United Way partners with organizations to address gaps, improve well-being of children, LGBTQ+ youth
Jennifer Swain and the staff at youthSpark saw what could only be described as a “gap in the juvenile court system.” It needed to be addressed. “We have historically worked in the area of child sex trafficking since our beginning in 2000,” Swain, who is Executive Director of youthSpark, says. “Since Georgia’s sex trafficking movement […]
United Way volunteers unite to serve in projects across Greater Atlanta
Mona Sabeti wanted to volunteer in Atlanta during Pride Month. Sabeti’s new to Atlanta — she’s pre-COVID-19 pandemic “new,” but still, not too long before that. So, it hasn’t been the easiest time to connect with volunteer opportunities in Greater Atlanta over the past year. “I wanted to find some time to step away from […]
New United Way fund to provide more resources for LGBTQ+ youth, families
LGBTQ+ youth are at a much greater risk of becoming homeless. Aaron Rice read this in a report from Covenant House released by Chapin Hall of the University of Chicago and it sent a shock to the system. According to True Colors United, LGBTQ+ youth represent 40 percent of all youth experiencing homelessness. As a gay […]
United Way of Greater Atlanta announces more than $2.5M in grants to the Literacy and Justice for All collaborative
May 5, 2021—United Way of Greater Atlanta, through the support of the Joseph B. Whitehead Foundation, today announces grants totaling $2,546,000 have been awarded to organizations forming the Literacy and Justice for All collaborative. The Literacy and Justice for All collaborative will serve as a model for the region in addressing inequities that face far […]
OUT Georgia, United Way of Greater Atlanta Launch LGBTQ+ Impact Fund
ATLANTA, Ga., January 11, 2021 — OUT Georgia Business Alliance and United Way of Greater Atlanta have launched the OUT Georgia Impact Fund to drive a meaningful, measurable, and lasting impact for LGBTQ+ communities across the Greater Atlanta region. The OUT Georgia Impact Fund, powered by United Way of Greater Atlanta, will be guided by a community-led advisory committee to […]
‘We’ve got the same world to live in. We’ve got to shape our collective future.’
In late September, United Way of Greater Atlanta’s Tocqueville Society met for the second edition of its “Coffee & Conversation” series. These interactive, panelist-led dialogues have acted as a meeting ground for Greater Atlanta leaders across aisles of work to discuss the issues most directly affecting our region. This month, Tocqueville Society’s leadership unanimously decided […]
United Way’s YPL, LINC asks ‘How are you?’
George Floyd, a 46-year-old Black man from Minneapolis, died May 25 after being handcuffed and pinned to the ground by a white police officer who held his knee on Floyd’s neck for nearly nine minutes. Floyd’s death was captured on video, shared worldwide, and then set off a global movement of protests that quickly spread […]
United Way, local artist collaborate to help community in time of crisis
Artist Ronnie Land grew up in the wetlands of Jacksonville, Florida, but he said he gravitated toward Atlanta — there was something about its soul that he fell in love with. “I was coming up here and pulling pranks and doing pop-up shows in the mid-80s,” Ronnie, who professionally goes by “R.Land,” says. “I felt […]
‘This is real life for a lot of people’
You’re working a full-time job, and it’s barely enough for you to support your family, but you get by — many times it’s thanks to the support from your neighbors, resources in town, local nonprofits, churches, etc. You’re straggling that line of poverty, but things are OK for now. You have a lot to be […]
Getting an Accurate Count
“If the Census were easy, we wouldn’t have all of y’all here at 8 in the morning,” says Polly McKinney. She acts as advocacy director for Voices for Georgia’s Children. This particular morning, she’s a participant in United Way of Greater Atlanta’s thought leadership breakfast known as the “InForum” series. The InForum series is a […]
