OUR WORK MATTERS

Impacting Our Community
Through a network of volunteers and service agencies within our community, United Way helps meet the health and human care needs of people in the Greater Duluth area by directing funds towards four critical areas.

Success by 6®
The early years are the learning years, and Success by 6® efforts create a foundation for success in school and life. Our Success by 6 initiative includes the following United Way of Greater Duluth early childhood efforts: Imagination Library, Big Red Bookshelf, Born Learning Trail, Ready-Set-Learn Backpacks and Parent Resource Awareness.

Smiles Across MN-Duluth
United Way of Greater Duluth helped launch the SMILES program in Duluth in 2008. This program provides preventative dental services to low-income, uninsured and underinsured children ages 3 to 12 in the Duluth Public Schools and Head Start Centers.

Lake Superior Initiative
The Lake Superior Initiative is a three-year, $2.25 million program to build the efficiency, effectiveness and capability of our region’s community organizations. The Initiative, a joint project of the Duluth Area Family YMCA and United Way of Greater Duluth, is overseeing two federal grants that will provide technical assistance, trainings and financial awards to help community organizations build on their strengths.

2-1-1 Information & Referral
Callers can access the service by calling toll-free (800) 543-7709 or by simply dialing 2-1-1. Calls are effectively handled by Information and Referral staff who connected residents of Cook, Lake, Carlton Counties of Minnesota and Douglas County of Wisconsin with resources to assist in meeting their needs, food, shelter, clothing, health care, mental health care, community services, consumer services, jobs and training, and education.

The United Way of Greater Duluth Volunteer Center
An affiliate of the HandsOn Network, United Way's volunteer referral and placement program improves the community by promoting volunteerism to the general public, assisting organizations with volunteer recruitment and management, and providing trainings to volunteer managers.

Agencies We Support
We offer financial support to over 50 local non-profit health and human service programs that provide services to residents in the greater Duluth area.

Community Services Program
United Way of Greater Duluth implements the following AFL-CIO Community Services programs: union counseling, services to the unemployed, case management, special needs programs, and emergency programs, including disaster assistance.