The United Way of Oxford-Lafayette County (UWOLC) Board of Directors awarded $210,000 in grant funding for fiscal year (FY) 2023-2024. The grant recipients enable the UWOLC to improve lives and meet community needs throughout the Lafayette-Oxford-University (LOU) community.

The UWOLC will provide support to 18 local programs and the LOU Reads Coalition as part of its FY 2023-2024 grant cycle. Recipients will use the awarded funds to implement programs and initiatives in the UWOLC’s four focus areas of health, education, financial stability and basic needs.

Advisory committees comprised of local volunteers guide the UWOLC’s annual community investment process by evaluating applications in the categories of health, education, financial stability and basic needs. Once the four advisory committees complete their evaluations, the committee chairs meet in order to determine the recommended award amounts, which are submitted to the UWOLC Board of Directors for its review and approval. The referenced evaluations are accompanied by a fiscal agent review, which is conducted by the organization’s finance committee.

The aforementioned award process is thorough as applicants must demonstrate the positive outcomes of the proposed programs and initiatives as well as the severity of the needs being addressed in addition to providing information regarding their finances and organizational structure. All of the volunteers who participate in the process are local residents who give of their time, talents and expertise to ensure the awarded grant funding will have a significant impact within their home community.

Please click here to download a two-page PDF file that provides summary information for the grant recipients listed below.

Health Recipients: $60,600

Victim Services: Family Crisis Services of Northwest Mississippi
2023-2024 Funding: $40,000.00

Membership Recruitment: Natchez Trace Council, Boy Scouts of America
2023-2024 Funding: $600.00

Raising Mothers to Rise: North Mississippi Exchange Family Center
2023-2024 Funding: $16,000.00

Fresh Food for Everyone: Oxford Community Market 
2023-2024 Funding:  $4,000.00

Education Recipients: $63,200

Power Hour: Boys & Girls Clubs of North Mississippi 
2023-2024 Funding: $16,000.00

Adult Basic Literacy Education (ABLE): Lafayette County Literacy Council
2023-2024 Funding: $4,000.00

Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library: Lafayette County Literacy Council
2023-2024 Funding: $6,000.00

Early Childhood Education: LOU Reads Coalition
2023-2024 Funding: $3,200.00

One-on-One Tutoring & Enrichment Programs: The Leap Frog Program
2023-2024 Funding: $34,000.00

Financial Stability Recipients: $6,000

Self-Sufficiency Transitional Empowerment Program (STEP): Doors of Hope Transition Ministries
2023-2024 Funding: $6,000.00

Basic Needs Recipients: $80,200

Disaster Cycle Services: American Red Cross
2023-2024 Funding: $1,000.00

CASA Socks & Soles Program: CASA of North Mississippi
2023-2024 Funding: $8,050.00

Emergency Assistance: Doors of Hope Transition Ministries
2023-2024 Funding: $4,000.00

Homeless Client Assistance: Interfaith Compassion Ministry 
2023-2024 Funding: $30,000.00

Indigent Client Assistance: Interfaith Compassion Ministry 
2023-2024 Funding: $24,000.00

Pack The Pantry: Lovepacks
2023-2024 Funding: $5,000.00

Patient Assistance: North Mississippi Kidney Foundation
2023-2024 Funding: $2,800.00

Food Assistance: The Pantry of Oxford and Lafayette County 
2023-2024 Funding: $400.00

Home-Delivered Meals Program: Three Rivers AAA/PDD
2023-2024 Funding: $8,000.00