Inside the United Way of Long Island

Long Island Business News, Mar 28, 2008 by Bernadette Starzee

The United Way is a national, charitable organization that was founded in Denver in 1887. "There was a big population boom," said Christopher M. Hahn, president and CEO of the United Way of Long Island. "People came out to find gold, but all they found was snow."

As a result, there was a host of social problems in need of solutions. "It sounds like the start of a joke, but a priest, a rabbi and two Pentecostal ministers got together to help," Hahn said. "They realized they couldn't solve the problems on their own, but they decided that if they coordinated efforts, they could maximize results."

That's the premise behind today's United Way of Long Island. "We coordinate efforts between not-for-profit organizations, government bodies and the business community to improve lives," Hahn said.

The United Way concentrates its efforts in four areas: improving access to health care; supporting children and youth; reducing hunger and assisting neighbors in need.

Hahn said there is more of a local need for United Way's services than many people realize. For instance, "we have a huge hunger problem on Long Island," he said. "More than 250,000 people use the services of food banks. In most cases, someone in the household has a full-time job, but the cost of living is such that they're having trouble making ends meet."

The United Way works with the Post Office and several local organizations on the National Association of Letter Carriers Annual Food Drive, which this year will take place on May 10. Long--Island residents receive a note in the mail to leave nonperishable food items out for their letter carrier to pick up. "We typically raise about 1 million lbs. of food in a single day, but we need more," Hahn said.

The United Way also works on programs to help people help themselves. "We help them get over the hump," Hahn said. "We don't just give them fish; we teach them how to fish."

To that end, the United Way of Long Island instituted a national program here last year called YouthBuild, which targets unemployed youths ages 18 to 24. "We help them get their GED and learn a skill," Hahn said. "We work with member agencies and labor unions to teach them how to build a house. They build an actual house, which will then go into the Town of Islip's affordable housing lottery." After they finish the job, the kids might join a union or go to college, Hahn said.

"It's a wonderful initiative," said Kathy Rosenthal, vice president of Long Island Regional Operations for FEGS Health and Human Services System, a member agency that is working with the Village of Hempstead to replicate the program there.

Rosenthal said the United Way assists her organization in its efforts to help seniors in the towns of Huntington and North Hempstead stay in their homes. "The United Way brought New York State dollars to Long Island for accessibility modifications, which refers to widening doors or adding grab bars to bathrooms - any modification that better enables seniors to continue to live in their homes," she said. "We identify the seniors in need, and the United Way provides funding."

The United Way has a professional staff of more than 40 people, an independent volunteer board of directors and an annual budget that ranges from $18 to $20 million depending on the year. "We have to be nimble to change with the times," Hahn said. "The way the economy is going, it appears that the need will be going up and dollars will be going down. We have to be very deliberate in our choices to make sure our resources are used as efficiently and effectively as possible."

High energy costs are being addressed through United Way's Project Warmth emergency heating program, which raises funds through community, corporate and government donations. "We work with about 40 community partners on this program," Hahn said. "Funds are donated to us, and we pay the gas or oil bill." Applicants must demonstrate financial hardship and provide an acceptable explanation of why their heating and/or fuel-related electric bill is overdue. Each applicant is only eligible for this service once a year.

Another top-of-mind concern is health care. "There are more than 270,000 people on Long Island without adequate health insurance," Hahn said. "Many of the people that don't have health care also don't have adequate transportation. We solve both problems by bringing the doctor's office to them."

Through the efforts of the United Way and its partners, including the North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System, mobile health units come to underserved communities to provide check-ups and other services. This year, mobile dental health units were added to the services.

"It has been a very successful program," said Gwen O'Shea, president and CEO of the Health and Welfare Council of Long Island, an umbrella agency for health and human service providers that is working on the project. "It's a great example of what can be achieved when partners from different sectors come together," she said.

"The United Way, through its name recognition, is able to attract critical dollars to help agencies that are providing services to the community," O'Shea said.