Fostering Self-Sufficiency
About Fostering Self-Sufficiency

Moving families and individuals beyond poverty to independence; responding to people in crisis; connecting people in need

Impact Area Information
What We Do
Progress Report
Success Stories
Goals & Priorities
United Way Supported Community Collaborations
     – Housing Alliance
     – Immigrant Resources Network
     – Earned Income Tax Credit Awareness Campaign
     – Transportation Project
United Way Supported Programs

What We Do
Our staff and volunteers work together to create and identify opportunities for people to attain independence.  Financial stability programs such as employment readiness, education, accessible transportation and affordable housing as well as crisis programs such as violence prevention, emergency shelter and transitional housing are of primary focus to this Impact area.

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Progress Report

• 2007 marks our third Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) Awareness campaign.  Each year, our campaign ensures that working families claim the tax credits they are due.  In 2007, low-income, working families can qualify for over $5,000 in Earned Income Tax credits. The EITC Awareness campaign partners with other organizations to link Morris County residents to free tax assistance.
• The Immigrant Resources Network recently brought together more than 50 representatives from local agencies and organizations for a resource seminar at the Community Soup Kitchen in Morristown.  The seminar shared information regarding immigration law, policies, and rights – all of which impact every aspect of life for immigrant families and individuals. Feedback from participants was extremely positive; the overwhelming majority of those that completed the evaluation reported that they had learned something new to help them serve immigrant populations.
• Our Housing Alliance's Affordable Housing Showcase in 2006 brought together approximately 35 local elected officials, nonprofit agency representatives, and town council members, who all got the opportunity to see first-hand quality, innovative affordable housing throughout Morris County.  As a result of the Showcase tour, local mayors and elected officials became more informed about affordable housing development, and how non-profits, for-profits, and the government can work together to build quality, attractive housing that fits with the surrounding neighborhoods.

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Success Stories
Meet some of the many people helped by United Way of Morris County and this Impact Area.

• Damaris:  After living in this country for over three years, "Damaris" began working with her tutor…

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Goals & Priorities
Goals
All individuals will have access to:

• Services that meet the basic needs of individuals and families in crisis.
• The language and literacy skills required for effective communication in the workplace and the community.
• Job support services to gain and maintain employment.
• Resources that promote financial literacy.
• Safe and affordable housing.
• Safe, affordable, and reliable transportation.
• Services to transition from dependent or shelter living arrangements to permanent housing.
• Means to asset building.

Priorities
Ensuring needs of those in crisis are met.
Victims of abuse, homeless families, and households that have been torn apart because of natural or manmade disasters all share one thing in common – all face a desperate situation that needs a rapid response. United Way and its partners provide emergency safe haven/shelter services and supportive services (including case management, legal, crisis counseling), which are essential in responding to stressful and emotionally-charged crisis situations and disasters.

Prevention programs and awareness.
Prevention is a priority for United Way, with a focus on abuse, violence and homelessness.

Promoting financial resources that increase financial literacy and stability. 
United Way and its partners provide Morris County residents with the financial management and planning skills needed to make the most of an individual's income, savings, and assets.  Our Earned Income Tax Credit Awareness Campaign is just one example of how we're helping Morris County residents make the most of their finances.

Providing safe, affordable, and reliable transportation.
Affordable transportation has been a long-standing problem in Morris County due to inadequate public transportation and the high cost of owning a vehicle.  The transportation gap is critical because it impacts every aspect of life:  jobs, affordable housing, services of government agencies and non-profit organizations.  United Way is working to increase public awareness of the impact of transportation limitations on peoples' lives, and is seeking to collaborate with any and all partners to identify and implement proven programs that improve our community's transportation "crunch."

Providing culturally sensitive services, including services to help transition immigrants into their new community. 
United Way collaborates with organizations that promote public awareness of available services to immigrants to help them become fully integrated into the community.  The Immigrant Resource Network works to strengthen awareness of available resources for immigrant populations in Morris County

Providing job skills training and support services to search for, maintain, and upgrade employment. 
United Way and its partners help people gain the skills necessary to prepare for employment and advancement opportunities.

Educating and preparing individuals and families to achieve their housing objectives, whether its renting or home ownership. 
People we know, people we care about, and people we need in our community simply cannot afford to live in Morris County, where housing costs are rising faster than annual household income.  United Way and its partners work to provide training and other resources to prepare people with the tools, knowledge, and know-how needed to rent or purchase a home.

Supporting the development of affordable housing opportunities in Morris County. 
United Way assists non-profits in their efforts to increase affordable housing opportunities.  This includes seeking partnerships with for-profit developers, working with corporations and municipalities, and finding ways to leverage our funding dollars for maximum impact.  Our Housing Alliance brings together public, private, and non-profit agencies and individuals to focus on strategies that will ultimately increase the supply of affordable housing. 

Providing services to transition from dependent or shelter living arrangements to permanent housing. 
United Way and its partners provide transitional living, counseling, and other programs to help people achieve an independent and stable living situation.

Helping people develop the language and literacy skills required for effective communication in the workplace and community. 
The inability to read and write impacts upon every aspect of an individual's life, including the ability to work, raise a family, and fully function as a member of our society.  United Way and its partners work to help members of our community gain basic literacy skills, including an ability to read, write, and communicate in English.

Providing services to achieve rehabilitation and maintain independence from substance abuse. 
United Way and its partners help people overcome their personal struggles with drug and/or alcohol dependency, and get their lives back.

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United Way Supported Community Collaborations
Housing Alliance
The Housing Alliance is a consortium of public, private, and non-profit agencies, and individuals committed to providing a broad spectrum of housing opportunities in Morris County.  Its goal is to increase the supply of affordable housing in Morris County.
The Housing Alliance's mission is: 

• To create a well-informed public to the need and issues relating to housing.
• To create opportunities for public and private organizations to work together to address Morris county's housing challenge.
• To advocate for the adoption of public policy and legislation that fosters affordable housing opportunities.

Immigrant Resources Network of Morris County
Hosted by United Way of Morris County, the Immigrant Resources Network is a collaboration of public, private, and non-profit agencies and businesses whose purpose is to increase and strengthen awareness of available resources for immigrant populations in Morris County.  Together, the Network strives to create opportunities to build strong networks for service providers so that they may better connect clients with services and resources necessary to become self-sufficient. 

Earned Income Tax Credit Awareness Campaign
Every year, thousands of Morris County residents miss out on millions of dollars because they do not claim the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) on their federal and state tax returns.  Even though the EITC has been around since 1975, many low-income taxpayers do not know they may qualify for the credit, and often lose much of their return to high commercial preparation fees and "rapid refund" loans.  When this occurs, the opportunity for asset-building is lost or diminished. In response, United Way's EITC Awareness Campaign works to:

• Ensure that more families are aware of the tax credits they are due.
• Link low-income families to free or low cost tax assistance, thus avoiding high priced tax preparation services.
• Encourage more families to use their tax credits to build assets and financial stability.

Transportation Project
Affordable transportation has been a long-standing problem in Morris County due to inadequate public transportation and the high cost of owning a vehicle.  The transportation gap is critical because it impacts every aspect of life:  jobs, affordable housing, and access to health and human services.  Click here to learn more about our Transportation Project.

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United Way Supported Programs
For more information about each program, including contact information, click on Get Help.

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