Thank You for Your Check Pledge through the United Way Campaign

Build a Brighter Future where all people in our community are financially stable.

Your support provides financial coaching and other services to help families and individuals become financially stable, such as:

Pathways: This 6-18 month intensive, one-on-one financial coaching program is designed to equip hardworking, low to moderate income individuals and families with the skills, assistance, knowledge, and resources necessary to achieve freedom over their finances. Financial coaching sessions focus on budgeting, debt management, asset-building, credit and more. Coaching participants have the opportunity to earn financial incentives. Participants are Pickens County residents who have transitioned out of crisis assistance and are willing to commit time and effort to improve their finances. Program participants are primarily accepted through a referral process, in partnership with local human service agencies.

Free File: This free, high-quality tax preparation service ensures hard-working people in our community get every dollar they deserve. Free File serves people with a household income of $60,000 or less, but the average income of Pickens County residents served is $20,000. Free File is volunteer driven and the volunteers receive training and IRS certification in order to provide expert assistance.

211: This easy to remember phone number connects individuals with resources in the community 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

Build a Brighter Future where all children in our community can read on grade level by 3rd grade.

Experts say the chance of succeeding in life increases with a quality education. Research suggests that a child is 90% likely to remain a poor reader at the end of the fourth grade if the child is a poor reader at the end of the first grade. Furthermore, one in six children who are not reading proficiently in the third grade does not graduate from high school on time, a rate four times greater than that for proficient readers.

Your support provides educational programs to help children succeed in school and in life, such as:

Camp iRock:  A partnership between United Way of Pickens County, the School District of Pickens County, the YMCA of Easley, Pickens and Powdersville, and Call Me MiSTER, Camp iRock is an innovative and award winning summer program which helps children improve their reading abilities in an enriching summer camp environment. In the spring, the School District of Pickens County identifies students who could use a boost in their reading abilities and sends their families an invitation to attend Camp iRock.

Preschool Pages: Preschool Pages is a partnership with local elementary schools to support the development of early literacy skills in preschoolers in the community. Young children and their caregivers participate in story time and related crafts and activities which helps these young learners develop important early literacy skills while learning that school is a safe and nurturing place. You can support children by donating books or funds for books, ensuring that each child can take a book home from the program to build their own age-appropriate home library.

Reading Buddies: In partnership with the School District of Pickens County, United Way Reading Buddy volunteers provide extra support to students who need it, both during Camp iRock and throughout the school year. Reading Buddy volunteers spend time with students on a regular basis to help them improve their literacy skills and inspire a love of reading and books. Reading Buddies provide encouragement as a child succeeds, and model through their own actions that reading is fun!

Bright By Text: This free subscription based texting service, in partnership with Pickens County First Steps, promotes the learning, development and health of children prenatal through eight years old. Bright By Text provides two to four text messages per week on topics such as brain development, games and activities, health and wellness, STEM, safety, and more. Parents and caregivers with children under 8 can text the word SCKIDS to 27448 to sign up.

East End Elementary- Brilliant Bulldog Den: The Brilliant Bulldog Den program will kick off with a “One School, One Book” event, where families spend an evening learning about the book, The Wild Robot, and the theme of “Dive In and Explore.” Families will engage with Scaly Adventures, dinner, and literacy stations that relate to the book. The whole school will celebrate reading the book and compete in challenges for 30 days. This grant includes providing every student with a book, and literacy kits, along with follow up engagement nights to support literacy growth.

McKissick Academy- Parents as Learners: The PALS program will hold evening events for parents to address their child’s reading (family literacy, getting ready to read, growing readers, and reading and writing at home).  There will be incentives for parents to attend.  Parents with children K-3rd grade can attend.  The grant also will include after-school tutoring for struggling readers. 

Pickens County First Steps- Reach Out and Read: Expansion of Reach Out and Read program to two additional pediatric offices in Pickens County.  Reach Out and Read is an evidence-based national pediatric literacy program through which pediatricians, as part of routine primary care for young children, are trained to offer parents anticipatory guidance about the importance of reading aloud.  Free books are given to young patients to take home.

Six Mile Elementary- Flat Stanly and his Worldwide Adventures: The Flat Stanley Worldwide Adventures program offers an enriching opportunity for third-grade students to embark on literary journeys while virtually exploring the world. Students will immerse themselves in diverse cultures and traditions from around the globe through the power of reading, and gain experiences they might not otherwise encounter. The program includes guest speakers, souvenirs, culturally diverse food, clothing, traditions, virtual field trips, and other engaging activities to make the stories come alive for the students. Students also receive books from the series to take home to grow their home library and increase their love of reading.