Prevent Homelessness
United Way fights for the 1,500 people experiencing homelessness in our community. Living on the street costs them connections with family and friends and makes it hard for them to work or maintain good health.

Address Childhood Trauma
67% of young people have suffered trauma during their lifetime—whether it’s food insecurity, an abusive parent or guardian, homelessness, or some other sustained traumatic event. Resilient Midlands is raising awareness around childhood trauma to shatter taboos, end painful silences, and create healing.

Free Tax Filing
For low-income families, an annual tax refund is a needed cash infusion, but many can’t afford to pay an accountant. We offer a free filing service, led by volunteer accountants, that maximizes their refund.

We fund great projects and causes.
The United Way of the Midlands provides grants for community organizations that are helping to promote stability. Last year, we provided over a million dollars to local organizations that are helping transition people out of homelessness, including homeless youth, and providing needed services that help individuals get back on their feet.
TOTAL Funding $1,175,000
- $25,000 to Able South Carolina
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Empowerment for Individuals with Disabilities
Financial Empowerment for Individuals with Disabilities expands on the current Independent Living Skills program to provide individualized assistance with a focus on financial literacy and stability to financially empower individuals with disabilities in the Midlands.
- $25,000 to Alston Wilkes Society
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Midlands Community Services for Former Offenders
Research shows a correlation between reduced recidivism and attainment of housing and employment upon release from prison. AWS provides former offenders with the tools ‐ pre‐release education, case management, basic needs assistance – that they need to successfully reenter the Midlands community.
- $40,000 to Central South Carolina Habitat for Humanity
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Revitalizing Neighborhoods in the Midlands
Recognizing the need to address deferred home maintenance in the Midlands, the multi-faceted Neighborhood Revitalization program focuses on changing neighborhoods one block at a time. Funding will support the repairs of 15 homes in Lexington and Richland counties (average cost of $5,000 per home/repair).
- $40,000 to Growing Home Southeast, Inc.
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Leaphart Place Transitional Living Apartments
Leaphart Place provides case management and addresses employment, permanent housing, and financial literacy needs for homeless or at-risk young adults within Growing Home's transitional living apartment complex.
- $70,000 to Homeless No More
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Support for Homeless and At‐Risk Families in the Midlands
Homeless No More serves homeless and at‐risk families through its comprehensive and layered approach to include: emergency shelter and transitional housing, case management and supportive services, and a children’s program with a focus on social-emotional learning.
- $50,000 to Home Works of America, Inc.
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Healthy Homes Initiative ‐ Free Home Repairs for Vulnerable Homeowners
Home Works provides home repairs for vulnerable (elderly, disabled and Veteran) Midlands homeowners. Homes are previewed and repaired thru the lens of the Health Works program, which seeks to improve personal health that is affected by sub‐standard housing.
- $200,000 to Mental Illness Recovery Center, Inc.
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Outreach, Benefits Assistance, Case Management, and Housing for Youth and Adults
MIRCI uses evidence‐based practices to deliver outreach, benefits assistance, wraparound case management services, and housing to help youth and adults experiencing or at risk of homelessness exit homelessness permanently.
- $30,000 to Mission Lexington (LiCS)
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School‐Based Program
Mission Lexington assists in stabilizing families who are homeless or at risk of homelessness that have children enrolled in Lexington County School Districts One through Four.
- $50,000 to Palmetto Place Children and Youth Services
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Unaccompanied Youth Emergency and Transitional Housing Program
The Unaccompanied Youth Program provides comprehensive care to youth experiencing homelessness including medical care, mental health services, career readiness, educational support, and independent living skills. The goal is permanent housing and self‐sustainability.
- $275,000 to The Salvation Army, A Georgia Corporation
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Housing Stabilization Program
The Housing Stabilization program focuses on helping families with school-age children (5‐18 years) from Richland One, Richland Two, Lexington‐Richland 5, Newberry and Fairfield school districts achieve housing and financial stability.
- $5,000 to The Samaritan House of Orangeburg
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Sheltering
The Samaritan House provides temporary housing, meals and stabilization services to homeless men, women and children in Orangeburg, Calhoun and Bamberg counties.
- $235,000 to Transitions (Midlands Housing Alliance)
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End Homelessness
Transitions provides emergency shelter to homeless individuals and case management services to assist clients in developing care plans, obtaining employment and transitioning into permanent housing.