This spring, the ABUW Board of Directors voted to designate $30,000 (about 20% of the funds available for allocation in the 2007 fiscal year) for the development and/or expansion of programs to address the unmet needs of Acton and Boxborough adolescents engaged in, or at risk of engaging in, unhealthy behaviors. This grant challenges existing agencies to collaborate in order to better address an as yet unmet need. It will be the first phase of funding for the development of a collaborative program focused on risk awareness, prevention, and services in areas which could include substance and/or alcohol abuse, cutting, depression, suicide, teen violence, anxiety, stress, and/or other mental health conditions. While one criterion for this grant is demonstrated future financial sustainability, ABUW is committed to additional funding over the next 2-3 years to ensure a successful program start up.

The Challenge Grant RFP (Request for Proposals) and Application were issued by ABUW on Friday, July 21, 2006. Complete proposals are due on October 6, and after a thorough review and interview process, the ultimate grant award will be announced in mid- December of 2006.

The Acton-Boxborough United Way is proud to announce that it has once again met all requirements for certification by the United Way of America. In recognition of this accomplishment, the "checkmark" graphic, shown here, will now appear on our website and on the UWA's public directory listing for our organization.

This is no minor achievement, for although membership must be certified annually, the standards of accountability and business practices that are addressed in the process are stringent and complex. Such requirements as excellence in governance, diversity of membership, filing of regulatory documentation, adoption of a local Code of Ethics, and involvement and awareness of the community's social service needs are just some of the thirteen categories examined.

For more information about the process, please contact Executive Director Sandy Campbell at our office.

This year, thanks to our community's generous support, ABUW has awarded $130,000 in grants to 23 local health and human service organizations and set aside $30,000 for our Challenge Grant Initiative (see featured article). An additional $2,000 has been set aside to support the MASS 211 program, an initiative sponsored by a collaboration of United Way organizations in Massachusetts that will provide a centralized information and referral service to social service agencies in the area.

Below please find the 7 categories of human services to which we have granted funding:

• Children & Youth (awarded 19% of total)
• Developmental Disabilities (13%)
• Domestic Violence Services (18%)
• The Elderly (19%)
• Family Counseling (3.5%)
• Hunger & Housing (10%)
• Mental Health Services (17.5%)