Communities in Action

During the past 10 years, North Carolina has faced an all too common problem: rising rates of opioid use and overdose deaths. The North Carolina Harm Reduction Coalition (NCHRC) aims to reduce harm for those engaging in high risk activity, such as drug use. Their advocacy and coalition building, along with direct services and resource development, have led to changes in North Carolina’s laws,...

Active duty service members, veterans, and their families comprise approximately one third of the residents of Colorado’s Pikes Peak region. To more effectively meet the often interconnected needs of these individuals and their loved ones, the Peak Military Care Network (PMCN) has created an integrated care network for military members, veterans, and their families. “We began our...

To address concerns about underage drinking and college parties in Santa Cruz, the Together for Youth coalition pursued a social host ordinance. The collaborative, formed to address high rates of alcohol use among the county’s high...

In low income communities in Salt Lake, Davis, and Summit Counties, United Way and its partners are answering the multiple challenges of poverty with multiple coordinated services in convenient community hubs. Through Promise Partnerships, community stakeholders set goals, share data and results, and align...

First-time parents can always use some extra support, and in Clinton County, Iowa, that support is aimed at creating successful families right from the start. Clinton County is rolling out the Nurse-Family Partnership (NFP) program, an initiative that pairs nurses with new mothers to provide more than just medical care. The nurses...

With Milwaukee teen birth rates more than twice the national average, the United Way of Greater Milwaukee and its partners publicly committed to a comprehensive, multi-component intervention campaign with an ambitious goal: in 2008, they pledged to reduce births among 15 to 17 year olds by 46% by 2015. To launch this effort, United Way gathered partners from across the greater...