Seven services, 23,000 people
September, 2007
Dear Friends & Contributors to the United Way of the Greater Dayton Area:
Catholic Social Services of the Miami Valley is pleased to be a partner agency of the local United Way. Since 1921, our agency has worked with the United Way organization to help meet the needs of our local community. Through the decades of chance, we have been partners in caring for those in need. With the support of the United Way, our agency now reaches our to help over 23,000 area residents each year.
In the Greater Dayton area, the United Way provides allocated funds to support seven key services, including:
• Day Care:
UNITED WAY provides essential support for the Miami Valley Family Care Center, the CSS sponsored early childhood education center on West Third Street in Dayton. The program provides affordable care for children 2 ½ through 10 years old. The center offers a kindergarten program and also before-and after-school care. MMFCC is a model of success and innovation with high marks for student achievement. The center shares the mission to help the parents in their efforts to make a better life for their children.
• ParentLink:
UNITED WAY provides support that allows CSS to help pregnant and parenting teens find the resources they need to be effective and nurturing parents. This service provides support, information and referral to community resources that increase the mothers’ self-sufficiency so they can better care for their babies and resolve issues that create the risk of child abuse.
• General Mental Health:
UNITED WAY support enables CSS Mental Health Counseling to help couples, parents, individuals and families make difficult decisions, improve their self-esteem, find more satisfaction with life, and change problematic behaviors.
• SAFE Counseling:
UNITED WAY provides support for this program designed to help children that have serious behavioral problems. Clinically-trained therapists work with children who have experienced family disruptions, multiple foster care placements and/or neglect and abuse. The CSS therapists work with young children to overcome their traumatic past and educate adoptive parents in techniques that have been effective. They work to recreate the nurturing environment missing in the child’s infancy and early childhood.
• Pregnancy Counseling:
UNITED WAY support enables CSS to offer confidential counseling and support to help any pregnant woman in need. The program offers adoption information and parenting support. Caring, experienced counselors help pregnant teens and adults in a process, which includes an exploration of facts and feelings. All information is kept strictly confidential.
• Food Pantry
UNITED WAY supports the CSS Food Pantry program that feeds hungry people through the daily distribution of nutritious food which families prepare in their own homes. During the holidays, gifts are gathered and distributed to those in need. Over half of the emergency food assistance in the area is distributed through this pantry that serves over 13,000 area residents each year.
• Respite Care
UNITED WAY supports the CSS Respire Care Program which provides temporary support for families who care for dependent elderly adults at homes. Trained volunteers provide in-home care to relieve caregivers from the constant demands of helping someone who is frail or ill.
These and other important community services offered by Catholic Social Services have been developed in partnership and collaboration with United Way. Our agency’s strength and ability to reach out to serve is dependent on the goodwill of others. We thank all who have supported the United way campaigns and urge you to consider a gift this year. The needs of the community have never been greater.
Please feel free to contact me or a member of the CSS staff if you have any questions. We strive to always be good stewards of your goodwill.
Sincerely,
Regina Estep
Director of Development and Marketing
Catholic Social Services of the Miami Valley
