Third Annual Point in Time Homeless Count

Join other concerned community members and service providers in New Haven for a Point-in-Time Count of the Homeless. Teams of 2-3 volunteers and an experienced leader will canvass the New Haven area conducting surveys of homeless individuals. The more we know about our homeless population, the more we can help them and better coordinate our services. This Point-in-Time Count is not only a chance to learn how many people are homeless and where they are located, but also information about how they became homeless and what services they need to help them. The numbers from this count are also important for homeless assistance grants funded by HUD, State of Connecticut, and City of New Haven.


When:
Wednesday, January 28, 2009 from 6 pm to 11 pm

Where:
Volunteers will meet in the parking lot at Presbyterian Church in the Owens Community Building (704 Whitney Avenue, New Haven.)


Register to sign up at or call (203)495-1773 x 4040, leave name and contact information

For information about the Statewide Count: Contact Sarah Zucker, Project Assistant, CT Counts 2009, at 860-721-7876 xt 111 or szucker@cceh.org

Join Us on the Road to a Healthier CT!

2009 offers a historic opportunity to solve Connecticut's health care crisis and lead the way for the nation. Connecticut can provide health care coverage that is:
UNIVERSAL...covers us all
CONTINUOUS...stays with us from job-to-job and in between
AFFORDABLE...for our families and our businesses
SUSTAINABLE...for our state's economy
HIGH QUALITY...supports good health.

Join us on December 10 to learn how the healthcare4everyone1 campaign will provide affordable, high-quality coverage to your non-profit organization and to the people you serve. Business owners, faith leaders, elected officials, human service and health care providers, and residents from all walks of life will gather in Hamden to learn how we can win quality, affordable health care for everyone.

healthcare4every1 event:

Wednesday, December 10, 6:00 - 7:30 p.m.
Hamden Middle School
2623 Dixwell AvenueHamden, Connecticut 06518-3304

Learn more about healthcare4every1 and RSVP.

Register to volunteer for the event.

Learn more about United Way's work to improve people's health in Greater New Haven.

Convening Organizations:American Federation of Teachers, Christian Activities Council, CT Center for a New Economy,CT Parent Power, Grand Avenue Village Association, Fair Haven Health Center, Hill Health Center,Spring Glen Church, United Way of Greater New Haven,Yale Students for Health Care Coalition

Become a Volunteer Tax Preparer

Help hard-working families claim the Tax Credits they’ve earned!
One hour of your time can boost a family’s annual income by an average of $1,700!

We need Volunteers who are interested in:

Learning how to prepare taxes and become certified by the IRS.
Interacting with individuals and families within our communities.
Giving back to this community by helping residents in need of this service.


We will provide a FANTASTIC volunteer opportunity!

No experience needed.
Supervising tax professional on site at all times.
No liability to the tax preparer (Sites are IRS approved & insured).
Flexible hours.
Great sense of personal satisfaction that you made a difference!

To volunteer contact Cristalyn Vargas (203) 777-0313 or email: Cristalyn@newlifecorp.org

“You can help working families receive what belongs to them. Plus, you get the satisfaction of seeing the smiles of relief when they hear how much money they are getting back from the IRS.”
- A volunteer tax preparer

Data Snapshot - Basic Needs Are Increasing In Our Region

Data Snapshot - November 2008

Utilities/Heat

• There has been a 35% increase in service requests to 2-1-1 for utilities/heat assistance from • our region (1,136 requests in October 2008 compared to 858 requests in October 2007).
• There has been a 79% increase in the energy assistance caseload for our region (managed by • Community Action Agency) between November 2007 and November 2008, from 2,586 cases in 2007 to 4,637 in 2008.

Food

• There has been a 13% increase in service requests to 2-1-1 for food assistance from our region • (424 requests in October 2008 compared to 375 requests in October 2007).
• Comparing July – September 2008 to the same period in 2006, the Community Soup Kitchen • in New Haven has experience a 25% increase in the number of people served (based on an unduplicated count). According to the CT Food Bank, the increase in meals served and number of people served by the Community Soup Kitchen is typical of the increased need and demand evident throughout the greater New Haven service area.

Housing – Shelter

• In New Haven there has been a 5% increase in homeless individuals and in Connecticut a 13% • increase in families this year, compared to last year.
• In New Haven there has been an increase of almost 13% in the number of homeless single • women. Women are also losing their children to foster care once they are no longer able to provide shelter.
• Before the overflow shelter opened last week, Columbus House was turning away 8-10 men a • night. They would be referred to Emergency Shelter Management Services (Immanuel Baptist), which is also at capacity.
• The overflow shelter, which opened last week, is already serving 50 men a night. The capacity • is 75 men.

