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United Way of Northern New York (UWNNY) is pleased to announce that the portal to apply for 2025 Community Impact grant funding is open to local nonprofit, human service organizations August 1 through August 31, 2024.  Completed applications and supporting documents will be reviewed by community volunteers who carefully evaluate proposals in alignment with community needs.  Community review panelists determine the grant allocations, forwarding their recommendations for funding to the UWNNY Board of Directors.

Grant applications are open to 501(c)3 non-profit organizations providing human service programming to residents of Jefferson, Lewis, and/or St. Lawrence Counties. Potential applicants are strongly encouraged to review the Request for Proposals before preparing an application.  Applications are submitted online via a special portal. Click here for complete details.

UWNNY expects to award a total of $225,000 in 2025 Community Impact funding.  The maximum amount of funding that can be requested from the Community Impact fund is $25,000. Proposals for capital projects are not eligible for Community Impact funding.  Submitted proposals must align with at least one of the primary areas of focus:

• Social Determinants of Health (SDoH) – interventions / strategies addressing SDoH, including but not limited to access to nutrition, housing, healthcare, literacy / language, education, and transportation.

• Child / Youth Success – programming that provides vital supplies and support necessary to academic success, growth and development, and a healthy successful transition into adulthood.

• Economic Stability – short- and long-term strategies to help people gain or maintain stability, including job skills training, soft skills development, and support to those at risk of falling into poverty.

Grant funds are made possible through the UWNNY campaign, conducted in more than 80 workplaces throughout the North Country.  Employees are invited to support their community – and a wide range of programs – through convenient payroll deductions.

“We truly appreciate the generosity of individuals and businesses throughout the North Country who make Community Impact grants possible,” said Dawn M. Cole, UWNNY President and CEO. “The collective effort of community members demonstrates what the United Way model, allowing us to enhance the important work of the non-profit sector, ensuring that services are available and accessible to the most vulnerable.”

UWNNY is a collaborative non-profit organization, mobilizing people and resources to address pressing human service needs in the tri-county region. The Community Impact fund supports programs and initiatives that align with community needs, foster measurable positive change, and help create thriving communities. Last year, UWNNY partnered with 28 programs across Jefferson, Lewis, and St. Lawrence Counties, positively impacting 32,204 local adults and children, more than half of whom were assisted with basic needs to include food, personal care items, and transportation.

Click here for more information about the Community Impact application process or call our office at (315) 788-5631.

United Way of Northern New York (UWNNY) is pleased to announce a new event coming to the Lewis County Fair: Cow Kissing for ALICE, presented by Marks Farms and CDPHP.

A group of local personalities are ready in waiting to kiss a prize-winning cow at the Lewis County Fair, seeking votes from community members in the form of donations.  The individual who raises the most funds will smooch a cow on Saturday, July 20 at the Fair.  Event proceeds will be used to support under-resourced, working families in Lewis County, defined as ALICE.   

United Way partners with numerous organizations to provide support to ALICE families by connecting them to resources to address barriers and assisting with financial literacy, education, and workforce readiness.  But who is ALICE? ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) is the term used to help us define and understand the struggles of households that earn more than the federal poverty level but less than what it takes to make ends meet.  ALICE represents hard-working members of the community dealing with the pressures of economic instability that can often jeopardize their ability to maintain employment, particularly when a hardship or unplanned expense arises.

“This initiative allows us to recognize – and contribute in some small way to – the progressive work being done in Lewis County around poverty.  We are committed to supporting the strong foundation established and are ready to support where we can,” said Dawn Cole, UWNNY President and CEO.  “This event also allows us to strengthen our connection to the Lewis County community and build greater awareness around ALICE, while giving a nod to the dairy industry, a key economic driver in the region.”

