On March 13, 2020, Alabama reported its first case of COVID-19. The seven months since have been unlike any other period in any of our memories, as the far-reaching effects have created unforeseen challenges and unprecedented need. Throughout Central Alabama, countless lives have been forever impacted by this crisis.
But it’s in times of crisis when United Way of Central Alabama (UWCA) is at its best. With a mission of unwavering community service and a network of more than 80 partner agencies and programs, we’re the go-to resource for people in need throughout Blount, Jefferson, Shelby, St. Clair and Walker counties. Since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, UWCA and its partners have been there – and come through – for our neighbors in a variety of ways. For example:
- Meals on Wheels provided more than 223,000 meals to high-risk seniors and established a partnership with Nourish, a local meal-delivery service, to provide more than 25,280 meals to waitlist applicants, as of September 30th.
- The 2-1-1 Call Center assisted 29,154 callers, connecting them with vital resources, such as utility assistance, food banks and veteran services.
- The Community Crisis Fund awarded grants totaling more than $664,800 to support the work of 90 Central Alabama nonprofit agencies.
- UWCA and several partners joined forces to participate in the USDA Farmers to Families program, which provides fresh, healthy foods to vulnerable populations. Since its implementation in early July, UWCA partners have distributed 2,600 boxes of groceries, or 54, 167 meals, weekly.
These difficult times present new challenges for us all, and UWCA continues to provide hope through both short-term responses and long-term solutions. But we couldn’t do it without the ongoing support from our community, which is more important now than ever before.
Because of you, hope happens! To join in this vital mission, visit www.uwca.org/give.