United Way of Dane County will host a “United Carnival” to kick off its 2024 community campaign at Breese Stevens Field on August 21.
The event will invite community members out to Breese Stevens Field, 917 E. Mifflin St., to engage in family fun and hear more about its campaign and mark its official launch. The campaign will work to address rising needs from data collected by United Way and raise funds for nonprofits to bolster programs to meet common problems cited.
Among the problems found by United Way, rising costs due to inflation — which include costs in food, rent and childcare — from around 44,000 Dane County callers to its “211” call service line.
“This year we’ve got about an 80% increase in rent and housing assistance calls, also 80% increase in food calls, and then a lot of utilities assistance,” said Renee Moe, CEO of United Way. “Just last month, we started seeing more requests for gas vouchers and transportation, so you can really see inflation and what’s going on in families’ pockets really showing up in people’s requests for help.”
Moe cites other stats pertinent to issues that continue to mount in Dane County. Among other stats, 59,000 individuals live in poverty, including 2,600 children. United Way aims to pull attention to Asset Limited, Income Constrained and Employed (ALICE) families that currently struggle to keep up with rising costs.
United Way plans to get the community involved with its efforts by changing the narrative on helping the community. The theme this year is “Be one of the ones,” Moe said.
“I think people have a sense of ‘Can I really make a difference,’” Moe said. “United Way campaign is ‘be one of the ones to actually make a difference.’ It takes all of us. If you want a great community, you need to be a great community member.”
To get the community to think of how they can make a difference, United Way decided to host a carnival. At the Carnival, attendees will get the chance to hear more about the campaign and efforts. Free shirts, food, family-friendly games and an opportunity to talk with community members, nonprofits and United Way to hear about how community needs can be addressed.
The carnival will also mark the start of fundraising efforts. United Way, which provides funds to nonprofits that address community needs, aims to raise $17.3 million throughout the campaign. Funds will be doled out to nonprofits and work within their programs to address specific needs United Way has found.
Plans for joint efforts with nonprofits will include tackling literacy and graduation rates, a long-standing problem within Wisconsin, through tutoring, mentorship and early childhood support. A push to decrease homelessness through increasing wages and case management and job training will be another focus
The United Way Carnival will be held Aug. 21 at Breese Stevens Field from 2:30-4 p.m. Registration is open. The carnival is free for all to attend.
