MADISON (WKOW) — United Way of Dane County kicked-off its community campaign at Breese Stevens Field Wednesday and it was a full circle moment for some.

The event celebrates United Way and the work it does in the community. It’s also where people are able to learn how to get involved.

Renee Moe, the President and CEO of United Way of Dane County, said this years volunteer project was gathering paper products for those who need them.

“One of the things we love to do at United Way is educate the community and I don’t think a lot of people know that if you’re living in poverty and getting some assistance, you don’t necessarily have funds for paper products,” Moe said.

But Moe said the meaning of Wednesday’s event goes beyond just that.

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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.”

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SUN PRAIRIE, Wis. — Food pantries across Dane County are warning that the community is facing a rising number of people facing food insecurity, while supply at food pantries is dropping.

“The options we have to keep our shelves stocked continue to shift, and we’re more limited than we were just a few years ago,” said Mark Thompson, president of Sun Prairie Food Pantry. “Buying food in bulk is, of course, more expensive now, and our traditional suppliers of free food can’t keep up with the demand.”

The demand for food pantries is increasing in line with rising costs across the board advocates said during a rally at the state Capitol. Rising housing prices in Dane County are leaving more people with fewer resources to spend on food.

“We are seeing record numbers of families using the pantry 2023 was an all time record for us,” Thompson said. “We’re probably going to break that record halfway through this year. We’re probably going to almost double what we did in 2023.”

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Today’s call to action asks for your help, as food pantries struggle to balance a record number of clients in need but shortages in supply. The 36 local food pantries followed up on their letter with a press conference at the state Capitol this morning. They compared numbers with other local food pantries last February and found that, over the last two years, demand has gone up by 112%.

Ellen Carlson is director of WayForward, a food and housing resource non-profit in Middleton spearheading this campaign. She says that the rising need started once pandemic-era resources went away.

“People throughout our community are increasingly showing up at food pantries and seeing a lot less options. And we know that we are a lifeline for so many and we really wanted to make people aware.”

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MADISON, Wis. (WMTV) – A Dane County organization is investing $25,000 into a Madison east side community impacted by gun violence.

The money is being granted by United Way of Dane County (UWDC) to grassroots organizations working with the Harmony Apartments neighborhood to create change.

“It’s very important to not rush the process and allow them to feel whatever it is that they may be feeling,” grant recipient Myesha Thompson said.

Thompson wants to serve the Harmony Apartments community the right way. Those who lived in the neighborhood have been through a pair of homicides over the last year, resulting in the loss of Devon Grant and Kyesha Miller.

“Whether or not if it’s sadness, grief, anger, they are entitled to their emotions. They are entitled to their opinions about how the community, the people in our community, is responding,” Thompson said.

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MADISON (WKOW) — More than $25,000 is being distributed to youth-led organizations and organizations in Dane County thanks to a round of grants from the By Youth for Youth program.

By Youth for Youth (BYFY) is a collaborative program through the Dane County Youth Commission, United Way of Dane County and other organizations. High school leaders reviewed and identified grants that will benefit other young people.

“The applications that the group solicits and reviews are designed by or implemented by youth themselves. So that’s why it’s called by Youth for Youth. The youth are preparing the grant applications or working on the grants in some way, and the youth are reviewing the applications and deciding which ones received funding,” Lindsey Gearin with the United Way of Dane County explained.

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In 2019, I gave birth to my first child. As a first-time mother, I was anxious and afraid, but I was also excited and very well prepared. By the time I arrived at my hospital’s labor and delivery unit that morning, all illusions of a natural birth had vanished. As many women can attest, the pain of childbirth is as universal as it is staggering. So, I was surprised when, in between mind-bending contractions, an L&D nurse leaned over me and said, without any kindness in her voice, “If you don’t quiet down, we won’t give you an epidural.” I was stunned, but I was also in pain and afraid. As a graduate student researching the Rhetoric of Race, I knew the concepts, the arguments, and the statistics to explain what I was experiencing. I knew that I was less likely to be believed or treated well because of the color of my skin. But I also knew that I needed the hospital’s help, and that was not the moment to stand and fight. I did my best to be quiet.

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United Way of Dane County’s 2023 Community Fundraising Campaign raised $16.8 million thanks to over 16,000 individuals and 500 businesses across the county.

On Friday, United Way of Dane County hosted a Community Celebration with more than 500 community members at the Monona Terrace.

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