.
• Within the Ready for K network, we are utilizing local partner agencies and businesses to provide support services to make it easier to attend (such as child care and meals). These listening sessions have proven to be a source of dialogue, encouragement, and learning for all those that attend. We’re striving to ensure that our strategies produce equitable outcomes and equitable membership, engagement, and participation at all our meetings.
• We’re planning our annual Annual Early Childhood Educators Celebration to celebrate early care and education leaders. It’s scheduled for Thursday, March 30.
• In collaboration with Louisville Metro Public Health & Wellness’s Center for Health Equity and Healthy Start, Shawnee Library’s Neighborhood Nest provides essential pregnancy, postpartum, infant, and early childhood products to the community. Diapers, wipes, formula, feminine care products, and more will be available for patrons to take home (while supplies last). Our ASQ team will attend these events when possible to share information on the ASQ and register families.
• Metro United Way has agreements with 15 childcare providers to share their ASQ data which will inform how we can support those centers to continue administering the ASQ to the families they serve.
• 14 new partners joined United Community bringing our total in the platform from 88 just two years ago to more than 500 organizations today.
• We are finalizing the United Community Care Coordination pilot and preparing the data for analysis, evaluation, and dissemination to help inform next steps.
• Join us in Indianapolis for Live United Day at the Statehouse on Tuesday, January 24, and in Frankfort for Live United Day at the Capitol on Wednesday, February 15. Register HERE for Indiana and HERE for Kentucky.

• For the new American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Healthcare Workforce Innovation Coalition initiative, we will be serving in multiple roles: 1) leading the coordination of financial coaching support for individuals participating in workforce training; 2) connecting fundraising support to entrepreneurs from marginalized communities; and 3) coordinating consultation for employers to promote inviting workplaces for diverse populations. Read more about this $40 million investment in our community HERE.
• We are preparing to launch our first cohort of Black entrepreneurs through our new partnership with FundBLACKFounders that will include coaching and support to assist with training, capacity-building, raising capital, and identifying customers. Applications open Monday, Monday, February 6.
• VITA(Volunteer Income Tax Assistance) sites opened for the tax season on January 17. Qualifying for one of the tax filing options is easy and simple! Visit this website for more information
• Volunteer-supported tax preparation program returns that are prepared and electronically filed (In order to qualify, your household income should be $66,000 or less). Please view 2023 Tax Preparation Sites Brochure to find a location and hours of operation for all tax services. There is never a charge for any of the volunteer-supported services. There are also options for preparing yourself. The self-file options are free as long as you meet the income qualifications. More information can be found here.
• 14 new partners joined United Community bringing our total in the platform from 88 just two years ago to more than 500 organizations today.
• Join us in Indianapolis for Live United Day at the Statehouse on Tuesday, January 24 ​and in Frankfort for Live United Day at the Capitol on Wednesday, February 15. Register HERE for Indiana and HERE for Kentucky.
• Don’t forget – Take This! A Photovoice exhibition addressing economic security and the prospects of guaranteed income on display at The Social Practice Lab by appointment until the end of January. Located at 1229 S Shelby St. Louisville, KY 40203. Contact Michael Kopp to arrange a viewing: michael.kopp@thesocialpracticelab.org.​

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• We’re preparing to support a fifth round of home repairs for seniors living in the California neighborhood in partnership with New Directions Housing Coalition in alignment with our United Neighborhoods work.
• We’re all set for our upcoming Build-A-Bed in Southern Indiana on Saturday, February 18. Family support kit supplies have been ordered (sheets, bed in a bag, pillow, personal care items, and more).
• We will be launching a Farmers Feeding Families RFP this spring to support food-related needs in Shelby County. More details to come!
• Our volunteer engagement team led projects with Humana on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. They completed 200 Little Diaper Bundles and 200 Healthy Snack Kits in two hours with help from 170 Humana Associates!
  
• 14 new partners joined United Community bringing our total in the platform from 88 just two years ago to more than 500 organizations today.
• We are finalizing the United Community Care Coordination pilot and preparing the data for analysis, evaluation, and dissemination to help inform next steps.
• Join us in Indianapolis for Live United Day at the Statehouse on Tuesday, January 24 ​and in Frankfort for Live United Day at the Capitol on Wednesday, February 15. Register HERE for Indiana and HERE for Kentucky.

• Our Racial Wealth Gap Simulation (RWG) continues to be a powerful learning and engagement tool. We’re happy to announce that in honor of Black History Month, we will offer a free and open-to-the-public RWG. It’s scheduled for Tuesday, February 21. Register HERE.
• Our next Beyond Buzzwords event is planned for Wednesday, February 22 and will feature best-selling author and one of Time Magazine’s most influential leaders of the year – Dr. Ibram X. Kendi. Register HERE.

  

• In alignment with United Way Worldwide membership requirements, our next equity training session has been scheduled for our Board of Directors on Wednesday, January 25. The title of this training is The Lens of Racial Equity.
• Take a look at our updated volunteer cabinets HERE and Board of Directors HERE.
• We’ve also recently updated our FAQs on our site.