INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana (August 17, 2021)
Volunteers of America Ohio & Indiana will benefit from $375,000 in grant funding from United Way of Central Indiana’s Family Opportunity Fund, which aims to reduce generational poverty in Central Indiana. Volunteers of America Ohio & Indiana is one of 25 community organizations to receive a total of $7.5 million in funding designed to support Boone, Hamilton, Hancock, Hendricks, Marion, Morgan and Putnam counties.
United Way’s Family Opportunity initiative is grounded in the practice of the Two-Generation Approach (2Gen) – combining programs and services in education, workforce development, and mental and physical health to create overall positive outcomes for children and the adults in their lives together. With this investment, United Way estimates that 3,000 families will benefit from integrated services to help them reach their full potential, especially now as the health and economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic linger.
Family Opportunity is rooted in the opportunities for parents to achieve economic mobility for their families, ensure their children have access to high-quality education, and have a voice in their success. One example is Haley, who benefited from Volunteers of America Ohio & Indiana’s Fresh Start Recovery Center as part of the 2Gen program last year. Fresh Start Recovery Center is a family-focused residential substance use disorder treatment program for mothers and their children. Haley reunited with her child, found employment within two weeks of her discharge from Volunteers of America Ohio & Indiana, and remains engaged with her family coach every week.
About Volunteers of America Ohio & Indiana
Volunteers of America is one of the nation’s largest, established comprehensive human services organizations with 16,000 mission-driven professionals, dedicated to helping those in need rebuild their lives and reach their full potential. Founded in 1896, the faith-based nonprofit has programs in 46 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico, and serves more than 1.5 million people a year.
At Volunteers of America Ohio & Indiana, we are dedicated to helping people achieve well-being by offering hope, restoring dignity, and transforming lives, to ensure communities thrive. For 125 years, we have been uplifting individuals, families, and communities including veterans, homeless individuals and families, men and women returning home after incarceration, low-income seniors, and those recovering and healing from addiction. Our work touches the mind, body, heart – and ultimately the spirit – of those we serve, integrating our deep compassion with highly effective programs and services. To learn more about our work, visit www.voaohin.org.
About United Way
United Way of Central Indiana: United Way is a community of donors, advocates, volunteers, and partners who fight for the health, education, and financial stability of every person in every community. United Way invites all members of our community to LIVE UNITED by giving, advocating and volunteering to improve lives in Central Indiana. Visit www.uwci.org to learn more.
Family Opportunity Initiative at United Way
The promise of intergenerational economic mobility lies at the heart of the American dream. Launched in 2019, United Way’s Family Opportunity initiative encompasses research, grantmaking, capacity building, advocacy, literacy programs, thought leadership and the Centers for Working Families to build family well-being to end the cycle of poverty. Last year, the Family Opportunity initiative served more than 6,700 families and youth.