ALICE & Health in the Valley

In the Northern Shenandoah Valley, health starts with stability. When families can’t keep up with rent, food, or utilities, the stress shows up in schools, clinics, and workplaces. These aren’t just personal struggles, they are community challenges, and they require community solutions.

The 2025 ALICE Report confirms what we see every day: nearly 4 in 10 Valley households can’t afford the basics. That includes:

• Over 40% of families with children struggling, even while working full-time.

• One-third of seniors forced to choose between food, housing, and healthcare.

These numbers are more than statistics — they represent neighbors whose health and futures are on the line.

United is the Way forward — the way we fight for stronger families and build a Valley where everyone can thrive.

👉 Explore the full 2025 ALICE In Action Report here

The Power of Being United in Action

At United Way NSV, we know that funding alone can’t solve deeply rooted challenges. That’s why our strategy goes further. We invest in innovative programs that move the needle on community-wide goals. But we don’t stop there. We bring people together, advocate for change, and help the community understand what’s at stake. Real impact happens when everyone is engaged.

Our impact strategy includes:

• Funding: Investing in innovative programs that deliver measurable results for families and communities.

• Advocacy: Lifting up the voices of those too often unheard, pushing for policy and program improvements that create real opportunity.

• Convening: Bringing together the people, expertise, and resources needed to tackle challenges no single group can solve alone.

• Educating: Helping businesses, leaders, and neighbors understand the issues and take action for lasting change.

Because at the end of the day, change doesn’t happen by chance. It happens when we fight for it together. United is the Way.

United is the Way to Build Health, Stability, and Resilience

Meeting the Valley’s Needs

The health of a community is shaped not only by hospitals and clinics, but also by whether families can afford housing, food, utilities, childcare, and healthcare. The 2025 Community Impact Funding cycle shows just how urgent these needs are across the Northern Shenandoah Valley.

This year, 58 organizations stepped forward with solutions, requesting more than $800,000 to help local families. With limited resources, United Way NSV awarded $535,000 to nearly 50 nonprofit partners, supporting programs that will reach more than 27,000 residents — nearly 11% of our region’s population.

United, we are building a stronger, healthier Valley for everyone.

What We Fund: United Impact in Action

Our investments target the root causes that shape family health and well-being. Together with our partners, we’re strengthening the Valley through five pillars:

• Basic Needs: Emergency shelters, transitional housing, and expanded food access

• Healthier Communities: Free medical, dental, and mental health clinics, plus domestic violence prevention and legal aid

• Education & Opportunity: Tutoring, mentorship, and pathways to postsecondary education

• Financial Stability: Eviction prevention, utility assistance, crisis navigation, and employment support

• Resilient Communities: Strengthening support systems so vulnerable neighbors can weather challenges and thrive

United, we turn crisis into stability and struggle into opportunity.

Why It Matters

Our investments mirror the Valley’s 11.8% poverty rate and confirm what ALICE data shows: families living paycheck to paycheck are one unexpected bill away from crisis. When families can’t afford rent, food, or healthcare, the effects ripple through schools, workplaces, and hospitals.

That’s why United Way NSV supports both trusted anchor nonprofits and nimble grassroots organizations. Together, we’re building the safety net that keeps families secure and strengthens community resilience across Winchester, Frederick, Clarke, Shenandoah, Warren, and Page counties.

United, we are creating a Valley where every neighbor has the chance to thrive.

2025 Community Impact Snapshot

• $535,000 invested in Community Impact Grants

• 50 nonprofit partners supported across the Valley

• 27,000 residents served — nearly 11% of the population

• 11.8% poverty rate addressed through prevention and direct support

• 58 grant applications reviewed, $800,000+ in requests

• 40+ volunteers, 600+ hours ensuring fair, accountable funding decisions

United, we multiply impact far beyond a single program.

United is the Way

This year’s funding is more than dollars awarded. It is a shared commitment to spark change, strengthen resilience, and create healthier, more inclusive communities.

Because the message is clear:
United is the Way — the way we support stronger families, the way we rise together, and the only way we build a Valley where everyone can thrive.

United is the Way to a Healthier Valley

A healthy Valley isn’t just about hospitals and doctors. It’s about whether families can keep a roof overhead, put food on the table, and find care when they need it. It’s about children showing up to school ready to learn, seniors aging with dignity, and every neighbor having the same chance to thrive, no matter their income or ZIP code.

By 2030, the Northern Shenandoah Valley will be a region where stability is no longer the exception — it is the norm.

Fewer households will live below the ALICE threshold, and every county will have the infrastructure in place to support both urgent needs and long-term opportunity.

United is the Way forward — the way we move from short-term fixes to lasting systems change, ensuring that by 2030 every family has a fair shot at health, stability, and success.

How We’ll Get There: Strategic Funding Priorities

Looking ahead, here’s the future we are building together through our investments:

• Basic Needs: Housing Infrastructure Across the Spectrum
  From emergency shelters to affordable rentals to pathways into homeownership, the Valley will have a full housing continuum that keeps families safe and stable at every stage of life.

• Basic Needs: Food Access Infrastructure
  Pantries, mobile markets, and school-based programs will create a reliable system that ensures every household has nutritious food within reach.

