United Way of Greater Atlanta, one of Atlanta’s oldest and familiar nonprofits, is focused on the well-being of children. In 2017, United Way launched its initial vision. Like the Masai warriors, United Way asked, “How are the children?” The Masai warriors asked this question to learn about the health and well-being of the village. If all of the children are not well, then neither is the community. Collaborating with partners and agencies around Atlanta, the collective answer was that all the children are not well. With partners, United Way launched the child well-being movement to provide resources and support to help children (and families) thrive regardless of where they live.
For a child’s well-being to be successful, awareness and participation from the community is essential. The goal:
“To create a movement where we capture the hearts and minds of leaders, partners and the community to uplift the well-being of greater Atlanta’s children as a personal calling and shared responsibility—one that requires us to act now as a collective force for positive change.”
United Way introduced 14 metrics in the initial launch, and these metrics spanned three categories: the child, the family, and the community. The metrics included measurable items that could be used to direct resources where needed the most. Data are available at the zip code level. The zip code data plus a heat map provided a visual for directing investments. South Fulton investments included a focus on college and career readiness along with economic stability.
Then came COVID-19! United Way raised over $28M to help the metro Atlanta area. Over 14,000 South Fulton residents received assistance during the pandemic, with $650K in investments spanning several areas, including food security, housing and financial assistance. COVID pointed out key needs that were significant, such as food security, broadband access and student mobility.
The Child Well-Being Outlook 2023: Insights for Impact Report was released in May 2023 to provide the latest information. The child well-being outlook 2023 modified the initial metrics to reflect the impact of the pandemic.
Child well-being is not about the numbers, but about identifying the challenges that children and communities face that prevent them from reaching their potential. It is about providing resources based on quantifiable data to inform and guide investment strategies. A critical shift for 2023 was to look at census tract data versus zip code level data. Census tract data allows for more granular views at the neighborhood level.
Join United Way and partners as they work to provide measurable, sustainable improvements for children and families. South Fulton is a key focus area, and individuals and businesses are needed to get involved and support children’s well-being with United Way.
For more information on metrics for South Fulton and how you can support children’s well-being, contact Vanessa Roussell, vanessaroussell@unitedwayatlanta.org.
