Racine & Me: United Way of Racine County

Racine & Me: United Way of Racine County
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RACINE, WI (CBS 58) -- Ali Haigh and Jessica Safransky Schacht from the United Way of Racine County joined us in studio to talk about their current efforts and ways community members can volunteer. 

Community Campaign/Victory Celebration · United Way of Racine County has created lasting change in Racine County since 1922. · Last year alone, United Way supported over 80,000 Racine County residents as they worked to increase their education levels, increase financial stability and become more physically and mentally healthy. · Through annual community investment cycles and special funds such as Equity Through Technology and Equity Innovation Fund, over 100 programs have received funding in the last year.

· In addition to supporting other organizations through funding opportunities, United Way aims to support the nonprofit sector through training opportunities, data collection and collaboration. · United Way also leads programs such as Imagination Library, VITA and Schools of Hope. Since 2015, United Way has partnered with Racine Unified School District to support students and families at three community schools – Knapp, Julian Thomas and the Academies of Racine – Mitchell Community School. · This work is made possible by hundreds of individuals and companies who make an investment in our community each year by donating to United Way of Racine County. We invite everyone to get involved to ensure our community thrives. No donation amount is too small – every dollar makes a difference. · On Thursday, January 23, 2025, we will celebrate our collective impact at our annual Victory Celebration. Tickets and full details are available on our website – www.unitedwayracine.org. Community Investment Volunteers · The community investment process is volunteer led. · After United Way issues a request for proposals or other funding opportunity, volunteers are responsible for reviewing and scoring applications, and making funding recommendations to United Way staff and the board of directors. · Interested volunteers can complete an application (available on our website) by January 10. · We provide training and support throughout the review process. · The review process takes place February-May. Volunteers attend regular meetings and read and score 2-3 proposals between each meeting. VITA · VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance) (pronounced VY-TAH) provides free preparation and electronic filing of state and federal tax returns for low- to moderate-income community members. Services are available in English and Spanish. · Since 2017, United Way of Racine County’s VITA program has brought over $8.7 million back to our local economy in the form of state and federal tax refunds, and tax payers have saved over $1 million in preparation fees. · VITA utilizes IRS-certified volunteers to serve as greeters, tax preparers and quality assurance reviewers. Volunteers do not need prior experience; we provide training and support to ensure volunteers are prepared and confident in their roles. · It’s important to note that not all VITA volunteer positions require tax certification – greeters help welcome clients to the VITA sites and ensure they have everything they need to have their returns completed. · Community members can attend a virtual info session to learn more about VITA and volunteer applications will be accepted through December 18; training is offered in December and January, and VITA sites operate from the last week in January through Tax Day. · The VITA volunteer application is available on our website – www.unitedwayracine.org/VITA Walking School Bus · As part of our LIFT (Link and Inspire for Tomorrow) community school partnership, United Way operates a walking school bus at Knapp and Julian Thomas schools. · The walking school bus helps students get to school safely and on time every day.

· Each walking school bus consists of two trained adult “conductors” and up to ten students. · Volunteers are fully vetted and trained prior to working with students. · Routes take approximately one hour and begin at 6 am for Knapp and 7 am for Julian Thomas. · Community members can learn more and volunteer at www.unitedwayracine.org/WSB.

For more information, Follow United Way of Racine County on social media: 

https://www.facebook.com/UWRacine/

https://x.com/unitedwayracine

https://www.youtube.com/user/unitedwayracine

https://www.instagram.com/unitedwayracinecounty/

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