Our Impact

Monroe County United Ministries 

We end generational poverty for the people we serve through self-sufficiency coaching, basic and financial assistance, and affordable high-quality early learning. 

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Quinn

In 2003, Quinn was enrolled in our Compass Early Learning Center, allowing Quinn’s grandmother to work to support their family. 15 years later, Quinn's family was tragically evicted from their home. Facing financial hardship and post-traumatic stress, they left school as soon as they were 18 to enter the workforce. Quinn eventually returned to MCUM as a Your Path participant with the goal of earning their high school diploma. Their hard work, planning, and regular meetings with a Self-Sufficiency Coach paid off when they passed the High School Equivalency test. Equipped with their new education credentials and goal-setting toolkit, Quinn is excited to start a new life in Chicago with their partner.

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“Despite the chaos, for the first time in my life, I feel like I truly have control over the direction my life is going.” – Nicole*, Microloan recipient, Compass parent, and Your Path participant
In the summer of 2021, Nicole’s family received the difficult news that due to a rent increase, they could no longer afford to stay in their home. To cover the costs of moving, Nicole applied for and received a microloan from MCUM. Shortly after, Nicole’s world was completely turned upside down when her mom, her most trusted friend and advocate, died unexpectedly. Funeral expenses set her family back even more, and Nicole decided to join Your Path to make a financial plan, set budgeting goals, and get back on track with her microloan. However, now left without a support system, Nicole became the victim of financial abuse in her relationship. Eventually, she made the difficult decision to seek help from Middle Way House. Since then, slowly but surely, Nicole has made progress towards independence – first, she enrolled her child at Compass and found a job with a supportive and understanding boss. Then she received priority for the Section 8 voucher, found an apartment, and started saving money for a car. When her tax return arrived, she was able to pay off the remainder of her microloan and put a down payment on a vehicle. With the help of local agencies like MCUM and Middle Way House, Nicole was able to find support and keep her head above water through hard times.
*Name changed for anonymity
Deliveries

When the pandemic struck in 2020, Monroe County United Ministries had to shut our doors in response to the public health crisis. In order to continue providing our basic needs services, the Self-Sufficiency Center offered food bag deliveries so disadvantaged community members would not go without assistance. After the most intense period of quarantine ended, we realized that our deliveries also served those who are homebound due to age or medical condition, as well as those without reliable transportation. To ensure no one was left behind, we continued offering delivery to make our services accessible to anyone in need.

 

Our newest Self-Sufficiency Coach, Alysha Bell, is responsible for coordinating our delivery services. When asked about the interaction that stood out to her the most, this is what she said: “I received a call from an elderly woman who struggled to navigate our online order form. She had just had surgery and was not very mobile, much less able to get groceries. She also had a wide range of food sensitivities that significantly impacted her health. Despite these barriers, I was sure we could help. I worked with her to identify foods in our pantry that she could eat, and made sure we sent her food and supplies every month to cover her needs as she recovered from her surgery. She was so appreciative of the deliveries, and she told me she is glad there were people out there who truly cared about her quality of life.”