Community Investments 2020

At Monadnock United Way, we envision a future free of child abuse and filled with opportunities for educational attainment and financial stability. 

Click here to view our 2020 Frequently Asked Questions page. 
 
We focus in these areas because of a few stark facts:
  • Our region has the third highest rate of child abuse and neglect in the state
  • Children in this region score lower than the rest of the state in English and math 
  • One in four families living in Cheshire County are considered low-income (living on or below 200% of the federal poverty threshold). For the rest of New Hampshire that number is one in five. 

Stabilizing families is proven to have a tangible impact on the success of children and on today’s workforce. When families receive the supports they need, household stress is reduced, children thrive and parents stay employed.

MUW is investing $900,000 in a highly targeted group of partnerships and activities that support the overall well-being of children and families in the following areas:
  • Emergency housing and access to food, which is foundational to success in daily life,
  • Early childhood success through supports including quality childcare, early learning and development of social-emotional skills, and
  • Family resources including access to services, parent education and wrap-around supports.
 
The Cheshire County Emergency Housing Collaborative will receive $72,675 to offer services to people experiencing homelessness and housing instability. The collective is comprised of Southwestern Community Services, Hundred Nights and Monadnock Center for Violence Prevention. Services include providing emergency shelter, offering educational opportunities such as classes about tenancy and financial literacy, and providing case management to help clients access housing resources. 
 
 
The Monadnock Food Pantries Collective, comprised of seven organizations, will receive $73,625. The collective will increase the smaller pantries’ access to fresh produce during the harvesting season and will give the pantries better buying power at the wholesale level. The collective is made up of The Community Kitchen (Keene), Gert’s Pantry (Swanzey), Joan’s Pantry (Chesterfield), the Federated Church Food Pantry (Marlborough), Helping Hands of Troy, Jaffrey Food Pantry and Kidz Cupboard (Marlborough).
 
 
Monadnock Parent Education Collective, comprised of four agencies, will receive $113,287.50. The collective of parent education programs instill positive parenting practices that help to heal families and support emotional and developmental growth. The collective is made up of Monadnock Family Services; The River Center; The Grapevine; and Home Healthcare, Hospice and Community Services
 
 
The Monadnock Region Afterschool Collective will receive $142,500. This is a collective of seven programs that offer afterschool enrichment opportunities in a safe environment. The collective comprises the following programs: ACCESS Winchester Afterschool Program; Hinsdale Afterschool Program; Keene Family YMCA School's Out Program (plus Chesterfield site); Project Keep (sites at Symonds, Fuller and Franklin Schools in Keene); Project Edventure Marlborough Afterschool; ACES 93, Afterschool Program (sites at Mt. Caesar and Cutler Schools in Swanzey, Troy Elementary, and Emerson Elementary in Fitzwilliam); Hillsboro-Deering Before and Afterschool.
 
 
Southwestern Community Services, Inc. will receive $14,250 to help provide preventative dental services to young children and pregnant women through its WIC-the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children.  
 
Access to affordable Early Childhood Centers is foundational to childhood success. Children who attend early childhood education programs improve academic, social, and emotional outcomes, compared to children who do not attend child care.
 
Keene Day Care Center, Inc. will receive $28,500 to help the Center provide access to quality early care and education through tuition assistance to children from low- and moderate-income families who otherwise would not be able to attend.
 
 
Monadnock Community Early Learning Center will receive $28,500. The Center provides quality learning experiences and child care to children of working families in the Monadnock Region. The funds will allow the center to offer tuition assistance to families who need it.
 
 
Southern NH Services – SNHS will receive $14,250 for its Hillsboro Child Development Center, a nonprofit licensed childcare center. The money will be used for child care tuition assistance.
 

Walpole Village School will receive $4,750 to help provide quality, early childhood education to all children in its service area.

 

Winchester Learning Center will receive $28,500 to help fund its financial assistance program. The program serves children ages 6 weeks to 5 years. The center provides childcare, preschool and family resources to children and families.

 

Rise for baby and family will receive $17,100 to support its work with infants, toddlers and their families throughout the Monadnock region. The agency provides child care, as well as supports and services for young children exhibiting a developmental delay or disability.  

 

Other 2020 investments include:

 

Early Learning NH $13,650  Early Learning NH raises awareness about the importance of the early years; championing effective early learning policy; and building public-private partnerships that promote innovation and investment to strengthen early learning in our state.    

 

MUW Investor’s Affinity Group $10,000 – 15,000 The MUW Investors Group is a two-year pilot program that educates members about evidence-based strategies that local agencies are using to move the needle in our community, then allows the group to choose a strategy in which to invest their money. In 2019, this group raised and awarded $11,000 to MUW funded partners over and above their allocations. This group hopes to grow in 2020, raising even more to augment MUW’s investments in the community.

 

2-1-1: In 2020, MUW will invest $15,000 in 2-1-1, United Way's social services hotline.
 
 
Direct Designations: In addition to the allocated amounts, $87,000 in additional funding will go to various agencies based on direct designations from donors.  
 
 
Monadnock Home Visiting Alliance: This alliance, a pilot collective comprised of four agencies that offer home visiting services, will receive a direct investment of $84,113 in 2020. The MHVA is backed by Impact Monadnock. It is composed of Home Healthcare Hospice & Community Services (HCS) Healthy Starts, The Grapevine Family and Community Resource Center, Rise for baby and family and The River Center Family and Community Resource Center. For Monadnock families, home visiting services from MHVA agencies have ranged from speech therapy for children diagnosed with autism to breastfeeding assistance for moms with premature babies.
 
