Strengthening Individuals and Families 

STRENGTHENING INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES

UNITED WAY IMPACT

Crime, domestic violence, substance abuse and family breakdown can be linked to unemployment and economic stress. United Way helps families gain essential life skills and promotes healthy child  development through literacy programs, education, programs that foster parent-child engagement and other efforts. United Way also helps senior adults find social support and participate in programs that allow them to maintain independence.

Our latest work includes: Establishing and growing Family Resource Centers as one-stop locations where families gain access to a network of vital services. Sites in Albany, Cobleskill, Mechanicville, Schenectady and Troy offer support in pre-natal education, early learning, substance abuse prevention, overcoming barriers to securing family services and more. Supporting a network of agencies, senior citizens and their caregivers to ensure that older adults can maintain their dignity, independence and overall wellbeing - through transportation, education about long-term care, volunteer opportunities and access to United Way 2-1-1.  10,939 families took critical steps to use counseling and case management services and gain education and prevention skills leading to healthy relationships and strong families. 7,359 children and youth participated in day care, after-school programs or summer camp services that prepared students to achieve in school and in life. 3,536 senior citizens and their caregivers learned skills and accessed services that helped seniors maintain their independence and wellbeing.

United Way of the Greater Capital Region helps families gain essential life skills and promotes healthy child development and school readiness through literacy initiatives, education, programs that foster parent-child engagement and other work. United Way also helps senior adults find social support and participate in programs that allow them to maintain independence.

United Way started the Family Support Network in 2001. Its mission is to strengthen families and improve community outcomes by building capacity, resources and supports. The building blocks of United Way’s Family Support Network are the United Way Family Resource Centers. The resource centers are places for families, particularly those who are low to moderate income, to come for a variety of support, services and skill development.

Your investment at work, ADVANCING THE COMMON GOOD

Saying 'no' to gangs: After dropping out of school and getting involved with a gang, “Raphael” moved in with a relative in Albany. He hoped to make a fresh start, but his status as a newcomer drew an attack from a neighborhood group. He sought protection the only way he knew how – by joining another gang. One day, Raphael came to the Boys and Girls Clubs of Albany’s United Way-funded After School Program looking for work. He learned he could earn money keeping score and selling refreshments at games, as long as he attended a teen program. Raphael eventually joined a basketball team and the chess club. Participation required players to show school progress reports. When Raphael failed to produce his progress report, his coach learned that he struggled to read and wasn’t in school. The coach helped Raphael enroll in school where he received a tutor. Instead of joining a gang, he stayed active in his after-school program.

Family Support Network

The Family Support Network began in 2001 when United Way saw the importance of collaborative efforts to serve high need families in non-traditional ways. Today the Family Support Network has 50 participating not-for-profit and public agencies, and is co-chaired by United Way of the Greater Capital Region and Dean Katharine Briar-Lawson from SUNY Albany School of Social Welfare.   

Family Resource Centers

United Way Family Resource Centers work to create lasting change in families to improve the quality of life in our community. There are 13 Family Resource Centers in the Capital Region:

Albany County:
Arbor Hill Community Center
Arbor Park Child Care Center
Centro Civico Hispano-Americano
Family and Children’s Services of the Capital Region Family Resource Center
Giffen Memorial Elementary School
Hilltowns Community Resource Center of Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Albany
Philip A. Schuyler Achievement Academy
Sheridan Preparatory Academy
Trinity Institution – Homer Perkins Center
Rensselaer County:
Unity House
Saratoga County:
Mechanicville Area Community Services Center
Schenectady County:
Schenectady County Community Action Program
Schoharie County:
Schoharie Community Action Program  

The Family Resource Centers reach out to the community to strengthen families through five key program areas:

1) Economic Independence

Families are encouraged to build their financial assets to lift them out of poverty through a variety of programs. The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program not only prepares income taxes free of cost, but also carefully screens each tax payer for tax credits in order to increase their returns. Taxpayers are also encouraged to take part in financial education workshops. 

2) Case Assessment

Families are provided the supports they need for healthy development and well-being. Those who utilize the resource centers are given a general assessment to determine if there are needs for additional supports and services. When appropriate, families are provided with information and referrals to services within the resource center or in the community to best address their needs. This is a means of keeping families strong, supported and together.

3) Time Dollar

Time Dollar is a national program model that empowers communities, encourages volunteerism, and makes neighborhoods stronger. Time Dollar participants give their personal time to help others as well as to projects that rebuild their neighborhood in exchange for goods and services offered by other participants. Communities with thriving Time Dollar programs have strong collaborations between community businesses, agencies, non-profits and individuals.

4) Family Team Conferencing

Family Team Conferencing benefits the families and the community by preventing removal of a child or children from a home, matching the family to appropriate services, identifying kinship placements, increasing the capacity of families to overcome barriers and creating a long lasting system of support for families. Family Team Conferencing does this by bringing together family members, friends, community specialists and other interested people for the purpose of creating a plan to move the family beyond their presenting crisis, and to assure their future well-being. 

5) Born Learning/Success by Six

Born Learning is a multi-tiered strategy that includes community awareness and information, and targeted outreach and education. United Way’s Born Learning program creates opportunity for success by ensuring that every child is emotionally, socially and academically ready for kindergarten. Families, parents and caregivers throughout the Capital Region have access to education and resources to promote their children’s cognitive, social and emotional development.