SIDNEY — The Shelby County United Way partners with non-profit agencies to fight for critical human needs and to help them rebuild from adversity. To ensure the dollars invested in the United Way campaign are impacting the most critical human needs and to ensure accountability, each partner agency goes through the allocation process. During this process the UW board, company volunteers and community members are divided up into five teams to conduct agency reviews and submit their recommendations to the UW Board of Trustees for final approval.
One of the five impact areas is “Supporting Critical Human Needs” and the UW partner agencies are:
• Agape Distribution is a food pantry that provides groceries for all at risk families through their food pantry, mobile rural food pantry and urban sustainability project.
• Alpha Community Center is a soup kitchen that provides hot breakfast, lunch, emergency food pantry, and rent/utility assistance.
• Mercy Mission House provides overnight and short-term emergency shelter for those in need in the community. Clients are connected with area services to help them receive permanent housing, counseling, job placements and food/meal assistance amount other services.
The last of the five impact areas is “Rebuilding from Adversity” and the UW partner agencies are:
• New Choices Domestic Violence Shelter provides 24-hour shelter, crisis line, safety planning, restraining orders, and outreach for victims of domestic violence.
• Samaritan Works provides sober living homes and a structured program for men and women.
• STAR House — Sheriff’s Treatment and Recovery House — provides a sober living environment, case management, and job placement for inmates transitioning into the community.
• Shelby County Victim Services provides support, trauma counseling and court advocacy to victims of crime through 24-hour response to law enforcement and hospital requests.
The Shelby County United Way is a local 501c3 non-profit organization that has earned the highest rating from Charity Navigator eight out of the past nine years. Monies raised in the annual campaign are invested locally under the leadership and direction of the local volunteer Board of Directors and Community Allocation Volunteers.
Through the seventh week of the campaign, the campaign total is $760,116. Donors can make payroll contributions with participating employers or make a one time or reoccurring donation by visiting www.shelbycountyunitedway.org or text SHELBY to 40403. Checks can be made payable to Shelby County United Way and mailed to P.O. Box 751, Sidney.
