News Release

Contact: Diane Serratore, Director of Community Impact

Phone: 845-358-8929, ext. 14

Cell: 845-825-2615

FOR RELEASE MONDAY, JULY 9, 2007

United Way of Rockland County Announces Community Impact Initiatives

Nyack, NY, July 9 – The United Way of Rockland County (UWRC) will allocate nearly half-a-million dollars to key community initiatives beginning in mid-July 2007. A celebration and orientation meeting for UWRC’s Community Impact Partners will be held on Monday, July 9 from 2 to 4 p.m. at St. Thomas Aquinas College’s Romano Center.

“The United Way Community Impact business model seeks to improve lives by mobilizing communities to create sustained changes in community conditions,” said Howard Hellman, UWRC’s board chairman and chairman of All Bright Electric. “If ever there was a time to mobilize a community, that time is now for Rockland because the need is there and the need is great,” Hellman said. “This is a truly exciting time for the United Way of Rockland County because these community impact initiatives have the potential to make tremendous, positive changes right here in Rockland.”

In January, 2007, the UWRC board voted to focus its Community Impact efforts on three key areas: Bridging the Gap in Basic Needs; Nurturing Children and Youth; and Enhancing Seniors’ Independence. “We encouraged all non-profit organizations based in Rockland County to submit applications for a Community Impact Grant,” said Naomi Adler, UWRC president and CEO. This was a departure from the former process that allowed only the 25 agencies traditionally funded by UWRC to apply for grants, Adler said.

“The United Way board felt it was important to open the process up to other agencies. The county has changed a lot in forty years and we felt compelled that the United Way recognize those changes,” said Neil Winter, UWRC board member, chair of UWRC’s Community Investment Committee and community relations manager for Orange & Rockland Utilities, Inc. “We recognized the outstanding work of our traditional partners and encouraged them to lead the way in developing potential collaborations with a variety of community organizations,” Winter said.

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The sixteen United Way of Rockland County Community Impact Initiatives are:

Bridging the Gap In Basic Needs

Family Transportation Assistance Program - Child Care Resources of Rockland will coordinate this initiative to provide private transportation vouchers and free bus tickets to families earning 200% of the current poverty level. These vouchers will be used for transportation from home to child care provider to work and return.

Homelessness Prevention - Legal Aid Society of Rockland and Catholic Community Services will work together on this imitative that will provide legal assistance to low-income families to prevent eviction as well as support services to enable families to work towards financial self-sufficiency.

Culturally Competent Mental Wellness Counseling -- This initiative will situate VCS, Inc. satellite counseling sites in the offices of both Community Action Program and Haitian American Cultural and Social Organization and will recruit culturally diverse volunteers to be trained as VCS counselors. Grant funds will also support the development of materials to raise awareness of the program’s availability among targeted audiences

Healthy Eating: Feeding Our Children - This initiative will provide more healthy meals and snacks to low-income children at four Head Start sites throughout Rockland County. Cornell Cooperative Extension will hold nutrition education workshops for parents will be held at all four sites. Nearly 90% of program participants come from families living below the poverty line.

CASH – Creating Assets, Savings & Hope – CASH provides free tax preparation by IRS-certified volunteers to those who qualify for the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), as well as other tax credits that may be available to them, by filing their federal and state tax returns. CASH helps meet an important need right here in Rockland by putting money into people’s pockets -- money that is spent supporting local shops and businesses.

2-1-1 Helpline – United Way’s 211 helpline is free, confidential, accommodates more than 150 languages and is available 24/7 throughout the Hudson Valley 2-1-1 is an easy-to-remember number that makes a critical connection between individuals and families in need and the appropriate community-based organizations and government agencies. By making services easier to access, 2-1-1 encourages prevention and fosters self-sufficiency

Nurturing Children and Youth

Changing Conditions That Lead to Violence - Rockland Family Shelter will continue to implement this initiative that provides emergency care, education and training for children and youth to decrease the incidence of domestic violence, sexual trauma, date rape and other forms of violence.

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Child Care Tuition Scholarships - Child Care Resources of Rockland will manage this initiative to provide partial tuition scholarships to low-income families throughout Rockland County.

Good Vibrations – Y. A.I./Rockland County Association of the Learning Disabled will implement this initiative that helps children with an autism spectrum disorder and their families learn strategies to cope better with the many emotional and social challenges they face.

Strengthening Families - CANDLE will implement this national initiative aimed at reducing juvenile delinquency and other anti-social behaviors in middle and high school youth by increasing the availability and accessibility of after-school programs.

Expanding Early Literacy Efforts - Rockland Schools for the 21st Century will enhance this program to make it possible for more families challenged by poverty, limited education and language barriers to prepare their children for school through expansion of the Parent-Child Home program, a home visiting program for two- and three-year-olds.

Reaching Out To Seniors in Diverse Communities - This Meals on Wheels initiative will reach out to isolated ethnically diverse senior populations to increase their awareness of and access to existing Rockland programs and activities to help them maintain their independence.

Enhancing Seniors’ Independence

Improving Access to Home Care for Seniors - Home Aides of Rockland will implement this initiative that enhances seniors’ independence by making home care accessible to homebound and low-income elderly Rocklanders.

Foster Grandparents - This initiative provides an opportunity for low-income seniors age 60 and over to provide one-on-one supportive assistance to children with special need in Rockland public schools and child care sites.

Senior Training Program - EPIC will provide training for senior citizens to work countywide in Rockland school districts and early child care provider settings with at-risk youngsters

From Home to Help – Transporting Senior Volunteers - RSVP will provide free, safe and reliable transportation for senior volunteers to the more than 150 Rockland nonprofits and other organizations that utilize their volunteer skills.

The United Way of Rockland County works to improve lives by mobilizing the community, raising resources and allocating them to build a strong, vibrant community. For more information, contact Diane Serratore, UWRC’s Director of Community Impact at d.serratore@uwrc.org or at 845-358-8929, ext. 14.

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