Throughout the current campaign, we continue to learn how great things happen when we live united. United Way of Story County (UWSC) focuses on education, income and health – the building blocks for a good quality of life – and the community is coming together to help advance the common good in these areas.
In addition to investing in core programs through partner agencies, UWSC offers the opportunity for human service agencies in Story County to apply for grant funding. When funding is available (which may come from such sources as campaign donations directed to education, income or health, income from the UWSC Endowment or the annual budget, or from Golf Fore Kids), the UWSC Allocations Committee will review applications before presenting recommendations to the UWSC Board of Directors. The awarded grants must support unanticipated, emerging or other under-funded needs.
Earlier this summer, UWSC awarded Community Impact Grants to support projects on a larger scale than the monthly grant applications. Applicants were asked to demonstrate how their programs impact the community and people served in the areas of education, income and health. In July, the UWSC Board of Directors voted to allocate more than $114,000 total to seven programs.
For the next several weeks, this column is highlighting all seven Community Impact Grant recipients as a way to share the good work of local agencies and, at the same time, fill you in on other opportunities UWSC provides beyond the traditional campaign and funding model.
The Board voted to allocate an $8,651 grant to Friendship Ark Homes to help get Community Services up and running to benefit those in the community with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
There are many changes happening around the state in regards to services for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. In 2014, the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services released “The Final Rule” for Home and Community Based Services (HCBS). The rule is meant to assist states in ensuring HCBS services are following federal guidelines.
One of the major impacts of The Final Rule is that programs are supposed to be working towards community integration and away from segregated programs for both vocational and day habilitation programs. Currently, many clients whom Friendship Ark Homes serves receive day habilitation services from two other programs in the community. With federal, state and local changes, these organizations have had to do some restructuring of programs, which has resulted in many Friendship Ark Homes clients losing days of attendance in those programs.
Therefore, Friendship Ark Homes is developing new services to complement existing programs and adding additional opportunities for people with intellectual disabilities to become more involved in their community through a community-based (rather than facility-based) day habilitation program.
Specifically, with the help of this grant, Friendship Ark Homes will start two new services for adults with intellectual/developmental disabilities so that they may increase their skills and independence and become active members of their community – hourly supported community living and day habilitation.
These services clearly align with United Way’s community impact focus on health, providing affordable/accessible essential services for healthy lives for people in Story County who have an intellectual or developmental disability.
It can also be noted that, just as in the ASSET process, outcomes are important to UWSC in the grant process as well. After UWSC has received a signed agreement from Friendship Ark Homes, or any other agency, the grant payment is made. A report on the status of the program and use of funds is required from the agency six months after the initial grant date. Thus, the UWSC grant process ensures investments are not only needed but also spent effectively.
The momentum is building, and we’re excited to share the collective good work. We invite you join us and see that great things happen when we live united. You can give, you can advocate and you can volunteer.