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.
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: