United Tompkins Impact Fund

Awarded: $1,000

The BJM Enrichment Program is an after-school program that offers academic support and enrichment activities for elementary students, including homework help, tutoring, literacy support, and a broad range of clubs and creative projects. The program emphasizes creative exploration and community connection, engaging students in activities such as building with LEGOs, making arts and crafts with recycled materials, cooking, conducting science experiments, and playing in the gym or on the playground.

Awarded: $22,500

Catholic Charities Tompkins/Tioga provides many community services, including the Samaritan Center, which supports visitors with needs and/or crises in their lives and offers linkages to other or longer-term supports that aid in building self-sufficiency, and the A Place to Stay Program, which provides safe, supportive, short-term transitional housing for homeless single women in Tompkins County.

Awarded: $32,000

The Child Development Council provides services for families with young children and for child care providers in all municipalities of Tompkins and Cortland Counties. They provide support and capacity-building services to local childcare providers, as well as direct family support services to families with young children.

Awarded: $3,000

Civic Ensemble creates theater that explores and explodes the social, political, and cultural issues of our time. We bring audiences of different races, classes, and experiences together in a public forum on the American experiment. Programs include the ReEntry Theatre Program, a creative and supportive community for people who have experienced incarceration/court involvement, and the Youth Forum Theatre Troupe (YFTT), an out-of-school program for 7th-12th graders in Tompkins County, in which young people engage in meaningful and critical exploration of their lives and community through theater.

Awarded: $1,500

The Community School of Music and Arts (CSMA) serves as a cultural cornerstone in Ithaca, providing accessible arts education and creative experiences for people of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities. Through music instruction, visual arts programming, and community partnerships, CSMA has fostered personal expression, lifelong learning, and cultural enrichment.

Awarded: $17,500

Downtown Ithaca Children’s Center (DICC) provides quality education and childcare to children ages 6 weeks to 5 years old. Quality early childhood programming is an essential community support. DICC is committed to providing accessibility for children to grow and develop in a supportive learning environment while allowing their caregivers to remain in the workforce. They have and maintain a commitment to deconstruct negative stereotypes associated with race, class, ability, gender, language, and biases through strengths-based programming. Their classrooms and staff mirror the children and families they serve, to help everyone feel represented and create a sense of belonging.

Awarded: $1,000

Dryden Recreation offers recreational programs and events to the residents of the Town of Dryden. The Dryden Community Summer Camp offers a safe, fun, and affordable summer camp to the families in the community. The camp runs for a full day for six weeks and provides each camper with free breakfast, lunch, and snack.

Awarded: $2,000

Energy Warriors provides workforce development services to residents across Tompkins County, including classroom training and coursework for industry certifications for OSHA-10 General Industries, Building Science Principles, and Boot Camp for Weatherization Providers.

Awarded: $8,000

Enfield Community Council provides programming for families residing in the municipality of Enfield. Programming includes summer camp, after-school care, and enrichment activities for middle and high schoolers.

Awarded: $35,000

Family & Children’s Service of Ithaca offers high-quality, trauma-informed counseling, psychiatric care, and related mental health services to the people of Tompkins County through an extensive series of programs and services that cater to the varying needs of patients, from infants to those receiving end-of-life care.

Awarded: $2,500

Family Reading Partnership distributes new and gently used children’s books to grow the home libraries of all families in Tompkins County at as many access points as possible. Their indoor educational play place, The Nook, is an engaging play area, available at no cost for caregivers with infants and children 5 years old and below to talk, sing, read, and play together to build essential early pre-literacy skills.

Awarded: $5,000

Finger Lakes ReUse provides free essential home materials to Tompkins County households living below the ALICE threshold through the ReUse Materials Access Program (ReMAP). They also provide paid job skills training to Tompkins County residents with low-to-moderate income who face barriers to employment through the ReUse Skills and Employment Training (ReSET).

