Agency turns focus to needs of community

United Way funding will focus on priority needs, not specific agencies.
WARREN -- United Way of Trumbull County is making changes in the way it funds the community's needs, after 82 years of achievements.
The membership, during its annual meeting at Avalon Inn & amp; Resort on Thursday, decided that its 39-member board of trustees no longer will be made up of trustees from various agencies served. The membership now will be members of the public "at large," open to anyone through a nominating committee.
This is in line with a nationwide movement to transform the traditional United Ways into a "community impact model." Such a model focuses on prioritized needs, rather than funding a specific network of agencies. Trumbull County United Way is now in the middle of this process.
"It's just a better focus," said Christopher J. Malanga, director of communications. "Here we want to focus on the most specific, the most pressing problems."
United Way in the past has served as a clearinghouse for funding to the 29 health and human service agencies supported by the local agency.
Focus areas
Now, community councils of key stakeholders have identified five fields of service:
UNurturing children. Examples include day care, pre- and after-school programs, counseling, scouting, in-school programs and mentoring.
UEnriching the lives of seniors: adult day care, home-delivered meals, home health care, prescription assistance, transportation, social activities, senior support services, etc.
UProviding emergency services: disaster relief, first aid and CPR training, suicide prevention, food pantries, domestic violence counseling and support, 24-hour crisis/information hot line, clothing, shelter and utility assistance, etc.
UStrengthening families: Violence intervention, support groups, counseling, fair housing, vocational rehab, transitional employment, parenting skills, adoption services, etc.
UPromoting health and wellness: Home care, mental health treatment, substance abuse counseling, fitness, nutrition outreach, occupational health, wellness programs, HIV/AIDS education and prevention, tobacco prevention etc.
"The end result will be a United Way that employs multiple strategies, public-private coalitions and collaborations with other caring systems in addressing our community's most pressing problems," said keynote speaker Michael P. Craig, board chairman and principal of Hill, Barth & amp; King LLC.
Meeting changing needs
Since 1923, United Way of Trumbull County has been an independent, nonprofit organization. The changes were previously approved by all of United Way's boards.
The effort involves an analysis of service gaps and an assessment of existing programs. "In this model, the resources of the entire community will be utilized to bring about collective solutions to the core issues of our community," Craig said.
Donors for the first time last year had the choice of designating all or a portion of their contribution to one of the five fields of service, to specific health and human service agencies supported by United Way, other United Way agencies or to the Community Impact fund, which acts as a safety net of care across all fields of service.
Craig said United Way had to evolve as human service issues become more numerous and complex.
The changes are occurring across the nation as United Way's market share declines and it faces more competition from new nonprofits; it also faces loss of its workplace monopoly.
Despite a much-weakened economy, United Way of Trumbull County's fund-raising efforts in 2004 raised $2.05 million, said Marybeth Cunningham, campaign chairwoman and Delphi Packard Electric director of production control and logistics. Cunningham presented fund-raising awards to 76 companies, individuals and employee groups that participated in the 2004 appeal.