Supporting the People’s Collective, a trusted, culturally specific access point that connects Black residents and ALICE households to food, housing, healthcare, and family stabilization services.

Hosting out-of-school programs that help Lane County youth thrive academically, socially, and emotionally. Funding will strengthen parent engagement, literacy development, and culturally relevant programming.

Strengthening advocacy capacity for children in foster care and implementing a structured child well-being assessment tool.

"CASA of Lane County is truly grateful to receive a Community Support grant from United Way of Lane County. With this funding, more children throughout our community will have a dedicated advocate by their side to help them navigate the child welfare system and find safety, stability, and hope during challenging moments. A dedicated CASA advocate can be a life-changing presence for a child in need. They advocate in court for a child's best interests, suggest resources they need to thrive, and guide court decisions to help ensure the child finds a safe, permanent home. Ultimately, United Way’s investment in CASA's mission will create an impact that extends far beyond individual cases by reducing the cycle of abuse and neglect and creating healthier, more resilient communities for years to come." - Dan Smith, Executive Director

• Continued coordination of Lane County Community Organizations Active in Disaster (COAD), a network of 181 organizations who work together to foster an effective, compassionate response to the people of Lane County in times of disaster. 

Providing highly specialized, in-person school for children with complex disabilities in rural Lane County.

The Connected Career Fellowship aligns schools, employers, culturally specific organizations, and community partners around a shared goal: increasing equitable access to career-connected learning, mentorship, and postsecondary transition support. As a backbone organization, Connected Lane County works with partners to make sure youth have a cohesive pathway rather than isolated opportunities. Through industry tours, job shadows, paid internships and STEM experiences, mentorship roles, leadership opportunities, and personalized guidance, youth progress from exploring careers to building hands-on skills, confidence, and a plan for their next steps. By centering youth voices and sustaining cross-sector partnerships, this initiative strengthens workforce readiness, builds social capital, and advances a broader systems-level effort to ensure more Lane County youth are prepared for college, career, and long-term stability. 

“Connected Lane County is honored to receive a Community Transformation Grant from United Way of Lane County. This investment makes it possible to launch our inaugural Connected Career Fellowship, a two-year experience linking career-connected learning opportunities for high school youth. Through internships, job shadows, industry tours, and career navigation, participants will build skills, develop confidence, and create a network of support that will equip them for life after high school. United Way has been a valued partner throughout our organization’s growth. Their leadership strengthens community collaboration and expands opportunities for youth to thrive in their transition to adulthood.”

-Jesse Nelson, Executive Director, Connected Lane County

Offering after school, summer camp, and teen programs for youth in rural South Lane.

Operating a rural resilience hub and Red Cross Partner Shelter. Funding will cover required building insurance, public internet for emergency coordination and security monitoring, and resilience-related electricity. 

The Deadwood Resilience Collaborative addresses critical gaps in emergency communication and preparedness in the rural Deadwood community, where there is no cell phone service and internet access is often disrupted during power outages. Funding will support the development of a local radio network using GMRS radios and repeater stations to ensure reliable communication, and the establishment of a Resilience Pod at the Deadwood Community Center (in partnership with the American Red Cross). The Resilience Pod will feature an outdoor shower, sheltering tents, sanitation supplies, expanded sleeping capacity, and a publicly accessible Automated External Defibrillator (AED) at the 24/7 facility.  

Funding will also support distribution of emergency preparedness go-bags to approximately 200 residents - prioritizing ALICE households - ensuring that vulnerable households are equipped in advance and reducing the scale and severity of emergency response needs during wildfire, winter storm, or extended outage events. In addition, the Deadwood Community Action Food Security Committee will lead community food preservation efforts through purchase of a freeze dryer and seasonal training to preserve surplus produce for emergency use. Together, these efforts will strengthen communication, life-safety response, and emergency preparedness in the Deadwood community, preventing larger-scale disaster impacts through proactive readiness and coordinated local response among multiple all-volunteer, locally-led, and culturally embedded organizations.

Responding to growing food security needs by sustaining and expanding food pantry, currently serving 68 families. 

Operating a food pantry to provide food at no cost to people navigating poverty in rural, Western Lane County 

Offering long-term, intensive, 1:1 professional mentoring for children and families facing the greatest barriers to opportunity.

Providing trauma-informed, evidence-based therapy for children impacted by abuse and their non-offending caregivers.

Funding FTE staffing at the McKenzie Little Eagles Childcare Center, serving children ages three months to five years through full-day childcare, preschool, and summer programming.

Providing immigrant families with seeds and starts to grow their own organic produce, build community, and preserve cultural traditions around food at seven community gardens in Eugene, Springfield, and Cottage Grove. The gardens also feature native plants and pollinator gardens, honeybee hives, play areas for children, and communal gathering spaces.

Hosting free, licensed daycare and early childhood education program serving unhoused families.

Operating a local food pantry to provide food at no cost to people navigating poverty in rural, Eastern Lane County. 

“We are extremely grateful to be supported by funding from United Way of Lane County and honored to be a partner agency. The next cycle of United Way funding will be used to support Oakridge Food Box general operating costs, allow the Oakridge Food Box truck to make weekly off-site food box deliveries and help purchase foods for the holiday food box program.” 

- Bev McCulley, Oakridge Food Box 

Strengthening the Youth Action Council’s role within the HOOTS (Helping Out Our Teens in Schools) program’s outreach and referral operations in Eugene/Springfield and nearby rural areas, increasing early identification of mental health needs and connection to embedded school-based services.

Funds expansion of this new, culturally specific organization helping Black students succeed without giving up their cultural identity. Fiscal Sponsor: H.O.N.E.Y. Inc.

“I want to thank United Way, because I had a vision. And they didn’t just believe in my vision, but they supported that vision with funds. And this is how I was able to really get BLACKS off the ground. I originally applied with a fiscal sponsor, and after I received the grant, now I have a 501c3... so I’m very thankful to United Way for that opportunity.” - Dr. Brenda Joyce Sanders, founder, BLACKS

Funds Indigenous mentors providing cultural mentorship, support, and training to Indigenous burn crew carrying out prescribed and cultural fire practices 

Provides free translation/interpretation services, advocacy for equity in education, and more for Spanish-speaking communities. Fiscal Sponsor: Community Alliance of Lane County

Funds film projects providing legal support for potential victims of human/civil rights violations and education about the Declaration of Human Rights focused on youth and the education system 

Supports leaders of color coordinating delivery of food/care essentials to folks in need, particularly elders, folks with disabilities, and veterans, with respect to dietary, cultural, and other special needs 

Expands the Arts & Culture Roundtables to better serve underrepresented cultural producers and artists of color and provide space for artists and cultural leaders to engage in solutions-oriented discussions

fills unmet wellness needs and service gaps for BIPOC families and provides spaces for leaders of color to coordinate services. Fiscal Sponsor: Xcape Dance Company

Expands translation and interpretation services to meet additional language needs of refugee and immigrant communities 

Supports culturally-specific equestrian programs to reduce barriers to horse sports for historically excluded riders 

Provides scholarships for kids ages 2 and up to participate in performing arts, including almost 50 movement classes weekly with roots based in African Diaspora