Awarded: $27,000

Foodnet Meals on Wheels combats some of the biggest threats and barriers to healthy aging: food insecurity, the risk of malnutrition, and isolation. At a time when the U.S. average life expectancy is 79 years, Foodnet addresses these escalating problems daily through meal services. Foodnet Meals on Wheels provides comprehensive nutrition services to any Tompkins County resident who is 60 years old or older and, for food delivery, is homebound or unable to safely shop or cook nutritious meals for themselves, no matter their income level.

Awarded: $2,000

Free Science Workshop provides hands-on, no-barrier STEM learning and creative exploration for children, youth, and families across Tompkins County, with a strong focus on reaching communities with the greatest barriers to access.

Awarded: $10,000

Gadabout‘s core mission is to provide safe, reliable, accessible transportation to older adults and people with disabilities. Their services are unduplicated in the community, leaving no other option or mode of transportation for many of our riders. Gadabout utilizes a fleet of 26 lift-equipped vehicles operated by volunteer and paid staff to provide transportation to vulnerable populations facing transportation barriers within Tompkins County.

Awarded: $42,600

Greater Ithaca Activities Center (GIAC) provides comprehensive, year-round programming for youth, teens, adults, and seniors, addressing educational, recreational, social, and health-related needs. Some of their programming includes summer camp and after-school care for children, academic support, and enrichment activities for middle and high schoolers, job training programs for adults, and recreation activities for older adults.

Awarded: $4,500
The Groton Community Cupboard (GCC) works to provide fresh, sustainable food in the Groton and surrounding areas. Mobile food delivery is available to those who are unable to access the pantry due to illness, lack of transportation, or inability to drive or access pantry hours due to work.

Awarded: $3,000

Groton Recreation provides a wide range of inclusive recreational, educational, and community-building services designed to support residents of all ages, including youth and adult wellness programming and community events. Through the Groton Youth Services program, they provide enrichment activities for middle and high schoolers, and a summer camp for children ages 5-13.

Awarded: $20,000

Since 2006, Healthy Food For All (HFFA) has been making fresh, quality produce accessible to households with limited income through Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) coupled with nutrition education and culinary resources. Every year, HFFA provides sustenance and stability for over 1,500 food-insecure youth and adults in Tompkins County, ensuring they have reliable weekly access to diverse, nutritious fruits and vegetables — grown locally and organically — that provide a cornerstone to good health.

Awarded: $10,000

The Continuum of Care (CoC), led by the Human Services Coalition, is a local planning network of over thirty public, private, and not-for-profit partners, including people with lived expertise collaborating to build and maintain a homeless response system in which homelessness is rare, brief, one-time, and equitable. Moreover, it aims to support a thriving system where all system stakeholders use data, evidence, and leading practices to drive program planning and resource allocation. The CoC network strives to address emergent conditions for people experiencing homelessness by quickly connecting them with services and housing. CoC staff serve people directly through Coordinated Entry (CE) and serve as the backbone of the homeless response system through convening, planning, educating stakeholders, and training.

Awarded: $4,500

Ithaca Children’s Garden provides nature-based childcare and youth development programming, including job readiness, serving children, teens, and families throughout Tompkins County.

Awarded: $17,500

Ithaca Community Childcare Center (IC3) provides developmentally appropriate care and early education for approximately 260 children daily, ages 8 weeks to 12 years, with intentional focus on supporting all domains of child development: social-emotional, cognitive, physical, and language. This holistic approach ensures children enter school ready to succeed and builds a strong foundation for lifelong learning.

Awarded-$1,600
Funded Project: Operational Support

The Ithaca Community Gardens is a not-for-profit membership organization devoted to furthering community food self-sufficiency in Tompkins County and surrounding areas. The Gardens are run on an all-volunteer basis and provide the means and education for people to grow healthy food, to overcome food insecurity, and we participate in a food donation network.

Awarded- $35,000
Project Funded: Operational Support

The Ithaca Health Alliance provides unique health care services not readily duplicated by other service providers in the community through the operation of the Ithaca Free Clinic. The Ithaca Free Clinic provides free medical and integrated healthcare services to the uninsured, the underinsured, and those who cannot access healthcare locally. Anyone without health insurance can receive primary healthcare and therapeutic services at the Free Clinic. In an effort to provide a place of healing built on trust and respect for every patient seeking Free Clinic services, there is no needs testing, residency requirements, or requirement to provide immigrant status. Free Clinic patients are members of the community who earn too much to be eligible for Medicaid and do not earn nearly enough to afford health insurance plans available through the ACA Marketplace that do not come with exorbitant co-pays and deductibles and lack coverage for essential, everyday healthcare needs.

