United Way for Southeastern Michigan, which mobilizes the caring power of Detroit and Southeastern Michigan to improve communities and individual lives in measurable and lasting ways, has received a grant from Bank of America to promote proactive collaborative care planning, advocacy and policy making at the individual and community levels.
In southeastern Michigan, nearly 40 percent of households struggle to afford their basic needs. United Way works to advance equitable communities where households are stable and children thrive. The 100-plus-year-old nonprofit leverages a network of hundreds of community, corporate, government and nonprofit partners, and thousands of donors, volunteers and advocates, to create positive, measurable and sustainable change in the community.
The $50,000 grant from Bank of America will be used toward expanding United Way’s Connect4Care, an initiative utilizing adaptable technology to remove barriers and increase agency for families. It also generates actionable information to improve ongoing needs across the community.
Vulnerable populations struggle to navigate disjointed systems and efficiently access health care, childcare and basic needs. Through a partnership with Henry Ford Health, United Way built a “closed loop” system by which hospital patients who needed help with food or other basic needs would be connected with services and receive one-to-one assistance through United Way Social Navigators.
Expanding Connect4Care will increase opportunities for data driven community health planning. The goal is to expand closed loop referral capabilities in the emergency food sector by expanding into the City of Detroit and scaling efforts to include a larger group of pantry partners and a more intricate technical platform benefitting every family in the area.
Since launching the program in Southeast Michigan last September, the United Way program has received national attention through participation in the Administration for Community Living’s Social Care Referral Challenge.
“Social determinants like food security, housing security and environmental factors play a major role in long-term health outcomes. The social services sector is constrained in its ability to participate in coordinated care with the healthcare sector and provide proactive, person-centered care across multiple domains of social need,” says Eric Davis, Vice President of Community Impact for United Way. “We appreciate Bank of America’s generous award and continued support of the community.”
The grant is part of Bank of America’s philanthropic giving efforts in local communities. Awardees were selected for their commitment to Economic Mobility addressing basic needs, workforce development and community development.
“Bank of America has a long history of providing meaningful assistance to many organizations across Detroit and Southeastern Michigan,” said Matt Elliott, President, Bank of America Michigan. “We’re pleased to partner with United Way for Southeastern Michigan and provide meaningful support that will assist in improving urgent and long-term basic and health care needs across our communities.”
About United Way for Southeastern Michigan
United Way for Southeastern Michigan, a member of the United Way Worldwide network and an independently governed 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, works to help households become stable and ensure children have the support they need to thrive. For more than 100 years, United Way has been a leader in creating positive, measurable, and sustainable change in communities throughout southeast Michigan. United Way works in partnership with donors, agencies, corporate and municipal partners to help families meet their basic needs of housing, food, health care and family finances, and ensure children start school ready to learn and graduate ready for life. To give, advocate, volunteer or learn more, visit UnitedWaySEM.org.
About Bank of America
At Bank of America, we’re guided by a common purpose to help make financial lives better, through the power of every connection. We’re delivering on this through responsible growth with a focus on our environmental, social and governance (ESG) leadership. ESG is embedded across our eight lines of business and reflects how we help fuel the global economy, build trust and credibility, and represent a company that people want to work for, invest in and do business with. It’s demonstrated in the inclusive and supportive workplace we create for our employees, the responsible products and services we offer our clients, and the impact we make around the world in helping local economies thrive. An important part of this work is forming strong partnerships with nonprofits and advocacy groups, such as community, consumer and environmental organizations, to bring together our collective networks and expertise to achieve greater impact. Learn more at about.bankofamerica.com, and connect with us on Twitter (@BofA_News).
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