How Local United Way Chapters Are Supporting Disasters including COVID-19
What we’re talking about
The United Way has over 1,100 chapters around the United States supporting needs in local communities. The United Way of the Mohawk Valley serves Oneida and Herkimer Counties in the Utica area of Upstate New York. The agency supports a variety of community programs including food banks, after school programs, job and career programs, tax filing services, and hosting the communities 2-1-1 network.
About the United Way of the Mohawk Valley
United Way of the Mohawk Valley is an independent, volunteer-led, locally governed, non-profit organization that has been serving the people of the Mohawk Valley since 1921.
The Mohawk Valley chapter began as the Utica Community Chest on November 1, 1921. Founding executives included Fredrick T. Proctor, Warnick J. Kernan, and Frank X. Matt. Our United Way addresses the root causes of key issues, is accountable for stewardship of resources, and is accountable for short-term and long-term results. We partner with community volunteers to best serve the Mohawk Valley with the Board of Directors and several committees made up entirely of local volunteer experts and professionals.
The United Way of the Mohawk Valley is one of the community’s largest nonprofits, funding dozens of local programs and initiatives. They work with funding partners to ensure outcomes are being met and impact is being made. Through their Strategic Investment process, United Way carefully analyzes local needs, as well as social and economic changes in the community before thoroughly reviewing the agency’s request for support. This process allows the agency to make tough, yet smart, goal-oriented decisions regarding the region’s most critical needs. To be considered for United Way funding, each program must meet a number of important standards, including but not limited to the following; the agency must provide a human care service that meets an important need in the community, be governed by a board of volunteers, be legally recognized as a not-for-profit organization, comply with New York State (not-for-profit) audit guidelines, and operate at a reasonable cost.
Topics Covered
- The United Way of the Mohawk Valley serves communities of all sizes and demographic makeup in Oneida and Herkimer Counties in Upstate New York.
- The organization has raised over $1 million dollars in a special COVID-19 fund to support the community’s needs during the pandemic.
- The organization is expanding its services to provide fresh food for families who need additional support from being out of work or experiencing a change in wages, children being home from school more, and other impacts of the pandemic.
- The United Way’s 2-1-1 system can be expanded in a disaster to provide a text response service to help in providing feedback from the public who may need assistance immediately following a disaster.
- In late October – early November of 2019, heavy rainfall caused significant flooding in the Utica area. The United Way of the Mohawk Valley played a crucial role in providing support to those impacted by the floods. As a member of the Herkimer-Oneida Organizations Active in Disasters (HOOAD), the United Way engaged those impacted through use of the 2-1-1 network.
- In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the United Way established a COVID-19 Fund in partnership with Community Foundation of Oneida and Herkimer Counites. Approximately $1 million was raised to purchase life-saving medical equipment, essential PPE, and cleaning supplies, increased access to food, offer technology support, and more. The Rising Phoenix Holdings Corporation provided donations to this fund. About 100,000 masks have been distributed to residents and organizations in need since March.
- The United Way has created a Take and Make Meal Box campaign designed to provide meals for those impacted from the COVID pandemic. The program is being funded by a grant from the City of Utica and will support the distribution of over 4,500 boxes of food and supplies and hundreds of grocery store gift cards.
Additional Information:
- Learn more about the United Way of the Mohawk Valley
- To learn about the United Way’s Make and Take food box campaign, visit: https://www.unitedwaymv.org/uticafood
- To Donate to the United Way of the Mohawk Valley, visit unitedwaymv.org/donate
Transcript
(0:02 – 0:28)
In this episode of Disaster Recovery Roundtable, we continue our series on how the United Way supports communities in need, especially during times of disasters, including supporting the response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Our guests are from the United Way of the Mohawk Valley in upstate New York. This is the Disaster Recovery Roundtable, a platform to explore, engage, and educate the emergency management community.
(0:29 – 0:58)
Our topics are timely and relevant, intended to promote the exchange of ideas and best practices. Here’s your host, Greg Paget. The U.S. operation of the United Way worldwide is supported by over 1,100 chapters spread across the United States, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. territories, including the local United Way in upstate New York near Utica, which is also home to the Rising Phoenix Holdings Corporation, parent company of the Tidal Basin Group.
