A total of $25,000 was awarded to 16 Shelby County nonprofit agencies by a United Way of Central Alabama (UWCA) advisory board made up of people exclusively from that county.
Shelby County Commissioner Kevin Morris, who is Co-Chair of the United Way County Advisory Board (CAB) for Shelby County, was among the several community members tasked with selecting which agencies to fund out of the many applications.
Morris, who is also incoming CEO (effective March 2025) of America’s First Federal Credit Union, said that the need for human services in Shelby County is often overlooked, but the fact is that families all over Central Alabama need support.
“When food prices have escalated the way they have, with car insurance, health insurance, homeowner insurance, the cost of gas — when all those things are going up — there’s only so much disposable income,” Morris said. “Many families are forced to decide whether they have a roof over their head or whether they put food on the table.”
Funds from the UWCA Community Project Grants will go specifically toward community-based programs aimed at improving people’s lives in Shelby County. These include a new school-based mentoring program and additional food assistance, as well as equipment such as new blood pressure monitors for some of the agencies.
The organizations that were awarded grants are listed below.
- Alabaster Senior Center
- Arc of Shelby County
- Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Birmingham
- Blanket Fort Hope
- Calera Intermediate School
- Central Alabama Wellness
- City of Helena
- Columbiana Senior Center
- Community of Hope Health Clinic
- Dunnavant Community Center
- Family Connection
- Grace Klein Community
- PINK Legacy Foundation
- Shelby Emergency Assistance
- Shelby Volunteers in Service
- Vineyard Family Services of Central Alabama
The grants must be used to fund direct costs related to the execution of programs meeting community needs or for one-time expenses that will positively impact the residents of the county.
Brooke McKinley, Executive Director at Shelby Emergency Assistance, said that there are thousands of people in Shelby County who are at risk in various ways every day. The funding her organization is receiving will support its utility assistance program.
Drew Langloh, President and CEO of UWCA, thanked the members of the CAB for its thoughtfulness in deciding which agencies to fund. “It’s easy to give away money. It’s hard to give away money well,” he said.
To learn more about how UWCA supports Shelby County, visit www.uwca.org/shelby.