The cow kissers for this inaugural fundraising event are: Emily Griffin of Channel 7 News, Lewis County Sheriff Mike Carpinelli, Chris Peck of Marks Farms, Doug and Jennifer Premo, Superintendents for South Lewis and Carthage CSDs, Todd Green, Superintendent for Beaver River CSD, and Dawn Cole, UWNNY CEO. Throughout the fair, July 16 – 20, United Way will host a table in the pavilion promoting the event leading up to the big day on July 20 to find out who will do the honors. Click here to cast your vote and make a donation in support of under-resourced, working families.

United Way is monitoring the status of the Avian Influenza and is working with key stakeholders to ensure precautions are in place to protect the health and safety of those involved in this initiative.           

Click here to email us for more information or call (315) 788-5631.

Food insecurity remains a pressing issue in our local communities, with pantries continuing to see growing numbers of clients over time. United, we can work to change this story.

United Way of Northern New York, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Jefferson County, Watertown Savings Bank, Jefferson County, and Advanced Business Systems are working together to coordinate a Community Food Drive aimed at addressing this critical need by gathering healthy donations of food for children and families. The drive will take place on Wednesday, June 5, in the Walmart parking lot on State Route 3 in Watertown. From 8 AM to 2 PM, individuals and organizations are invited to contribute non-perishable food items and hygiene products to benefit local pantries and organizations.

The timing of this drive aligns with the summer break from school when under-resourced parents and caregivers face additional challenges in meeting the nutritional needs of growing children. By supporting this initiative, the community can help alleviate the burden on families during this critical period. Food pantries across the region are reporting significant increases in the number of individuals seeking food assistance.

At the VEM Food Pantry in Carthage, the number of families served has more than doubled in the past two years, with the pantry serving 248 families from January 1 to April 30 in 2022 and 586 families during the same period in 2024. The number of individuals served jumped from 735 to 1569 between 2022 and 2024, with the breakdown as follows: 534 children, 770 adults and 265 seniors in 2024. The pantry provides clients with a 5-day supply of food, 15 meals per person, totaling 11,025 meals for 2022 and 23,535 meals in 2024. According to Jody Mono of the VEM Food Pantry, “2023 was a significant jump as well, it has been a steady increase, but looking at this being doubled humbles us all.”

United Way of Northern New York calls upon all individuals, businesses, and community organizations to lend support to this important cause. Consider placing a collection box within your premises to gather donations and spread the word by sharing the event flyer and following United Way of NNY on social media to amplify the message about the food drive.

Should your business or organization wish to contribute to the food drive by gathering donations in the workplace, the United Way team is happy to provide the necessary tools for success and will work to support your efforts every step of the way. Click here to access the food drive toolkit or call us for help, (315) 788-5631.

United Way is honored to partner with Pivot, and Alliance for Better Communities to host a full-day Bridges out of Poverty workshop.  Join certified Bridges out of Poverty facilitators Dawn Cole and Tim Fayette for an exploration of the causes of poverty, hidden rules, language, and resources.  The workshop material is designed to enhance understanding of the hidden rules for individuals living in poverty, middle class, and wealth with a goal of engaging all socio-economic classes in the development of solutions to community level issues.  Those who work with individuals living in poverty or who want to advocate for those in poverty will benefit from this interactive workshop.

Date: Friday, June 14, 9 AM – 3:30 PM

Location:  Conference Rooms A/B at Jeff-Lewis BOCES, 20104 Arsenal Street Watertown

Cost: $20 / person, includes “Bridges out of Poverty” book and lunch

RSVP: Click here to email or phone (315) 788-5631

From time to time, we get asked “what is the United Way?” Most people know us as a fundraising entity.  (Think pledge forms in the workplace.) Lesser known is the true scope of our work and its impact on families and communities across the North Country.  In 2023, more than 32,000 individuals, including 10,400 children, were assisted through United Way services, including nutrition, transportation, after-school and in-school activities, education, strategies to alleviate poverty, housing assistance, substance use / mental health programming, counseling and so much more!  Responding to the call to action to support United Way through a donation, corporate sponsorship, or attending an event is critical to ensuring that robust services are accessible to those in need. Here’s why:

