Basic Needs

Ensure a safety net of basic services for people in crisis.

Food, shelter and other basic necessities

Many immediate needs keep our most vulnerable residents—people with few or no financial resources—from rebuilding their lives. In a typical year, 2-1-1 receives thousands of calls for food and utility assistance, as well as hundreds of calls for emergency shelter. More than 6,000 people in our region are homeless in a given year. Thousands lack transportation, child care, treatment for mental health problems, and a state ID to obtain basic services or get a job.

United Way connects the support organizations and initiatives that address basic needs. We’ve helped lead efforts to provide services and get vital records for the homeless. We’ve partnered with food banks to feed thousands of people and gathered volunteers to address chronic hunger. For more ACTION examples, visit our PARTNERS & PROGRAMS page.

2,947,519 pounds of food were distributed through area food pantries in 2017 due to United Way-funded partnerships.