(0:59 – 1:13)
Our guests in this episode are from the United Way of the Mohawk Valley. Welcome to the show, Erin Gutierrez-Matt, CEO of the United Way of Mohawk Valley, and Betty-Joan Beaudry, Director of Community Impact and 2-1-1. Welcome, ladies.
(1:13 – 1:16)
Good morning. Thanks for having us. Great to be with you.
(1:16 – 1:43)
Erin, let’s start with you, if you can, and provide our listeners a little bit of background, where the Mohawk Valley is, and then what counties and communities you serve by your agency, and what’s unique about your chapter compared to maybe other United Ways. So the Mohawk Valley is located in upstate central New York. So we are about halfway between Albany, the capital of New York State, and Syracuse to the west.
(1:44 – 1:59)
And our United Way serves a geographic region that comprises of two counties, Oneida and Herkimer Counties. A little bit about our area. So our United Way has been operating in this area for almost 100 years.
(2:00 – 2:24)
So we have long been established as a pillar of support in the community. And we have a unique geographic region in that we have lots of rural communities in our footprint, but we also have a few small cities like Utica and Rome. So we really do have a very diverse landscape of communities that we serve.
(2:24 – 2:47)
And this year has been the year of the unknowns with all things that we’ve experienced. People have luckily been turning to organizations like the United Way more than ever before. In our previous segment we heard from Suzanne McCormick from United Way Worldwide, and she shared with us the great things that the organization has been doing from a national level to support COVID-19 in their communities.
(2:47 – 3:35)
What are some things that you guys have been doing there locally in Mohawk Valley with COVID-19? So like you said, this really has been an unprecedented year of twists and turns. But some of the ways that we’ve provided support to our community, the first example I’ll highlight, looking at other regional examples of doing this, we established a joint fund with our local community foundation to raise funds to support unique needs that were coming out of the impact of the pandemic on nonprofits in our community. And so through that joint fundraising effort, we raised over a million dollars, which was used to purchase PPE supplies, medical equipment, cleaning supplies.
(3:35 – 4:20)
It also enabled increased access to food and technology that local nonprofits were facing an increased need around. So that’s one of the key areas where we feel like we made an immediate impact by reacting quickly and establishing a nimble and novel solution to try to get increased resources to really the organizations that needed it most in terms of meeting the unmet needs of our community. One of the other ways that we’ve also responded to the COVID-19 crisis is using our partnerships to access supplies of PPE.
(4:21 – 4:51)
And so we, by the end of this year, we’ll have distributed almost a hundred thousand masks throughout the community to our nonprofit partners, to individuals. And so we know that that was one thing that came up as, you know, I mean, again, this is a new, this is a new scenario that as a country we haven’t faced before. And so looking to get those supplies into the hands of folks who might not otherwise have access to them, that was something that was important to us.
(4:52 – 5:30)
And the third example I’ll give is a partnership with the city of Utica funded by a grant to address the increased need of food that our community is seeing. And so we are launching a take and make meal box program, which will ultimately put 4,500 boxes of food, including fresh food products to those in our community, in addition to grocery store gift cards. And we’ve utilized our 2-1-1 texting platform to enable folks to register for this program in advance.
(5:30 – 6:11)
So there’s a couple of different pieces of technology that we’re using there to enable an innovative way to get fresh food to families who are looking at an increased need around their table. Out of all the services that you guys have been supporting and providing, what would you say has been the greatest need of the community? So from everything we’re seeing, and you just heard me talk a little bit about how we’re responding to the increased need in food. But I would say that access to food is certainly something that our community has not been immune to.
(6:11 – 6:34)
That’s certainly the trend nationally, that an increased need for food based on changes in families’ wages. So whether that was directly tied to employment or simply children who have been home more because of the remote schooling situation. So we know that there is certainly increased need around food.
