United Way of Southwest Minnesota

Our Mission: Uniting people and resources to improve lives and strengthen communities in southwest Minnesota.

Desmond Tutu once said, "Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all of the darkness." Our community continues to encounter challenges, and we need to be that shining light in the midst of it all, so we can all succeed and thrive.  Today, we invite you to Raise Your Hand with United Way of Southwest Minnesota and help us create hope and positivity in our community.

Supporting your community is simple and impactful.  Whether you contribute $5, donate your time, or encourage others to volunteer with you, every act of support is significant and valuable.

We invite you to join us, get involved, and Raise Your Hand to create HOPE in our community.  Please consider making a financial contribution this year because change does not happen alone. 

 United Way of Southwest Minnesota is committed to our community's health, education, financial stability, hunger, and safety & well-being.  Our support fuels impactful change for every person in the communities we serve. 

With your help, there's hope.

Some of United Way of Southwest Minnesota's Internal Initiatives & Programs Include:

Dolly Parton's Imagination Library -  is a unique initiative for children aged from birth to 5 years in our service area.  Each child receives an age and developmentally-appropriate book in the mail each month, fostering valuable school readiness skills.   Since 2005, over 9,024 local children have graduated from the program, and 533,531 books have been delivered to homes throughout our service area.   Over 2,300 local children receive a book delivered to their home every month.   (Stats as of September 2024).

UWSWMN surveys the parents of children participating in this program to help us assess its value.  

Here are the results of our 2024 Imagination Library Survey.

• 93% of respondents are satisfied with and appreciate the Imagination Library book program.
• 97% of respondents would recommend the Imagination Library book program to families with young children.
• 95% of respondents felt that receiving Imagination Library books has provided them access to books they would not have purchased.
• 95% of respondents agree that receiving Imagination Library books helps prepare their children for kindergarten by getting them ready to read.
• 93% of respondents agree that receiving Imagination Library books helps them read more to their children.

Here are some quotes from parents who responded to the survey:

"Our family is very thankful to receive Imagination Library books for our children.   They have definitely helped us be more intentional about reading to them, and they love getting that book in the mail.   I have also recommended friends and others sign up for this great program." 

"We love getting new books from Imagination Library!  We get new books that we may have not picked out ourselves, so that helps to expose our son to new topics and styles.   He loves when we read books, so he is very excited every time that there is a new book to read."

"My children love getting books in the mail.   They get so excited!" 

"My children's favorite books came from Imagination Library, and they greatly looked forward to their monthly books.  As my daughter has learned to read, she now reads the Imagination Library books to her younger brother."

"Growing up as a child, I would get books from Imagination Library, and it was so fun for me to receive a book in the mail; it created so much excitement for me.  I'm excited for my son to grow up receiving these books as well and watching him look forward to seeing what book he has received when he's a little older."

Stuff the Bus - this successful initiative in 2024 was made possible by the collective efforts of our community.  We provided over 60,000 school supplies to approximately 4,000 students attending 22 area schools.  Engaging volunteers to collect, sort, pack, and distribute supplies to students throughout our service area to ensure that students can learn and develop to their full potential without the worry that they don't have the basic tools needed to reach their academic goals.

Student Emergency Fund Grants - Over $12,000 were distributed in 2024 to 16 local schools that applied for funds.   Funds are to be used at the districts' discretion to support the needs of their students.  Participating schools reported that during the 2023-24 school year, funds were used for items such as: activity fees, support to a family that suffered a home fire, support to a student that lost their only parent, underwear, clothing, socks, and shoes, hygiene items, emergency food support, eyeglasses and vision exams, winter apparel, specialized school supplies, etc.

 We serve people in Minnesota counties: Lincoln, Lyon, Murray, Yellow Medicine, and portions of Redwood, Cottonwood, Lac qui Parle, and Nobles.  

Questions?  Want more information?

Contact us: 

unitedway@unitedwayswmn.org or 507-929-2273

Source: www.unitedwayswmn.org