For more than 85 years, United Way has been using its expertise to make the South Hampton Roads region stronger.

Now we’re creating opportunities for a good life for all by focusing on:

With quality education, a stable job and access to affordable health services, people thrive.

Education Intended Result: More kindergartners are promoted to first grade.

• One out of eight (12%) children entered kindergarten below readiness benchmarks set by the state. (VA State Department of Education)

• 3.5% of our region’s Kindergarten to 3rd grade students were retained in 2008, compared to state average of 2.3%. (2009 Investment in Priorities, Visions and Indicators Report)

Helping Children & Youth Achieve Their Potential

EducationHelping Children & YouthAchieve Their Potential

Intended Result: Elementary students are prepared to succeed in later grades.

EducationHelping Children & YouthAchieve Their Potential

Intended Result: Young people graduate from high school.

Education: Making an impact in early childhood education

United Way’s Raising A Reader take-home book bag program has seen measurable results in preparing children to succeed in preschool and beyond:

•The kindergarten retention rate has decreased from 8.0% to 3.5%.

•Approximately 26,400 books are distributed to at-risk children each year.

Financial StabilityPromoting Financial Stabilityand Independence

Intended Result: More working families increase their income.

% of Persons Below Poverty (2008)

Chesapeake 7.7%

Isle of Wight 7.8%

Norfolk 18.9%

Portsmouth 18.5%

Suffolk 9.7%

Virginia Beach 6.5%

Financial StabilityPromoting Financial Stabilityand Independence

Intended Result: Ending homelessness in South Hampton Roads in 10 years.

Number of Homeless Persons (2009)

Chesapeake 38

Norfolk 577

Portsmouth 303

Virginia Beach 433

Western Tidewater

71

Region 1,422

Financial Stability: Promoting financial stability and ending homelessness

As a member of the Regional Taskforce to End Homelessness, United Way is moving people off the streets and into housing. In addition to recruiting volunteers for Project Homeless Connect events throughout the region, United Way has helped establish permanent support housing units for the chronically homeless in Norfolk and Virginia Beach and is looking forward to the opening of a third such complex in Portsmouth.

Gosnold ApartmentsNorfolk

60 Person Occupancy

Cloverleaf ApartmentsVirginia Beach

60 Person Occupancy

South Bay ApartmentsPortsmouth

60 Person Occupancy

Financial Stability: Promoting financial stability and ending homelessness

United Way of South Hampton Roads, in partnership with the South Hampton Roads Earned Income Tax Credit Coalition, has helped provide volunteer tax services to eligible citizens, while seeking to educate, inform and communicate the value of financial literacy to citizens of South Hampton Roads:

•1,200 low income individuals received free tax preparation services.•More than $1.5 million in refunds were processed.•460 individuals qualified for the Earned Income Tax Credit with an average refund of $1,600.

HealthImproving the Health ofChildren and Adults

Intended Result: Disparities in health status will be reduced for children and adults.

Why is this work important? Health is strongly linked to education and income: good health allows children to learn better and adults to increase their income through productive work. Conversely, health problems often lead to school absences and is the primary cause of bankruptcy.

•South Hampton Roads has a high rate of obesity and hypertension which causes increased spending for medication and other health related expenses.

HealthImproving the Health ofChildren and Adults

Intended Result: Access to primary care services will be improved for low-income and

the uninsured.

Health: Making an impact for the common good

40% of the U.S. population report they don’t buy medicine they need or reduce the required dosage because of the high cost. United Way partnered with Access Partnership and FamilyWize to distribute prescription discount cards to local residents.

•The FamilyWize Prescription Drug Discount cards are offered free of charge to anyone without prescription drug coverage or for medicine not covered by insurance, Medicare or other benefit plans.

•Using this card can help reduce prescription drug costs by 20% or more. The savings on the cost of the medicine is provided by the participating pharmaceutical companies.

•Since United Way began making these cards available in the community, citizens have saved more than $2.4 million on the cost of their medications.

Why United Way of South Hampton Roads?

•We link all of the safety net services for families in our region

•We engage 52,000 donors annually to make a real difference in our community

•We make it easy for every organization to advance the common good with their donations regardless of size

•We mobilize thousands of volunteers annually to engage in important social issues

Why United Way of South Hampton Roads?

Regional & Local •Measureable impact• Partners & programs• Investment decisions • Governance

Why United Way of South Hampton Roads?

ConvenienceFlexibilityOversightScopeReachLeverage

easyeasy

United Way wants everyone involved, to bring every resident of South Hampton Roads to the table to make a

difference.

We already know that education, income and health are integral to the well-being of our community. We want

everyone else to know how important these things are too.

And it’s not just about money.

Advocacy and volunteerism are necessary parts of the equation

People can stand up and demand action. Or lift a hand and do it themselves.

Regardless, it has to be done together.

Ready to get involved?