Housing - Foreclosure

• The number of homes lost to foreclosure in New Haven has risen steeply in 2008 (293 during • the first three quarters of 2008, compared to 165 for all of 2007).
• The majority of foreclosures affect owner-occupied housing. •

Overall data

• 2-1-1 data show a marked increase in calls from towns of Hamden, East Haven, North Haven, • and North Branford when comparing October 2008 to October 2007.

*Correction: There has been a 79% increase in the energy assistance not a 179% increase as previously indicated.

New Haven Organizations Reach Out to Growing Homeless Population

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 7, 2008
Media Contact: Michelle Wade
Work: 203.691.4202
Cell: 860.834.0128
mwade@uwgnh.org

New Haven Organizations Reach Out to Growing Homeless Population

On Saturday, October 25, 2008, United Way of Greater New Haven as well as service providers and volunteers came together to help out the growing homeless community. Project Homeless Connect, held at Wilbur Cross High School, was designed as a one-stop opportunity for the homeless population to receive and get access to all types of services.

This was the second year that the program has been held and over 400 people came to utilize the services provided. The range of services offered during Project Homeless Connect was vital to the project’s success. Many families came out, and in anticipation of this, there was an entire children’s area devoted to keeping the kids entertained with face painting and other fun activities. While the kids were occupied, the parents had time to seek out the services that they needed. Flu shots, hair cuts, housing services information, and care packages were top priority to most people attending the event. Other services offered were mammograms, substance abuse counseling, social security assistance, and legal counseling.

“Project Homeless Connect was so successful this year was because of the outpouring of support from the community. With about 68 volunteers at the event helping to set up, serve lunch, and guide people around, everything ran smoothly. Also, over 60 agencies, including Planned Parenthood, Columbus House, and North Haven Academy (a Paul Mitchell partner school), donated their time and services to make this event possible,” said Cecily Jones, Volunteer Engagement Coordinator of United Way of Greater New Haven.

To lend a helping hand in your community and to influence the condition of all please visit www.uwgnh.org.

About United Way:

United Way brings together the caring power of our community to create measurable, sustainable change and to improve lives. To do this we: help identify our region's greatest needs and best opportunities for change; raise dollars and invest those dollars for results; connect people to their caring through volunteer opportunities.

More information about United Way of Greater New Haven's community leadership and how you can help can be found at www.uwgnh.org.

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National Make a Difference Day in Guilford

Make a Difference Day is one of the largest national events for helping others-a celebreation of neighbors helping neighbors. Created by USA weekend magazine, Make a Difference Day is an annual event that takes place on the fourth Saturday of every October. Making this year's date October 25.

In greater New Haven, Guilford Social Services(GSS) reached out their hands and made a difference for all of their hungry neighbors. GSS galvanized volunteers accross the community to collect and sort canned goods and toiletries to stock the shelves of the Guilford Food Bank (GFB). The postal service in Guilford collected the donations on rural routes and drove them to the GFB. One by one they drove in with boxes of food and smiling faces.

Tammy DiFrancesco, Executive Director of GSS says, " I have been organizing this event for 13 years and feed an average of 200 families per month". In these trying economic times and with economic and educational disparities growing, many people will have to rely on community drives and the kindness of strangers to meet basic needs.

As I walked over to Tammy to give her a food donation and financial donation from United Way, I quickly thought to mysef, " is this going to be enough"? and then I realized, as I looked at all of the volunteers furiously sorting and collecting food, yes, for today it is. It was enough because I saw people connecting and working for a common goal. United Way of Greater New Haven recognizes the power of civic engagment and the connections we create when we all join together for the common good. Wether it be matching companies to a meaningful community project, holding a regional diaper drive or collecting food for families-It is about Living United.

Many people are currently facing some of the worst decisions in their lives with regards to heating their homes and feeding their families. This is the time to connect, to engage and to give to those less fortunate. When we reach out a hand to one, we change the conditions for all.

See the gallery.

See a slide show here.

College to Community Book Drive Collects 5,000 Children's Books

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Oct. 29, 2008
Media Contact: Michelle Wade, 203.772.4202
Cell – 860.834.0128
mwade@uwgnh.org

College to Community Book Drive Collects 5,000 Children’s Books

Local Colleges and Universities Partner with United Way

Six area colleges including Albertus Magnus College, Gateway Community College, Quinnipiac University, Southern CT State University, University of New Haven and Yale University came together during United Ways Days of Caring 2008 to collect 5,000 children’s books which will be distributed to families across Greater New Haven through New Haven Reads and Read To Grow.

