United Way NCA Awards $244,000 in Community Impact Grants to Montgomery County Nonprofits

United Way of the National Capital Area announced Tuesday that it is awarding 26 grants totaling $244,453 to 23 member organizations serving Montgomery County.

The funds came through designations to the Montgomery County Community Impact Fund in United Way NCA’s annual workplace giving campaign. Each of the grants directly addresses United Way NCA’s focus areas of education, health and financial stability. In total, nearly $1.65 million was raised through Community Impact Funds in United Way NCA’s eight regions thanks to the support of employees from over 800 workplaces with more than 3,000 locations throughout the Washington region.

The Montgomery County grantees are:

• CASA de Maryland, Inc.
• Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Washington.
• Child Center and Adult Services, Inc.
• College Tracks, Inc.
• Community Ministries of Rockville.
• Crossway Community, Inc.
• Family Services, Inc.
• Habitat for Humanity Montgomery County.
• Interfaith Works.
• Jewish Community Center of Greater Washington.
• Literacy Council of Montgomery County, MD, Inc.
• Lutheran Social Services.
• Mental Health Association of Montgomery County.
• Mobile Medical Care.
• National Capital Poison Center.
• Neediest Kids.
• Planned Parenthood of Metropolitan Washington.
• Prevention of Blindness Society of Metropolitan Washington.
• ReSET.
• St. Luke’s House.
• The Senior Connection.
• Woodworkers for Children Charity, Inc.
• WUMCO Help.

St. Luke’s House and Threshold Services United Inc., will apply its grant funding to its Career Academic and Psych-Rehab Services (CAPS) program, which helps youth with serious mental illness develop the skills necessary for independent living.

“The grant from the United Way is essential to expanding CAPS, particularly as we transition this program into a sustainable funding model,” said Mark Foraker, grants manager for United Way. "CAPS, and programs like it, decrease the likelihood that youth with serious mental illness will face incarceration, psychiatric hospitalization and cyclical homelessness while increasing these individuals’ success as they transition into adulthood and the adult mental health system.”

Community Ministries of Rockville received two grants, which will be used to help fund the Mansfield Kaseman Health Clinic, which provides health care and health care education to low-income uninsured adult residents of Montgomery County, and the Latino Outreach Program, a family-based program which offers literacy and language classes as well as a citizenship program to recent immigrants.

“Not only has United Way supported our clinic's efforts through the award of community impact funds,” said Community Ministries Director of Development Lynn Arndt, “but in the true spirit of partnership, the United Way hosted a free health fair at the clinic which focused on the health care needs of diabetics living in our community.”

Each year, United Way NCA solicits funding proposals from its member nonprofit organizations for specific programs and work in these communities. This year, Montgomery County member organizations submitted 111 proposals totaling $2,233,654. Funding decisions are made by a volunteer, citizen-led task force that works together with area nonprofits, governments, and business leaders to determine where there are gaps in services and where the funds will do the most good.

Ruthann Arnsberger, a now-retired Silver Spring resident who has served on the Montgomery County Community Impact Grant selection committee for a handful of years, was pleased to again donate her time and bring her community knowledge and career experience in finance and budgeting to the selection process. “I’m so proud to live in a county where so much is given,” said Arnsberger. “Donors should know that their money is being very carefully allocated to where it will make the greatest impact.”

“The generous contributions from the Montgomery County community, the teamwork of the selection committee volunteers, and the localized, collective power of the Community Impact Fund showcase what Living United is all about,” said Bill Hanbury, President and CEO, United Way NCA.

All donors to United Way of the National Capital Area have the option of directing their pledge to the Community Impact Fund in one of United Way NCA’s eight regions including Alexandria, Arlington, District of Columbia, Fairfax/Falls Church, Loudoun, Montgomery, Prince George’s and Prince William counties. These funds help United Way solve critical challenges facing its communities that no one person, nonprofit, or company can address alone.

Region wide, United Way NCA awarded a total of 154 grants to more than 120 member organizations. All of the grants awarded fall in one of United Way NCA’s three community impact areas of Education, Financial Stability and Health. There were 50 programs funded in Education, 56 in Health and 48 in Financial Stability. In total, United Way NCA raises more than $30 million each year to address the needs of the community, and in the past five years has raised and dispersed more than $122 million across the greater Washington region.

About United Way of the National Capital Area

Focusing on the critical areas of education, financial stability and health, United Way of the National Capital Area and its nonprofit members not only provide immediate relief of social problems affecting the community, but also works to alleviate the underlying causes of these issues. Serving the District of Columbia, Northern Virginia, and Montgomery and Prince George’s Counties for more than 35 years, United Way of the National Capital Area works to inspire acts of caring, deliver hope and improve lives. For more information about United Way of the National Capital Area, visit www.unitedwaynca.org.