(L-R): Krissy Davis, Chair, United Way Community Impact Committee and Partner, Delotte & Touche LLP;
Mike Durkin, President & CEO, United Way;
Chris Norris, Executive Director, Metro Housing|Boston.
Boston, MA – The United Way of Massachusetts Bay and Merrimack Valley today announced that Metro Housing|Boston was selected as a winner of a Competitive Grant Award, one of just twenty new awards given to non-profit organizations. United Way will award $30.8 million in strategic grants to a total of 146 non-profit partners.
United Way’s competitive grant program focuses giving in eight key priority areas, which were identified more than a year ago with the help of over 1,000 people United Way surveyed in the community and experts in the field, including agency partners and donor focus groups. More than 450 volunteer grant reviewers were recruited to read and help score the 198 applications submitted.
“Putting people first is our main priority at United Way,” said Krissy Davis, Chair, United Way Community Impact Committee and Partner, Delotte & Touche LLP. “Through very strategic partnerships with our community-based organizations, we can do more to effect real change that empowers more people to find opportunity, provides more solid foundations for our young people to thrive, and gives the tools for upward mobility to those that need the help the most.”
“Metro Housing is proud to have been selected as a Grant partner to the United Way of Massachusetts Bay and Merrimack Valley,” said Executive Director Chris Norris. “It is recognition of our organization’s commitment to helping families and individuals avoid homelessness and empowering them to achieve housing stability and economic security.”
United Way’s eight areas of focus are: 1) ensuring high-quality early education and care; 2) cultivating two-generational approaches to school readiness; 3) enhancing social-emotional learning in school and outside of school; 4) ensuring youth who are disconnected from school or employment find a path to opportunity; 5) supporting job skills training and placement; 6) providing individualized coaching to increase financial well-being; 7) expanding place-based Financial Opportunity Centers; and 8) ending family homelessness.
United Way Impact in the Community
United Way funding of non-profit partners, partnerships and initiatives next year is expected to help 250,000 people and specifically will:
- Provide 18,300 young children and their families with high-quality early education, care and support to optimize their healthy development and school readiness;
- Ensure that 50,740 youth are given the opportunity to develop critical skills and experiences needed to succeed in the workforce and in life;
- Provide 159,000 individuals and families with safe, affordable housing and emergency assistance to pay for rent, food and utilities and help prevent evictions; and
- Place 14,500 individuals in jobs that pay family-sustaining wages and provide resources to improve their credit, increase savings and reduce debt.
About Metro Housing|Boston
Serving more than 25,000 households annually, Metro Housing|Boston is dedicated to mobilizing wide-ranging resources to provide innovative and personalized services that lead families to housing stability, economic security and an improved quality of life. With more than 30 years’ experience piloting and implementing housing programs, it has solidified their position as an industry-leading expert on navigating the affordable housing field. Metro Housing|Boston is committed to making sure that every person in Greater Boston will always have a place to call home.
About United Way of Massachusetts Bay and Merrimack Valley
The United Way believes in harnessing the power of communities working together to deliver lasting change. They invest in organizations and direct programs that achieve high quality outcomes in financial opportunity and educational success, aligned with best practices and research to provide them with extensive support for continued success. The United Way values partners that consistently demonstrate a commitment to collaboration and directs their funding to support the needs of vulnerable populations. They provide valuable unrestricted funds to non-profit partners, seed innovative, new approaches to solving entrenched community challenges and seek opportunities to scale programs, services and policy changes that work.
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CONTACT: Jeff Landis, Metro Housing|Boston
617.425.6691