Keeping tabs on the needs of our community is a priority at United Way. One of the many ways we do this is through the Mid-Hudson Valley Community Profiles website, which tracks data from Dutchess, Orange and Ulster counties with topics including children and youth, community engagement, demographics, economy, education, financial stability, health, and housing. We also review data and research statistics from other sources in our region with the help of our volunteers.
However, we understand that numbers only tell part of the story. To ground our findings, we lead ongoing discussions with experts to understand the complexity of these challenges from the people whose feet are on the ground. We also hold roundtable discussions in the areas of workplace readiness, early education, financial literacy and elements of social health to further our research.
Community Building Blocks
Locally, with the help of our volunteer committee and council, we have identified the following as the key building blocks to a strong community and successful life:
Increase access to healthy food for families in our community experiencing food insecurity.
Develop opportunities for lifelong learning to increase families’ access to education, workforce training, and other skill-based development programs.
Increase opportunities for positive youth development and literacy services to develop positive behaviors and/or read proficiently at grade level.
Improve financial access for ALICE and low-income individuals to alleviate short-term financial crises in order to increase local families’ economic position.
Increase accessibility to affordable housing and legal services for veterans and their families.