2018 Community Impact Report

At Monadnock United Way, we work every day to support children, improve educational outcomes and help people facing financial challenges. We raise funds and provide professional support to local nonprofit agencies and initiatives so they can work together to address some of our community’s most pressing problems. We bring everyone to the table so we can ALL be a part of the solution.

We do this work because we know that:

Healthy children who live in a nurturing home, school and community environment are more likely to achieve academic success and seek career opportunities that contribute to economic growth. 

High school graduates have higher earning potential, contribute more to their local economies, are more engaged in their communities and are more likely to raise kids who also graduate on time.

Our wages are among the lowest in the state, and they have not kept pace with the rising costs of housing, healthcare and education.  

Please read our 2018 Community Impact Report below for a glimpse into the work of MUW and its partners.

 


Children

We envision a community where Monadnock-region children live in safe, nurturing, healthy homes and communities. 


Our Impact

1,133 families were connected to support services to improve their parenting skills.
 
262 babies and young children received developmental, social and emotional screenings.
 
208 toddlers with developmental delays or disabilities participated in a playgroup experience.
 
482 families with young children received home visiting services, which can range from breastfeeding  advice for new moms to speech therapy for children.

Why it Matters

Cheshire County has the third-highest child maltreatment rate in the state. The statewide New Hampshire child maltreatment rate per 1,000 is 3.5. The map breaks down the child maltreatement rate per 1,000 for each county.
 
Source: New Futures 2019 Kids Count Data Book (Maltreatment data from 2016) 
 

Education

We envision a community where everyone receives an education that enables them to achieve their fullest potential.

 

Our Impact

121 youth facing adversity were matched with a mentor. 
 
In the 2017-2018 school year, 232 out of 287 K-3 students who received tutoring through one of MUW’s partner programs showed improved academic performance in literacy and math.  
 
579 children and caregivers were taught healthy relationship and communication skills that may help protect children from abuse.

Why it Matters

Of the largest six districts in our region, four had fewer than 50 percent of their students score at or above proficient on the 2018 fourth grade reading exam

 
 
Source: New Hampshire Department of Education
 

Financial Stability and Basic Needs 

We envision a community where all individuals have the financial resources they need to live healthy, happy and productive lives.

Our Impact

 
93 uninsured or underinsured individuals received financial assistance to access mental health services, and 262 families received tuition assistance to help them  access childcare. 
 
380 low-income families were provided with free legal representation to preserve  or obtain basic life necessities, including  shelter, income, employment and safety.
 
Provided meals to 3,233 Monadnock region residents in need.
 
2,522 income-eligible households in Cheshire County were enrolled for fuel assistance benefit.

Why it Matters

In Cheshire County, the percentage of the population living in poverty, and the percentage of the population considered low-income, has been higher than the state average for the last four years for which data is available. 

 

Low income is defined as individuals living on or below 200% of the federal poverty threshold, based on family income, size and composition. Poverty is defined as individuals living on or below 100% of the federal poverty threshold, based on family income, size and composition. In 2017, the federal poverty threshold for a family of four was $25,094.

Source: University of New Hampshire, Carsey School of Public Policy, Northern New England Indicators

 
 
 

Impact Monadnock

Impact Monadnock (IM), our signature early childhood initiative, is forging ahead with its work to prepare young children for academic, career and life success. IM brings together teams of community members to focus on issues that affect young children and their families, like increasing family-friendly workplace practices and improving access to home visiting services.
 
In 2018, IM helped secure several awards that are strengthening the region’s early childhood arena.
 
IM wrote a successful grant that portrayed our community’s evident and compelling commitment to the Pyramid Model. This model trains teachers and caregivers to help young children regulate their emotions, manage conflict and solve problems. The four-year award from the state Department of Education provides training, coaching and other professional development resources to teachers at our region’s child care centers. It is valued at $150,000 per year. 
 
Additionally, the IM-backed Monadnock Home Visiting Alliance (MHVA) received a $51,000 grant from the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation. The MHVA is a collaborative of four agencies that offer home visiting services. As a pilot program of MUW, it received $84,000 of MUW funding in 2018. The additional grant money from the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation is helping the MHVA with its goal to increase by 20 percent the number of families accessing home visiting services in the Monadnock region.
 
 
 

All data about our partner services are from 2018.