Our IMpact
Mesa County Imagination Library
Promoting early childhood literacy.
Volunteer United
Find local volunteer opportunities.
United for Child Care
Supporting children and families in need with affordable child care.
United to Solve Homelessness
Tackling homelessness with education, outreach, and community-driven solutions.
Resource Center
We are proud to support the Resource Center for the unhoused in Grand Junction, a joint project between United Way of Mesa County, HomewardBound of the Grand Valley, and the City of Grand Junction. This center provides essential services and support to individuals experiencing homelessness.
Community Impact Fund
The Community Impact Fund is the best way to help the most people, helping support 34 local health and human service programs run by 26 agencies right here in Mesa County. Services offered by these programs help thousands of your friends and neighbors every year.Grant Administration
United Way of Mesa County offers professional grant administration services for both federal and state funding opportunities. We currently manage the FEMA-funded Emergency Food and Shelter Program (EFSP) grant for Mesa and Montrose Counties, as well as the Opioid Crisis Recovery Fund Grant across two regions in Colorado. Our team ensures efficient grant management, proper fund distribution, compliance with allocation requirements, and smooth coordination with local agencies to maximize community impact.
Current Grant Administration Contracts
FEMA Emergency Food and Shelter Program
Colorado Opioid Crisis Recovery Funds Grant
The opioid epidemic has devastated individuals, families, and communities throughout Colorado. Over 5,000 deaths due to opioid overdoses were reported in the past 10 years in the state, yet only a third of the needed drug treatment capacity is in place to address the problem — Mesa County has not been spared. Mesa County Public Health reported 63 opioid-related deaths between 2016 and 2018. Seventy percent of overdose deaths involve an opioid, and the majority of the opioids involved in overdose deaths are prescription medications.
Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser and the Colorado Department of Law announced a historic settlement with major drug manufacturers that resulted in $400 million in opioid settlement dollars for the state.
The Mesa County Regional Opioid Governance Board has determined to focus on recovery, treatment, prevention and education efforts to support the region’s goals and objectives. United Way of Mesa County is acting as the grant administrator for these funds.
United Way of Mesa County is acting as the grant administrator for the Colorado Opioid Crisis Recovery Funds Grant in southwest Colorado too. The Southwest Colorado Opioid Regional Council (SWCORC) is comprised of representatives from Gunnison, Delta, Hinsdale, Montrose, San Miguel, and Ouray counties. The goal of SWCORC is to galvanize a cross-sector, regional approach to prevention, treatment, and recovery of substance use disorder and ensuring our communities impacted by substance use disorder are resourced, connected, and have pathways to healthy lives.
Advocacy
Policy change can be big or small. It can be petitioning your school board to require healthier cafeteria meals. It can be urging your government to invest more in schools, or make child tax credits permanent, or make more children eligible for health insurance. Or it can be mobilizing your friends to speak out on a critical cause, in person or online.
United Way galvanizes people to speak out for change. We’re amplifying individuals’ voices on important community issues. At UWMC, we provide a platform for people to take meaningful action that makes a difference.
Current Bills UWMC is Advocating for:
The Human-Services Emergency Logistics Program (HELP) Act Of 2023
The HELP Act would offer the needed investments to continue to build out 211 networks in order to provide additional support for communities and Americans in times of need. This funding will further allow first responders and police to handle life and death emergencies while 211 networks, the United Way, and many other various nonprofits work to ensure the safety of our families and communities.
Farm Bill Reauthorization
The Farm Bill is the centerpiece federal legislation for food and farming impacting access to nutritious food for the millions of people in the U.S. facing hunger.
Charitable Act
This bill allows individual taxpayers who do not otherwise itemize their tax deductions a deduction in taxable years beginning in 2023 or 2024 for charitable contributions. The deduction is limited to one-third of the standard deduction allowed to such taxpayers.