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Territorial Dispatch

Assist in Helping 1,000's of Local Neighbors

Dec 06, 2023 03:41PM ● By By Bob Harlan, Executive Director, and Robert Bendorf, President of the Board/Yuba-Sutter-Colusa United Way

Thank you so much for your on-going support of our community, including the Yuba-Sutter-Colusa United Way. And, more importantly, for your deep concern for the welfare of the tens of thousands of truly less fortunate residents locally.

Your year-end financial contribution will assist in continuing our locally unique mission.

As we are nearly four years into the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, lives have changed dramatically, as special Federal Government benefits have all but disappeared, and the rise in the cost of living (especially for food and rent) for families on fixed incomes is causing deep pain.

During the past few months, we have witnessed first-hand the growth in homelessness among local residents. We receive many calls regarding potential evictions. Likewise, we are partners with the Yuba-Sutter Food Bank and 20 other food pantries who are seeing a doubling and tripling demand for their services compared to a year ago.

Our highly successful “United Way Born Learning Academy” continues in 2024, providing at-risk families a series of six one-hour classes over a six-week period instructing parents of children of newborn to pre-kindergarten age how to be their child’s first teacher by teaching their child through everyday life experiences and teaching the importance of proper communication. Five million families nationwide have taken this course and we have debuted it in Northern California in 2022! So far, more than 100 families have completed the course. In 2024 we anticipate another 100 families will be served.

During the past year, our office has fielded more than 500 calls from people facing potential homelessness, people who have just become homeless, people who are unable to prepare nutritious meals, people who are facing eviction and people who can’t pay their sharply rising utility bills. Yuba-Sutter-Colusa United Way is a primary resource for accurate information for these individuals to work toward solving their problems.

In addition to the call center services, this past year Yuba-Sutter-Colusa United Way has continued to oversee federal funding for local food and shelter through FEMA in the amount of $102,786; our Community Resource Fair linked 78 organizations with nearly 500 local residents; the 17th annual Turkey Drive raised $21,584 and hundreds of turkeys for 22 local organizations providing food baskets and community holiday dinners to 5,500 residents. Our Summer Cash for Food Drive collected $17,324 for 14 local food pantries and the Yuba-Sutter Food Bank and we provided discount prescription cards and connections to low-cost and no-cost broadband internet to thousands. Please see the enclosed “What We Do” page to learn more about the programs and services we provide to the community.

Our board has spent many hours adopting our new Strategic Plan, “Better Together, 2026.” This plan focuses on a renewed effort to further expand on our scope of work in being a leader in providing services for people in need, in concert with our local 27 non-profit partner agencies. To view our Strategic Plan, please visit our website, www.yscunitedway.org

With your generous tax-deductible donation, we know we will continue to set records in the number of lives we touch locally. We really enjoy our work in being an organization designed to help others as our daily mission!

To make an end of the year donation, donate over the phone by calling our office weekdays at (530) 743-1847. Or, mail a check to Yuba-Sutter-Colusa United Way, P.O. Box 122, Marysville, CA 95901

With your kind continuing support, together we are working to change the lives of tens of thousands of our community’s men, women and children who are experiencing difficult times.