Pikes Peak United Way (PPUW)

Community Investment: In order to make significant change in a community many organizations must work together to support those who are in need. Through the Community Investment/Fund Allocations process, Pikes Peak United Way works with and provides funding to 20 other non-profit agencies that provide services in the areas of education, income, and health. High level volunteers are gathered to perform an annual review of the funded partners and recommendations regarding the agencies and/or programs viability and distribution of funds are presented to the Pikes Peak United Way Board of Directors.

Community Impact: If you ask people in the Pikes Peak region about the state of our community and its goals, you'll hear a wide variety of opinions on what they are and what they should be. The most successful community agendas are those based on shared community aspirations and objectives developed by citizens, not just "expert" opinions and data alone. With that in mind, Pikes Peak United Way continues to listen to the community to understand the vision for our region, and what obstacles we face to achieving those ambitions. Placing value on both expert as well as public knowledge, we will be focusing our efforts on three key areas: education, income and health. These are building blocks of a good quality of life and the pathways to opportunity. A good education paves the way to a career. An adequate income helps ensure healthy families. Good health helps children succeed at school and adults at work. Remove any of these three key elements, and the others collapse. Put them together, and individuals and families and our community as a whole have a strong foundation for success. Special emphasis will be placed on youth success and family stability to ensure that children and families in our region have opportunities for success.

2-1-1 Information and Referral: 2-1-1 is a free, multilingual, easy-to-remember three-digit phone number that serves residents of 12 counties (Alamosa, Conejos, Costilla, Chaffee, Cheyenne, El Paso, Lincoln, Mineral, Park, Rio Grande, Saguache, and Teller), helping those in need navigate the complex and ever-growing maze of health and human service providers in their community. At present, trained information specialists staff the hotline from 8a.m. to 5p.m. Monday through Friday utilizing a comprehensive database of over 2,923 resources including federal, state, and local government agencies, private non-profits, as well as faith and community-based organizations. 2-1-1 Navigators listen and ask questions to help direct people to the right resources and prepare them for their visit. In doing so, 2-1-1 promotes higher assistance success and decreases frustrations. For 2 and half years, 2-1-1 supported our Public Health department during COVID-19 by answering all phone calls, for testing, vaccination, food and financial assistance. 2-1-1 also partners with our local officials especially the Office of Emergency Management to answer calls during disaster response, natural or man-made, such as snowstorms, fires and mass shootings. Last year, Pikes Peak United Way 2-1-1 provided life changing information and referrals to nearly 34,501 individuals and families in crisis.

Colorado Springs Promise: The mission of Colorado Springs Promise is to equip and inspire students to strive for a better future and life after high school by promoting education, family involvement, workforce engagement, and community support. With the right path and opportunity, students can maximize their full potential. If we want to create a better life for all, we must focus more support through programs, partnerships and volunteers on historically marginalized or excluded groups and the under-resourced communities in which they often live. We have provided food through a bi-weekly food distribution to 8,400 families. We have provided a monthly family dinner with resources and education at two schools, serving 840 students and their families. We worked with the schools to address their gaps in support, which led to 30 students getting glasses at no cost, multiple families getting support with clothes, groceries and school and hygiene supplies, 15 high risk students getting mentorship, tutoring support and field trips, and 40 families receiving in depth case management to gain stability and avoid homelessness. We know that childhood is when trajectories are set. They can be changed later but it becomes much more difficult. We strive to meet children and families where they are, provide support and inspiration, and help them shift their trajectories toward a path of great success.

Dolly Parton's Imagination Library: Dolly Parton's Imagination Library promotes early literacy in the home by mailing free, age-appropriate books each month to each registered child, birth to 5 years old. Pikes Peak United Way partners with the Dollywood Foundation to bring this program to El Paso and Teller Counties and is responsible for registration and enrollment as well as funding the cost of the books, postage, and mailing within our region. In 2022, we grew our program to serve 4,000 children through which 48,000 books were sent to children in the Pikes Peak region to begin their home libraries which helps to ensure that children enter kindergarten with necessary early literacy skills and an eagerness to learn.

Family Success Center: The mission of the Family Success Center is to serve families and empower community members to become financially stable, grow, and accomplish their goals. The Family Success Center is a place where community partners join together in one convenient location to remove barriers, such as transportation and childcare. Pikes Peak United Way envisions a place where families and students can achieve their goals by connecting with resources, training, and support.