METRO UNITED WAY INC

In 2001, Metro United Way joined with the Annie E. Casey Foundation and several local partners to launch the Louisville Asset Building Coalition (LABC) to help hardworking families capitalize on the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and other tax credits they are eligible for. LABC works with the IRS and a program called Volunteer Income Tax Assistance to provide free income tax preparation for families in our community. Outside of Jefferson County, partners like HJW Career and Financial Literacy Institute (Shelby and Oldham) also provide free tax services, as well as other organizations serving Southern Indiana, all of which are accessible by calling our 2-1-1 help referral service. Since launching, 128,581 tax filers have been helped and in 2018 alone, more than $14,000,000 was put back into our community through refunds of those assisted!

Bullitt County Housing First works to end homelessness in Bullitt County by providing immediate shelter, coordinating resources, transitioning housing services through community, and building business partnerships.

For many children, moving into a bed of their own is a mark of maturity. After years of sleeping in a crib or sharing a room with their parents, they suddenly have their own cozy space for restful sleeping, daydreaming, reading, doing their homework when they are older, or just enjoying some quiet alone time. Even in a shared room, one’s own bed is an important asset. But not all children – especially those living in poverty – have that luxury. We partner with Southern Indiana schools in hopes of providing bed frames, mattresses, sheets, blankets, pillows, and laundry bags to children that need them. We know that a good night’s sleep is important to a child’s academic success. Adverse effects caused by lack of sleep can include aggressive behavior and bullying, poor grades, short attention span, and disruptions in cognitive and linguistic function. Something as simple as providing children with their own place to rest, however, can improve overall performance in school. Getting enough sleep can support more creativity, enhance mood, fight sickness, and positively impact overall health.

5,100 people (11.5%) in Shelby County are food insecure. Many of those affected by food insecurity are senior citizens, rural residents, veterans or kids. Through our new Farmers Feeding Families program, Metro United Way in Shelby County is focusing on reducing hunger and its associated health issues in our community. We can’t do this alone and are looking for farmers and landowners to partner with us.

The Little Libraries initiative, a Metro United Way partnership with the 2014 Bingham Fellows, gives neighbors and businesses an opportunity to host libraries in their front yards so that families that might not have easy access to the public library, or have books in their home, can get free books in their own neighborhood.

YALift! is a guaranteed income pilot program to empower young adults to forge their own path toward financial security. YALift! is investing in young adults: the impact from previous guaranteed income pilots has demonstrated many positive benefits for those who receive payments, including reduced income volatility, increased wellbeing, and increased participation in the workforce.

The new Louisville Growing Readers program provides families 100 printed picture books plus parent information in weekly mailings directly to homes. In all, families will receive four books per week for 25 weeks. They will also have access to more than 400 books narrated in 40+ languages through Louisville’s digital library

The Black L.O.V.E. (Live, Own, Vote, Excel) Philanthropic Partnership will utilize strategic guidance and leadership of Black leaders and philanthropic partners. The partnership structure will provide a collaborative opportunity to pool philanthropic resources and collective thought leadership to invest in the seven core focus areas recommended by the Black Social Change Funders Network.

This is an interactive tool that helps people understand the connections among racial equity, hunger, poverty and wealth. It's a good first step for people unaware of structural inequality, a support tool for those who want a deeper understanding of structural inequality and a source of information for experts who want to know the quantifiable economic impact of each policy that has widened today's racial hunger, income and wealth divides.