United Way of Kosciusko County recently invested $1,378,045 in 50 local programs, which will help the residents of the county improve their lives, according to a press release from the organization.
The investments will be available to the programs from July through June 2016. Additionally, several donors requested that their gifts be sent to other United Ways for program support.
United Way Vision Councils, comprised of professionals and citizens with an interest in the community, assess outcomes of the programs in the focus areas of education, income and health. This system of review assures donors’ gifts are being used effectively and efficiently in Kosciusko County, the release states. After the Vision Council process, the Community Impact Committee reviewed all proposals and made their final recommendations to the board of directors. The United Way of Kosciusko County Board of Directors approved the proposals May 15.
Funding for the Education Vision Council concentrates on the focus of increasing kindergarten readiness and third-grade reading comprehension to ultimately increase the high school graduation rate.
The Income Vision Council focus is to increase economic self-sufficiency of working Kosciusko County individuals and families by improving the percentage of families above the poverty level and reducing the housing cost burden.
Health Vision Council members concentrated on programs that decrease the Kosciusko County mortality rate through health education, prevention and rehabilitation.
According to the release, the ultimate goal of United Way of Kosciusko County is to always create a positive community impact. The Vision Councils consider many factors when making funding decisions. These factors include, but are not limited to: new program funding requests, current challenges within the community and new issues facing the programs within each focus area. The United Way informs the public of these program investments.
(Story By The Times Union)