Awarded-$8,000
Project Funded: Minor Repairs Program

INHS’ Minor Repair Program is to help homeowners age in place and continue living independently by providing health and safety repairs that prevent small problems from becoming larger, expensive ones. The labor and materials for repairs are provided free of charge. In addition to assisting seniors and persons with disabilities, INHS extends the program to homeowners who are housing-cost burdened, or, as defined by United Way, asset-limited, income-restrained, and employed (ALICE).

Awarded-$4,000
Funded Project: Global Roots Play School

Ithaca Welcomes Refugees (IWR) is a mostly volunteer-operated nonprofit organization founded in 2015 in response to the global refugee crisis. Our mission is to partner with newly arrived refugees and immigrants as they rebuild their lives in Tompkins County. Ithaca Welcomes Refugees launched Global Roots Play School in September 2017 in partnership with adult ESL programs in Ithaca, enrolling children aged 18 months to five years in our high-quality childcare program. Global Roots families tend to have low or, in the case of very new arrivals, no income. For this reason, we offer tuition on a very sliding scale and families with no income do not pay any tuition.

Awarded-$1,200
Funded Project: Bobcat Snacks

Lansing Lunchbox’s mission is to combat hunger and food insecurity by providing nutritious foods to kids in our community so they can grow, learn, and thrive. Our work supports the physical, mental, social, and academic well-being of students in the Lansing Central School District. The Healthy Snack for All program ensures that all students, particularly those who suffer from food insecurity, have access to a snack during the day.

Awarded- $3,200
Project Funded: Operational Support

LawNY is a law firm for poor and low-income people. Law NY provides free assistance and representation in civil cases and there is no cost for any of the services provided. Law NY believes that everyone has the right to equal justice regardless of the ability to pay. The Ithaca office has been in business for over fifty years and serves all of Tompkins County.

Awarded- $4,400
Project Funded: Operational Support

Lifelong enhances the overall mental, physical, emotional and financial well-being of older adults in the community. Lifelong provides services and programs at it’s centrally located building in downtown Ithaca, at sites throughout Tompkins County, and virtually. Offered programs include Lifelong Learning classes, social activities, and the free tax preparation program.

Awarded- $7,000
Project Funded: Operational Support

Loaves and Fishes of Tompkins County provides a place for free meals, hospitality, companionship, and advocacy for those in need, regardless of their faith, beliefs, or circumstances. For 40 years, Loaves and Fishes has been serving Tompkins County residents in need. Loaves & Fishes is the only community kitchen in Tompkins County open Monday through Friday. They are open year-round, including holidays.

The Newfield Kitchen Cupboard food pantry provides supplemental food and personal care items at no cost to patrons, and serves a local community with many residents having limited financial resources.

Awarded- $1,080
Project Funded: NLP Summer Reading Program

The NLP Summer Reading Program gives participants an opportunity to visit the library regularly for engaging and enriching activities and creates a lasting positive attitude toward reading, libraries, and our community. The program encourages reading for recreation outside of school and work and promotes a lifelong love of reading. Activities provided by the program include family story times and “Teen Times”, special performances, take home kits, and prizes for engaging in activities.

Awarded- $3,200
Project Funded: Summer Day Camp

The Newfield Summer Day Camp offers a low cost, high quality day care for children of a community that consistently is at or near the bottom of Tompkins county economic demographics and at the top of families in need of a structured, safe, and consistent environment for their children. Additionally, attending children receive free breakfasts and lunches.

Awarded- $25,000
Project Funded: Operational Support

The Learning Web provides a continuum of services and supports to help youth and young adults move steadily toward a positive adulthood through its three programs, Youth Exploration, Life Skills Prevention, and Youth Outreach. The Learning Web prioritizes academic support, career preparation and job search aid, housing, recreation programming, support services, transportation and family support. Secondarily (but still very critical) they help youth identify (and often accompanying them to) needed services for childcare, language assistance, health care, legal aid and tutoring.