(6:35 – 7:08)
We know that housing and homelessness, we know that that is an issue that our region is working really hard to put supports in place of. And this crisis has really illuminated what is already an existing need, but we know that those needs are increasing. During the early days of the pandemic, as you know, there were measures put in place to decrease the number of evictions or to prevent evictions from happening.
(7:08 – 7:34)
But we know that it is a very fine line for someone who is living paycheck to paycheck, who might be close to losing their housing. So we know that there are lots of issues around housing and homelessness that have just really been magnified by this crisis. I know a big part of what you guys do is work with clients face to face, but obviously during a pandemic, that’s difficult to do.
(7:34 – 8:25)
How has COVID impacted the delivery of some of your services and how have you guys mitigated around those challenges? Well, one example I will give, the kindergarten readiness program that we run across two counties in almost a dozen elementary school districts. So in the early days of the pandemic, when the schools were shut down, and families were really trying to figure out how to navigate that, the program is all about supporting families in a way that enables early childhood success. So we know for our earliest learners, there are a plethora of issues in the home and in the community that can impact their readiness for kindergarten.
(8:25 – 8:59)
And so one of the great things about this program that we were able to continue and to employ, we’re still connecting with families. So whether those were virtual connections, our family school navigators, the folks who are in those direct service roles in the school districts, we’re able to maintain contact with families throughout the pandemic. And as we’ve been able to kind of safely re-instill meeting with families in person, outside, with masks, of course, this is our new normal.
(9:00 – 9:34)
We’ve really been able to drive continuity of that support, making sure that families with our youngest learners are set up for success and still have access to all of the supports that they need in the community to make their relationship with early childhood education a positive one. So that’s one of the ways that we’ve responded is really to figure out creative ways of still being able to deliver that connection and support to families. When we come back, we’ll hear more about the services of many local United Ways, including the widely used 211 system.
(9:34 – 9:55)
In times of disasters, it’s proven its value in supporting local emergency management. But first, let’s hear more about how the United Way of Mohawk Valley has helped residents of Oneida and Harcumar counties. What people in the community can do to really make an impact is to look at all the services and initiatives provided by United Way and give.
(9:55 – 10:07)
The good that it can do is so incredible. It’s about being united, regardless of perfection or needs. Everybody’s just trying to make their way.
(10:07 – 10:25)
And if you help them make their way a little better, it makes it easier on us all. The most important thing that we can provide our children with is L-O-V-E. And it’s love, opportunity, values, and education.
(10:26 – 10:42)
And I think these are the things that I fight for is making sure not only my child, but that every child gets that L-O-V-E. I fight for people to be able to create and live the lives they want. I fight for every kid that needs a voice.
(10:43 – 11:02)
I fight for keeping families together. I fight and we fight to empower our community. You’re listening to Disaster Recovery Roundtable, available on your favorite podcast provider and on our website at tidalbasingroup.com. And now, back to your host, Greg Paget.
(11:02 – 11:15)
And welcome back. We are joined by the United Way of the Mohawk Valley near Utica, New York, supporting Oneida and Herkimer Counties in the upstate. And before the break, we heard about many of the programs provided by this and other local United Way chapters.
(11:15 – 11:40)
But it’s really in times of disasters that many United Ways step up to the plate to support response and recovery efforts, including expanding the use of local 211 systems to help provide information to the public. For example, around this time last year, in the fall of 2019, there was significant flooding in central upstate New York that lasted several days. The United Way, along with local community partners, supported the response and recovery from those floods.
(11:40 – 12:03)
Betty Joan Beaudry is Director of Community Impact and 2-1-1 for the local United Way chapter of the Mohawk Valley. Betty, how does the local community impact program and the 2-1-1 system support the community? So 2-1-1 is an information and referral service that connects people with health and human services in their community. It’s built on a locally created database.
(12:04 – 12:53)
So it’s a database of local resources of government, nonprofit agencies, and other entities that can provide really critical services to individuals at a time of need. And that includes certainly the everyday, but really importantly, it often for 2-1-1 involves responding to disasters. And it involves taking those non-emergent but still critical calls and shifting them away from 9-1-1 and other emergency management government responses to a system that very quickly connects folks to those resources.
