At its core, United Way of Jackson County believes people are connected and interdependent. When we reach out a hand to one, we influence the condition of all. We all win when children form healthy attachments through a loving family, when they succeed in school, graduate and make successful transitions to adult responsibilities. We all win when families are financially stable, when people have good health, and when people are engaged and connected.
We all win when people have transportation to pursue education, access medical services and work. Through our role as convener, facilitator and advocate, our goal is to create long-lasting change by addressing the underlying causes of problems. We believe in agility, flexibility and partnership to take advantage of opportunities and respond to our community.
This belief forms the foundation for our strategies for youth opportunities, financial mobility, healthy community and community resiliency.
Investments in local human service agencies through grants, sponsorships, Day of Caring projects and assisting their clients with emergency assistance helps every other person living in Jackson County!
YOUTH OPPORTUNITY
We all win when barriers are removed to create positive pathways to successful adulthood.
Youth opportunities works to remove barriers for parents with young children and for students to succeed in and out of school.
Previously our education work focused on high school graduation.
Big Idea Next came out of the successful Big Idea 100% High School Completion for the Class of 2020. We learned many things – students who were on track to graduate did; students who were borderline graduated too! And students who were not on track, didn’t complete high school on time despite a great deal of effort from schools, community partners and more.
Now retired, Will Young led Big Idea Next by creating meaningful connections at each district in Jackson County.
For more information about Youth Opportunity, contact Leah McLaughlin, Accounting & Program Manager.
Partners in Youth Opportunity Impact
FUNDED PARTNERS
IMPACT PARTNERS
- Jackson County School Districts – Ashland, Butte Falls, Central Point, Medford, Phoenix-Talent, Prospect, Rogue River
- Jackson County Juvenile Justice Advisory Committee
- Jackson County Threat Assessment Committee
- OHSU @ SOU student nurses
- Southern Oregon Early Learning Hub
- Southern Oregon Success
FINANCIAL MOBILITY
Our HOPE Chest initiative means people can receive the emergency help they need to keep moving forward.
Our income goal is to stabilize families and we do this through our Hope Chest emergency relief fund. All assistance is handled with referrals from case managers & social workers plus vendors are paid directly.
We also partner on VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance) preparing tax returns for free for those earning less than $67,000 annually. These folks then receive the income tax credits they earned! Our VITA site brings back hundreds of thousands of dollars helping to build our economy.
Volunteer Income Tax Assistance
For more info, contact Dalia Silva-Moore, Community Impact Director.
Partners in Financial Mobility Impact
FUNDED PARTNERS
- Center for Nonprofit Legal Services
- Community Volunteer Network
- Compass House
- Consumer Credit Counseling Service
- Living Opportunities
- Rogue Retreat
IMPACT PARTNERS
- Single Care Prescription Assistance
- HOPE Chest
- Jackson County Community Long Term Recovery Group/COAD
- Volunteer Income Tax Assistance, (VITA)
- Facilitated Self Assistance, (FSA) partnered with the Teresa McCormick Center.
HEALTHY COMMUNITY
Our efforts to increase compassion and connect people to services is working!
Our healthy community goal is to maximize wellness, knowing that can be different for many people. We invest in suicide prevention and mental wellness, child abuse prevention, healthy living, substance abuse treatment and more.
This year our impact project is leading the Crisis Stabilization Center Planning Process. We have engaged community to create a 23-hour crisis stabilization center, with support from nonprofits, hospitals, law enforcement, and community members. This is a yearlong process.
For more info, contact Bethany Raya, Community Impact Director.
Partners in Healthy Community Impact
FUNDED PARTNERS
- Arc of Jackson County
- Asante Foundation, Transforming Healthcare for People with Mental Illness
- ASH, Inc.
- Ashland Family YMCA
- CASA
- Children’s Advocacy Center
- Community Works
- Food & Friends
- Hope Equestrian Center
- Jackson County SART
- La Clinica
- Living Opportunities
- Max’s Mission
- OnTrack
- Phoenix Counseling Center
- Reclaiming Lives
- Rogue Valley Family YMCA
- Rogue Valley Mentoring
- Southern Oregon Child & Family Council
IMPACT PARTNERS
-
In this Together, suicide prevention and mental wellness public service campaign
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Great Start, Eat Smart, nutrition collaborative
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Mental Health First Aid
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Rogue Valley CAP, Child Abuse Prevention
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Suicide Prevention Coalition
COMMUNITY RESILIENCY
Our Transportation Goal: Remove barriers to transportation for people with disabilities, aging people, and those with low income.
We know getting around is expensive.
We work to make bus stops accessible to people with mobility devices and resolve transportation issues that keep people from accessing groceries.
We’re exploring community gardens, mobile food pantries and ways to get folks to the grocery store.
Our work is focused on promoting multi-modal transportation – walking and biking and reducing single vehicle travel.
For more information or to schedule free travel training, contact Dalia Silva-Moore, Community Impact Director for Transportation. Se habla español
NEW in 2024 – Wheelchair Charging Stations.
United Way of Jackson County is proud to announce wheelchair charging stations! This is free to your business or organization, outside of pennies on the dollar of your power bill. This innovative project could have happened for years and yet, the time is now! George Adams, a disability advocate, asked why there weren’t wheelchair charging stations? And United Way of Jackson County answered the call.
This is, simply put, a “You’re Welcome Here” project.
We have received grants from Pacific Power’s e-mobility project, Siskiyou Outback Runners and a sponsorship from US Bank to help fund the first 100 stations in our county. We’ll provide a bag with a charger, a sign, some information and you’ll be all set! Sign up now and log your station on the website map!
For more information, contact Dee Anne Everson or Dalia Silva-Moore.
Why are wheelchair charging stations so important?
- The US has an aging population with almost 1 in 5 people now over 65 years old. In the United States, we have 3.3 million wheelchair users (1% of the population).
- 1.5 million wheelchair users are under 65.
- Electric wheelchairs have significantly improved and reduced in cost over the past 5 years. This has made them an option for a broader section of our community.
- Battery powered chairs and scooter users can develop range anxiety, reducing their geography out of concern for their battery life.
Request your station today!
Our Disaster Resiliency Goal: To be prepared and interconnected for a rapid response.
Our work on disaster resiliency continues even 5 years after the Almeda and South Obenchain fires. And fires happen often in our area and around our state.
We actively participate with the Jackson County Long Term Recovery Group and have chaired the Unmet Needs Table since it’s inception.
We participate in various new housing development projects and committees to help permanently resettle fire survivors. There is much to be done still around preparedness, response, recovery and resilience.
Partners in Transportation Impact
FUNDED PARTNERS
- Addictions Recovery Center
- Community Volunteer Network
IMPACT PARTNERS
- RVTD
- Translink
- All Ages, All Abilities
