Another year has come and gone, and I find myself looking back on 2024 with gratitude for the scale of the impact we achieved together. None of which would have been possible without the enthusiastic support of donors, volunteers, advocates, nonprofits and corporate partners.
I’m proud to share a few highlights of the many ways Greater Twin Cities United Way united community to meet urgent needs and make lasting change in the areas of housing, food, education and economic opportunity throughout 2024.
Every day, people contact our 211 resource helpline for help paying their bills, finding affordable housing, putting food on the table and so much more. Not only does our ability to provide crisis and referral services like 211 enable us to help our neighbors meet their everyday needs, but it also provides valuable data that we use to evaluate and respond to community needs.
We also continue to operate the Twin Cities call center for the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline through a partnership with the Minnesota Department of Health. Entering our fifth year as the local provider, 988 has proven to be a vital lifeline for tens of thousands of Minnesotans, with 988 operators responding to 90 calls, texts or chats per day. You can learn more about how 988 became Minnesota’s go-to call for mental health crisis help in this article by Minnesota Public Radio.
Data from our 211 resource helpline indicates that housing continues to be the most pressing need for people in our community. That is why we made stable and affordable housing one of our key policy objectives in the 2024 state legislative session. We know that by advocating for meaningful funding increases and policy changes in housing, we can help prevent homelessness and improve the quality of life for our neighbors.
Together with our partners, we successfully advocated at the state legislature for increased funding for Minnesota’s Family Homeless Prevention and Assistance Program — a program that provides temporary supportive services and financial assistance to eligible households experiencing a housing crisis. As a result, more families who are at risk of homelessness will be able to stay in their homes.
A shortage of affordable housing options is making the housing crisis in our region more severe. To address this ongoing challenge, we championed the legislature for $50 million in Housing Infrastructure Bonds to promote multifamily housing development — deepening our state’s investment in affordable housing.
Learn more about Greater Twin Cities United Way’s impact in housing through our Pathways Home initiative to prevent homelessness for youth transitioning from incarceration or the foster system.
Learn more about Greater Twin Cities United Way’s vision for stable and affordable housing in the 2025 legislative session.
Equitable access to food that is affordable and meets the dietary needs and cultural preferences of our neighbors is essential to nourishing a thriving community. That’s why in the fall of 2024 we announced the relaunch of our Full Lives initiative focused on building and strengthening our regional food system.
Expanding on the success of our first Full Lives initiative, which focused on food organizations working within North Minneapolis, we’re broadening our impact by partnering with organizations who are working across the regional food system, including food shelves, urban farms and food entrepreneurship incubators.
We’ve invested $1.2 million in grant funding to support four nonprofit collaborative efforts working across the regional food system to support farmers and community agriculture, incubate new food businesses, and even teach families new ways to cook fresh foods. Together, we are creating a stronger, more equitable regional food system that nourishes families and creates wealth.
A child’s educational journey begins the moment they enter the world — and their experiences in the first three years of life have a significant impact on their long-term health and wellbeing. Two years ago, we launched the 80×3: Resilient from the Start initiative to expand trauma-sensitive care so our littlest learners have the tools to overcome adverse childhood experiences. Today, more than 500 children have already benefitted from our work and that number is growing.
Through 80×3, we’re working with child care partners to implement new forms of trauma-informed and culturally responsive care. We’re also bolstering our support of child care professionals by providing access to mental health care. Our funding also provides critical resources for child care providers to recruit and retain staff. These efforts are meeting urgent needs and making an impact in the classroom for children, families and childcare professionals.
We continue to make lasting change for educational success through our advocacy work. In 2024, we helped secure more than $50 million in funding for childhood literacy and pre-kindergarten programs, ensuring more young learners have the opportunity to succeed.
Additionally, in our role as administrator for the Minnesota Department of Education’s Early Learning Scholarship Awards (ELSA), we’re helping streamline access to early-childhood scholarships by centralizing payments to providers, which helps reduce child care waitlists so more families can find care.
Thank you for helping make the Greater Twin Cities a thriving community where all belong. To learn more about Greater Twin Cities United Way’s impact, check out our new video featuring Shannon Smith Jones, our senior vice president of community impact.
