Support 2021 School Supply Drive

Trident United Way realizes building a strong community means starting early with our kids.
Our Young Leaders United online school supply drive runs now through July 20.

For less than $16, an elementary student can be supplied with a backpack and about 15 essential supplies. The pandemic was tough for many families, so even one backpack can make a big difference.

Summer book drive exceeds goal
Thanks to generous community support, Trident United Way’s African American Leadership Council (AALC) distributed more than 2,000 books for summer reading to St. Stephen and E.B. Ellington Elementary Schools.

AALC surpassed its goal of 2,200 books thanks to community support and dedicated donors. The goal is to avoid the “summer slide, where students tend to lose some of the achievement gains they made during the previous school year.

Pictured: AALC member Sonia Hanson reading to a group of students
Help Wanted: AmeriCorps wants you!
Coming together to help each other out is more important now than ever. Trident United Way administers the AmeriCorps program in the Tri-County and spots are open for the next term.

AmeriCorps members serve at sites where they work with people across the spectrum of need. As Family Navigators, they seek to address economic hardships and provide financial education by leveraging the unique strengths of Trident United Way and our community partners to make a difference in the lives of people. 

If you or someone you know wants to take a year to serve our community and grow in the process, click this link to learn more.

Pictured above & below: AmeriCorps members on a Habitat for Humanity project
Women United Nominations are open
Health




Taking care of mental health in minority communities

July is National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month. The National Alliance on Mental Health reports one in five people experience a mental health condition. In our region, thousands are challenged by mental illness each year. For some minorities, health disparities in mental health treatment exist.
 
Trident United Way’s Health initiative promotes mental health and substance-use resources available on Health Tri-County's Community Resource Hub. Many organizations listed are working together to address the challenges facing local minority communities. 

Visit the Behavioral Health Community Resources on the Healthy Tri-County website.  
Trident United Way - taking the long view

This year has been full of reminders of how valuable Trident United Way's approach remains in taking ‘the long view’ for our community. Our generational and institutional investments in our work make it possible to meet the emerging needs of a community in crisis. The long view combined with our commitment to unite others to improve lives will continue to boost progress made this year – and will be required in the coming years. 

Our community faces a complexity of issues that require input and expertise of Trident United Way. Fortunately for the Tri-County, engaged leaders from every sector in our region remain committed to our shared work by following these themes:

1.    Ours is a very different community today than it was pre-pandemic…not unlike the differences in our community pre and post WWII.
 
2.   Implementing impactful strategies that change the trajectory of our work. 
 
Our work addresses challenges at their root cause now and in the future by focusing on:
  •       Breaking the cycle of poverty
  •       Giving children an equal chance to read by the third grade
  •       Building a healthier community
  •       Meeting our neighbors’ basic needs

How do we do this? By placing opportunities into the hands of all who need it. By creating and maintaining a margin of excellence in providing programs and services that transform lives.

Why do we do this? Because we know that UNITED We Win.
Lead United - sign up for the new class

Trident United Way's Lead United is a comprehensive community leadership and nonprofit board development program. Lead United gives people the necessary skills to serve on a nonprofit board of directors. Experts at Trident United Way and a variety of community partners and nonprofit board members lead the sessions. Lead United will be held in partnership with the Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce.

“I really enjoyed this experience and all of the information, I now have a good understanding of being part of a non-profit board.” - Spring 2021 class member

Click here to register for the fall class, which runs from Sept. 29 to Nov. 3.
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