Through hard work, faithful donors and passionate volunteers, United Way of Northwest Louisiana will reinvest more than $1.1 million in local communities. The competitive process awarded grants to programs at 47 nonprofit agencies (some agencies were awarded multiple program grants). All agencies are located within United Way NWLA’s ten parish coverage area.
At an announcement today, company and nonprofit representatives saw their contributions at work. Fifty-eight programs were funded through the grant allocation process for programs in the areas of education, financial stability, health and essential needs. In 2017, more than 800 companies and organizations plus more than 15,000 individual donors participated in United Way’s Workplace Campaign. Through the community’s donations, more than $1.1 million will be reinvested into our communities. This investment is expected to reach more than 100,000 residents living in northwest Louisiana.
The funds raised each year help children, families, elderly, the homeless, the sick, the abused and the neglected. Those in need are helped through various programs including financial counseling, free children’s books, tutoring, mentoring, health screenings, literacy, housing, food assistance, after school programs, and so much more.
One of the newest programs to be funded is United Way’s 2-1-1 help line. The easy-to-remember phone number links people in need to relevant community resources. The confidential line is available 24/7 and connects callers to a live operator. The most common referrals tracked in northwest Louisiana have been for utility, rental and food assistance.
United Way NWLA also presented an outstanding nonprofit with their “Hidden Treasure Award.” Each year the award is given to a nonprofit making an impact that the general public may not be aware of. The 2018 award was received by Family Resources for Education and Empowerment, Inc. also known as F.R.E.E. The nonprofits most popular program is known as School of Greatness where they aim to reach at-risk youth before their high school graduation. The 2017 award was given to Training, Education, and Mediation for Students, otherwise known as T.E.A.M.S.
Below are a list of the agencies receiving grant funding:
- American Red Cross of North Louisiana
- Bossier Arts Council
- Caddo Council on Aging, Inc.
- Campti Community Development Center
- Career Compass of Louisiana
- Catholic Charities of North Louisiana
- Christian Service Program Institute
- City of Natchitoches – Community Programs
- Claiborne Voluntary Council On The Aging, Inc.
- D.A.R.T. (Domestic Abuse Resistance Team)
- Desoto Council on Aging, Inc.
- DeSoto Habilitation Services
- Evergreen Presbyterian Ministries, Inc., dba Evergreen Life Services
- Family Resources For Education and Empowerment
- Gingerbread House Bossier/Caddo Children’s Advocacy Center
- Girl Scouts of Louisiana Pines to the Gulf
- Goodwill Industries of North Louisiana, Inc.
- Heart of Hope Ministries, Inc.
- HOPE Connections, Inc.
- Joe LeBlanc Food Pantry, INC.
- Junior Achievement of North Louisiana, Inc.
- Louisiana Association on Compulsive Gambling
- Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities (LEH)
- Martin Luther King Health Center & Pharmacy
- Natchitoches Parish Council on Aging, Inc.
- Northwest Louisiana Food Bank
- Norwela Council, Boy Scouts of America
- Plant A Seed In Our Youth Foundation Inc.
- Project Reclaim of Minden, Inc.
- Providence House
- Renesting Project, Inc.
- Sabine Council on Aging, Inc.
- Shreveport Bossier Rescue Mission
- St. Luke’s Episcopal Mobile Medical Ministry, Inc.
- The Arc Caddo-Bossier
- The Food Bank of Central Louisiana
- The LSU in Shreveport Foundation, Inc.
- The Philadelphia Center
- The Salvation Army Shreveport Corps
- The Shreveport Bar Foundation
- Training, Education and Mediation for Students (T.E.A.M.S.)
- United Christian Home, Inc.
- United Way of Northwest Louisiana
- Volunteers for Youth Justice
- Volunteers of America of North Louisiana
- Women’s Resource Center
- Youth Enrichment Program (YEP)