United Way unites communities, resources, and partners to collaboratively address local needs, foster impactful programming, and enhance quality of life.  In the North Country, community needs are prioritized in three areas of focus:

• Social determinants of health – factors that contribute to well-being, including housing, transportation, education, and nutrition, to name a few.   
• Youth / child success – programs and vital supplies necessary to ensure that children can learn, grow, and successfully transition into adulthood.
• Economic stability – supports to help families strengthen financial resources, move out of generational poverty and/or avoid falling into situational poverty.

Addressing community priorities is a pretty tall order – more than any one entity can successfully manage.  United Way looks to community partners to build and strengthen programming around these pillars.  Each year, nonprofit organizations offering human service programming are invited to submit applications for funding to support initiatives that align with community priorities.  Members of the community, including those with firsthand experience living in poverty, evaluate the applications and determine the funding allocations.    

Community impact funding is not just about writing check; United Way seeks to establish and build partnerships to ensure that programming offers the highest rate of return for the charitable dollars invested.  United Way builds enhanced partnerships, often with schools, providing input into program design or serving as a fiscal conduit for grants and charitable gifts.  Enhanced partners include Edwards Knox Central School District, Watertown City School District, and Jeff-Lewis BOCES, and United Way is currently exploring partnership opportunities with Morristown Central School.

Professional development opportunities are regularly made available to the local nonprofit network and the community at large, including a monthly Lunch & Learn UNITED series, highlighting relevant topics such as DEI, cultural competence, media relations, and grant writing.  United Way hosts “Bridges out of Poverty” and “Workplace Stability” workshops to bring greater awareness to the challenges of living in poverty and daily instability and provides ongoing support to graduates of the “Getting Ahead in a Just-Gettin’-by World” workshop series as they work to achieve their future stories.  We also provide short-term support and coaching to working individuals who are struggling with a financial setback or emergency that threatens their continued stability. 

We are truly grateful for the many individuals, businesses, nonprofit organizations, civic clubs, schools, and community groups who uphold the “Live United” model and enable the work to continue! 

To learn more about United Way and how you can be part of this movement to bring about positive change across the tri-county area, check out our website, pop in the office located at 167 Polk Street, Suite 300 Watertown, NY or call (315) 788-5631.

United Way is gearing up for the 3rd Annual Kentucky Derby Social – our largest annual fundraising event, the proceeds from which support dozens of vital programs, impacting thousands of North Country residents.

If you’re looking for an exciting event situated in beautiful downtown Sackets Harbor, filled with great food, music and fun AND you want to change lives … the Kentucky Derby Social is for you!

Grab your favorite spring outfit and fancy hat and join us on May 4, 2024 for an unforgettable evening. Not into horse racing? No worries. You will be treated to toe-tapping live music, a delicious array of Southern-themed food artfully displayed by Embellished Catering, creative cocktails or mocktails prepared by Sackets Harbor Ballroom proprietor extraordinaire Margaret Coe, and the good company of those who rally around the “Live United” call to action!

A $60 “general admission” ticket gives you access to all the festivities alcohol free. A $75 “advance admission” ticket gets you all the festivities plus two drinks from the bar. Check out the details and grab your tickets before they’re gone.

In case you need more convincing about the impact of your support of this event, review the list of Community Impact Programs that address community issues like generational poverty, food insecurity, transportation, housing, at-risk youth, domestic violence, mental health, substance use, and so much more! Each year, United Way programming touches the lives of some 30,000 individuals across the North Country with life-altering, stabilizing services. Thank you for helping to make it all possible. We look forward to seeing you at the Kentucky Derby Social!