• Healthier Communities: Healthcare Access Infrastructure
  Free and affordable clinics, transportation solutions, and outreach networks will guarantee that medical, dental, and preventive services are available in every community, rural or urban.

• Healthier Communities: Mental Health, Trauma-Informed Care, and Crisis Support Systems
  A coordinated community response will reduce stigma, expand trauma-informed services, and ensure timely crisis support for those facing depression, anxiety, addiction, or violence.

• Education & Opportunity: Early Education Pathways
  A continuum of support from kindergarten readiness through third grade ensures children start strong, stay on track, and build the foundation for lifelong success.

• Education & Opportunity: Scholarships & Postsecondary Access
  Tutoring, mentoring, and scholarships open doors for youth to graduate, continue their education, and pursue careers that allow them to thrive.

• Education & Opportunity: Workforce Development Systems
  Training, job placement, and career pathways will connect residents to sustainable employment and long-term financial security.

• Financial Stability: Family Stability Supports
  Childcare, crisis navigation, and safety-net services will prevent families from slipping from stability into crisis.

• Resilient Communities: Community Support Networks
  Partnerships, neighborhood programs, and local connections will allow vulnerable neighbors to weather challenges and emerge stronger together.

United Way Worldwide partners with organizations like FamilyWize because we share a belief: the best way to improve lives is by mobilizing the caring power of communities. Long-term commitments like these help families stay financially stable and healthy.

Through United Way NSV and our partner agencies, free prescription savings cards are available for anyone without coverage or with limited prescription benefits. There’s no cost, no enrollment, and no eligibility requirements.

These reusable cards give you access to discounts at more than 60,000 pharmacies nationwide on all FDA-approved medicines.

Click here for more information

Building Resilience in Children

Through the EveryDay Strong initiative, United Way provides parents, teachers, and caregivers with practical tools to help kids feel safe, connected, and confident. 

By teaching communities how to build emotional strength step by step, we equip children to thrive—in school, in relationships, and throughout life. More children than ever report feeling anxious, overwhelmed, or hopeless. Yet research shows that a strong, supportive relationship with even one caring adult can make all the difference. Parents, teachers, neighbors, and mentors all play a role in helping kids feel safe, connected, and confident.

Childhood resilience is about meeting emotional needs so children can grow and thrive. It begins with listening, validating their experiences, and creating spaces where they feel seen and understood. Small, everyday actions build emotional strength.

To make this easier, United Way partnered with experts in mental health, education, and child development to create the Everyday Strong Resilience Handbook. The framework works like a pyramid:

• Physical Needs – Food, rest, water, and shelter.

• Safety – Freedom to express emotions and make mistakes without judgment.

• Connection – Trusted relationships that foster belonging and love.

• Confidence – Skills, problem-solving, and achievements that build independence.

When these needs are met, children are better equipped to thrive—in school, work, and life. Supporting kids’ mental health is essential not only for their well-being but for the strength of our entire community.

Do You Need Help?

📞 211 – Call or text for community resources (housing, food, utilities, healthcare, and more)
📞 911 – Call for emergencies (immediate danger or life-threatening situations)
📞 988 – Call or text for suicide prevention & crisis support

Available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

211: Help Starts Here

When life gets tough, knowing where to turn can make all the difference. That’s where 211 comes in.

211 is a free, confidential helpline that connects people to the resources they need — from housing and food assistance to healthcare, childcare, employment services, and more. Whether you’re facing an immediate crisis or just need help navigating local services, trained specialists are ready to listen and connect you to support in your community.

Available 24/7, 365 days a year, 211 is accessible by phone, text, or online search. No matter the challenge, no matter the time, help is only three numbers away.

How to Connect

• Call 211 from any phone to speak with a trained specialist.

• Text your ZIP code to 898211 for text-based support.

• Visit 211virginia.org to search local resources online.

Because when families need help, the first step should be simple. 211 is the Way to find it.

Caregiving Resources in Virginia

Caring for a loved one—whether an aging parent, a spouse, or a child with a disability—can be both meaningful and challenging. That’s why United Way, AARP, and 211 are working together to connect family caregivers with the support they need.

Our Virginia Guide makes it easier to find help, linking you to programs and services for health, legal, and financial assistance, as well as respite care and caregiver support networks.

Community Resource Finder
Finding support for aging and dementia care can feel overwhelming. That’s why we connect you to the Community Resource Finder—a trusted directory where you can easily search for dementia and aging-related resources right in your area.

With just your ZIP code, you can explore a comprehensive listing of care providers, programs, and services, including:

• Home care and health services

• Dementia and Alzheimer’s support programs

• Legal, financial, and housing resources

• Community programs and caregiver supports

This tool makes it simple to discover the help you need for yourself or a loved one—so you can focus on what matters most.

Connecting Communities

AARP Events in Winchester and the Valley

Discover in-person and online AARP events and workshops designed to bring people together, learn new skills, and support community connections across Winchester and the Shenandoah Valley.

Age Well Council of the Northern Shenandoah Valley 

Remaining 2025 Meetings
Please mark your calendars — meetings will be held from 10:00–11:30 a.m. on the following dates:

• September 12, 2025

• November 14, 2025

📍 Location: Eagles Room, 329 N. Cameron Street, Winchester, VA

We look forward to seeing you there as we continue working together to support healthy aging in our community.