Thank you for signing up to Stand Up for Your Community Challenge!

Each day this week, you will receive an email covering all of the different focus areas, and programs that United Way of Bay County offers to benefit Bay County residents, and our community as a whole!

Stay tuned to see how you can Stand Up for Bay County,

and become an advocate for United Way!

What does United Way of Bay County Even Do?

An Overview:

At United Way of Bay County, we believe that everyone deserves the opportunity to thrive—to live in a community where youth opportunity, a health community, and financial security are within reach for all. Every day, we work to make that vision a reality by partnering with local organizations, mobilizing volunteers, and investing in programs that address our community’s most pressing needs.

From the Back 2 School program, to early literacy and after school programs, United Way is committed to helping children succeed from start.

In 2025 alone, over 1,068 students received a brand new outfit, undergarments, shoes and essential school supplies through the Barbara and Gary Bosco Back 2 School Program, helping them walk into the classroom feeling confident, and ready to learn!

United Way connects individuals and families to vital health resources, including mental health support, wellness programs, and access to care. United Way of Bay County funds 8 critical programs that focus on improving the health of our community members, young and old. From funding programs like Big Brothers Big Sisters Community Based Mentoring program, to the Bay Area Women's Center's Domestic Violence Services, we cover a wide variety of health needs, with the main goal of helping improve Bay County residents lives, one service at a time.

Financial Security can mean many things. It can mean having a stable job to go back to every day. It can also mean having stable food resources, or providing safe housing. We are proud to help fund 7 programs such as the "Busting Barriers to Employment" program through DO-ALL, YWCA's Womens Economic Empowerment Program, and many more through our impact partners. We also have our own financial security programs like our VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance) program, which helped over 1,000 local residents file over $1.2 million in tax returns, putting critical dollars back into the hands of hardworking families in 2025.

We also provided $33,582 in funds to ALICE families facing urgent financial crises through our United Way ALICE fund in 2024 alone.

We don’t do this work alone. Through our collective impact model, we fund and collaborate with 19 local organizations running 24 programs that align with our three pillars: Youth Opportunity, a Healthy Community, and Financial Security. By working together, we ensure that no one falls through the cracks.

In Bay County, nearly 42% of families struggle to meet basic needs, with many falling into the ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) category. United Way of Bay County is here to bridge those gaps—not with band-aid solutions, but with long-term, community-driven change.

Whether you give, advocate, or volunteer, your support fuels this mission.

When you stand up for your community, you stand with United Way of Bay County

and together, we can create a stronger, more equitable Bay County for all.

LIVE UNITED.

STAND UP FOR BAY COUNTY.