 
Community Building: Monadnock United Way staff provide professional services to the community, including support, training and resources for area nonprofits. Impact Monadnock is Monadnock United Way's signature early childhood initiative prepares young children and their families for academic, career and life success. Our staff work with local organizations to identify ways they can work collectively on common problems to make an impact, using a structured method to expand their reach in the region. MUW staff also offer training and tools for human service agencies, such as grant-writing workshops and guidance on best practices in measuring outcomes. Additionally, MUW works to increase the visibility of the work of our partners, through numerous marketing efforts. These community-building efforts are valued at $227,000.
The following programs will receive funding through April 30, 2020: 

The amounts noted below for each program represent one third (4 months) of each agency’s 2020 award.

Cheshire Housing Trust (CHT) will receive $1,000 to provide housing counseling and resident support to low-income tenants living at CHT properties.

 

Community Volunteer Transportation Company (CVTC) will receive $2,166.67 to support its work. CVTC provides rides to medical and social service appointments and other basic-need destinations for people who don’t drive or don’t have a vehicle because of age, ability, economic situation or life circumstance.

 

HCS Home Healthcare, Hospice and Community Services will receive $4,000 for its Friendly Bus, which provides door-to-door transportation services for older adults and adults with disabilities in Keene, with periodic service to several surrounding communities. 

 

HCS Home Healthcare, Hospice and Community Services will receive $7,500 for its Meals on Wheels program, which provides a hot, nutritious meal to people who are homebound due to age or disability. It also provides a daily safety and well-being check.

 

Maps Counseling Services will receive $5,666.67 for its Hope and Healing Fund, which allows the agency to provide free and low-cost psychotherapy and substance use counseling services to uninsured and under-insured clients who cannot afford services on their own.

 

Monadnock Family Services will receive $7,500 for its Acute Care Services team, which provides immediate professional mental health treatment interventions for children, youth and adults who are in psychiatric crisis.  

 

Monadnock Family Services will receive $5,000 for its Monadnock Substance Abuse Services program, which provides a range of services for people dealing with substance use disorders. The program works to support clients in becoming sober and assists them in becoming active and contributing members of their community, which helps clients find or remain in stable housing and sustain employment. 

 

The Neighbor2Neighbor Collaborative will receive $18,666.67 to form a new older adult outreach and engagement collaborative effort among three organizations: Monadnock Family Services, Monadnock Collaborative and Keene Senior Center. The new collaborative, called Neighbor2Neighbor, will build a network of “gatekeeper” volunteers who will help identify older adults in need of outreach. The collective will also expand programming and increase older adults’ access to counseling, referrals and other services. 

 

NH Legal Assistance will receive $2,500 for its work providing individual representation and systemic advocacy to vulnerable low-income and elderly people in New Hampshire on issues affecting their basic needs.

 

The River Center will receive $2,333.33 for its Money Matters program, which provides practical tools and services to encourage personal and household financial literacy and stability. Tools and services include the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program, individual money coaching, workshops and other informational outreach efforts.

 

Southwestern Community Services, Inc. will receive $4,500 for its Fuel Assistance Program, which provides fuel assistance benefits to income-eligible households in Cheshire County.

 

Southwestern Community Services, Inc. will receive $5,666.67 for New Hope/New Horizons, a program that assists individuals with developmental disabilities in realizing their hopes and dreams and provides respite services to families and caregivers.

 

Southwestern Community Services, Inc. will receive $4,500 for its Weatherization Program, which installs energy-efficient home improvements to reduce heating and energy costs for income-eligible families, focusing on older adults, people with disabilities and families with young children.  

 

Big Brothers Big Sisters of New Hampshire will receive $10,000 for its One-to-One Mentoring Program that pairs adult volunteer mentors with kids ages 6 to 17. The adult and child form a mentoring relationship through spending quality time together at school or outside, doing various activities. 

 

Monadnock Center for Violence Prevention will receive $10,000 for its Healthy Relationships Project, a program that teaches children healthy relationship skills that may help protect them from sexual abuse.

 

Monadnock Region Child Advocacy Center (aka Granite State Children’s Alliance) will receive $4,166.67. The Center coordinates investigations of suspected child abuse victims and works to put the child and family on a path to healing.

 

Southern NH Services – SNHS will receive $10,000 for its Western Hillsboro County Family Support Center, which offers supportive family services in Western Hillsborough County through a two-generation model. The center’s programs are geared for low-income families, at-risk youth ages 4-16 and young children up to age 5. 

 

HCS Home Healthcare, Hospice and Community Services will receive $3,600 for its Castle Center for Life Enrichment Day Program, which provides a safe, stimulating place for older adults with conditions limiting independence. 

 

Monadnock Area Peer Support Agency will receive $3,333.33 to support their peer respite program, which provides inpatient psychiatric care in a non-hospital setting. The peer respite program aims to help individuals experiencing a mental health crisis to move from a place of fear to one of hope without hospitalization. 

 

Monadnock Developmental Services, Inc. will receive $3,333.33 for Partners in Health, a community-based family support program that addresses the needs of families who have children with chronic health conditions which affect their daily life. 

 

Monadnock Family Services will receive $4,750 for its Monadnock RSVP Volunteer Center, a program that engages people of all ages in volunteer service activities that produce positive community outcomes.

 

Samaritans, Inc. will receive $1,000 for its work to reduce the incidence and impact of suicide through various programs and outreach initiatives. 

Direct Designations: In addition to the allocated amounts, all funds designated by donors to specific agencies will be honored in full and without any reduction. In 2019, $87,000 was raised in designations will be distributed to agencies specifically named by donors this year.