UNITED WAY OF ACADIANA INC
PO Box 52033, Lafayette, LA 70505 www.unitedwayofacadiana.org

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Organizations Filed Purposes: UNITED WAY OF ACADIANA'S MISSION IS TO UNITE PEOPLE AND ORGANIZATIONS WITH PASSION, EXPERTISE AND RESOURCES TO CREATE MORE OPPORTUNITIES FOR A BETTER LIFE.

United Way of Acadiana is working to build a strong Acadiana and advance the common good by mobilizing our communities to improve people's lives through the building blocks of a good life: essentials, education, and earnings.

IN 2019, UNITED WAY OF ACADIANA GRANTED $639,229 TO 19 COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS TO SUPPORT A TOTAL OF 29 PROGRAMS AND INITIATIVES IN THE FORM OF PACT GRANTS, VENTURE GRANTS AND CONTRACTS IN EDUCATION, EARNINGS, AND ESSENTIAL FOCUS AREAS. THESE PROGRAMS REACHED APPROXIMATELY 69,504 PEOPLE. UNITED WAY OF ACADIANA IS WORKING TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF YOUNG PEOPLE WHO GRADUATE FROM HIGH SCHOOL ON TIME; TO HELP HARD WORKING, LOW-INCOME FAMILIES BECOME MORE FINANCIALLY STABLE BY BUILDING AND SUSTAINING APPRECIATING ASSETS; AND TO HELP RESIDENTS MEET THEIR BASIC NEEDS AFTER TEMPORARY FINANCIAL SETBACKS OR WIDE-SCALE DISASTER. DOLLY PARTONS IMAGINATION LIBRARY (DPIL) PROVIDES A FREE, NEW, AGE-APPROPRIATE BOOK EACH MONTH TO ENROLLED CHILDREN FROM BIRTH UP TO 5 YEARS OF AGE. RESEARCH SHOWS THAT THE BEST WAY TO HELP CHILDREN LEARN TO READ IS TO READ TO THEM; YET MOST HOMES IN POVERTY HAVE ONLY 4 OR FEWER BOOKS. DPIL HELPS FAMILIES GIVE THEIR CHILDREN AN ENVIRONMENT THAT IS RICH IN EDUCATION EXPERIENCES AND ENCOURAGES PARENTS TO SPEND TIME READING WITH THEIR CHILDREN. AS OF AUGUST 2019 MORE THAN 21,000 CHILDREN HAVE BEEN SERVED THROUGH DPIL. IN 2019, THE TOTAL COST OF BOOKS FOR THIS PROGRAM WAS $81,072.TO HELP MORE STUDENTS READ ON GRADE LEVEL BY 3RD GRADE, UWA LAUNCHED UNITED WAY READERS IN OCTOBER 2011. THE PROGRAM PAIRS STRUGGLING READERS IN THE 1ST AND 2ND GRADES WITH TRAINED VOLUNTEER TUTORS WHO PROVIDE A MINIMUM OF 30 MINUTES OF ADDITIONAL READING PRACTICE AT LEAST ONCE A WEEK. DURING THE 2018-2019 SCHOOL YEAR, 86 VOLUNTEER TUTORS SPENT OVER 1,720 HOURS HELPING 172 STUDENTS IMPROVE THEIR READING SKILLS AT 10 SCHOOLS IN LAFAYETTE PARISH. UNITED WAY OF ACADIANA IS HELPING TO IMPLEMENT FRANKLIN COVEYS THE LEADER IN ME IN ALL INTERESTED SCHOOLS IN OUR SERVICE AREA. BASED ON STEVEN COVEYS THE 7 HABITS OF HIGHLY EFFECTIVE PEOPLE, THE LEADER IN ME IS A SCHOOL-WIDE PROCESS THAT TRANSFORMS THE CULTURE OF THE SCHOOL AND INSTILLS STUDENTS WITH THE KEY SKILLS THAT BUSINESSES AND EDUCATORS HAVE IDENTIFIED AS VITAL FOR SUCCESS IN THE 21ST CENTURY. AS OF SCHOOL YEAR 2018-19, THE LEADER IN ME REACHED MORE THAN 38,000 STUDENTS IN 56 SCHOOLS IN THE UWA SERVICE AREA. STUDIES HAVE PROVEN THAT IMPLEMENTATION OF THE LEADER IN ME, EVEN IN HIGH-POVERTY SCHOOLS LEADS TO INCREASED STUDENT ATTENDANCE AND DECREASED DISCIPLINE ISSUES, WITH THE END RESULT BEING HIGHER ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE.THE EARN.SAVE.SUCCEED. (ESS) CAMPAIGN HELPS INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES BECOME MORE ECONOMICALLY SECURE BY HELPING THEM TO INCREASE THEIR INCOME, IMPROVE THEIR FINANCIAL SKILLS, AND DEVELOP SAVINGS PLANS TO PURCHASE APPRECIATING ASSETS. THE FIRST PHASE OF ESS FOCUSES ON INCREASING AWARENESS OF THE EARNED INCOME TAX CREDIT (EITC) AND INCREASING ACCESS TO FREE VOLUNTEER INCOME TAX ASSISTANCE (VITA). IN 2018, THE 11 PARTNERING VITA SITES WHICH WE PARTNERED WITH HELPED 2,677 PEOPLE CLAIM OVER $1.6 MILLION IN EITC. THE SECOND PHASE OF ESS IS AN INCENTIVIZED MATCHED SAVINGS PROGRAM THAT OFFERS FINANCIAL COACHING AND A FINANCIAL LITERACY CURRICULUM.DONORS TO UWA MAY DESIGNATE THAT THEIR GIFT BE DIRECTED TO A UNITED WAY SERVING ANOTHER COMMUNITY IN LOUISIANA OR ANOTHER STATE OR TO ANY 501(C)3 ORGANIZATION PROVIDED THAT ORGANIZATION MEETS THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE USA PATRIOT ACT OF 2011. UWA FORWARDED $799,996 TO OTHER NOT-FOR-PROFITS INCLUDING OTHER UNITED WAYS PER THESE DONOR DESIGNATIONS.

