Vision:
Working with the communities we serve, the United Way of Eastern Maine is a trusted catalyst for meaningful and lasting change that improves the lives of people in our region. Mission:
Improve lives by mobilizing the caring power of people and communities. Our Work:
Founded in 1937, United Way of Eastern Maine (UWEM) has worked in Hancock, Penobscot, Piscataquis, Somerset, Waldo, and Washington counties to improve the lives of people across our region by mobilizing the caring power of people and communities. Today, UWEM is the largest private funder of education, income, and health services in the six county area. Every five years, UWEM conducts a community mapping process to identify needs, root causes, prioritize needs and develop a plan to address the prioritized needs. This process allows UWEM to identify the areas in which we have a unique position to leverage our relationships and community resources to create solutions through collective impact. This Collective Impact plan is known as Opportunity 2028. The goals and objectives are listed below:
Bold Goal #1
Meet basic needs and promote self-sufficiency for all
107,461 Eastern Mainers are currently living in poverty* (ex. family of 4 making less than 49,200/year)
Our goal is to move 10,746 people out of poverty* by 2028.
*defined as 200% of federal poverty level
Bold Goal #2
Prevent, treat and support recovery from Substance Use Disorder
Currently 107 people in Eastern Maine die each year due to overdose. Our goal is to eliminate deaths due to Substance Use Disorder by 2028. Bold Goal #3
All children have quality early learning experiences
Currently only 48% (1,347) of children in Eastern Maine are reading proficiently at the end of third grade
Our goal is to increase the percent of children reading proficiently at the end of third grade to 58% by 2028. For more information go to www.opportunity2028.org.
