United Way of the Mid-Willamette Valley is set to address one of the most alarming trends in our community. Low income seniors are the fastest growing population who are at-risk of homelessness due to economic insecurity.

The average senior in Oregon living on fixed income receives $1,450 per month.  HUD defines cost-burdened as those who pay more than 30 percent of their income for housing. Current statistics show a number of economic factors have combined over the last several decades to decrease the economic security of many of today's seniors and near seniors, positioning them just one misfortune away from homelessness.

The Salem City Council voted Monday evening to sell surplus property at 4396, 4408, 4432, 4446, and 4480 Market Street NE to the United Way of the Mid-Willamette Valley. Working with innovative design and production, our goal is to create intentional micro-communities of rental cottages at a price point that is less than $450 per month.

"Right now there are senior citizens in our community who are in desperate need of help. They are people who worked hard all their lives but without a retirement or pension and are now living on limited income. Our goal is to provide a safe and affordable place to call home for as long as they can live independently” said Rhonda Wolf, CEO.

The sale of the property is a significant milestone in this project. As the best architectural solutions are explored, United Way will continue to work with the city of Salem on zoning and other requirements. Residents will be selected by working with area service partners to identify the highest need individuals who would benefit from this initiative.
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Last night, United Way Affordable Housing Committee Chair, Brent Neilsen commented “There are many people we must thank, City Staff, Neighbors, and so many business partners who have stepped up to help us get to this point.  This is a complex project, but the number of people who have come to the table with assistance is inspiring.  Every single one of us is confronted by the problem of homelessness every day, the solution we are working on is just a small part.”

United Way of the Mid-Willamette Valley has been working to meet the needs of vulnerable families in our region. No matter the crisis, we have always remained steadfast in our commitment to take care of our community.

To view the 2020 Annual Report online, click here. To download the report, use the link below.

We have some exciting news to share with you today! FamilyWize, which has been helping United Way communities save on their prescription medications since 2008, is officially combining our brand with SingleCare, a national leader in prescription savings cards. FamilyWize will soon be known as SingleCare!

As SingleCare, we look forward to continuing to partner with over 800 local United Ways, United Way Worldwide, American Heart Association, Mental Health America, and many other organizations that work to help our communities. We could not do what we do without your support. THANK YOU!

The transition will be official on April 1st. 

Live United!

Vickie Nisbet & Vilmarie Gilliam

United Way of the Mid-Willamette Valley is proud to announce the award of $250,000 grant to the Detroit Lake Foundation providing them with a significant portion of the funding needed to construct a Community Center to replace the City Hall that was lost due to the devastating Beachie Creek and Lionshead Wildfires.
"Our commitment to being a strong community partner in the effort to restore the vitality of the Canyon communities, remains to be one of our top priorities. We are proud to give this support to the Detroit community, in the largest single grant award we’ve ever done." said Rhonda Wolf, CEO.
For over 80 years, United Way of the Mid-Willamette Valley has been working to meet the needs of vulnerable families in our region. No matter the crisis, we have always remained steadfast in our commitment to take care of our community. When the wildfires wreaked havoc across our region, forcing thousands of people to evacuate and seek shelter, we immediately jumped into action with a Resource Hub to meet their most pressing needs.
In 2020, United Way has invested over $3.1 million dollars back into our region through our Community Benefit allocation. This award brings our total cash investment in the Santiam Wildfire Recovery effort to just over $530 thousand dollars, which includes $150 thousand to Santiam Canyon Watershed Council, $25 thousand to the Santiam School district and over $100 thousand to support basic needs for wildfire survivors. Additional supports, such as items from our Gifts In Kind Program as a Good360 Regional Distribution Partner, total over $2.2 million dollars.
To date, United Way has raised almost a million dollars to support long term recovery efforts in the Canyon and is facilitating the Long Term Recovery Group (LTRG) – an organized effort of over 110 community partners, volunteers, social service providers, county, city and federal teams to help our friends rebuild and thrive. This effort will continue for the next four to six years.
"We are extremely grateful for the investment in our community from the United Way and the donors who contributed to their Wildfire Relief and Recovery fund." said Chris Tardiff, president of the Detroit Lake Foundation. “This gift is part of a transformational effort to rebuild our beloved city that will be loved by generations to come.”
A check presentation event will be held at the former site of Cedars Restaurant, 200 Detroit Ave, Detroit, OR 97342, on Friday, March 12, 2021 at 2:00 p.m. and will be broadcast live on United Way’s Facebook page