United Way of Colquitt County

The mission of the United Way of Colquitt County,Inc. is to organize,coordinate,and maximize the resources available to our diverse community and to improve the quality of life. In 2022,the United Way of Colquitt County, Inc. provided over $507,936 in grants to 23 Human Service agencies by funding 40 programs serving more than 21,193 individuals in Colquitt County. In 2022, we celebrated our 25th annual Day of Action. This Day of Action is another annual event we host to provide hands on volunteering opportunities to the community through local nonprofit organizations. Day of Action was held September 21, 2022, where more than 106 volunteers worked at 9 agencies on projects of need. Boys and Girls Club,Children's Cheer and Toy Shop,Green Oaks Center,American Red Cross,Colquitt County Food Bank,Southwest Georgia Community Action Council, Moultrie-CC Humane Society,Moultrie YMCA all had teams of volunteers working and a wheelchair ramp was built for a family in need by our Kinetic by Windstream team. More than 318 hours were given by volunteers Sponsors for 2022 were Kinetic by Windstream and Publix. Through our partnership with the Dolly Parton Imagination Library, 1,222 children were registered to receive a free book mailed monthly to ages birth to five years. Another partnership we want to highlight is with Singlecare, where we were able to offer local county residents prescription discount cards and save local residents over $74,040 in prescription costs.Statistics show that 44.1% of Colquitt County residents have one vehicle or less in their home. We applied for a $13,000 grant with the United Way Worldwide and Lyft to establish a transportation program,Ride United,to provide transportation access to our local residents for things such as non-emergent medical appointments,job interviews,workforce development,trainings,and other health and human related services. United Way continues to fund three three year community impact grants that were awarded in 2021: Leadership Legends to provide mentoring and curriculum in developing a pipeline of African American males beginning in 8th and 9th grades;Colquitt County School System's Early Literacy Program to implement the Dolly Parton Imagination Library providing free monthly mailed books to Colquitt County residents age birth to age five;and Project Purpose's Workforce Bootcamp to assist students in developing their workforce options including certifications after high school. In 2022, we completed the $22,500 funding for the Community Impact Grant awarded to Family Connections to finalize and print the Colquitt County Children's book. The book will be distributed to local schools as well as put in the kits that will go home with new parents at Colquitt Regional Medical Center.United Way awarded four three year Community Impact Grants to the following organizations covering the 2022-2025 years: Boys and Girls Club Key to Excellence Program;Colquitt County School's System's Early Literacy Program to implement Baby Packer welcome home kits;Colquitt County Educational Foundation to provide mentor kits for each elementary school for a total of 12 kits;and Moultrie CC Library System to implement the basics, a program to provide parents and caregivers with the tools to teach and engage with babies at a young age to assist in early literacy.During the 2022 year, we awarded five special grants to organizations totaling $21,543;Special Olympics to provide an educational senior trip for individuals with diabilities;Serenity House to provide a new ac unit;Colquitt Co. 4-H to aid in supplies and tablets for students for projects;Crossroads Missions to create a learning center for the men to have a place for job search as well as trainings;and the Arts Center for the renovation and replacement of their kitchen floors.We hosted our third annual Bid United Auction fundraising event.This social media and radio auction alone was responsible for over $57,000 of funds raised during the year. Our local partners and sponsors were Southern Regional, Colquitt Regional Medical Center,Ameris Bank,WMTM Radio,IFCO,Lasseter Tractor,Lasseter Motor Company,Holiday Inn Express,Chick-Fil-A,Rossman Apiaries,Freedom Logistics,Colquitt County Schools,Rowell Auction,Weeks Auction Group,Turning Point,Swartentruber Medical,Southern Powder Coating,National Beef,and Publix