Education, Family, Government, Health, Local, News, women, Youth

United Way of Northern Arizona — Update on the Social Safety Net Coalition

by Community Contributor • December 16, 2021 • Comments Off

Social Safety Net Coalition:

Meeting Basic Needs & Changing Lives

When the pandemic took hold in northern Arizona in the spring of 2020, there were so many unknowns. How severe would the impact of COVID be? When would lockdowns be lifted? How long before we had a viable vaccine?

One thing we did know: Coconino County nonprofits and agencies were going to be hard-pressed to meet the challenges during an unprecedented crisis.

That’s why the United Way of Northern Arizona and Coconino County launched the Social Safety Net Coalition. Its goal was to help those providing basic needs coordinate their efforts to address an ever-evolving situation. Almost two years later, this group continues its impressive, collaborative work.

Here are some recent examples of how these local partnerships are changing the lives of our residents:

St. Mary’s Food Bank’s new Tribal Food Box program began last month, distributing to 2,500 households through participating Navajo Chapter Houses and Hopi Villages. In addition to providing families with items that support a traditional diet, the food bank is purchasing from local tribal food vendors and looking to secure long-term partnerships with these businesses.

Flagstaff Family Food Center is coordinating with Flagstaff Shelter Services to provide a few months of home delivery of food to individuals that are transitioning out of the shelter and into housing.

UWNA is working with a wide variety of partners, including the City of Flagstaff, Coconino County, First Things First, Elevate PreK and Candelon, to secure a physical location to open a family resource center in the coming months. This facility will serve as a one-stop center for services families might need.

Housing Solutions of Northern Arizona recently purchased the 44-room Travelodge motel on East Route 66 and is converting it into studio apartments for transitional housing. The group plans to partner with Catholic Charities for on-site case management services, while Flagstaff Family Food Center will provide food resources and The Guidance Center of Flagstaff will offer mental health support.

The crisis that prompted our partners to work together more closely continues, and the recovery is still a bit of a mixed bag. Lockdowns ended, but so did the moratoriums that protected people from evictions. Vaccine rates are up, but the CDC has just issued a warning about a new wave of COVID illness this January as the omicron variant spreads.

We still have many unknowns. Our sincere hope, however, is that when this crisis is long over, the Social Safety Net Coalition will live on, identifying gaps in basic needs and working together to address them.

When you donate to United Way of Northern Arizona, you help ensure the safety and security of our neighbors in northern Arizona. Please Step Up for Our Community today by clicking the button below.

Thank you for Living United.