After leading the Yale University Days of Caring Book Drive for three years, Diane Turner, Associate University Librarian for Human Resources, Staff Training, and Security proposed expanding the drive to other local college campuses and agreed to chair this effort. In their first effort, the College to Community successfully reached their goal of 4,000 books. This year, Turner again chaired the six campus effort and surpassed last years collections by more than 1,000 books.

“We know that reading to our children is a critical part of early development and yet many families unfortunately lack access to books in our community. By working together to increase the number of books available for young people throughout Greater New Haven, colleges and universities showed that each seemingly small act of charity can benefit the lives of many. Classrooms as well as families that might not otherwise have the means to purchase new books can now enjoy all the benefits of reading as a result of this exciting partnership,” said Amy Townsley, community impact coordinator of United Way of Greater New Haven.

Our community can continue to make a difference. For further information on donating books or volunteer opportunities please visit our website at www.uwngh.org

About United Way:
United Way brings together the caring power of our community to create measurable, sustainable change and to improve lives. To do this we: help identify our region's greatest needs and best opportunities for change; raise dollars and invest those dollars for results; connect people to their caring through volunteer opportunities.

More information about United Way of Greater New Haven's community leadership and how you can help can be found at www.uwgnh.org.
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United Way Healthy Baby Diaper Drive Collected Over 100,000 Diapers

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 27, 2008
Media Contact: Michelle Wade, 203.772.2010, Ext.202
mwade@uwgnh.org

United Way Healthy Baby Diaper Drive Collected Over 100,000 Diapers
Diapers to be distributed around the region

NEW HAVEN, Conn., October 27, 2008– With a total of over 100,000 diapers worth $20,000, United Way of Greater New Haven and all of its Days of Caring participants were able to provide relief that will help children in our community start life healthy and ready to learn by ensuring families have access to diapers.

As the cost of basic needs – food, heating, transportation – continue to rise, many families are facing a terrible choice between food or heat or diapers for children. An adequate supply of disposable diapers can cost a family over $100 per month. In low-income households, babies often spend the entire day or longer in a single diaper because the family cannot afford to buy an adequate supply of diapers. Without clean diapers, babies are too uncomfortable, and sometimes too unhealthy, to play and learn. Parents can also become disheartened and disconnected when they struggle to care for their babies.

The first annual Town of Branford and United Way Touch-A-Truck event brought in over 25,000 diapers from 1,300 Branford residents who supported the event, making it a wonderful family outing, while raising awareness and collecting diapers. Covidien Surgical Devices whose global headquarters are in North Haven and their U.S headquarters in Norwalk also participated in the United Way Diaper Drive, and collected over 31,000 diapers that were donated to The Diaper Bank.

“Thank you to the 49 companies that collected diapers in support of The Diaper Bank at over 68 sites that will be distributed to families in need across Greater New Haven. in support of The Diaper Bank to be distributed to families and children in need. We more than doubled our original, ambitious goal of 50,000 diapers! This is a huge benefit for families,” noted Amy Casavina Hall, Director of Community Impact at United Way of Greater New Haven “whose children cannot attend childcare unless the family can supply diapers. A lack of diapers can jeopardize a family’s ability to remain economically stable, as well as their child’s health.”

The following are all the companies who helped make the Diaper Drive possible and helped us reach over 100,000 diapers. New Haven: Yale New Haven Hospital, Carmody & Torrance, Murtha Cullina, The New Haven Register, Proliance International, Inc., TD Bank north, Webster Bank, Wilbur Smith & Associates and WTNH. North Haven: Covidien, ACES, Connex Credit Union, Marlin Fire Arms, Petra Construction Corp., the Town of North Haven and the Joyce C. Budrow Senior Center. Hamden: Amphenol Corporation. Guilford: Barnum Financial, Wal-Mart, Webster Bank and Guilford Savings Bank. Branford: Blackstone Memorial Library, Branford Parks and Recreation, Controlled Air, Neurogen and Webster Bank. Norwalk: Covidien. West Haven: Eder Brothers and Vine Products Manufacturing Company. Trumbull: Girl Scouts of CT. Orange: Hubbell, Town of Orange, UPS and Webster Bank. Stratford: Sprint Nextel. Woodbridge: Stop & Shop. East Haven: Webster Bank and Town Fair Tire. Madison: Webster Bank and Madison Exchange Club.

About United Way:
United Way brings together the caring power of our community to create measurable, sustainable change and to improve lives. To do this we: help identify our region's greatest needs and best opportunities for change; raise dollars and invest those dollars for results; connect people to their caring through volunteer opportunities.

More information about United Way of Greater New Haven's community leadership and how you can help can be found at http://www.uwgnh.org/.

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