(12:53 – 13:39)
In the instance of our October 31st, 2019 flooding, what that meant for the Mohawk Valley was that 2-1-1, which usually is confidential and usually we’re not gathering information about the callers, we began immediately with the flood to take information on callers. Because as a disaster unfolds, when that happens, the resources that that community is going to need ultimately to recover from that disaster typically are not in place. Those are resources that are deployed based on the scope of what happens with any disaster.
(13:39 – 14:22)
So in this instance, 2-1-1 shifts to collecting information so that we’re able to reach back out to individuals who are calling in with concerns. And one of the ways that becomes really critical about that is that there are many resources that only deploy when there is a damage assessment that reaches a ceiling that makes it clear that that’s going to be necessary, that that resource is going to need to be deployed. And so that was very much the instance of what happened on the weekend of October 31st, 2019.
(14:24 – 14:50)
When you utilize a 2-1-1 to support those needs during a disaster, do you communicate what’s coming through into the 2-1-1 system with the local emergency management? How is that relationship? How does all that work? Because there’s obviously some situational awareness or visibility on what the greatest and urgent needs might be as the disaster is unfolding. Absolutely. So we do work very closely with emergency management in these kinds of instances.
(14:51 – 15:00)
We’re communicating to them what we’re hearing. We’re sharing information back and forth. We do what’s called warm transfers.
(15:00 – 15:38)
So if it is a call that 2-1-1 receives that really does belong with 9-1-1 and requires an emergency response, then we can warm transfer, meaning we can introduce the call in a transfer to a 9-1-1 center. And similarly, 9-1-1 can warm transfer a call that really is not appropriate for them to be dealing with to a 2-1-1. In addition to that, we also work within a framework that is a framework of a community organization’s active in disaster.
(15:38 – 16:06)
So for the Mohawk Valley, that is our WHOAD, which is Herkimer Oneida Organization’s Active in Disaster. But WHOAD is basically a community action, a community organization active in disaster. A component which models the national principles of cooperation, coordination, communication, and collaboration.
(16:07 – 16:47)
And so emergency management is always a piece of that. It’s always a piece of any COAD that exists coordinating with other organizations, other nonprofits in the community, how to respond in the event of a disaster. Is there a surge capacity with the 2-1-1 system like during a disaster where you can bring more people in to help answer calls, or is it kind of maxed out with just so many lines that you have to work with? No, actually, we have agreements in place within our network so that we can back each other up as contact centers.
(16:48 – 17:14)
You know, the technology, the phone telephony makes that possible, and so we are able to do that. We’re also able to deploy some other interesting tools. So, for instance, in the instance of the October 31st flooding, we deployed a text access so that individuals could self-report, both on our website and through text.
(17:14 – 17:47)
They could self-report the level of damage that they were experiencing in their homes. And, again, why that was critical was there are volunteer disaster response teams that are able to deploy if you can make the case that it is necessary to have that resource in your community. And, you know, we’re very thankful that we had assistance for this disaster from those teams.
(17:48 – 18:03)
They come. They do marvelous work. They remove mud and water from basements and just help residents begin to feel some sense of normalcy and some kind of immediate assistance.
(18:03 – 18:28)
So that’s making the case that that kind of need is necessary to those nationally deployed volunteer teams is a great role for 211. Was there a lot of intake or calls during COVID? Do you see the number higher than what you would see in a normal year? Absolutely. Absolutely.
(18:28 – 18:59)
It is our numbers have exceeded. I believe in New York State we are at about 160% higher call volume from 2019 to 2020. Just in terms of that, there are both in terms of calls, chats to our contact centers, and texts to our contact centers have skyrocketed with COVID.
(19:00 – 19:46)
Calls are also much longer during COVID because the problems that folks are balancing and attempting to solve are much more complex. A lot of questions around financial stability with decreased wages and, as Erin mentioned, still rent as a constant or housing expenses as a constant. Really what we’re seeing is more and more people who have not perhaps ever experienced this in their life needing to call and get some assistance and need some help just navigating what the services are and how to improve their situation.
