(Utica, NY – June 13, 2011) United Way Board of Directors has approved funding allocations for 2011 – investing $1.4 million in Herkimer and Oneida Counties.

“United Way is able to meet the needs of many children, families, and individuals in our community due to the generosity of our donors and volunteers,” Executive Director Brenda Episcopo said. “Our community volunteers make this process possible spending countless hours reviewing funding requests and utilizing their expertise to ensure we support programs and initiatives that touch the greatest number of lives and achieve positive, measurable results in Herkimer and Oneida Counties.”

United Way has served the Mohawk Valley region for 90 years and is driven by the mission to promote individual well being, strengthen families, and improve the quality of life in Herkimer and Oneida Counties. United Way is committed to addressing the most critical needs of our community by supporting initiatives in both Herkimer and Oneida Counties in the following areas:

Health: To enable the achievement and maintenance of a healthy lifestyle for individuals.

Program Example: Free rides to senior citizens to and from medical appointments who would otherwise have no transportation or support.

Education: To enable children and youth to be ready for school and prepared to be successful in life.

Program Example: Homework help, tutoring and quality activities for at-risk children and teens during out-of-school time.

Income: To provide opportunities and support for every individual in our community, to achieve and sustain financial self-sufficiency.

Program Example: Direct job placement and transitional support to individuals with disabilities.

Community Safety Net: To support our community so that it can respond to those individuals and families in crisis.

Program Example: Ensuring everyone in our community has safety from an unexpected disaster or tragedy.

Beginning in July, United Way will support 53 programs and initiatives between Herkimer and Oneida Counties. The program funding comes from donations made locally during the 2010 annual campaign, which raised $2.74 million.

“The overwhelming generosity of individuals and families in the Mohawk Valley makes it possible to meet the pressing needs of our community,” Episcopo said. “Our donors expect their financial gifts to lead to meaningful improvements in the lives of individuals across all segments of our community. The programs our volunteers have chosen to support reflect the vast needs of children, individuals, and families in Herkimer and Oneida Counties.”

A diverse group of about 40 volunteers on the five Funding Allocation Panels carefully reviewed the proposals and presented a recommendation to the United Way Board of Directors, which was approved on May 26, 2011. After the designated contributions from the State Employee Federated Appeal (SEFA), the Combined Federal Campaign (CFC), and designations to other agencies and programs are set aside, the following are the funding highlights for this cycle:

$414,750 – Community Safety Net

$286,040 – Health

$458,249 – Education

$206,609 – Income

$30,273 – Education and Income

$5,000 – Community Empowerment Grant

Following is the list of the 2011-2012 funded programs: