United Way funds important for area nonprofits

The United Way of Southeast Missouri announced its funding partners recently. The United Way selects partners every three years through a lengthy process involving more than 60 community volunteers and scored more than 50 program applications. The volunteers visited several sites and heard several presentations. The United Way increased the number of partner agences from 24 to 27.

The agencies serve Bollinger, Cape Girardeau and Perry counties, as well as portions of northern Scott County.

The exact funding amount each agency and program will receive depends on the amount of money the United Way raises.

United Way of Southeast Missouri will kick off its 2019-2020 fundraising drive with a luncheon from 11:30 a.m. until 1 p.m. Aug. 29 at Cape Girardeau Country Club.

The United Way does a lot of good work for the community. Thousands of lives will be touched through the programs that benefit from the local generosity of gifts to the United Way.

The United Way of Southeast Missouri's continuing partners, some of which sponsor several programs:

• American Red Cross
• APPLE senior paperwork program
• Big Brothers Big Sisters
• Boys & Girls Club of Southeast Missouri
• Bollinger County 4-H
• Cape Girardeau School District
• Community Partnership of Southeast Missouri
• Educare at Southeast Missouri State University
• First Call for Help
• Girl Scouts of Missouri Heartland
• Greater St. Louis Area Council Boy Scouts of America
• Habitat for Humanity
• Jackson Senior Center
• Little Whitewater Baptist Church Food Pantry
• Lutheran Family & Children Services
• Read to Succeed
• SADI (SEMO Alliance for Disability Independence)
• Safe House for Women
• Scott City Ministerial Alliance
• The Salvation Army
• Voices for Children/CASA
• 211 (unfunded in-kind partner)

New partner organizations:

• Center for Speech & Hearing at Southeast Missouri State University
• Christian Boxing Academy & Learning Center
• EPIC Pals (a program that works to develop bonds between children and dogs to help reduce substance abuse among youth)
• Hope for One More emergency shelter program
• Meadow Heights Elementary School
• Mississippi Valley Therapeutic Horsemanship
• New Life Mission Inn in Perryville, Missouri
• One City job training program
• Oral Health Coalition of the Cape Girardeau County Health Department
• Tiger Lilies at Cape Girardeau Central Middle School