(19:46 – 20:05)
The great thing about 2-1-1 is that they can do that confidentially, and within New York State they can do that confidentially 24-7. Really, if they wanted to reach United Way, a great way for them to do that is just to call 2-1-1? Absolutely. Absolutely, it is.
(20:05 – 20:24)
It’s the quickest way to get connected to the resources in the community. We put a lot of effort into ensuring that our database is up to date. It’s up to date with the most key resources that will be needed by individuals in our community.
(20:26 – 20:50)
That’s a much higher standard than any kind of print directory that people are used to. It’s a much more fluid way to get and navigate through that help that you need. If you are trying to solve a problem and you Google it, you can end up with resources that aren’t in your area.
(20:50 – 21:21)
You can end up really kind of down a rabbit hole. But if you talk to a 2-1-1 contact center staff person, then they’re helping you solve a problem, and they do this all day. They’re great in terms of thinking of things that at this point of your stress and what you’re dealing with, you just may be unable to think through in a way that gets you to a great resolution to your problem.
(21:21 – 21:47)
It sounds like some great resources are out there for the community during this time of COVID. It’s not going away anytime soon, and really for both of you, both you and Erin, this is the time that you guys can shine for communities. I guess this is why it’s so important for people if they’re looking for places to spend their donations and dollars, that you guys can definitely benefit from those donations.
(21:47 – 22:27)
How can people help? What’s the best way to donate for United Way? Donating to United Way really allows us to continue to offer these critical supports to our communities and build on them and make them better. The ways in which to give that are easiest for folks that we find, you can give directly on our website. If there is a local partnership with your United Way in terms of perhaps the company where you work or a longstanding relationship that you might have with your local United Way.
(22:28 – 23:05)
The one other thing I wanted to mention that I think is a really valuable way for individuals to make a connection with United Way and subsequently make an impact in their immediate community. A good example of that in our region is our Volunteers United platform. While, of course, monetary donations really do help us to maintain the level of service that we provide to our community, there is certainly value in connecting resources that our Volunteers United platform enables us to do.
(23:05 – 23:41)
That platform connects individuals who want to volunteer their time with opportunities created by our local nonprofit network. That platform is able to drive even more value than we were doing previously because it makes the process really efficient of creating the opportunities. Any nonprofit who is creating a volunteer opportunity, and we know that we’ve talked a little bit about in this segment the increased needs that our nonprofit network is seeing.
(23:41 – 24:16)
That means that they’re working overtime to deliver the supports and services to our community to make sure that people are okay. Many of those organizations are very much powered by volunteers. In terms of an increased need in the community that we are trying to help solve for, launching this Volunteers United platform has enabled us to do that because we’re putting tools in the hands of nonprofit agencies to recruit and manage their volunteers that essentially power their business.
(24:17 – 24:38)
That’s another great way for people to make an impact above and beyond making a monetary donation is donating their time and their commitment to supporting nonprofits in our area. That’s so important. I believe that’s so important this year with everything that’s been going on.
(24:38 – 25:01)
A lot of companies provide those volunteer days where they allow employees within the company to take eight hours and get compensated for it to go and volunteer locally in their community. That’s a great way to do that. We really appreciate all the information, Aaron and Betty, that you’ve shared with us about how the local United Way really works in the community and supports the community.
(25:02 – 25:20)
We hope folks will consider giving a donation to support the United Way as it really does need those funds as we continue to deal with COVID-19 and any other disaster that may come. 2020 is not over yet, and it’s been the year of disasters, unfortunately. Ladies, thank you so much for being part of Disaster Recovery Roundtable.
(25:20 – 25:29)
Thank you, Greg. Thanks so much, Greg. You’ve been listening to Disaster Recovery Roundtable, a platform to explore, engage, and educate.
(25:30 – 25:46)
For more information on this episode, visit our podcast page at tidalbasinggroup.com. You can download previous podcasts, learn more about the programs we discussed, and suggest a topic for a future episode. You can also find us on your favorite podcast provider. This has been a Tidal Basin production.
(25:47 – 25:47)
Thanks for listening.