Serving Jefferson, Orleans, Plaquemines, St. Bernard, St. Tammany and Tangipahoa Parishes
Our Work
SAFETY NET:Financial Stability for Hardworking People
Your support funds programs for emergency
food and shelter. We also help hard-working
people to learn, earn, save and become
financially self-reliant.
The 2-1-1 Information and Referral Line is an easy to remember three-digit telephone number that connects callers to information about health and human services available in your community. Our local 2-1-1 also has trained crisis intervention and suicide prevention specialists.
UW Initiatives and Programs
- Individual Development Account (IDA) Project, a matched savings account, helps low-income families save money to acquire an economic asset (home, child care business, or vehicle) as a foundation for long-term financial stability. Funding provided by the U.S. Administration for Children & Families – Assets for Independence (AFI), United Way Worldwide, Entergy Charitable Foundation, NeighborWorks, Capital One, Foundation for the Midsouth, City of New Orleans.
- Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) Initiative works with the IRS, Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) sites, and local providers of service to help low-income households secure tax benefits and free income tax assistance. Partial funding from Wal-Mart.
- NO Place Like Home, our building initiative, assists families of Southeast Louisiana to obtain safe, secure, and functional housing through partnerships with local nonprofit organizations, donors, companies, and government entities.
- Double Home Advantage Program isfocused on rebuilding owner-occupied properties in the Mid-City Planning District that have one to three rental units in addition to the owner-occupied unit. Funding from Greater New Orleans Foundation, Enterprise and others.
- Nonprofit Rebuilding Pilot Programs repair and rehabilitate low and moderate income owner-occupied homes that continue to have a gap in financial means due to resource limitations, contractor fraud, and other causes in Jefferson, Orleans, and Plaquemines Parishes. Funding from the Office of Community Development (OCD) Disaster Recovery Unit/Louisiana Recovery Authority.
- Plaquemines Housing Project is working to develop new, affordable, disaster resistant homes, under a contract with the Parish funded by OCD.
- Emergency Food & Shelter distributes federal funds for food pantries and emergency assistance for rent, mortgage, and utility payments.
Program funding for agencies in five priority areas:
- LEARN: Financial Education & Counseling, Asset-Specific Education
- EARN: Access to Basic Goods & Services, Emergency Assistance, Quality Job Opportunities, Public Benefits, Asset Ownership, Workforce Development
- SAVE: Income Savings Programs, Credit Repair
- INVEST: Appreciation of Assets, Rebuild & Recover
- PROTECT: Asset Preservation, Disaster Preparation & Mitigation
Strategic Plan
Safety Net:
Financial Stability for
Hardworking People & Those in Crisis. A Strategic Plan
Vision Council Recommendations
Data Compilation and Analysis, Best Practice Research
Approved June 28, 2011
See below for Funding Request for Proposals information.
2013-16 Outcome Blueprint
Funding is dedicated to strong, outcome-based programs servicing the Greater New Orleans Area that address the strategies identified in the Strategic Plans. With the assistance of Community Based Partners and experts from the field, United Way has identified specific Units of Service, Outcomes and related Indicators that will lead to the success of accomplishing the end-outcome/goal for each impact area. [learn more - pdf]
2013-16 Strategy Map
2013-16 Strategy Map [pdf]
2013-2014 Proposed Budget Form
Funding Process quick links:
- budget directions [word]
- budget form [excel]
2013-2014 Schedule of Positions
Schedule of Positions [excel]
Quick Links
Our Work with Safety Net
United Way has demonstrated its ability to work with individuals with disabilities, literacy challenges and limited English proficiency, including its partnership with agencies serving these populations through Community Impact grants and initiatives.
One relevant program for people with limited English proficiency, coordinated by UWGNOA, is the Hispanic Public Safety Initiative (HSPI) that was formed in response to the disproportionate victimization of members of the Hispanic community and their reluctance to report crimes as victims or witnesses. Through the HSPI, partner agencies are training New Orleans police officers in “Survival Spanish,” training volunteer interpreters for law enforcement and criminal justice, implementing crime prevention training for Hispanic adults and teenagers, and mounting a public information campaign about where to access help in event of a crime, including the printing of 50,000 wallet cards in Spanish. One of UWGNOA’s HSPI partners is the Catholic Charities Hispanic Apostolate, a division of UWGNOA’s case management partner subcontractor CCANO.
Another one of UWGNOA’s relationships is with the Mary Queen of Vietnam Church Community Development Corporation in New Orleans East. UWGNOA worked with Vietnamese translators to provide information to residents about the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) Initiative which works with the IRS, Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) sites, and local service providers to help low-income households secure tax benefits and free income tax assistance. One of UWGNOA’s partner subcontractors for the DCMP is Boat People SOS, which also serves the Vietnamese community.