THROUGH A FEDERAL GRANT AWARDED BY THE ADMINISTRATION FOR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES, DEPARTMENT OF HEAD START, THE UNITED WAY OF ACADIANA OPERATES AN EARLY HEAD START PROGRAM SERVING 150 CHILDREN AND FAMILIES. THE CENTER-BASED PROGRAM SERVES CHILDREN 6 WEEKS TO THREE YEARS OLD AND THE HOME-BASED PROGRAM SERVES PREGNANT WOMEN AND CHILDREN UP TO 3 YEARS OLD. THE PROGRAM OPERATES TWO (2) EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION CENTERS; ONE IN ABBEVILLE SERVING VERMILION PARISH AND THE OTHER IN LAFAYETTE SERVING FAMILIES IN THE 70501, 70503, 70506 AND 70507 ZIP CODE AREAS. THE PROGRAM PROVIDES HIGH-QUALITY EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION SERVICES TO ENSURE ALL CHILDREN ENTER SCHOOL READY TO LEARN. ADDITIONALLY, WE HELP EVERY FAMILY BY CONNECTING THEM TO RESOURCES TO OVERCOME CHALLENGES AND ACHIEVE THEIR GOALS FOR EDUCATION, EMPLOYMENT, AND HOUSING. THIS APPROACH PLAYS A TRANSFORMATIVE ROLE ACROSS GENERATIONS. EVERY CHILD COMPLETING A COMPLETE PROGRAM YEAR EXCEEDED THE SCHOOL READINESS GOALS BY 85% IN OVERALL GROWTH IN AREAS OF SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT, LITERACY, MATHEMATICS, SCIENCE AND COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT. CHILDREN ARE SELECTED INTO OUR PROGRAM THROUGH A RATING SYSTEM THAT GIVES PRIORITY TO CHILDREN WHO HAVE A DISABILITY, WHO ARE HOMELESS OR THOSE IN FOSTER CARE. IN 2019, A FEDERAL REVIEW WAS CONDUCTED BY THE OFFICE OF EARLY HEAD START AND OUR PROGRAM WAS FOUND TO HAVE MET ALL REQUIREMENTS APPLICABLE TO HEAD START PROGRAM PERFORMANCE STANDARDS, LAWS, REGULATIONS AND POLICY REQUIREMENTS.

UNITED WAY OF ACADIANAS VISION IS FOR AN EDUCATED, PROSPEROUS AND SAFE ACADIANA WHERE ALL INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES ACHIEVE THEIR POTENTIAL. UNITED WAY OF ACADIANAS MISSION IS TO UNITE PEOPLE AND ORGANIZATIONS WITH PASSION, EXPERTISE AND RESOURCES TO CREATE MORE OPPORTUNITIES FOR A BETTER LIFE. THE VOLUNTEER MOBILIZATION TEAM MAINTAINS A BASE OF VOLUNTEERS WHO ARE ACTIVELY ENGAGED IN ACTIVITIES THAT SUPPORT EDUCATION, EARNINGS, AND ESSENTIALS. IN 2019, 884 PEOPLE PARTICIPATED IN DIRECT VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES, PROVIDING 11,282 HOURS OF SERVICES AT AN ESTIMATED VALUE OF OVER $278,552. OUR MULTI-TENANT FACILITY IS ALSO MADE AVAILABLE AT NO CHARGE FOR MEETINGS BY OTHER NON-PROFITS AND IS USED FOR STORAGE THROUGHOUT THE YEAR FOR ITEMS USED IN COLLABORATION WITH OTHER PARTNERS FOR DISASTER RECOVERY, EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS, AND BUILDING SUPPLIES. IT ALLOWS NON-PROFITS TO DEVELOP THEIR OWN CAPACITY TO WORK WITHIN OUR MAIN FOCUS AREAS OF EDUCATION, EARNINGS, AND ESSENTIALS THROUGH OCCUPANCY SUPPORT AT BELOW MARKET RATES. IN 2019, UWA TENANTS WERE LAFAYETTE PARISH PUBLIC LIBRARY, AMERICAN RED CROSS AND SECOND HARVEST FOOD BANK OF GREATER NEW ORLEANS AND ACADIANA.

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