Rochester – United Way of Olmsted County’s board of directors recently approved a set of new and continuing grants to improve the health, education, and financial stability of individuals and families in Olmsted County. From July 2023-June 2024, United Way will invest $1,070,000 in grants to 46 nonprofit programs and agencies that support food security, housing stability, early childhood education, health access, and equitable communities. This figure includes $70,000 in grants to programs serving Dodge County residents, following the merger of United Way of Olmsted County and United Way of Dodge County in January of this year.
This will be the first year of funding for 12 of the programs, while others are a continuation of multi-year commitments. Collectively, these grants will help to provide needed services – including hot meals, eviction prevention programming, early education scholarships, medical services for underserved communities, youth programming, disability support services, and more – to an anticipated 24,000 local residents. A complete list of grant recipients is included below.
“Education, health, and financial stability are the foundations of a good quality of life, and they’re interconnected,” says Emily Johnston, Vice President of Impact and Engagement at United Way of Olmsted County. “The past years have been challenging, between the Covid-19 pandemic, a tough housing market, and rising costs of everyday essentials. It’s critical that our community continues to invest in support systems for one another so that all residents of Olmsted County can thrive.”
These investments in local programs are made possible by donors, volunteers, and advocates throughout Olmsted County. More than 5,400 individuals donated to United Way of Olmsted County last year, and community volunteers reviewed grant applications and made funding recommendations to United Way’s staff and volunteer board of directors. “Part of what makes Olmsted County a great place to live and to raise a family is our community’s enduring history of caring for one another,” says United Way President Jerome Ferson. “United Way has been working with the Olmsted County community for nearly one hundred years, and we’re honored to continue that work in both Olmsted and Dodge Counties so all of our neighbors can access the resources they need to reach their full potential.”
Program
Supplemental Food Shelf
Noon Meal
Head Start Food Stations
Meals on Wheels
Housing Stability Fund
Access Home
Eviction Prevention Program
Shelter Prevention and Diversion
Dental Home for Underserved Children
Pediatric Services
Independent Living Services
Medical Transportation Program
Auxiliary Services for East African Women
Street Medicine
GNCC Early Learning
School Readiness
Byron School Readiness
Gage East Early Childhood Program
Sports Mentorship Academy Rec Center
After School Program
Change You
Junior CERT
Community-Based Sisters Save Sisters
8 Steps to Promotion
CERT at Edgewood Area
Meadow Park Learning Center
Meadow Park Outreach and Navigation
Agency Partner
Channel One
Salvation Army
Families First of Minnesota
Family Service Rochester
Women’s Shelter and Support Center
Salvation Army
Legal Assistance of Olmsted County
Family Promise Rochester
Children’s Dental Health Services
Community Health Service, Inc.
Bear Creek Services
Elder Network
Pamoja Women
Zumbro Valley Medical Society Foundation
Good News Children’s Center
Families First of Minnesota
Byron Public Schools
Center City Housing
Sports Mentorship Academy
Life and Community Development Corporation
Change You
Barbershop and Social Services
Sisters Save Sisters
Journie
Barbershop and Social Services
Family Service Rochester
Intercultural Mutual Assistance Association
Culturally Powered Communities Agency Partners
Damascus Way Re-Entry Center
Pamoja Women
Intermix Project
Ethiopian Community of Rochester Minnesota
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About United Way of Olmsted County
United Way of Olmsted County is a social change organization that fights for the education, health, and financial stability of every person in our community.
We do this in a variety of ways. We operate programs and provide shared resources that support the community, such as our 211 information and referral service or our Get Connected volunteer matching portal. We work collaboratively with partners from many organizations and walks of life to create system change and solutions that elevate our community more than any single program or organization could. We provide financial, technical, and volunteer support for programs that make a difference.
At United Way, we LIVE UNITED with the change-makers, risk-takers, and problem-solvers as we seek, find, and create lasting solutions to the challenges that face our community.
Adèle McLees
Communications Coordinator
United Way of Olmsted County