CORE Collaborative Grants

In 2016, United Way of Snohomish County announced the Creating Open Roads to Equity collaborative model. This approach put all our resources and support behind several community-led initiatives to address issues of generational poverty in our county. These “CORE Collaboratives” represent almost 100 agencies working in partnership towards shared goals. The work of the CORE Collaboratives has been essential in helping students succeed in school, families reunite, and communities connect. We could not be prouder of the way this approach has reshaped Snohomish County. 
  
While the original CORE roadmap envisioned a 10-year journey for the Collaboratives to reach independence, we never imagined the incredible change the world would experience during these last three years. The pandemic period brought dramatic shifts in community needs, while also altering how and where we live and work. We also witnessed a shift in philanthropic trends and a growing wealth inequality that has tested our experience as fundraisers and systems connectors. A smaller team combined with funding changes means that UWSC no longer has the revenue or staff capacity to continue our role as the backbone support for the CORE Collaboratives. With these realities in mind, United Way’s Board of Directors has made the decision to end our funding relationship with CORE after their contracts conclude on December 31st, 2023. We remain committed to finding other avenues to support them outside of a financial capacity. 

If you are here searching for information on the CORE Collaboratives, please visit their sites directly, listed below. We will update this information as we have it. If you are wanting to make a financial contribution, we encourage you to donate directly to the governing organization, and not through UWSC. 

 

Contact

Any questions related to our CORE Collaboratives Grant investments or future grant opportunities should be directed to info@uwsc.org

 

All Families Are Ready: Creating equitable opportunities for all Casino Road families

Casino Road's All Families Are Ready Collaborative is one of the action teams of a larger neighborhood initiative called Connect Casino Road. The Collaborative serves families with young children who come to The Village, the physical hub of the initiative, located on Casino Road in South Everett.

The Village offers a variety of family support services including adult education, small business development, learning opportunities, early childhood education, and afterschool care.

The Collaborative has a coordinator who serves as the point of contact for families.

 

Visit All Families Are Ready's website.

Donate directly to Connect Casino Road.

For more information, please contact Jillian Robinson, Assistant Director. 

 

How it Works

  1. Family comes to The Village to receive services for the adult, the child, or both and is greeted by the Casino Road Connect Collaborative Coordinator.
  2. If family has a young child, prenatal-age eight, coordinator assesses whether they would be a good fit for All Families Are Ready CORE Collaborative.
  3. Collaborative Coordinator meets with family and builds relationship.
  4. Together, Coordinator and family develop customized plan with goals at 3, 6, and 12 months.
  5. Coordinator connects family to Collaborative partners within Connect Casino Road and broader Snohomish County communities to help achieve goals outlined in family plan.
  6. Family expands community network to other partners, peers, and people both at The Village and in Snohomish County to ultimately build a deeper sense of community on Casino Road.

 

Download a diagram that illustrates how this Collaborative works.

Anticipated Outcomes

  1. Child is ready for school and takes charge of his/her learning.
  2. Parent becomes a more powerful learning partner and is motivated to pursue postsecondary learning.
  3. Parent health & mental health is strengthened.
  4. Family empowered and stable.
  5. Family is connected with economic, social and/or other supports.

Collaborative Partners

  • YMCA of Snohomish County
  • Seattle Goodwill Industries
  • Casa Latina
  • United Way of Snohomish County
  • Connect Casino Road
  • ChildStrive
  • Mukilteo School District
  • Everett Community College
  • Ventures
  • NW Immigrant and Refugee Services

Homeward House: Nurturing the vital parent-child bond in the face of crisis, treatment, and recovery

Homeward House is a house in Everett where services from all five focus areas—Post-Secondary & Employment Pathways, Early Childhood Education, Economic Assets, Social Capital and Health & Well-Being—exist in one physical location to provide wrap around support for families in dependency.

  • Birth parents and children have supervised visitation in a single-setting, allowing for an environment more conducive to bonding and attachment.
  • Collaborative services are provided onsite, reducing potential barriers to access services.
  • Peer mentors support families in their journey through the dependency experience. 

Visit Homeward House's website.

Donate directly to Homeward House. Indicate "Homeward House" in the comment section. 

For more information, contact homewardhouse@ywcaworks.org

How it Works

  1. Families have an open or imminant dependency case due to substance use disorder.
  2. A community partner refers the family to the Homeward House Collaborative Coordinator.
  3. Coordinator connects parents to parent ally mentors through Parents for Parents (P4P) at YWCA.
  4. P4P mentors with lived experience build relationship with birth parents.
  5. Plan is developed with the influence of legal counsel, a Department of Children, Youth and Families (DCYF) representative, and the parent ally mentor. Through this collaborative approach, family’s plan includes Homeward House.

 

Download a diagram that illustrates how this Collaborative works.

Anticipated Outcomes

  1. Child physical and emotional health develops appropriately.
  2. Parent is motivated to climb career ladder.
  3. Family is empowered and stable.
  4. Family is connected with economic, social, and/or other supports.
  5. Educational success becomes a core family value.
  6. Out of home placement after CPS referral is prevented.
  7. Length of time a dependency case is open is reduced.
  8. Reunification or positive permanent outcome takes place.
  9. Repeated CPS involvement is prevented.

