Annual Report
We’re consistently making progress in our community. Read our Annual Report to learn more about our achievements in 2022.
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Visit Our Community status report webSite.
The community status report provides insight into Lubbock’s community, including youth opportunity, health, population, and more.
About
2024 Annual Report
We released the 23rd volume of the Community Status Report. The report complies with local, state, and national data to create a point-in-time snapshot of our community. It highlights crucial issues, helps to identify service gaps, details what progress has been made, and allows us to coordinate future events according to their needs. It’s a valuable resource for non-profits, local government, and other community stakeholders.
122, 815 Lives Impacted
Adults & Families
57,831
Students Ages 7-17
8,714
Children Under the Age of 7
Distribution of Resources
Learn where our resources were most commonly distributed across the Lubbock area.
Community Impact
We made progress helping others in our community. From providing educational resources to information about mental health, we positively made a difference in thousands of lives across the Lubbock area.
The newly established South Plains Early Childhood Coalition hosted a Quality Day of Play event in April. This event welcomed families with kids from birth to kindergarten to show them what quality play looks like. At the event, we handed out over 1,000 books to kids and their families. The members of the coalition include representatives from Lubbock ISD, Frenship ISD, Lubbock Cooper ISD, South Plains Workforce Solutions, and Texas Tech.
YWCA generously hosted the event and contributed to its success. In 2024 we renewed our public policy advocacy efforts. Our board established a Public Policy Committee to work on local, state, and federal issues that impact people on the South Plains.The committee also met with local representatives to share those priorities. One early success of the new committee is a statewide sign on letter advocating for bolstering childcare – with Lubbock organizations showing the greatest support.
In October, we conducted the 7th annual United We Read. Over 4,000 second graders participated in ten school districts and two charter schools. Every child went home with a copy of the book The Dot, and a reading guide for parents to interactively read the story with their child.
Throughout 2024, we continued to work through our partnerships to move the needle on our strategic initiatives.We also expanded our advocacy efforts and reinvigorated previous events. In the spring, we received new ALICE data. ALICE stands for Asset-Limited, Income-Constrained, Employed. This data has always been insightful, but the most recent data was alarming – showing 49% of households in Lubbock County are struggling to make ends meet.
With those staggering and eye-opening statistics, we were motivated to educate our community about the hardships faced by almost half of our neighbors.
We conducted over 50 in-person ALICE trainings and poverty simulations. Those trainings reached over 1,000 people – bringing a much greater awareness about the struggles in our community and taking away stigma from those who are in ALICE.
Find MOre Information
We want everyone to know how we help our community. Learn more about the organizations we work with, our initiatives, how we raise funds and where we distribute them.
Volunteer Recognition
We want to give a huge thanks to our volunteers. They help us achieve all our goals so that everyone in our community has equal opportunities and growth!
RITA HARMON VOLUNTEER SERVICE AWARD
Longtime Lubbock resident Dan Pope has always had a passion for community service, whether that is in his place of work or in his spare time. Dan has been an active member of the Lubbock community for more than 30 years. He has spent much of his time serving in leadership positions throughout the community, including the Lubbock Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, United Way Board and Campaigns, First United Methodist Church, LEPAA, and the Covenant Health System Board of Trustees.
Campaign Volunteer of the Year
Through his years-long dedication to Lubbock Area United Way, Bill Curnow has been involved with the campaign through various channels including Loaned Executive, Program Review, and Speakers’ Bureau. Through those volunteer roles, Bill has worked directly with organizations to contribute to Lubbock Area United Way, share our story, and encourage people to get the help they need – maybe the most important aspect of the campaign.
Community impact Volunteer of the Year
In his 10 years serving in Community Impact, Jon Mark Bernal has proven to be reliable, insightful, and a true value to Lubbock Area United Way and our community. He has served as chair and has lead the Community Impact Committee through difficult decisions, with deliberation and grace. The work Jon Mark has done has left Lubbock Area United Way, our Community Partners, and the community as a whole in a better place.
Community Partner Volunteer of the Year
Gabe Vitela has been a dedicated volunteer at the Guadalupe-Parkway Neighborhood Centers for over 15 years. In his volunteer tenure, he has helped propel the centers to greater horizons. He has been integral in their expansion and building of new facilities, as well as the expansion of programming. Gabe is the perfect embodiment of a dedicated volunteer and someone who is actively creating a better community.
