News Release

Contact:           Michael G. Gaffney, APR

                        Vice President – Marketing & Communications

                        (330) 643-5532 – Office 

                        (330) 322-0751 – Cell Phone

Date: January 2, 2007

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

UNITED WAY OF SUMMIT COUNTY

ANNOUNCES 2007 DEVELOPMENT FUND GRANTS

(AKRON, OHIO) – At its most recent meeting, United Way of Summit County’s Board of Trustees approved the following Development Fund Grants for 2007 totaling $125,000.  Development Fund Grants are made available for new or expanded programs of United Way-affiliated and non-affiliated eligible 501-C-3 health and human service agencies.  These grants are awarded based on the merits of the proposal, how well it addresses a critical community need, and the benefits to program participants.

• Akron Community Health Resources, Inc./Primary and Preventative Health Care, which serves a large number of medically indigent/uninsured persons, will receive $20,000.

• Battered Women’s Shelter/Family Stability Program, will receive $5,000 to provide direct client service to individuals seeking to escape domestic violence.

• Catholic Social Services of Summit County/Hispanic Outreach Program, which is seeking a more culturally sensitive staff to meet the needs of the growing Hispanic population, will receive $7,500.

• CYO & Community Services/Home Service Project, which provides low-income older adults with assistance that enables them to remain independent and in their homes for as long as possible, will receive $7,500.

• Grandparents Against Sexual Predators/G.A.S.P., which provides a volunteer network of grandparents and others to assist law enforcement officials and AMBER ALERT in their search for missing or exploited children, will receive $5,000.

• Open M Free Clinic/Free Clinic Pharmacy Formulary, is seeking to develop a basic formulary of medications for Free Clinic patients, and will receive $20,000.

• Rape Crisis Center of Medina & Summit County/Support Groups for Adult Survivors of Sexual Assault, seeks to bring together the clinical and crisis intervention services resulting in consistent care, will receive $5,000.

• Salvation Army of Summit County/Twinsburg Outreach Center, which is maintaining and expanding services in Northern Summit County, will receive $15,000.

In addition to receiving Development Fund Grants, the following two agencies have been accepted as provisional United Way Partner Agencies:

• Interfaith Hospitality Network of Summit County/’Staying Home’, which addresses homelessness of traditional and non-traditional families, will receive $20,000.

• Stewart’s Caring Place, addresses the non-medical support needs of families touched by cancer, and will receive $20,000.

According to United Way Vice President of Community Investment Lois Foster, “United Way of Summit County is constantly seeking new programs utilizing innovative measures to solve community problems.  Contributions to the 2006 United Way/Red Cross Campaign will provide this funding, so we’re counting on our community to help us meet our goal of $11,500,000.” 

United Way of Summit County improves lives by mobilizing community assets for health and human services.  For more information, call 330-762-7601, visit our website at www.uwsummit.org, or write to us at United Way of Summit County, 90 N. Prospect St., P.O. Box 1260, Akron, Ohio 44309-1260.