$45,000 grant helps key programs in UCITY Family Zone

Jun 19, 2020 | Events, Neighborhoods, UNC Charlotte

Community Hub 1245 garden

Volunteers work on a new garden at the Community Hub

A $45,000 grant to the UCITY Family Zone organization is helping several groups provide food, job training and crucial communication skills to thousands of University City residents.  This grant is from United Way and the Foundation for the Carolinas COVID-19 Emergency Response Awards.

Many needs and many volunteers

Mark DeHaven, co-founding director of the UCITY Family Zone, says that the grant can have a significant impact because it leverages the extensive volunteer efforts of many groups.
“We have many organizations, and we are covering a lot of needs. But we can do a lot with a little,” DeHaven says. “Everyone is volunteering, so this grant supports what everyone is doing.”

Where the money goes

DeHaven says that the grant allows the UCITY Family Zone to continue its work in three areas.
  • The Community Ambassadors Program helps community leaders develop skills to be liaisons between area residents and service providers. Wendy Mateo-Pascual of Crossways Consulting is working with this group.
  • Workforce development helps residents improve skills needed by area businesses. Gary Crump with Men of Destiny is working with this area.
  • Food insecurity efforts help several grass-roots groups provide food to people in need. These groups include Zolingo’s Spice for Life, which is developing a network of community gardens; Leadership in the Clouds, which has created a way to deliver supplies to homebound people; Community Hub 1245, which is providing several thousand meals a week to families in north and northeast Charlotte; and three food pantries.

About UCITY Family Zone

The UCity Family Zone is a place-based partnership for improving the social determinants of health and quality of life in several University City communities. Through collaboration with about 100 service organizations and faith groups,  including University City Partners, the UNC Charlotte-based program seeks to improve the daily living, learning, and working conditions of individuals and families throughout the community by addressing the social determinants of health. Learn more

How you can get involved

Is your organization interested in joining the UCity Family Zone or would you like additional information?

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