Community Impact

Community Impact Blog: Beautiful Girl, You Can Do Hard Things

By Trista Stout-Walker, VP of Community Impact

Beautiful girl, you can do hard things. This mantra spoke to me as I reflected on creating March’s Blog. As we celebrate Women’s History Month, we celebrate all women and the transformative work they do to improve our society. Hard things are done each day for people all over the world, even in Southwest Alabama, and even in the walls of United Way of Southwest Alabama (UWSWA).

Community Impact Blog: Black History Month Allows Us to “Be the Change” We Need

By Dr. Deborah Curry, Program Manager for The Basics Southwest Alabama

As an Educator, how does Black History Month allow us to “Be the Change” that we need in our community?

I am a wife, mother of three sons, and an educator by trade for nearly thirty years. Therefore, this topic is very passionate to me. Black History Month is a great time to encourage and show others how to “Be the Change” our community desperately needs. However, I believe we must first understand who, when, where, and why Black History Month was started.

Community Impact Blog: Sometime We Fall Short

By Trista Stout-Walker, Vice President of Community Impact

As I reflect on a new year, I think about a picture of my children playing at a park. My older child is gleefully sliding head first down the slide, with not a care in the world. My younger child has stumbled and face planted traveling up the turf back to the top of the slide. There was a safer way to get back to the top, but she was following my lead and taking a quicker, strenuous path. It did not work out for her, and she required my assistance. 

Community Impact Blog: Be Kind Humans

By Trista Stout-Walker, Vice President of Community Impact

As we celebrate the events and holidays this month, it has given me the opportunity to have a teachable moment with my family. My oldest asked me why I was off on Monday, June 20. I was able to serve as my child’s teacher and explain Juneteenth. I used the discussion to stress the importance of kindness and recognizing human dignity. I watered the seed of humility, and hopefully, it will grow within my daughter. It is tough being a parent, but I am grateful that I can have open conversations with my girls. Southwest Alabama can learn from past mistakes and be open to equality.

Community Impact Blog: Volunteer Appreciation Month

By Trista Stout-Walker, Vice President of Community Impact

Access to Mental Health services continues as a present need for our community, especially over these past two years. UWSWA and 2-1-1 are collaborating with the Mobile County Health Department to pivot the Covid Wrap-Around Services to focus on mental health for those affected by Covid-19. I am proud that we are creating an additional venue for community members to access mental health resources.

Emergency Food & Shelter Program Phase 39 – Accepting Applications for Washington County

Washington County has been awarded federal funds made available through the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) under the Emergency Food and Shelter National Board Program. 

Community Impact Blog: Volunteer Appreciation Month

By Trista Stout-Walker, Vice President of Community Impact

April is Volunteer Appreciation Month and I am here to tell you that United Way of Southwest Alabama (UWSWA) has the best volunteers by far. In April we like to encourage volunteerism, and we are off to a great start. Just last week, three student groups from the University of South Alabama completed projects to benefit UWSWA’s partner agencies in Mobile County. These projects supported educational and essential initiatives at the agencies. The volunteers provided time and many hands to support each’s agency’s mission to offer health and human support services.

The Women in My Life

By Trista Stout-Walker, Vice President of Community Impact

I was asked to write about women in my life who left a positive influence on my journey. That task sends me back to the beginning. It begins with my mother, grandmothers, great- grandmother, aunts, and great aunt. All of these women shed light on the importance of spirituality, bravery, advocacy, leadership, kindness, and determination. All were servant leaders who volunteered and cared for others in the community. All advocated for others who were facing domestic violence, addiction, and mental health. They taught me to work hard, have faith, trust in yourself, and remember to love and care for yourself. As you can see, I was always destined to work at a nonprofit.

You Matter to Me

By Trista Stout-Walker, Vice President of Community Impact

Many people say that it takes a special person to work in a nonprofit. I hate to burst your bubble, but it does not. To put it simply, it takes a person that is willing to care for someone else. Many of you already do this and have an interest in doing more. In our field this is referred to as “a servant’s heart “or “servant leadership”.

Community Impact Outlook on 2022

By Trista Stout-Walker, Vice President of Community Impact

2022, oh my my! It is a new year that brings new possibilities. It also brings the same problems and barriers from 2021. UWSWA’s Community Impact Outlook strives to offer new solution or supports to the residents of UWSWA’s four county footprint. For example, UWSWA and 211 has partnered with Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH) and Mobile County Health Department (MCHD) to offer Covid-19 quarantine support. We are working to eliminate the financial burden that quarantining may create. This is an old problem, but we are tailoring our impact to provide solutions. A full list of quarantine supports can be found on our Covid-19 information page. If you are in need of Covid quarantine support, please dial 2-1-1.