United Way of the Lower Eastern Shore Inc

United Way of the Lower Eastern Shore's Strategic Plan outlines the vision to impact all Lower Shore neighbors with improved, enhanced and empowered lives. We are committed to this vision through our Mission Statement:
"To create and enhance opportunities for making a positive and lasting impact in education, financial stability and health for all."

We feel these areas are the building blocks for ensuring our community can thrive and grow. Through critical support and administration of local programs, as well as engaging in solutions for complex community-wide issues, we will continue to be a partner and leader in local community impact.

Our impact area goals include:

Education
United Way of the Lower Eastern Shore is committed to helping local children and youth achieve their potential through programs and partnerships designed to:
• Increase school readiness among local kindergartners
• Increase academic performance of low income local youth
• Increase the local high school on-time graduation rate

Financial Stability
For families struggling to make ends meet, keep bills paid, and keep food on the table, United Way of the Lower Eastern Shore is here to help:
• Transition families and individuals in need to self-sufficiency
• Connect seniors and individuals with disabilities to jobs
• Provide food to the working poor
• Deliver critical services in times of emergency

Health
Achieving our goals requires us to become more aware of health risks and the potential effects. Working with key partners to address the core issues' affecting the health of our most vulnerable populations enables our community to live healthier and prosper. Through key collaborations, we are working to accomplish the following goals:
• Improve the overall wellness of youth and adults
• Improve access to and awareness of critical health services
• Improve the health care literacy of our most vulnerable community members

Support services to nonprofit partners:
Because no single organization can alone change the conditions in our community, United Way leverages partnerships to address the root problems facing the Lower Eastern Shore with a specific focus on Education, Financial Stability and Health. Through these partnerships, UWLES helps local residents obtain success in Education by reducing the achievement gap between low and middle income students, achieve Financial Stability by advancing the economic security of families and individuals in our community, and maintain good Health by improving access to and awareness of health and wellness services. United Way currently provides over $1.6 million annually for over 80 programs.

Direct and supported services to local individuals in need:
Services vary among the over 80 United Way supported programs, but they are all critical to over 121,000 individuals who receive help each year. Services range from meal distributions to utilities assistance to after-school programs to hospice care. In addition to supporting programs operated by area nonprofits, over the years United Way of the Lower Eastern Shore has introduced and directly provided several programs to fill needed critical gaps not being addressed in the community.

Service to community volunteers:
The Governor's Office on Service &Volunteerism named United Way of the Lower Eastern Shore, Get Connected Volunteer Center, the designated volunteer center for Maryland's Lower Eastern Shore. The center helps Eastern Shore community members connect online with resources, local needs, special events and opportunities to volunteer. Officially launched in 2013 by United Way, nonprofit agencies of all sizes use GetConnected at no charge to increase awareness of their organization. Responding to the constant request for one place to find out about community events and volunteer opportunities, community members now have a comprehensive online snapshot of an agency's needs and opportunities, and can instantly connect and respond to offer their help ... plus at one single location see all the community events they can get involved in.

Established in 1944, our local United Way has built the foundation for success with over 75 years of service on the Lower Shore. As part of the United Way Worldwide network, we have access to resources and collaborations with over 1,400 other United Ways, while ensuring our impact stays 100% local. Annual campaign support from over 250 local businesses and 10,000+ individual donors provides over $1.6 million in local impact.

Our United Way staff of 9 has over 50 years of combined experience in nonprofit leadership and support. Our Board of Directors is comprised of 35 local professional and civic leaders who are dedicated to improving our community through 'hands on' guidance, leadership and service. Additionally, 17 subcommittees focus on specific areas including strategic growth, diversity, community impact, fiscal management and campaign support.

Since 1944, our local United Way has been changing lives on a daily basis. Whether through a hot meal for the elderly, a warm bed for the homeless or a safe place to study for children in our community, every day of the year United Way helps make a positive impact. And, for one out of three of neighbors in Wicomico, Worcester, Somerset and Dorchester Counties, United Way makes a direct difference each year. Yet the entire community benefits as the ripple effects of United Way services are far reaching.

In addition to measurable hard numbers of people whose lives have been touched, United Way has brought an unmatched level of awareness of community needs to the workplace. On average United Way now provides over 350 workplace presentations annually to approximately 10,000 local employees. It is evident these presentations enhance charitable giving, volunteering and most importantly the awareness of human needs in our community.

Most critically, United Way has touched the lives of over 121,000 residents a year and in the past 34 years, over $28,000,000 has been invested in our community by United Way. It is that simple…United Way makes a huge and unmatched impact on number of people served and lives touched.

The highlights of 2016 include the first ever $2 million dollar campaign, the ALICE (Asset Limited Income Constrained and Employed) statewide United Way report, providing reliable data demonstrating the plight of the working poor in our community, our Imagination Library's 5th year anniversary celebrating over 100,000 books delivered to children birth to 5 with improved kindergarten readiness test scores, recognition by the Governor's Office as the official Volunteer Center for the Lower Eastern Shore and additional partnerships to address the epidemic issue of addiction and alarming number of deaths due to opioid use in our community and the inaugural "Dine United Ocean City" promotion, raising additional funding to support our neighbors in need.

2019 saw us celebrate our 75th year of operations and our 5,000th graduate from the Imagination Library program.