
“We’re excited to celebrate with you all tonight,” Brooke Smith said.
Smith, the community relations manager at UGI Utilities, is a United Way of Lancaster County board member and vice chair of the impact committee. She was greeting about 200 nonprofit leaders, staff members and community supporters who gathered Tuesday evening at Tellus 360 for a United Way of Lancaster County reception, “United in Impact,” commemorating the awarding of more than $2 million to 45 local organizations — $2,291,398.55, to be precise. (UGI sponsored the event.)
The funding comes from eight grant programs that United Way oversees. Much of it comes from United Way itself, using resources raised from local contributors. In several cases, grants incorporate funds from third-party sources, either private or federal.
“We’re so very grateful to all of you,” United Way of Lancaster County President Kate Zimmerman told the crowd.
The organization continues to evaluate its grantmaking, she said, with the goal of making the process simple, equitable and impactful.
United Way operates the area’s 211 social services hotline, and the calls it receives are a good indicator of community needs. By investing “upstream,” Zimmerman said, United Way is hoping to help local organizations solve problems sooner, so that some of those 211 calls don’t have to be made.

The “United in Impact” programs and recipients recognized Tuesday are as follows:
1. Level Up & Launch
United Way’s Level Up & Launch aims to invest in innovative projects that address service gaps and disparities in the community. United Way initially awards $250,000; grant recipients are then invited to raise matching funds, which United Way then matches dollar-for-dollar, up to the original grant amount, for a total of $750,000.
Recipients
- Arch Street Center
- ASSETS Lancaster
- Bright Side Opportunities Center
- The Common Wheel
- Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) of Lancaster & Lebanon Counties
- Ephrata Area Social Services
- Homefields
- Lancaster County Food Hub
- Lancaster EMS
- Parish Resource Center
- Pennsylvania Furniture Mission
2. Joint Funding: Lancaster County Homelessness Coalition
United Way of Lancaster County contributes $250,000 annually to the Homelessness Coalition, which is leveraged 3:1 through the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development, for a total of $1,060,000. This year, a private contributor provided an additional $20,000 for rental assistance, for a total of $1,080,000.
Recipients
- Columbia Dream Center
- ECHOS
- Factory Ministries
- Moravian Center
- Office for the Lancaster County Homelessness Coalition
- Valley Youth House
- YMCA of the Roses
3. Emergency Food and Shelter Program
The EFSP is a direct pass-through from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), allocated to United Way of Lancaster County in partnership with the Lancaster Homelessness Coalition for emergency food and shelter needs. Grants total $183,173.
Recipients
- Anchor Lancaster
- Clare House
- Community Action Partnership of Lancaster County
- CrossNet Ministries
- Columbia Dream Center
- ECHOS
- The Factory Ministries
- Good Samaritan Services
- Lancaster County Food Hub
- Parish Resource Center
- REAL Life
- SACA
- Solanco Neighborhood Ministries
- Tenfold
- YWCA
4. Summer Youth Experience
Offered in partnership with the Lancaster Rotary Club, the Summer Youth Experience supports summer activities and enrichment programs that offset summer learning loss for students in the School District of Lancaster. Total funding is $60,000.
Recipients
- Advantage Lancaster
- Bright Side Opportunities Center
- The Mix
- SWAN

5. Kellogg’s Summer Food Program
This initiative provides $25,000 for programs that address summer food insecurity in Lancaster County.
Recipients
- CrossNet Ministries
- Factory Ministries
- Loft Community Partnership
6. Women United
Women United provides $45,000 a year to support initiatives benefiting women, with the focus rotating through education, economic mobility and health over a three-year cycle. This year’s cycle focuses on women’s education.
Recipients
- Lancaster-Lebanon Habitat for Humanity
- Patients R Waiting
- YWCA Lancaster
Additionally, United Way of Lancaster County offered a one-time $10,000 “special funding opportunity” this year targeting women’s education.
Recipient
- Milagro House
7. Pre-K Educational Improvement Tax Credit
The Pre-K EITC provides scholarship assistance to children whose families are in financial need. Businesses make contributions to eligible Pre-K programs in exchange for credits to apply against their tax liability. This year’s EITC totaled $53,225.55.
Recipients
- Cocalico Care Center
- Diamond Street Early Childhood Center
- Elizabethtown Child Care Center
- Elizabethtown Community Nursery School
- Lititz Christian School & Early Learning Center
- Luthercare
- YMCA of the Roses
8. State Rep. Ismail Smith-Wade-El
Rep. Smith-Wade-El is a Democrat whose 49th Legislative District covers the southern half of Lancaster city and extends into nearby municipalities. Grants totaling $85,000 are being provided through his office to organizations that serve area youth.
Recipients
- African American Cultural Alliance of Lancaster
- Boys & Girls Club of Lancaster
- The Common Wheel
- Crispus Attucks Community Center
- The Mix
- Music for Everyone
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