Acton-Boxborough United Way Announces Grants for 2007-08 Program Year
One of the primary elements of the Mission of the Acton-Boxborough United Way is to allocate funds to health and human service organizations providing programs or services to local residents. This year, thanks to the generosity of the community, the ABUW has awarded over $122,000 in grants to 23 agencies and programs that serve Acton and Boxborough.
Included in this year’s awards is a $2,000 grant to Mass211, a toll free Information and Referral service created by a statewide collaboration of United Ways and the Massachusetts Association of Information and Referral Services. By dialing 211, a resident will access a centralized information and referral service to help guide them to social service agencies in their area that can assist them with whatever situation they may be confronted with, such as hunger, housing, elder care, long or short term financial assistance, and more..
In addition to the $122,000 awarded to the organizations listed below, the ABUW will continue to financially support the new Acton Boxborough Coalition for Healthy Youth (ABCHY). This organization, created in response to the ABUW’s 2006 RFP for services focused on addressing the needs of youth at risk, and currently consists of 9 local representative agencies or groups serving adolescents in some capacity.
For the 2007-08 program year, the local programs and agencies receiving funding from the Acton-Boxborough United Way include the following (listed by category of care):
Children & Youth
Acton-Boxborough Regional High School, Counseling Dept. – Social Worker
Big Brothers, Big Sisters of Central Mass/MetroWest
Community Partnership for Children
Project Wellness
Developmental Disabilities
Friday Night Fun Club
MinuteMan ARC for Human Services
Domestic Violence Services
Domestic Violence Victim Assistance Program
South Middlesex Legal Services
Elder Care
Cooperative Elder Services
Friends of the Acton Council on Aging
Friends of the Boxborough Council on Aging
Minuteman Senior Services
Family Support Services
Acton Housing Authority
English at Large
McCarthy Towne School (Family brochure translation project)
Hunger & Housing
Community Supper
A Friend in Need
Habitat for Humanity – Acton Project
Household Goods Recycling Ministry
Stow Food Pantry
Mental Health Services
Eliot Community Human Services
Restoration Project
These grants follow the completion of an established application process at the ABUW, whereby each applicant is required to submit a detailed application for funding, along with supplemental documents as requested. The applications are reviewed in depth by the ABUW’s Budget and Allocation Committee, followed by formal interviews with and presentations by, each applicant. When evaluating each application, the B&A Committee looks to make sure the following criteria are met – is the program a direct benefit to Acton-Boxborough residents; is the service or program an otherwise unmet need in our communities, does it meet the ABUW’s core mission and what is the significance and impact of the ABUW’s funding. After careful review and deliberations, the B&A Committee submits its recommendation report on the allocation of funds to its full Board of Directors for discussion, realignment of allocations, if necessary and final approval.
All of this would not be possible without the support of our donors – you. We know that it is difficult to decide which health and human service agency deserves your support – they all do! ABUW gives you the opportunity to donate to a single entity, knowing that your donation, along with others, will be allocated to those agencies needing support to continue to provide vital services to our communities. For more information about the Acton-Boxborough United Way, please visit or contact the ABUW via email at , or by phone at 978-263-1777.