Did you know your donation dollars to the United Way stay local help many of your neighbors, friends, family, and co-workers? Evergreen Elm knows. With United Way funding, we at Evergreen Elm are able to offer a Supportive Living Program to some of those neighbors and friends. Some of them may now have a place to live, their medication montieod, food in their bellies or the support and guidance they need to function successfully as a member of the community. The United Way has also made it possible for Evergreen Elm to implement a successful Therapeutic Aquatics Program for our Clients and Individuals showing a significant important to their mental and physical stability. Your contribution to the United Way helps Evergreen Elm, Inc. and organizations like us make an impact on the lives of the people you see in your day to day lives. We envision Bradford as a place where all thrive. United Way is reaching their goals and accelerating solutions because of you. Thank you for choosing to LIVE UNITED!

The beds at the YWCA Bradford’s Homeless Shelter are constantly full with a consistent wait list. The United Way supported our efforts to expand services include six additional beds and handicapped accessible space. With this support, services increased to include single men, nuclear families, and single fathers. Local dollars stay local when you give to the United Way.

United Way dollars have helped the YWCA provide for an elderly, homeless veteran sleeping under a bridge in Bradford; a woman who’s housing had been condemned, leaver her to live in a tent; a middle-aged veteran who lost his job and had no place to sleep; a young woman, with two young children, who were living in her car after her housing was condemned. Because of this support, these households were able to secure permanent housing while receiving services from the YWCA.

Futures Rehabilitation Center, Inc. provides resources for individuals with disabilities to maximize their ability to become participating members of the community. Over 170 individuals from throughout McKean County receive vocational training activity services and extended employment at Future’s Bradford facilities. Services are also provided at community settings to assisting individuals to maintain their independence and to be successful at work and at home. Support the United Way enables individuals with disabilities to be active and contributing members of our community.

Growing with Grace Christian Preschool is blessed to receive grant money from the United Way to help our families who are on the cusp of the financial cut-offs of receiving services, but do not qualify. We currently assist 5 families weekly with tuition assistance. Without the United Way support some of our students wouldn’t have the opportunity to attend our facility, receiving the chance to learn and grow socially and academically in a safe, fun environment. We incorporate community awareness into our curriculum. We collect items for Destinations, the Operation Shoebox kits, the Friendship Table, cards to the shut-ins, and the Scholastic Pajama drive.This year we will be adding a coin collection for the United Way “Be the Change; campaign. Through these programs , our students learn to care for and about others. This attitude of kindness will hopefully carry through their adult lives in being service citizens of Bradford. Thank you to the United Way and the community that gives! We are very blessed by your generosity! 

All Bradford United Way monies are used to fund the Toddler Program which is facilitated through Catholic Charities Counseling and Adoption Services. This program is designed to aide struggling or low-income families with children ages 1-3/ The goal for this program is for each client to leave with a better understanding of their child’s needs, development and be able to better meet those needs and provide a better life for their child and themselves. 

Meals on Wheels serves individuals who are homebound and/or unable to prepare meals for themselves. Without the support of the United Way, we would not be able to provide this service to our community members in need. “What a blessing it is to have those wonders meals prepared for us. The volunteers who deliver our meals are friends and caring, taking time to visit with us. We look forward to seeing them each day. We appreciate all that Meals on Wheels has done for. “ (Note from a participant)

Through the generous partnership of the United Way of the Bradford Area, inc. Bradford Ecumenical Home, Inc. is able to provide programming and activities that reinforces older adults contributing to the life of their community. Avenues for lifelong learning via the Arts, programming that honor our Veterans, or senior wellness initiatives, our residents enjoy a quality of life that serves as an outlet for creative expressions and increased social interactions. 

McKean County Special Olympics is a year-round program of sport training and competition for individuals with intellectual and physical disabilities. The United Way of Bradford sponsors the aquatics program held at the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford with the support of volunteers from the university’s swim teams. In addition to aquatics, programs are offered in softball, track and field, basketball, golf, bowling, equestrian and skiing. 

The Mckean County Historical Society, located in Smethport, Pennsylvania, is a volunteer organization dedicated to preserving and sharing the stories of McKean County. One of the purposes of the Society is to promote and encourage the interest of our community in its history and to also share that history with visitors. This is achieved through the museum and public programs sponsored by the Society. 

The Society is a nonprofit organization. The funding received from United Way is used to help us conserve artifacts so they can be used to provide displays and humanities programs to tell our story.

The United Way works to support families in obtaining evidence based early learning opportunities for children by supporting Parents as Teachers, a home-based early learning program, and the Bradford Family Center Parent-Child group.