Families across the Greater Twin Cities are facing mounting challenges. Lost income due to missed work, difficulty accessing food, rising housing instability, an impending rental crisis, and growing uncertainty about where to turn for help are making it increasingly difficult for people to meet their basic needs.
As these pressures intensify, Greater Twin Cities United Way is grateful to be working alongside passionate and resilient nonprofit partners, with the support of generous donors, as we accelerate response efforts to meet this moment in our community. United Way is connecting people in crisis to help, moving resources and dollars quickly to organizations on the frontlines, and convening partners and decisionmakers across sectors to respond together.
Food and housing needs on the rise
Through its 211 resource helpline, United Way is hearing directly from neighbors experiencing urgent needs. 211 is responding to surges in housing and food requests: At their highest, calls and texts related to food assistance were up 197%, housing stability was up 103% and rental assistance was up 235%. Additionally, requests from Spanish-speaking households have increased dramatically and were at one point up 1,646%. Demand for these resources remains elevated. Many callers report lost work, fear disrupting daily routines, or sudden gaps in income that make it impossible to cover rent or groceries.
At the same time, nonprofit partners report unprecedented demand. Food shelves are expanding access by delivering food to people in their homes. Housing organizations are trying to prevent evictions with fewer and more strained resources. Direct-service staff are stretched thin as they care for neighbors who are navigating trauma and instability. We are proud to support the amazing work of our community partners as they innovate and respond to evolving needs.
Uniting partners to respond quickly
Greater Twin Cities United Way is bringing together nonprofits, volunteers, donors, corporate partners and public leaders to respond quickly and effectively to this crisis. This includes strengthening coordination across the region by sharing real-time insights from 211 and community partners with funders, corporations, city officials and state legislators to inform a collective response.
United Way is getting dollars into our community in real-time by issuing flexible grants to nonprofit partners so they can adapt, respond and meet urgent needs as they arise. They are also supporting the people doing the work by investing in nonprofits’ ability to sustain staff and services during an intense and evolving period.
