United Way’s next grant cycle focused on helping St. Joseph County families

 

ST. JOSEPH COUNTY, Ind.—United Way of St. Joseph County is now accepting applications for their 2019-2022 Investment Award grant cycle.

The grants will be awarded to nonprofits working to reduce area poverty with initiatives involving early learning, youth success, stable families, and critical needs.

CEO and President of United Way of St. Joseph County, Laura Jensen, says that 40 percent of area households struggle, but are above the poverty line and can’t qualify for government or social service aid.

She hopes the grant will work to help these families.

“The end goal is to really provide our nonprofit partners with a little bit of stability so they focus on providing quality, long term programming to those families in our community,” Jensen said.

One of United Way’s longest partners, the Youth Services Bureau, has received this grant funding before and it’s made a large impact on the organization.

The YSB helps young mothers, ages 16 to 18, succeed.

Kiana Jackson, the supervisor for the Young Mom’s Self Sufficiency Program at the YSB, says that the money keeps the organization running.

“With this money, we are able to assist them [young mothers] with transportation, things like bus passes, and to pay for the case management time they receive,” Jackson said. “The ladies in our program get two hours per week to work with a case manager on things that will help them be mores self-sufficient.”

Jackson says the grant also keeps people employed.

“It also helps to secure more families because when the moms are supported the babies are able to thrive,” Jackson said.

If your nonprofit is interested in applying for the grant or learning more information about it, click here.