Our Approach

At United Way, we envision a community where all individuals and families have an opportunity to succeed and thrive. To make this vision a reality, United Way of Central Missouri partners with 26 non-profit health and human service agencies that help the hungry, the homeless, the powerless...seniors, babies, children and adults with disabilities...families torn apart by drug addiction, struggling to put food on the table, or recovering and rebuilding their lives after the devastation from a tornado, flooding or pandemic. We are United in our vision that together we should fight for a better future for all.

Thanks to our agency partners, we are making sure that youth have a mentor to help them reach their full potential, and low-income families have affordable day care so they can go to work or school and leave their children in a safe place where they will become kindergarten ready. Middle schoolers are receiving extra reading help so they don't fall behind, foster children are finding their forever homes, and seniors are able to stay independent in their homes because meals are delivered to their doorstep. Children have a safe place to go after school, and abused and neglected children have an advocate and voice in the courtroom. Children with special needs are receiving intensive physical therapy, and those struggling with mental health have access to quality counseling.

We are more than the fundraisers. We are the handraisers. We raise our hands not only to lead the fight, but to reach out to people who need our help...and hope. United we face food insecurity. United we battle for those struggling with addictions and mental health challenges. United we confront illiteracy and provide mentorship programs. No matter the obstacles. No matter the odds. We surround our community's most critical problems. And we fight. We fight for our neighbors, our co-workers, our families and our friends. We fight for those who need a voice and those whose names we do not know. Because it takes all of us working together.

We unite the community. We mobilize resources. We create change.