UNITED WAY OF WESTERN CONNECTICUT INC

United Way of Western Connecticut serves residents of 15 towns in Fairfield and Southern Litchfield Counties, including the cities of Danbury and Stamford. United Way is focused on a population called ALICE® (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed). ALICE households represent individuals and families who are working hard each day, but struggling to afford the basic necessities of housing, food, child care, health care, and transportation. Combined with those in poverty, 40% of households in our state are struggling financially.

Your donations help ALICE individuals and families have healthier food, more affordable child care, and greater financial independence and stability:

*Food Access: The Healthy Savings program provides 500 families across our region with $10 per week in free produce and discounts on healthy food. We also support food security by providing backbone support to the Danbury and Stamford Food Collaboratives , which bring food pantries and other food providers together to improve access to food and the quality of food for people on tight budgets. Our support of the Age Well program and Age Well Ambassadors program improves food security for seniors in Danbury. And we conduct food drives and food distributions throughout the year. Food distributions in Danbury during the summer and fall of 2021, in partnership with the City of Danbury and other community food providers, served more than 12,000 households and provided more than 122 tons of food

*Financial Empowerment: United Way funds one-on-one budget coaching and financial education programs to reduce household debt, repair credit, and promote economic stability and independence. Our ALICE Saves program offers a matched savings program allowing individuals to build assets and establish an emergency savings fund. It also pairs them with online access to personal financial coach at their convenience. Last year, 300 clients receive free budget coaching and financial advice services and 130 individuals participated in financial workshops.

*Education and Enrichment: We make quality child care more affordable and accessible to struggling families by providing scholarships through early childhood center and after school programs. We have also expanded licensed, affordable child care in Danbury, adding 318 licensed spots through the Cora's Kids program. More than 1,300 local children have received scholarships to participate in enriching, out-of-school activities like sports, theater, dancing, music, STEM, and special needs camps, through the ALICE Enrichment Fund.. We also serve as the Backbone Organization for the Stamford Cradle to Career collective impact initiative which is focused on long-term, systemic changes to improve outcomes for all students in Stamford.

Latesha’s Story
Latesha works as a full-time client manager at an accounting management company. Her husband works in the grocery industry, but his hours are irregular. They have two children in elementary school.

Despite working hard, Latesha and her family often have trouble paying for groceries and other necessities after covering rent and utilities.

“I have filled penny rolls and pawned jewelry to come up with the rent,” she says.
She uses the Healthy Savings program to make sure she gets enough fresh produce to feed her family. She has also used United Way’s ALICE Enrichment Fund to pay for swimming, trombone, and guitar lessons for her kids.

Paul’s Story
Paul is a retired veteran living on a fixed income. Before the pandemic, he could be found most days at the local Senior Center, helping other seniors connect with community resources.

Paul’s living expenses are barely covered by his income, and by the end of the month, he often found himself short on food. He is always concerned about other seniors in the same situation.

Giving back is important to Paul, and he is working with the Age Well Council and United Way as an Age Well Ambassador, reaching out to other seniors to make sure they have enough food.

“This program will help a lot of seniors who are struggling to get food right now,” he says.

Tina’s Story
Tina put herself through college while she was working full time at a local medical facility—all while raising her children.

One of her children was diagnosed with autism, which was challenging. She is now a single mom and works when she can for a local school district.

Tina uses the Healthy Savings program to stretch her food budget, and she takes advantage of the ALICE Saves matched savings benefit.

Meet Jean and Danny:
Out-of-school activities can be life changing. But they can also put a huge burden on the family budget. Jean, the mother of a talented teen, knows that without the help of the ALICE Enrichment Fund and other scholarships, her son may never have been given the chance to share his talents and abilities, and the opportunity to live his dream.

Her son Danny has been passionate about musical theater since he won the part of Sebastian in his middle school’s production of The Little Mermaid.

“It is absolutely his number one love,” Jean gushes when asked about her son Danny's involvement in musical theater.

Danny has won lead roles in a number of local youth theater productions. Many of the musicals are produced through a collaboration between a production company, and a local parks and recreation department. The fees to participate are typically $400 per child for the summer.

Jean has used United Way’s ALICE Enrichment Fund to help cover Danny’s participation fee for three summer productions. Through the ALICE Enrichment Fund, Danny was eligible for and received $300 per year to help offset the cost.

“If it wasn’t for these funds I don’t know how I would work it out,” says Jean, a laboratory technician at a local hospital. “It’s expensive.”

Participation in theater has changed her son’s life and given him a goal. When asked if he plans to pursue the theater as a career, she laughs, saying, “He’s not planning on it; he is going to do it.”

He now attends a nearby arts magnet school in the afternoon after attending academic classes at his town’s high school in the morning. His sights are set on the world-renowned Juilliard School.

“I’m so excited for my son,” Jean says. “He gives this 110% and his excitement is infectious.”