We are grateful for your continued support and for the corporate partners of this year’s event:

The AES Corporation
RBC Wealth Management
Knowlton Technologies
One Digital
Taste New York
Embellished Catering

For those corporate friends interested in highlighting your brand or product while supporting a great cause, click here to review Kentucky Derby Social corporate partnership opportunities or give us a call at (315) 788-5631.

Food insecurity remains a pressing issue in our local communities, with an increasing number of households turning to food pantries for support.  You can help to ensure that children and families have enough to eat during the summer months when school meals are not readily available.  

Join forces with United Way, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Jefferson County, Watertown Savings Bank, Jefferson County, Advanced Business Systems, Food Bank of CNY, and Walmart to address the critical need for food by supporting the community food drive on June 5, 2024.  

Consider making a donation or hosting a food drive in your place of business.  We’ll provide the tools to help make your food drive successful.  

Click here to access the food drive toolkit.  No time to host a drive but you still want to help?  Click here to make a gift. 

On Wednesday, June 5, in the Walmart parking lot on State Route 3 in Watertown, individuals and organizations are encouraged to drop off donations of non-perishable food and personal care items, between the hours of 8 AM and 2 PM.  All items collected will be distributed to local food pantries.

If you’d like to volunteer for the food drive, we’d love to have you!  Please contact us to coordinate timeslots.

The timing of this drive aligns with the summer break from school when under-resourced parents and caregivers face additional challenges in meeting the nutritional needs of growing children. By supporting this initiative, you can help alleviate the burden on families during this critical period.

A little goes a long way, and any contribution you can make will have a tangible impact on a friend or neighbor who is at risk of going without enough food. Those who have experienced hunger firsthand understand how debilitating it can be, particularly for children. Adequate nutrition is crucial for their ability to learn, grow, and thrive.  1 in 5 children is uncertain where their next meal is coming from.  The risk of hunger compounds during the summer months.  Let’s work united to change that!

Contact us for more information on how you can help! 

The latest edition of the United Way newsletter is now available.  Click here to download this issue highlighting the scope of work and impact of the United Way.       

To get the newsletter delivered to your inbox, please subscribe to our mailing list using the box at the bottom of this page.

On February 7, United Way hosted a meeting of graduates of the “Getting Ahead in a Just-Gettin’-by World” workshop series, during which they were introduced to Jillian Redder, the Director of Housing and Special Initiatives for Jefferson County.  Graduates, some of whom have experienced homelessness firsthand, shared their feedback on potential programs to address homelessness.  The group offered valuable insight into barriers to housing assistance, the effectiveness of existing services, and ideas for robust programming to help people move into long-term stable housing.

Jillian was impressed with the graduates’ candor and energy and agreed to take their ideas back to the Homeless Advisory Group.  The graduates look forward to learning how their input will be integrated into program design and are already planning to invite Jillian back for another discussion around this critical issue. 

The meeting was part of Staying Ahead, a grassroots effort to provide a platform for graduates to continue to build resources.  The group meets again on Wednesday, March 6 at 4:30 PM for two individual workshops focused on administering Narcan and steps to help save a life from suicide. 

Open to all Getting Ahead graduates, Staying Ahead will take place the first Wednesday of each month with different topics based on the preferences and interests of those attending.  For more information, contact Dawn Cole at (315) 788-5631.

About Getting Ahead
“Getting Ahead in a Just-Gettin’-by World” is an innovative workshop experience based on the work of “Bridges out of Poverty.”  Over the course of 16 – 18 weeks, participants referred to as investigators, work through a curriculum designed to provide the tools and strategies for moving out of poverty. Investigators take a deep dive into the impact of poverty on their own lives and in the community with each cohort conducting a comprehensive assessment of community conditions. 

Several organizations, including United Way of Northern New York, are committed to providing ongoing support to those making the arduous journey out of generational poverty.  For more information about how you can help Getting Ahead / Staying Ahead, please contact Dawn Cole at dawn.cole@unitedway-nny.org or (315) 788-5631.