Awarded- $5,600
Project Funded: Adult Literacy Education

Tompkins Learning Partners serves adults who live or work in Tompkins County and who have English language or literacy needs. Students seek to improve their ability to speak English, read, write, do math, or use computers. Many have goals to improve or gain employment, obtain High School Equivalency, become American citizens, or simply gain skills to navigate independently in the community. Students in TLP’s program test at the low (beginner or basic) to intermediate (4-9th grade) literacy levels. They range from ages 18-80+, represent both urban and rural parts of the county, are typically under-resourced, and face multiple barriers in addition to literacy.

Awarded- $1,600
Project Funded: Tuition Assistance

TASP provides an inclusive high quality after school child care using a STEAM-themed model. The program serves children in the Towns of Ulysses, Enfield, and Ithaca. Providing tuition assistance helps families with short term financial aid during family situations, and provides scholarships to help low income families attend TASP.

Awarded- $2,400
Project Funded: Operational Support

The mission of the Trumansburg Food Pantry is to distribute free food to anyone who is struggling to provide food for themselves or their families. Food pantry volunteers also connect individuals and families with resources and provide guidance and support as they navigate systems.

Awarded- $2,400
Project Funded: Summer Camp

The recreation department provides a full-day summer day camp to families of the community for six weeks during the summer. The camp offers children the opportunities to be with friends, make new friends, play in a safe supervised environment, allows for daily swimming opportunities, enrichment programming through the library, and field trips out of the community that may not be able to occur during the summer. The summer camp’s mission is to address the need for childcare during the summer for families that need a place for their children while they are at work during the regular business hours.

Awarded- $2,400
Project Funded: Operational Support
Ulysses Youth Services Department
Positive Youth Development programming is geared toward youth in 5-8th grade (ages ~10-14), primarily for youth who may not be actively engaged in youth sports or other school-sponsored or fee-based activities. Programming for high school-age youth is geared toward meeting youth where they are and providing support for whatever is coming next in their lives. The goal of the Youth Employment Program is to encourage and foster first-time/early workers and provide them with workforce development skills necessary to be successful, empowered, and safe as they enter the work world.

Awarded-$1,500
Funded Project: Enhanced Food Sharing Cabinet

In the well-lit, accessible, covered, front vestibule of the Varna Community Center, Varna Community Association provides a cabinet for non-perishable items and a cooler that give perishables a day or two to find a home. The food cabinet is available 24 hours a day, every day of the year.

Awarded- $2,400
Project Funded: Operational Support

The organization’s mission centers on delivering comprehensive support and responsive services to dismantle systemic barriers impeding the scholastic achievements of students of color, students with disabilities, LGBTQIA+ individuals, those from low-income backgrounds, and other marginalized students within the county. Engaging with these student populations to identify and address their specific needs on both a micro and macro level, the Village at Ithaca advocates for the rectification of discriminatory policies and practices within educational institutions while providing support to youth and families as they try to navigate these challenges.

Awarded- $2,400
Project Funded: Resource Solutions

Resource Solutions is a service component of the Women’s Opportunity Center’s program, Amunet. The mission is to provide a safe and nurturing environment where women can explore the dynamics of their relationships, gain insights into potential signs of covert abuse, and empower themselves to make informed decisions for their well-being. The goal is to expand the network of services available to women who would not identify as abuse victims but nonetheless are struggling to understand why they feel overwhelmed, undermined, and fearful with their intimate partner.

Awarded- $15,000
Project Funded: Operational Support

The YMCA of Ithaca & Tompkins County operates within three core focus areas: Youth Development, Healthy Living, and Social Responsibility, all aimed at fostering a stronger, healthier, and more inclusive community. In the realm of Youth Development, they recognize the community need and importance of providing essential life skills to children and ensuring their holistic development. In the domain of Healthy Living, the YMCA prioritizes the wellbeing of all community members, including older adults. In the area of Social Responsibility, they strive to ensure equitable access to YMCA services and programs.