Why it matters: The key to any community's quality of life is strong families and neighborhoods. Too many struggling families are faced with challenges and live in neighborhoods that do more to pull them down than lift them up. United Way and its community partners work to ensure families have the skills and support necessary to succeed - making a powerful impact on the lives of thousands everyday in our community.
OUR VISION:
Community Impact Goals:
Too many struggling families live in neighborhoods that do more to pull them down than lift them up. Distressed neighborhoods with minimal employment opportunities, scattered social services, less than ideal housing, high crime, and bored unsupervised young people contribute to despair rather than provide support and hope.
For many vulnerable Anchorage families, struggling to get by in one East Anchorage neighborhood, something had to change. Using an all encompassing approach to sparking positive, lasting neighborhood change, United Way helped align 25 community organizations around the single goal of weeding out crime and seeding new opportunities for families in Muldoon.
Today, many families in this East Anchorage neighborhood enjoy a better quality of life than they did five years ago. Our neighbors have more public transportation, better access to critical job training opportunities, and helpful family services. Area children and youth enjoy safe and positive after school programs. Effective community policing, reduced crime, revitalized housing, a new park, better schools, and activities for the elderly and disabled are part of the lasting changes that continue to improve lives.
The key to a community’s quality of life is strong families and neighborhoods. United Way has long worked to this goal by funding agencies who provide a wide array of support services. We still do, but now we are coalescing these efforts to produce measurable neighborhood results, specifically by increasing the number of Alaskans that are connected state-wide with social services and volunteer opportunities and revitalizing NE Anchorage neighborhoods.
Just as we know to dial 9-1-1 for an emergency, or 4-1-1 for phone information, many Americans can now dial 2-1-1 for immediate referral to critical health and human services. United Way of Anchorage is taking the lead on beginning implementation of a statewide 2-1-1 system through a collaboration of Alaska United Ways, faith and community organizations, local and state governments, native organizations, and businesses.
2-1-1 will streamline what can often be a complicated system to maneuver through when seeking needed help and can also save considerable money by creating greater efficiencies in the web of health and social services providers. A recent cost-benefit analysis completed by the University of Texas - Austin, finds that national usage of 2-1-1 would provide $1.1 billion in net value over the next 10 years.
United Way of Anchorage and our community partners are achieving greater impact because people like you are committed to making a difference.
Volunteer for something - what appropriate program?
United Way's Volunteer Center is your connection to volunteer opportunities within our community.
Invest in strong families and vital neighborhoods by donating to United Way's Community Impact Fund.
Make an online donation or send in a check. .