Collaborative Partners

  • YWCA – Homeward House & Parents for Parents & Shelter Plus Care programs
  • ChildStrive
  • Snohomish County Early Intervention
  • Hand in Hand
  • Wonderland/Hope Rising Clinic
  • Interfaith Association of Northwest Washington
  • Domestic Violence Services
  • Washington Department of Social and Human Services
  • HASCO United Way of Snohomish County
  • Catholic Community Services
  • Cocoon House
  • Babies of Homelessness
  • Maud’s Place
  • Monroe Women’s Shelter
  • Snohomish Health District
  • Snohomish County Sheriff
  • Providence Regional Medical Center
  • Snohomish County Music Project
  • Center for Human Services
  • Ideal Option
  • Community Health Center of Snohomish County
  • Infant Massage
  • Sherwood Early Intervention Services
  • Compass Health
  • Snohomish County Human Services
  • Evergreen Health Women’s & Children’s Program
  • SeaMar
  • Swedish Edmonds
  • WIC
  • Coordinated Care
  • Nuture New Life
  • Cascade Valley Hospital
  • Housing Hope
  • Bridgeways
  • Law Office of Brice & Timm, LLP
  • Snohomish Superior Court
  • City of Everett
  • State of WA Public Defense
  • Pacific Treatment Alternative
  • WA State Assistant Attorney General
  • ABC Law Group
  • Workforce Snohomish

Improving School Attendance for Families in Transition: Improving educational outcomes for families experiencing homelessness

Improving School Attendance serves families within the Everett Public Schools boundaries. There are seven entry points—partners who connect families to this Collaborative: Interfaith Family Shelter, YWCA, Domestic Violence Services, Housing Hope, Homage Senior Services, Everett Gospel Mission, and Schools in Everett School District.

 

Visit Improving School Attendance's Website

Donate directly to ISA online. Please indicate "ISA" in the dedication field. 

For more information, contact info@isacollaborative.org

 

How it Works

  1. Concerned educators or Collaborative partners identify a chronically absent* student experiencing transition (*missing 10% or more of the school year) 
  2. Educator or partner calls Collaborative coordinator.
  3. Collaborative coordinator connects family with best-suited Child Family Advocate. 
  4. Each entry point has a Collaborative-paid staff position called a Child Family Advocate who builds relationship with student, caregiver, and school.
  5. As a team, the family, Child Family Advocate, and school develop a customized family plan.
  6. Family accesses services that meet their needs in the Collaborative’s five focus areas.

 

Download a diagram that illustrates how this Collaborative works.

Anticipated Outcomes

  1. Child is ready for school, takes charge of his/her learning, and is on track for future academic success.
  2. Caregiver is equipped to climb career ladder.
  3. Family is equipped to lead a healthy lifestyle.
  4. Caregiver has capacity and skills to successfully navigate their community systems and to support their children to do the same.
  5. Family is empowered and stable.

Collaborative Partners

  • Everett Public Schools
  • Housing Hope
  • ChildStrive
  • Refugee and Immigrant Services Northwest
  • YMCA
  • Providence Institute for Health
  • Boys and Girls Club
  • Amerigroup Washington
  • YWCA
  • Interfaith Family Shelter
  • Parent Trust for Washington Children
  • Homage Senior Services
  • Tomorrow’s Hope Child Development Center
  • Edmonds Community College
  • HopeWorks
  • Domestic Violence Services
  • Snohomish County Early Learning Coalition
  • College of Hope
  • Everett Police Department
  • United Way of Snohomish County
  • Everett Gospel Mission
  • WorkSource Snohomish County

North Counties' Community Collaborative: Reducing inter-generational poverty in Darrington by improving access to employment, health, and education

Darrington is a small, rural community that is geographically isolated. The primary barriers for this community are the distance to services, limited local services, inconsistent Internet connectivity, and minimal public transportation. North Counties’ Community Collaborative aims to better align services around a 2-Generational approach, reduce barriers for families to access local services, and bring new services to Darrington to support the whole family.

Visit North Counties' Community Collaborative's website.

For more information, contact alanncfs@gmail.com

How it Works

Currently, the Collaborative partners meet monthly and commitments have been made to both expand local services and bring new services to Darrington families. The implementation model continues to evolve but priorities include:

  • Reliable high-speed Internet in homes, which is not currently available. The Collaborative is funding a significant portion of the infrastructure costs.
  • Childcare stipends for families enrolled in post-secondary education or workforce training.
  • Events that embed services in spaces families already use and bring multiple services to one location.
  • In-home therapy and early invention services for children birth to three. 
  • Community family nights to increase social connections.

 

Download a diagram that illustrates how this Collaborative works.

Anticipated Outcomes

  1. Child is ready for school and caregivers are empowered as their children’s primary advocates.
  2. Caregiver pursues post-secondary learning and/or employment aspirations. 
  3. Family is equipped and supported to reach their best physical, mental, and emotional health.
  4. Family becomes a connector and community resource for others.
  5. Family is financially stable.

Collaborative Partners

  • North Counties’ Family Services
  • Darrington Strong (Darrington’s Local Business Association)
  • Darrington Internet Users Association
  • Sauk-Suiattle Indian Tribe
  • Darrington Pharmacy
  • Sno-Isle Regional Library-Darrington Branch
  • Darrington Family Dental
  • Darrington Clinic
  • Coastal Community Bank
  • Darrington School District
  • The Arc of Snohomish County
  • Workforce Snohomish
  • Goodwill Industries
  • Darrington Family Outreach
  • Goodwill
  • Stilly Valley Health Connections
  • United Way of Snohomish County