Community Game Plan
BECOMING THE UNITED WAY OUR COMMUNITY NEEDS
We’ve seen the numbers. We’ve heard from our nonprofit and community partners. During the process of shifting the strategy for our organization, we evolved our approach to align with what our community wants in an organization and how we will fulfill their needs. This Community Game Plan is a map to put into action through collective impact.
Collective impact is the commitment of a group of individuals from different sectors to a common agenda for solving a specific social problem using a structured form of collaboration. As we move to the implementation phase of this important work, it will be essential to continually diversify and broaden our leadership. UWHC is committed to working with others to staff, resource, and provide oversight of this effort.
Through the 2021 UWHC community needs assessment, four Vision Councils have been formed to support the work of each focus area in this plan: health, education, self-sufficiency, and basic needs. These councils bring together issue area experts, people whose lives are affected by the issue, business leaders, and other organizations working to impact each area. Based on their knowledge, members of the Vision Councils will recommend and monitor the investment of resources in efforts that align with the priorities of UWHC. Vision Councils will continue to welcome new community members interested in making an IMPACT in Horry County.
OUR FOCUS AREAS
We focus our programs, collective impact work, and investments on four pillars that significantly contribute to meeting the needs of our community through our Bold Goals.
Health
We envision a future where behavioral health needs for children, youth, and adults are recognized and validated.
BOLD GOALS: Decrease the number of suicide ideations and attempts; Decrease the number of drug-related overdose deaths.
Strategies to Achieve Our Vision
Fund
Programs that improve outcomes and access to behavioral health services for children, youth, and adults
Programs that raise awareness of and intervention in unhealthy behaviors
Advocate
Support community efforts to encourage the understanding of behavioral health needs through education and legislation
Collaborate
Collaborate with stakeholders to convene/participate in a coalition of community partners engaged in developing a strategy to address behavioral health needs in Horry County (with a focus on strengthening families)
Educate
Educate at-risk populations about available programming and services to support behavioral health
Conduct a marketing campaign around preventive education and reducing the stigma of behavioral health issues
Education
We envision a community where all children enter kindergarten ready to learn; and all children and youth learn, achieve, and succeed while engaging families and communities.
BOLD GOALS: Increase the number of children who meet developmental milestones and enter kindergarten ready; Increase access to equitable learning opportunities and high-quality childcare for children and youth.
Strategies to Achieve Our Vision
Fund
Programs that improve academic and developmental milestones for children from birth through age 5.
Programs that increase the involvement of families, caregivers, and the community in the success of children from birth through age 5.
Programs that improve access to equitable learning opportunities and childcare for children and youth.
Programs that reduce summer learning loss and chronic absenteeism Programs that improve basic academic skills of children performing below grade leve.l
Programs that offer diverse and flexible educational options for a variety of learners.
Advocate
Support local, state, and national efforts to increase availability and access to quality early childhood and pre-school programs.
Support community efforts to improve access to equitable learning opportunities and quality childcare for children and youth
Collaborate
Collaborate with community, local, and state stakeholders to create a system for access and support resources and institutions that will promote and support the development of the whole child.
Collaborate with educational institutions and community-based agencies to exchange ideas, leverage resources, and drive collective action
Educate
Conduct an educational campaign to promote parent engagement and leadership in early education for children from birth through age 5.
Conduct an educational campaign to highlight the importance of quality summer and afterschool programs and parent engagement and leadership
in education
Self-Sufficiency
We envision a future where everyone in Horry County is supported to achieve self-sufficiency.
BOLD GOAL: Increase the number of Horry County Residents meeting self-sufficiency standards.
Strategies to Achieve Our Vision
Fund
Financial literacy programs that work with adults and children to establish self-sufficiency.
Support services that provide education, counseling, coaching, case management and/or legal services linked to self-sufficiency.
Services that support individuals along a path to family-sustaining wages through employment.
Advocate
Job training and workforce development to achieve greater earning potential.
Advocate against predatory lending practices through education and legislation.
Advocate for public-private partnerships to address housing affordability and availability.
Collaborate
Convene financial institutions and key stakeholders to leverage opportunities for self-sufficiency by removing barriers.
Support job opportunities that provide a living wage for qualified candidates.
Educate
Increase awareness about opportunities for job training and work-ready certificates.
Educate individuals about how financial health impacts one’s self-sufficiency.
Educate parents and youth about career planning and preparing children and youth for post-secondary completion and the workforce.
Basic Needs
We envision a future where everyone has access to food, shelter, clothing, healthcare, basic materials, transportation, and a sense of security.
Strategies to Achieve our Vision
Fund
Programs that provide emergency assistance for food, shelter, clothing, healthcare, basic materials, and transportation.
Opportunities that restore hope and stability to clients as they move from emergency need to self-sufficiency.
Advocate
Empower and encourage clients to be confident and active participants in their path to stability.
The opposite of poverty is not wealth; it is peace. We advocate for stability and self-sufficiency at all income levels.
Collaborate
Create a collaborative network of services to provide complete wraparound support to our most vulnerable citizens.
Seek opportunities for unified effort to be replicated across the community and not duplicated.
Educate
Educate the community about the value of restoring hope and stability to those experiencing a need.
Educate the community about available programming and services to support basic needs.
Together we can do more.
Join us in the fight!
The United Way of Horry County 2024 competitive grant funding cycle is now closed. For a full timeline or to learn more about applying for funding, visit the link below.
