We are looking back on the many ways our local United Way has helped communities across the region in 2021. Join us in reflecting on the accomplishments below, and please consider making a donation so we can continue helping your community in 2022.

Seven Kindergarten Countdown Camp Sites Served Nearly 100 Children and Families

Kindergarten Countdown Camp is a free summer learning program for rising kindergarten students with little to no preschool experience. Taught by licensed teachers, this program prepares students and their families for a successful start to school and helps them stay on track to meet other educational milestones. In 2021, our local United Way hosted seven Kindergarten Countdown Camp classrooms, serving nearly 100 children and families.

Supporting Single Moms: New Program Awarded $65,000 in Childcare Scholarships to Single Mothers

The cost of childcare is often more than $1,000 per month, per child. Our new scholarship program, WomenRise, removes this massive expense for single moms, covering their childcare costs in full while they pursue post-secondary education. This year, we distributed $65,000 in scholarship funds to help six single moms work toward their degrees in nursing, teaching, and hospitality and tourism.

Bringing Ideas to Life: New Program Invested in Five Local Entrepreneurs

Start Up for Success is a new United Way program that provides aspiring entrepreneurs with social capital, training, coaching and start-up funding needed to bring their ideas to life and lead economic development in their community. This year, we helped five local entrepreneurs start their businesses in fields from appliance repair to food service to urban farming and more.

Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program Delivered $2.8 Million in Tax Refunds to 2,067 Households

Our Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program offers free tax preparation services for families and individuals with income of $56,000 or less. Our team of trained staff and volunteers helped people throughout our service area get their full refund and bring money back into the community. This year alone, United Way delivered $2.8 million back into the community through tax refunds.

18,926 Helpline Calls Answered

211 is a free, confidential referral and information helpline and website that connects people of all ages to essential health and human services, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. In 2021, 211 Virginia received 18,926 calls from our service area, helping connect people to critical resources like housing support (5,941 residents), utility assistance (4,085 residents), rental assistance (3,094 residents) and more.

$8.6 Million Invested in Local Nonprofits

United Way is one of the largest nonprofit funding organizations in the region. Our current funding cycle is delivering $8.6 million to drive 74 programs at 54 local nonprofits serving Greater Richmond and Petersburg residents. We support organizations like Housing Families First, which provides emergency shelter and support for families and children experiencing homelessness, and Sacred Heart Center, which offers school readiness programming for Hispanic/Latino families with preschool children. Learn more about the programs we fund and our community investment process.

2,426 Families Receiving United Way Literacy Kits

Throughout the year, United Way collects and assembles Literacy Kits for students in our region. Each kit includes school supplies, an age-appropriate book and information for families to help students improve their literacy skills. This year, 2,426 students and families received United Way Literacy Kits.

We Need Your Help

None of this work would have been possible without support from donors across the region. Please donate today so we can keep helping in 2022 and beyond.

Local Nonprofit, Local Impact.

Click on a locality below to see how we helped your community in 2021.